Some stupid people like myself, pay rent, do not steal from the Meralco and Maynilad to make sure there is a roof over my head and that of my dogs. I do not live in San Juan City where for decades some people lived in houses (probably some bigger than mine) - for free in another person's lot/or government property lot but heck, it was FREE. It never occurred to me it was "okay" to do so. In short, I must seek psychiatric help perhaps, because I probably have an inferiority complex because I lack that "self entitlement" thingy -- by the way, is that part of the Pinoy Yabang sub-culture? Like, I wanna take this lot, build my house and f**ck if I'm building in the area of a historical monument. Our heroes are dead anyway, I must be alive at all cost without paying rent, of course.
I must be needing some serious psychiatric care because I don't get IT. I was just at a social network (not Facebook) and some musician put out a video in support of poor people from some barangay in San Juan City called Maria Corazon de Jesus (see why I am NOT religious?). These purportedly poor people had a collection of pillboxes, gas bombs, rocks, petrol bombs creatively prepared to use on their police force. Nope, it wasn't as if they were spontaneously asked to leave -- hey -- this one took months of negotiations and three warnings. Thus 18 policemen who were vainly trying to do their duty were hurt and reports say some of these "squatters" who refuse to be called squatters because it's politically incorrect. Okay, urban poor then. Urban poor people are the elite that politicians have to cater to every elections -- that's why people like Mar Roxas have to ride the trycicle.
This incident saddens me. Not because people wanted to start some mob-rule and started a street war hurt others and themselves (I am selfish) but because damn! Imagine, I missed all those years of free rent plus the promise of relocation. I mean how stupid was I! And here am I slugging it out with the keyboard at this hour because I make some living at this hour. Wasn't that utterly stupid of me? I've been conned by my own sense of decency! Bayan isn't fighting for my rights, that stupid leftist band is not providing me with free music and I won;t even sleep because tomorrow I am having part of my roof fixed. Heck, and all I want is a house at Don Antonio Heights or Timog Ave or even here at Toro Hills -- and I am paying for it? That sucks. I also do not get the promise of relocation for me and my dogs. PLUS relocation where there is water and employment! Wow, I've missed out big time! Okay, Mayor Herbert Bautista (poor guy), I demand a house and I like it on the main highway near the People Power Monument! Yah hear me!!!! :)
Yep, it's in my head. Maybe it's the Catholic education that makes me loathe myself so much that makes me feel that collecting stones to bash some police head is wrong. Or that grouping with other people illogically with the intent to ransack other private houses is wrong. Or that creating petrol bombs to hurl at the municipal hall of a woman mayor along with drunk or stoned "hunk men" is immoral. It's wrong that I do not love violence, I do not want to kill anyone, I pay rent, I pay those fantastic Meralco bills and my cellphone is just MY PHONE (as in Made in the Philippines).
Maybe it's pride? Okay, I shall go to confession and confess my pride and then demand from Mayor Herbert Bautista the RIGHT to occupy anther's property. Isn't it fun in the Philippines? My, my, my, then I shall be in the most "elitist" class in Philippine society called the urban poor lauded by BAYAN and Karl Ramirez' leftist band.
Watch out Herbert!
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this entire post is fascinating -- almost, in fact, although it falls short of, amusing -- in its most sincere conviction on assumptions so narrow that yet again, i am regaled by the idea that people can believe they are logical simply because they write in would-be smart-aleck not-even-successfully-sarcastic English slang.
ReplyDeletein any case. i'm playing Little Mental Exercise so might as well mention a few points.
first: you assume that these "urban poor" people actually wanted to, desired, or even cleverly planned to flood the metro and "squat" or illegally settle in godforsaken corners of the metro.
nay.
metropolitan areas are congested, not because people flock there wanting free space but often because rural areas are largely underdeveloped, hence offering little job opportunities that the metro, on the other hand, promises so deluctably.
certainly you -- a logical, smart, hardworking citizen -- can make the connection between the phenomenon of having corrupt, absurdly rich politicians who have access to funds; receiving your paycheck every month with several thousands lost to tax; and observing these obscenely underdeveloped rural areas that, clearly, are not at the receiving end of your monthly sacrifices.
if you haven't made it to the finish line yet, here's the lowdown: people would rather work, raise families, live elsewhere if they had a choice. but the government would apparently have different priorities and -- to compensate for the lack i'm sure they're not stupid enough not be aware of -- would rather ride tricycles through several possibly highly excruciating takes for campaign videos (as you have so smartly raised).
second: saving you the embarrassment of explaining to you how your entire fourth paragraph is a logical fallacy, your assumption that these violent acts coupled with the clamor to keep their houses constitute an assertion of their rights is so off-tangent, i'd actually rather not talk about it -- but what the hell, like you, i have time to slug it out on my keyboard.
the right they assert is not to stay in their houses. it is Article XIII of the Philippine Constitution.
http://pcij.org/blog/wp-docs/1987-Philippine-Constitution.pdf
to drive the point in, might i raise that people did not, out of spoiled self-interest, choose to have, keep, and fight for these rights. these were given by the very state that undermine them. you have human rights too, though you may not know all of them. and i'm telling you, you can't get rid of them, no matter how selfless you want to be.
think of it like that stupid leftist band that you feel is "not providing [you] with free music." you can't escape it. they ARE. because they aren't charging you anything to listen and download. see?
third: you are not elitist. you are bourgeois, made stupid not by the rampant, unending issues that surround you but by the conditions you surround yourself with, such as the stolid belief that paying your bills to keep your humble apartment and assuaging your Catholic conscience in your Good Samaritan speech for the poor policemen (who, in your logic, probably didn't know when they took the job that it's inherently a dangerous and violent vocation) actually makes you a better citizen than knowing that people speaking up in a democratic country "of the people, for the people, by the people" shouldn't actually be such a shocking surprise.
good news though: you do not need psychiatric care. you are wonderfully, comfortably normal -- like a strong, hardworking horse with blinders that believes it knows exactly what it's doing. hang on to your house, your bills, and your job. they seem nice.
To the crazy person who wrote me which I decided not to publish - you are misinformed, I am NOT religious. Please seek psychiatric help or get breastfed!
ReplyDeleteDear Crazy Person
ReplyDeleteYou assume a lot of crap. First, I am not a Catholic. OK? Two, where the heck do I say that these urban poor come from provinces and there are no jobs there? POINT IT OUT. Three, who told you I even believe in the Good Samaritan story? Four, you're a bad psychic. Five, I rent my house, okay? So nothing I own to "hang to". Six, you're a dumb cyberbully and you even follow Rep. JV at Twitter to spread hate. I don't like that. Seven, my blinders (IF ANY) is my business, NOT YOURS. Oh and 8. I am a purist Randist so that should make all your arguments and delusions FALL into your awesome crap pit! Get it. I believe in Ayn Rand. That's IT. It's my belief, it's my blog and damn and you should respect it. Now please wimp, cry and get your breastmilk from your nursemaid! OK?
PS: I do not write to amuse you. I write to amuse myself. Please do not imagine you are that important.I don't even hate you because you are pathetic. I advise you to read Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead and keep off crack!
ReplyDelete