“Having hearts swell with patriotic fervor-
till enough to resist a decadent rotten order”
Warm, patriotic greetings.
This note is made in commemoration of the 125th year of independence, and for sure people from all walks of life having hearts swell with pride and patriotic fervor- for that occasion serves as a poignant reminder of the indomitable spirit of heroic forefathers who valiantly fought against Spanish colonial rule. On this significant day, embark on a journey that not just recognises the past, but also to seek truth in this inconvenient present and to forge for a future.
For despite this setting called “independence”, the Philippines remains a vassal of both American and Chinese interests, be it in a form of unequal agreements to that of direct interference in economic and in sociopolitical affairs as their companies able to exploit the country’s wealth for their interests as well as that of its local vassals. Such bullshitry may appear benevolent for as in the past it promoted “development” in various forms, including that of breed of bureaucrat capitalists especially those who were trained in “American-style democracy” and thus represented the interests of the US and the new class of big bourgeois compradors who melded interests with the old landlord class.
But that „democracy” is in fact provided the existing feudal caciquism with a façade that incudes the „people”, with the prviledges such as that of suffrage and some “participation” in the political sphere. But who’s making the laws and mostly benefited on?
But despite this, this failed to extinguish the people’s spirit of nationalism in various forms. Be it visual art, literature, to that of stirring speeches, protest marches, and even wars in the countryside, every action driven by a socio-nationalist sentiment becomes a weapon enough to maim if not cripple a foreign occupier or a local vassal. For sure the current order tends to downplay the growing concern if not the will to resist the common folk as systemic problems continue to prevail- that unjust agreements with foreign powers, systemic corruption from scrupulous bureaucrats and “economic managers”, various forms of injustice from crooks and its “attack dogs”, it is not so surprising that they are so apprehensive about facing accountability that they spew lie after lie, unwittingly exposing their guilt to the public.
Call it romanticism or idealism this note for in this time most messages for independence day merely wishes for „progress and development” but such recalls from the past, that of local caciques acting vassal-like to its foreign masters for some crumbs shows that these remain significant in this current „modern setting” that still benefited these modern-day caciques at the expense of the struggles and aspirations of the common working people- and that is a growing tyranny that cannot be ignored.
The common folk have enough of these wishes for “progress and development”, but, in this time of systemic corruption, poverty, and injustice would say why nationalism of the folk is still the reason for a nation to survive and keep fighting to build a future that this current order still failed to offer despite promises.