Sos, mga bata pa kasi kayo, napaka idealistic and all that chevers! Mag try muna kayong magtrabaho, mga tatlong taon, tignan natin kung ganon pa rin kayo kasibasib sa mga ideya niyo ngayon. Sa tingin mo ba may magbabago kung patalsikin niyo si GMA? Sinong ipapalit niyo ha?! Aber!

Mag-aral nalang kayo kesa sumali sa mga walang ka kwenta kwentang rally rally na yan. Hindi kayo pinapansin ng mga karamihan. Hindi kayo makakagawa tulad ng sa Edsa Dos. Wala kayong suporta sa mga middle class! Sawang sawa na mga tao sa People Power! Magbago muna kayo para magbago rin ang gobyerno. Yung mga boto niyo naman ang nagluluklok sa kanila diyan sa pwesto.

Maraming tao na ang sawa sa rebolusyon! Hindi rebolusyon ang kelangan natin.

On the other hand, trade deficit only continues to increase for the Philippines due to the imbalanced exchange of goods depicted in trading low valued and unprocessed or semi-processed agricultural goods for foreign products finished with high technological input. Local technological innovations are chiefly mired backward by the importation of foreign manufactured goods, the economy dependent on such and the agriculture stunted to low productivity. But what does your precious government do? Although various groups have already pointed out the problem, the Arroyo regime (just like its predecessors) simply grants incentive to foreign capital influx that easily paved the path for foreign companies to gain dominion over basic industries such as mining, petroleum, pharmaceutical, et cetera, thus leaving the local industry in the debacle of light manufacturing exemplified by “assembly line” industries. Apparently, short term solutions DON’T do the trick in alleviating the deplorable conditions of the Filipino people.

That predicament we’ve got there has been rolling away in convenience for decades. Now, are posting bulletins, drafting proposals, signing manifestos, sending letters, and having dialogues enough? The answer to that is a big, fat NO, and that’s why people remain to march on the streets not only to let Gloria’s regime but also their fellow Filipinos know what the heck is going on and what must be done. Of course, it’s easy for you to say that there’s no way to install the oppressed into political power, or at least put people in the government who truly recognize and make a move to end these sectors needs. A take on an age-old adage: “Kung gusto, magagawan at magagawan ng paraan. Kung ayaw, maraming pagdadahilan.”

Gloria makes a wonderful effigy for our country’s problems but all we ever do is point fingers. Socio-civic movements at least do something tangible and constructive and it on the short term alleviates fellowmen and in the longterm encourages them to hope for something better. I would say I’d put effort in that rather than screaming at the top of my lungs to no avail on the streets.

“the oppressed take Gloria’s place” that isn’t going to happen and you know it, whoever is the most powerful political opposition leader at the time will take her place and I’m sure he will not come from the ranks of the disenfranchised oppressed peoples. Let us not forget how GMA first came to power in the first place, through People Power II. The same ‘taking to the streets’ strategy that has deliver its promise.

Again, overthrowing an illegitimate leader isn’t the end of it as long as the majority of the bureaucracy (emphasis on that as I believe there are still a few good men amongst their ranks who are really out there in service of the Filipino people) is infested by maggots who chiefly consider their positions in the government as tickets to amassing more riches. I don’t know about you, but I go for having “the oppressed take over Gloria’s place”.

Here enters the challenge of finding out what social ills exist and what is the best way to effectively eradicate these. If one really empathizes that much, one would to go out there and take the aforementioned challenge. Then again, sometimes it’s easier to remain in the sidelines, and whip out some Freudian defense mechanism of attributing to other people one’s own apathy and unawareness.