Dy-Nasty Business

The activists are in that mood again. There's been a lot of calls for Congress to pass a law defining "political dynasty" so that we can finally enforce its prohibition. But asking Congress to pass a law defining political dynasties is like asking the Colombian cartel to stop selling cocaine and go into dry cleaning. It ain't gonna happen.

So what's the big deal? Why are political dynasties such a concern? I'm glad you asked. The idea here, as behind the provision in the Constitution as well, is to provide "equal opportunity" for more qualified people to run. OK, cool. So...what's stopping them?

No, seriously. What's stopping these mythical creatures, these more qualified candidates, from running? That's a rhetorical question. We know the answer. They're not running because the political dynasties are actively stopping them. They won't run because they won't win and they know it.

 

Philippine society doesn't want fresh leaders. It wants the same thing over and over again. It wants corruption and incompetence. It wants dynasties and celebrities. What else can we conclude based on what we see before our eyes? It's these assholes that keep winning every time. Where are the heroes?

 

Dynasties are a distraction. Dynasties are not the real issue. The real issue is how our society seems completely incapable of producing and electing qualified, serious and brilliant leaders. The reason for this is that Philippine society, for the most part, are composed of the ignorant and unwashed masses of the poor, stupid and hungry. I'm not being an asshole, this is reality. This mass of people, which form the majority, are simply ill equipped to select among themselves quality leaders of substance. It's not their fault. You cannot expect a genius visionary to rise from the slums of Tondo. Our civil society is weak therefore our leaders must come from somewhere else. Our leaders must come from the group of people who are well educated and most importantly, very rich. Our leaders will have to come from the elite.

 

Now the elite produce the leaders but they must produce leaders that can address (or pretend to) the needs of the masses. In the end, it is the masses who cast the votes and not the activists. So the elites are not entirely to blame. It is a self-reinforcing cycle. The poor elect leaders who will just give them stuff regardless if they're corrupt. The elite produce corrupt leaders who will give them stuff but keep them poor because they're corrupt. Nobody is fooling anyone. This is all our fault.

 

The masses want cash assistance. The masses want free condoms. The masses want free house and lot. The masses want leaders who take care of them. The masses want leaders who will do all of their hard thinking for them. The masses want leaders who won't demolish their illegal shanties. The masses want leaders who have the "common touch" (i.e. actors and celebritards).

 

The masses don't want strict leaders. The masses don't want leaders who will enforce the law. The masses don't want frugal party-poopers. The masses don't want to hear leaders telling them to behave. The masses don't want leaders who are too smart. The masses don't care about corruption or incompetence so long as their "needs" are met.

 

It's all about the abysmally low standards we set for our leaders.

 

So what we end up are people who elect leaders based on how well they can provide for them and their pleasing personality instead of actual competence and integrity. We create a chain of dependency, a patronage system where people's relationships are based on needs and favors. We live in a culture where people don't give a shit about each other or the greater good of the nation so long as they get theirs. We are divided and conquered. To a smart man, Philippine society is just begging to be raped and plundered.

 

So where do dynasties figure into this? The answer is that it doesn't. Dynasties are really just incidental to the main problem. Dynasties exist because of the Filipino's family-oriented nature and because Philippine society is rigid with very little social mobility; power and wealth tend to be kept within established families. The elites use family members as an assurance that everything "will be kept in the family." It just a trust thing basically.

Even if you do take away dynasties the elite will just find ways around it like funding spineless stooges and cronies to run for office to carry their agenda. There's no shortage of morally bankrupt people in the Philippines. People who focus too much on dynasties are really unimaginative and small-minded. Qualified candidates still won't magically appear out of thin air then because they still cannot win. The power, wealth and means to win office are still in the elite's corner. I mean really, they still hold all the cards! If not their own family, just use a puppet. The people's voting behavior and preferences won't change anyway. Just promise them stuff. The same mistakes will be made again and again and again and again. Banning dynasties doesn't address the problem that is our culture of dependency and patronage.

 

The people must be the ones who change.