Politics is not about intelligence. Politics is about power.
The sooner we realize this, the better for all of us.
The sooner we realize this, the better for all of us.
Whether we think the holders of power are intelligent or stupid doesn't matter. Power is its own logic.
Those in power also have at its beck and call the most brilliant academics, scientists, analysts and especially economists. The powerful is not that entirely stupid.
We often find friends reduce political issues to the alleged "lack of brilliance", or they blame the mess to the voter. They are blind to power. Now, that's stupid and unintelligent.
The powerful were more ready for the 2019 elections than the intelligent who supposedly know better. They out-organized, out-spent, out-lasted the intelligent. Met with defeat, the intelligent went on to blame the voters. Pano sila makukumbinsi pag ganun sila mag-isip?
In the conventional wisdom of the usual, self-professed intelligent, there's no mention of political dynasties, political economy, wealth and income inequality, class, nationality, colonial history and imperialism. Madalas, ang solusyon ay eleksyon para sa choice of trapo.
Kaya pwedeng sabihin na partly to blame din ang mga smart sa paglaganap ng smart-shaming. People are suspicious, and they recoil at being called the problems by the intellectuals who they thought would HELP not blame them.
We see tweets of friends complaining about the chosen politics of their family members. Are they expecting that they'd automatically think alike? No more effort for discussion, debate, conversion? Should we just discard them? Won't that be a triumph for the powerful?
Such a mindset is self-defeating and self-deceptive.
We must confront our inability to persuade them. It may also mean our own ideas and our modes of articulation are ineffective. We must not give up. Divided friends and families only benefit the powerful.
We must confront our inability to persuade them. It may also mean our own ideas and our modes of articulation are ineffective. We must not give up. Divided friends and families only benefit the powerful.
We have lots of apathetic or moderate friends.
Would they be enticed to engage kung makikita nila yung shrill denunciations against kabobohan? Ang taas at nakakatakot!
Or would they be enticed by narratives that highlight common principles of fairness, justice and science?
Would they be enticed to engage kung makikita nila yung shrill denunciations against kabobohan? Ang taas at nakakatakot!
Or would they be enticed by narratives that highlight common principles of fairness, justice and science?
We cannot preach “sovereignty resides in the people” if our political statements and “solutions” blame the people for the mess they suffer from. Paano nila madidiskubre yung sovereign political power nila pag mangmang/masama antemano ang tingin sa kanila?
Ultimately, we have to rely on our own people to solve the problems around the capture, allocation, use and perpetuation of the political power that emanates from them.
Sana magdaos ng free refresher online classes ang mga polsci and sociology professors natin tungkol sa political power, political engagement, political movements.
