Ramblings on a continuing soiled past
(A message this Independence day)
"It becomes dangerous only when the nonsense is left to grow, thus hemming in and strangling the healthy, organic development of the revolution." These are the words the notorious Joseph Göbbels said in his writeup about culture, that somehow made yours truly at first ought to say apologies to the reader, for in that said quote one would say that the unfinished task remains unfinished for it is marred by what that notorious quoter (or rather say one of Hitler's hacks) said as nonsense, be it corruption specifically, unleashed by the present order in its desperate phase, that tends to negate the destructive aspirations of the people in favour of keeping the unjust status quo.
For as time goes by, society has been soiled from time to time by those who care about themselves no matter they appear as "benevolent" yet corrupt to its very core. The historical past is just as infamously soiled by the present while the historical future is denied without a care and likely to be soiled again. A backward society, a people bereft of idea, an exploitative system, it seems that degeneracy continues to aggravate behind both frustrated modernity with its illusory "idealism" being cultivated by the system to its subjects. That "idealism" is far from the usual, for it is not social in a sense but a mockery of it, as it reduces significant matters of society into whinings an individual, the so-called "self" has to deal with. Worse, without any support at all besides crumbs and mere statements to feature as a "pride". An impression that often became an object of intrigue thanks to those whom treating such virtue as a holy water to wash a soiled hand.
No matter what the society tries to be upright yet corrupt still it remains infamously soiled by those who trying to keep firm in its exploitative fantasies, that somehow made this person ask: what's wrong with people nowadays? In seeing an aloof populace that also "afforded" to smatter an idea for a sarcasm, do they have any alternative to offer that besides foregoing the problem? This generation of so-called "famous" or "fabulous" whom had "least afforded to suggest" obviously nothing to offer aside from taking pride from themselves and disregard the society for "no one cares except their own matters" the way they chose to remain intentionally aloof, numb, deaf, blind, mute, in observing old edifices whether it was Jai Alai or Magallanes Theatre being torn down amidst protest, no matter how significant its heritage, its contribution, its relevance to the society and its values being cultivated and still trying to maintain its relevance in this so-called "modern age" people ought to enjoy.
But people did not notice that the "modern age" they are enjoying with is also the era of a rotting order still trying to struggle to keep its power. By replacing politics by the markets, of replacing fine buildings, art, thought, with a rotting sameness bereft of significance and value besides consumerist fantasies, of themselves be contented in canned culture leaving those who afford with the finest ones in obviously expensive prices, the system has actually stunted the flowering of national consciousness by diluting its value thinking that such profound values are "irrelevant", favouring the illusions of the outside for the sake of "modernity", "progress", "development", or any similar term that is actually faux, ersatz, substitute with less or no valuable content yet "cheap" all for "practicality's sake."
Its "theory" is glowing and grandiose as the ones on high tends to present, trying to appease the people especially those whom asserting "development", "peace", "land", "bread", "justice", "jobs", "welfare"; and yet it carries poison behind in its attractive, sugarcoated gloss, an icing that tends to cover the inconvenient truth of degeneracy in its full sheer nonsense. Over against this, what everyone have from it in its actually existing reality is terrible and forbidding. That instead of their expectations comes its contrary, that instead of a healthy, assertive citizenry is a contented yet sickly individuals focusing merely on the self rather than the community, of negating the value of its own surrounding except those of its own frustrated illusion, and be treated as a panacea for the ills that are societal in nature. With terms like "Move on", "Ignore", "Forget", "Be Contented", or other similar phrase has likely to become a road to a further degeneracy as it fails to resolve, putting justice, in favour of an illusory "peace" yet uncertain. Anyways, asserting justice to a really serious problem really demands a just and meaningful closure rather than escaping it with an open end, or as said earlier, they are numb, nothing, alive yet as if swam in the current yet can't resist its continuous flow.
But regardless of their denials and justifications the system does, seeing an inconvenient, soiled reality comes an assertion of aspirations no matter people think of it as impossible or life threatening as sometimes it goes beyond the parameters. But those aspirations, or ideals people may tend to describe is deeply rooted in both age-old heritage and actually existing realities in which has to be confronted rather than letting it go as if only an invisible hand can solve the problem. The once progressive districts of the past has been threatened by the wrecking balls in the name of illusory progress yet half-baked in its realisations, no matter how significant its contribution in its once progressive pasts, while actually existing poor shantytowns continue to thrive by the unjust system, used and disposed afterwards without any justice to the dweller whom actually does the chores of the society in the name of "development", or even the countryside that behind its pacific setting of green fields is a sound of fear and a river of blood with the same reason as the former; yes, what most people see is a reversal of surrounding as the nonsense, self-gratifying to the core, has exploiting the once healthy structure and thus corrupting it till making attempts for a renewed commitments impossible.
Unless there are those who remain true to their aspirations and willing to go beyond the parameters, to give all their lives for that unfinished task be accomplished. If the system continues to do its task of keeping firm through its carrot and stick, the ones who remain true will continue to do its task of dismantling no matter how painstaking it is just to stop from soiling the society from the corrupt exploiters within and out. There are those whom trying to modify as they could, trying to keep the stench well hidden, yet since they can't redress the root causes then comes plain failure of their efforts. If they afford to say "bridging the past and the present", then maybe they failed to take away the stench.
Anyways, all after observing and making ramblings, the question that matters today is “Cui bono?” or “Who benefits?” Is it the people who enjoys the gadgets, and modern anemities? Or the system who has exploited them many times by feeding them more with those anemities? being an observer comes with a series of questions such as those the way groups like "Nostalgia Manila" or "Memories of Old Manila", or few, well-informed, and culturally refined individuals trying to instill the idea of heritage if not rekindling a "force that makes a nation great" and at the same time seeking questions. Why a numb, if not a corrupted populace, all bereft of consciousness in its surrounding, choosing to be swam by the current without any control hastens a society's fall? Perhaps failure to harness the future by these folks and letting it be unbridled makes the system "assuming to take the task" and create that is contrary to everyone's aspiration that is just, pleasing, dignified, but instead a soiled one in this continuing past.
Thus, no wonder why what people see is mess and disgrace.
And its is the duty of the enlightened to dismantle this actually existing nonsense.