The Psychedelic Furs - Heartbreak Beat (Official Video)

Hardheaded

It is surprising to hear the government join in the chorus condemning Filipinos as "hardheaded" because they fail to obey the rules of the quarantine. It is unusual to hear the government whine about the people when it's usually the other way around but I digress.

I'm sorry but Filipinos have always been lawbreakers even before the quarantine so let's not pretend that we're only noticing this now. However, I think this complaint is inaccurate. Filipinos are not "hardheaded". They know what the law is and that is precisely why they are adept at dodging them. No, it is better to say that Filipinos are "selfish". They break the rules because they are selfish.

What is the point of rules? For the most part, rules are there to impose order and the point of order is to make sure that things are fair for everyone. For example, traffic rules exist to make sure that everyone can move in an orderly fashion. Everyone gets their spot. Everyone gets a turn. In the broader sense, laws exist to protect the rights of people from being encroached by the government and by others. All the rules, regulations, statutes, etc., exist with the welfare of the individual or the whole of society in mind. Crimes are punished since they cause harm to people or society at large.

The problem with the Filipino is that he is selfish. He sees himself separated from the whole of the Filipino people. I wrote before that the Philippines was never one nation prior to the time it was forced on us by the colonizers. The Philippines remains a multi-ethnic hodgepodge of peoples with different cultures, languages, dialects, and religions, spread over multiple islands far apart from each other. Filipinos naturally put the narrow interests of their small circle of relations first, whether that be their family, their tribe, their religious sect, or their smallest political unit. They don't care about the greater whole of the "nation" because such a thing has never existed despite everyone pretending it does. Interest begins with the individual and radiates outwards.

Filipinos break the rules because it is in their best interest to do so. Their needs come first before the greater community. They fail to grasp, whether willfully or through ignorance, that the point of rules is to ensure fairness for others. But who cares, right? If your needs are more important than everyone else's, why wouldn't you cut in line? You're just earning a livelihood so the rules should be relaxed for you, you poor, poor, dear! Are you underprivileged (or at least feel you are)? Then go and be an asshole and count on people to take pity and give you special treatment.

It's wrong to think that people break the rules because they're stubborn. That gives way to thinking that the solution is just to be more strict or, God forbid, make even more rules. Hence, our constant flirtation with authoritarianism. The problem is deeper than that. It's soul rot caught from centuries of a dog eat dog existence - my people versus your people. No matter how many policemen you put on the streets or how many laws on the books, Filipinos will always break the law because "Filipinos" don't exist. It's only ever just "me" versus "them".

So now in a time of contagion, we see the toll of this cultural disease.

Joe Satriani - Cryin'

Esprit de Coop

No matter how much of a shut-in a person is, he will eventually get sick of confinement. However, this lock-down from the Wuhan virus shows no sign of ending. 

The situation is untenable, let's be honest. People can't stay cooped up in their homes indefinitely. People have their livelihoods to worry about. The government doesn't have infinite resources despite what too many people believe. 

Naturally, upset people will want the lock-down restrictions eased. Despite this understandable sentiment, it is remarkable to me that such talk is met with derision by the public and the many scolds of the internet. Of course, the quarantine cannot be lifted completely. No sane person would take such an extreme position. But it seems wanting things to go back to normal, even gradually, has become taboo, a sign of selfishness and a desire to see dead people litter the streets. 

Whether or not it's "right" to ease restrictions is of no importance to me. This situation cannot last forever and will end eventually. What matters to me is effect all of this has on people's morale and mindsets. In times of disaster, morale is something that should never be ignored. It is very important that we remain calm and don't lost our heads. Panic won't help anyone. 

The way I see it, the problem is a lack of inspiring leadership, which allows uncertainty and hence, fear to spread. So far, all we've had is negative talk. Think of it as being an employee in a failing company. Fist you hear disturbing rumors that the company isn't doing so well. Then you hear rumors of layoffs. Then people are getting shuffled around, etc. You'd see the writing on the wall start thinking about jumping ship. Savvy people would.

In the case of the quarantine, however, there is no jumping ship. Everyday is an endless barrage of bad news. Every time you turn on the TV or radio, there's a new plan to impose even more restrictions on the populace. There's more scolding from the vinegar drinkers about how the people are so stupid and stubborn. Worse, you get reckless talk about having the police arrest people on the spot or how we need "martial law" like conditions. It's demoralizing. What are we supposed to think?

I think there's too much eagerness to throw bile at those who dare to be optimistic. People are afraid, that's all. They want to hear that there's an actual plan to bring things back to normal. So far, all we're getting from the powers that be are blame and threats. For all his inexplicable appeal to the masses, Duterte's overbearing style is not doing him any favors this time.

As an opposite example, over in America, Trump is criticized for wanting to reopen the states and lift their quarantines. I don't care if people hate Trump but they ought to have caught on to his style by now. The point isn't that he's going to do it. The point is to put the issue on the table. It's a negotiator's trick: stake out the most extreme position with the mind to gradually pull to a more moderate one when the other party complains. His opponents would be foolish to let him monopolize positivity.

Over here, it seems like a never-ending downward spiral.

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