I have not blogged about the Philippine government nor any political figure... It's not just my cup of tea. However, posts by colleagues in the blogging world about politics always interest me. I read them... they have in the years become my daily breakfast.
The recent controversies revolving around the RH Bill drew harsh criticisms to the point that one senator, Senator Vicente Sotto III claims to be a "victim of cyber-bullying" and now backs the crafting of a blogging bill that they say will define and regulate blogging in the Philippines. My initial reaction is composed of three words, "WTF AND WHY?". Second reaction was "It's the end of democracy then."
I am not going to go further talk how our politicians have become a joke in the world nor how they earned the disrespect and the wrath of the gifted readers / individuals (which comprises almost everybody in this country being a predominantly educated race). One can definitely "google" their names and out comes open caskets. I am more interested in the developing story... about the crafting of a blogging bill which in my opinion, is the beginning of the end of democracy in the Philippines.
Tee hee... I plagiarize this to the core but respectfully give credit to the source because I know how to do so... here sharing / re-posting an article I once read by Fernando Reyes who has this brief and concise bio...
Fernando Reyes is a student of religious studies and teacher preparation at Yale University. Originating from South Texas, Fernando has work for minority issues in South Texas. At Yale, he has been the organizer of community service groups, director of Yale's Model United Nation conference, and has served as both advisor and project director for various Yale organizations' technological needs. This included working for a national Obama Get-out-the-Vote effort, ObamaWorks. He is an active member of the Yale Political Union and of its newly-formed leftist party, the Party of the Left.
Of particular interest to Fernando has been the interaction between religion and politics, and how the definition of American has been at the center of national struggle for minorities. For Fernando, the purpose of political discourse is to empower individuals to develop their own communities.
Blogging Towards A Digital Democracy
A good friend of mine constantly mourns the death of community and blames the Enlightenment for many of the faults of the modern world. In particular, it is modern technology that can be blamed for the destruction of community. At some level, I identify with her sadness. I think modern society does not respect community in the traditional sense. Physical and geographic community is something many individuals seek to subvert to escape. The internet seems to be the embodiment of the death of community. A terminal and a phone line can give you escape from the physical world.
Enlightenment and modernity struck against the previous understanding of what communities were and who they benefited, which were the few. As a result, we were left in the opposite extreme: the goal is to empower the individual as the sole agent of the world. This has left to a lot of the avarice and greed that exists in the modern world, and the inability for groups of individuals to be respected as communities, but instead, as individuals that come together for a purpose. Communities exist regardless of purpose, but as the natural need for man as a social animal to come together and co-exist.
The ideal democracy is where individuals are able to take individual beliefs and opinions, and come together in mutual cooperation, to come to values and decisions in society. Democratic society functions when individuals are able to stand up and speak about one's opinions and beliefs. One cannot believe in democracy and seek to destroy community; the values of our nation, the actions we hold to be correct and the purpose of our government is to be of, by and for the people. Democracy and community must go hand in hand, and the development of the modern community, which has been stricken by the rise of modernity and the technological means that have removed individuals from one another, will come about through the means of a digital democracy.
Digital democracy is the real possibility that individuals that have been empowered now have the tools to break through the ignorance that is possible by physical separation, which is the premise of modern technology. My belief is that blogging and the internet, as its known today as Web 2.0., is the cornerstone for the formation of the modern community that will exist in the aftermath of the 20th century. Blogging, at its core, is an individual describing truth, expounding opinion and perpetrating belief. It is communal at its heart. The attempt of the blogger is to make one known through a community, to stand on a pulpit and have his voice heard. This is not possible in the current world, except as a small, atomized individual. The media, the separation and largesse of the modern nation-state, removes this potential. The internet is a medium where a quick search finds you many individuals speaking on a multitude of topics. The individual is an empowered being which is constantly trying to convince.
To blog is not merely to blowhard about belief, but to convince. It is to attempt to connect to individuals through our opinions and our search for truth. It allows us to hear all, not just those who have claimed special expertise or the ability to control the physical means. We can develop communities around common ideals or purpose in the promotion of hearing one another. We can disagree but we can understand.
At its finest, blogging is about individuals engaging in the polis in a direct way that is almost impossible in the physical world. It gives us the opportunity to not have to choose between the individual and the community; the community will exist through individuals empowering themselves and seeking to convince. The plurality of human experience is what it is at heart of the blogging community. The modern community will be built by the digital empowerment of the individual. The blog is at the heart of it.
Perhaps our dear senators in the Philippines would take note of Fernando Reyes' article about blogging and the internet before they even start with the crafting of a blogging bill. Well, I am not gonna be affected should a blogging bill be passed on as I don't blog about political opinions. However, I belong in the blogging community of people voicing out opinions and of people who are in constant search for the truth. We just want to be heard through our blogs. It's a very simple community which even helps our society in this digital age.
It is really pointless to pass a blogging bill especially if the senators themselves are not internet-savvy and do not have any experience of blogging at all. It's a scary thought actually. How I wish they find that there is a deep camaraderie between all bloggers in the Philippines despite of not personally knowing each other. We read each others' interesting posts and we share each those posts when we believe in them thus; we are like brothers and sisters despite having different blog themes and topics.
This is the new world. This is the digital age. For those people in power, they have to be careful with what they do and say in public. They are public figures, after all! Our community is on a close watch because we care about bills being passed on... bills that would affect the general populations' lives. Had Senator Sotto been with better research team and lawyers, I believe he wouldn't have to claim he is being "cyber-bullied" at all! In my opinion, his outbursts are only further digging his own grave where the only way out should have been.. to say sorry in the first place and it's not too late yet...the latter being what people expect. Sigh! Senator Sotto is not being cyber-bullied... he was and sadly still is just being lambasted on the internet by the social media community because they believe he is wrong... his doings are wrong. People are just naturally voicing out their opinions. There is no cyber-influencing that happened here... they feel it's just very evident... as clear as crystal. It's just an isolated case for Senator Sotto. That's just my opinion or maybe i didn't really get the drift.
The blogging bill... I fear it will be the beginning of an end to democracy in this country. I wish though that if they start crafting that bill, their researchers should start from "googling" the word "Democracy" first on Wikipedia and I wish if they do pass the bill, it would be good.
Politics... they cause me paralysis, writer's block and nosebleed. Not really my cup of tea... I've said enough. Now, I wanna throw up!
Source: Hufftington Post
