Campaigns and Divisions

So social media is awashed with posts on the elections, and suddenly everybody is an expert in the field of politics. I'm not condemning anyone and I find it amusing to see people politically engaged and exercising freedom of speech as each campaigns for his or her chosen candidates. As an exercise of democracy, the elections play a significant role in bringing out the voice of the masses by putting into positions the persons voted by the majority.

In the process, instead of cute cat videos and satirical "must make it until payday" memes, we see a lot of posts on the recently held debates. For once, as the fate of the nation hinges on the upcoming elections, and as people's votes are all equal regardless of social rank and status, it is nowhere in Philippine history where the exercise of democracy is thus manifested. This is aside from the organized People Power/ EDSA revolutions that ousted from power those deemed incompetent to run the country though funny how one still became Mayor of Manila after being removed from power.

Also in the process we see a lot of online bickering. People easily get carried away and we see friends turning into foes simply because they support different candidates. And here we see one of the ugly aspects of democracy: people become so engrossed in their idea of freedom, in their idea of what constitutes as "best"and become tyrants themselves, tyrants in the sense that they seek to dominate everything and prove people wrong when in fact, they themselves are not infallible. Countless times I had to resist the urge to counter these posts but I'd rather keep my peace and not engage. I still think that we need unity more than ever if we are to propel this nation to greatness and instilling conflicts definitely does not help.

Which then makes me think about how different the Philippines is compared to other Southeast Asian nations. We are never a mindful people, and we never care for rules. We are all little anarchists under the guide of a democratic system imposed on us by the West (i.e. USA). Imagine what could have been were Buddhism gained a major footing in this country. Then there will be tolerance and respect. (Of course this is just, broadly speaking, an observation. Being Buddhist does not necessarily mean being tolerant of others as we have seen in Sri Lanka and Myanmar where religious violence takes place.)

Which also reminds me of quotidian politics. In any group or organization, there will always be people who will create rifts in order to gain allies in case he/ she will need to mobilize people. This divide will rest on commonalities and more often than not, bitches (i.e. mean girls though boys are also capable of this) will unite and create an "enemy" by means of othering. I have seen manifestations of this and more so in the workplace. What is funny though is that you will hear them bash each other when one is not present but when they come together they seem like the best of friends. Oh well. (This is admittedly a digression and I can't help but write about this...)

So campaign for your candidates with all your heart and soul. It is your right. But never forget that in doing so, you should not expect a reward because for your chosen candidate, your existence is negligible. Never forget that having respect for your friends and for their choices, absurd as they may be, should be top priority. Practice respect, tolerance, and humility.

And speaking of, I have yet to make a final decision... @.@