"May as well brace yourself"
(Notes from an impatient populace demanding reforms
to an impatient regime tolerating impatience)
Everything has becoming farce as Duterte and his clique actually chose to continue old policies, abit with new names and terms, all tailor fit to meet the demands of the people.
There could be many reasons for this continuity be it intentional or not, but the fact that Duterte's Philippines is still in its continuing past, which means as dominated by entrenched entities, diminishes the promise of change- let alone an intensified campaigns against drugs, the rest be like a rehash which people end dismayed after seeing its unlikely effects.
Basing much on news reports and commentaries, this person, like others concerned, is thinking that many people, in their desire to see injustice righted and to commence changes swiftly, rather rush headalong into an unreliable remedy or solution such as what Duterte and his clique hath offered.
For as in the past, people sought extralegal means as a form of direct imposition of justice, and sometimes a necessary move by the state in order to create or tolerate an atmosphere of fear, impatience, discontent before they "make their move" and redescribing it as "necessary to save the republic and to restore order, stability" which includes "issuing necessary reforms."
Using an unlikely figure's view
Mentioning about impatience, fear, ad the likes, many years ago, former General Jose Crisol made a note that tackles about the cold war hysteria of anticommunism. And like those within the system, he would say that impatience, fear are those examples of the traits of "communism" as it creates an expression of dissent and even hatred.
Quite agreeable at first, especially to those who criticise protest actions pointing against the regime instead of "letting the regime take its course" and by "simply becoming patient" as "reforms and programs" are "already been undertaken".
However, that same impatience, fear, discontent, has becoming what the system hath waited and wanted- especially when people are looking for a someone to lead them out of the chaos, and thus came personages like yesterday's Marcos, and today's Duterte.
To paraphrase Crisol from his book "the red lie", it is impatience in people that the system endeavour to exploit to further their own ends. Issues like rampant criminality, political scandals, rising costs of goods and services, anything pointing on the last administration hath made people impatient and thus stir up anger enough to rally under theirs, pointing against personages left and right as perpectuators as well as to support programs which no matter what controversial it would be so long as it creates "good conclusions" such as the promises of TRAIN law and "Build Build Build".
But reality says otherwise, despite the system hath tolerated their own brand of impatience in order to rally people under theirs against the "reds" and "yellows", they failed to stem that same impatience that in this time pointing against them for half-taken seriously if not failed to address issues particularly those from the masses. Contractualisation for example- Duterte did promised to end it and even made a presidential order for the sake of appeasing the ones rallying outside Malacañang, but how come it did not maximise the regularisation of these workers- but instead seeing mass actions and boycotts? Remember impatience is the way of an animal gone berserk, and people wanted to see coming from a man who does swift justice through the barrel of the gun also the same towards those who insist the justness of contractualisation and other unfair labour practises.
From this then this writer would think that even those who are against communism actually done what their so-called 'enemies' did. They created if not tolerated an atmosphere of discontent as neoliberal- oriented economic planners, fascistic- bred military men, despotic landlords, and corrupt bureaucrats created or recycled policies whose bottomline is simple: uphelding interests- and in this era where Duterte, as any other bureaucrat paraphrases existing policies with populist terms, failed to reach the hearts of people, except of course, those whom fanatically supporting him regardless of his mistakes. Programs like BUILD BUILD BUILD, reforms like the TRAIN law, even the statement wherein he insisted multinationals to have property, and the promise to end contractualisation, these and more despite all its justifications, hath not kept the mass ranks of people at bay but intensifies its struggle- or rather say, impatience.
Aside from that discontent, that system, just like its "enemy", seeks to dominate as it attains power over those they rule. Actually, Crisol end becoming one of Marcos's own propagandists as he blabbered anticommunism and his defence of constitutional authoritarianism through the "new society". But haven't he noticed that he was supporting a man having a lust for power and the passion to dominate others? That "new society" which meant to "defend the republic and democracy" is as old as the despotism of ancient absolutism and as ruthless as other totalitarian regimes- that until present it continues to prevail abit with new terms trying enough to "move on" from its unlikely orgins. In fact, Duterte seriously trying to replicate that kind of despotism his idol Marcos did- by replicating that path to power on the crest of state-sponsored violence, popular despair and discontent, and willing to maintain power by the use of force and propaganda both "state" and "state-sponsored" apologists.
From this then perhaps it is unsurprising if he will stop at nothing not even the betrayal of their people just to satiate their lust for power.
Pardon if to use Crisol's not for a reference, but in citing him through a left-wing perspective, perhaps this person would say that despite he created that anticommunist note in pursuit of "defending democracy", the late undersecretary for civil defence hath also made something for the system such as on how to hijack some populist (or even leftist) ideals in order to upheld the order and its interests. In fairness to him that he did recognise the flaws of capitalism by describing its oppressive form as "perverted", but then he insisted that capitalists (particularly big businesses), compradores, and hacienderos excert a strong influence in government as they themselves are "better informed citizens" with "sober opinion and seasoned experience", "dynamic capital", "enterprising spirit", and "incentive of private ownership" that serves as "guiding forces behind all organic and economic programs in nations."
"May as well brace yourself"
With all the inconveniences, then a concerned would tell everyone to "brace yourself" against this nonsense the system hath brought to.
By using a late military man's notes in an another perspective, one would think how Duterte invested in a state of national impatience yet failed to address the issues that brought people to that same impatience. He would have followed Magsaysay or Garcia instead of Marcos when it comes to citing some character references, but, given the latter's "approach to development" would he follow the former whose showcase of development be limited to some artesian wells?
Anyway, as in the past, the government, despite its promise to rein the ruling class, can't and unlikely to rein these "better informed citizens" such as a compradore or a landlord oligarch. The TRAIN law plain and simply passed to the less paid or those of contractualisation and other labour-related cases that continues to remain important reasons for massive picketlines and street protests.
And speaking of TRAIN, from an article from the Manila Times made last May 2018 regarding that controversial tax reform law from concerned lawmakers, it stated that:
“Some 15.2 million families who earn minimum wages or below belong to the informal sector who are already exempted from paying income taxes will not benefit from income tax cuts. But these poor families are actually shouldering the higher cost of goods and services as a result of the Train law,
...The aim to lower taxes for the poor and improve the quality of life of our people was negated by the government’s drive to increase revenues. Instead of easing the burden of over-taxation, the Train Law worsens the misery of our people.
Thus, the passage of this urgent bill [to repeal it]is earnestly sought,”
But for a fanatic who cares about supporting the administration 'right or wrong', then their desire to insist the folks such as to "return to the fold of law and to participate in nation building" remains its outmost call especially in a time of instability; they would even claim that reforms such as that TRAIN law as beneficial in a way business groups seek:
"...to lower corporate income tax rates and rationalize incentives to broaden the tax base and increase the government’s revenues to support its key programs, as well as to address issues regarding the country’s competitiveness in the world market, low revenue efficiency, and the current uneven playing field between local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and foreign multinational companies."
Sadly, these fanatics didn't know that their idol's and its privileged supporters made that instability as it justifies an unlikely act (or are they contented in rising costs of goods out of that tax reform law?), what more that they made their statements sound foolish especially for a ruler who desired change when in fact he profited from an unjust order of "best informed, sober opinion, and experienced" plutocrats.
And speaking of TRAIN, from an article from the Manila Times made last May 2018 regarding that controversial tax reform law from concerned lawmakers, it stated that:
“Some 15.2 million families who earn minimum wages or below belong to the informal sector who are already exempted from paying income taxes will not benefit from income tax cuts. But these poor families are actually shouldering the higher cost of goods and services as a result of the Train law,
...The aim to lower taxes for the poor and improve the quality of life of our people was negated by the government’s drive to increase revenues. Instead of easing the burden of over-taxation, the Train Law worsens the misery of our people.
Thus, the passage of this urgent bill [to repeal it]is earnestly sought,”
But for a fanatic who cares about supporting the administration 'right or wrong', then their desire to insist the folks such as to "return to the fold of law and to participate in nation building" remains its outmost call especially in a time of instability; they would even claim that reforms such as that TRAIN law as beneficial in a way business groups seek:
"...to lower corporate income tax rates and rationalize incentives to broaden the tax base and increase the government’s revenues to support its key programs, as well as to address issues regarding the country’s competitiveness in the world market, low revenue efficiency, and the current uneven playing field between local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and foreign multinational companies."
Sadly, these fanatics didn't know that their idol's and its privileged supporters made that instability as it justifies an unlikely act (or are they contented in rising costs of goods out of that tax reform law?), what more that they made their statements sound foolish especially for a ruler who desired change when in fact he profited from an unjust order of "best informed, sober opinion, and experienced" plutocrats.
With all these inconveniences, then perhaps everyone knows why the state tolerate the system's unjustness thinking that they have better views than those of the commoner yearning to realise hopes- from this no wonder why people are discontented, and if promised to realise reforms- impatient to push through.