Our system of government, once carefully patterned after the two-party ideology existing in the United States, has, by force of evolution, turned into an artfully-crafted partisanship where it unmercifully spawned three social classes.
These are the oligarchs, the nouveau riche and the poor majority.
The oligarchs are the families that belong to the less than one percent of the population; the A-class who own, control and around whom the wealth of the entire nation revolves; they are the handful who have the biggest stakes in all areas of trade, commerce and economic endeavors – giant multi-billion agri-based export-oriented industries, extensive real estate and mix-use land development, power and energy, oil exploration and mining, stocks, transport (shipping and airlines), car assembly and food manufacturing, media and telecommunications, construction (ports, airports and roads), retail and wholesale sales, merchandising and distribution – name it, these few families are into it.
The nouveau riche are the lucky children proverbially born with the silver spoon and heirs of the old, landed rich and the elite – the upper B class slowly but gradually rising to take control of their ancestral families’ business and political empires; they are, at first, learning the ropes, then after, to establish, their own business concepts and political reach with the objective of taking control of bigger responsibilities when the time beckons.
What hurts is that the A and B economic classes create a vicious cycle just between them.
The poor majority need not be defined and described. We already know them – the members of the C, D and E economic classes – those who are left to fend and scratch, like the chickens in a poultry, for such basic concerns such as food (three square meals a day), shelter (socialized housing), clothing, education (tuition fees), decent, steady employment and livelihood, etc.
In our country, there is no strong middle class; alas, I should say, no real middle class, period.
During the martial law years, the Marcos dictatorship attempted to dismantle the oligarchy who he (Marcos) believed then was constricting and interfering with his desire to build a strong middle class. He was almost successful to a point. However, due to massive corruption engendered by a clique and cronyism, his idea, however noble, fell flat on his face.
In highly industrialized countries like Germany, UK and France, the task of nation-building is not dependent on the executive decisions of the prime minister, president or head of government alone. One leader does not have sole and final authority because it is not too centralized as our unitary system.
In UK, for instance, the decision to exit from the European Union came from the party majority that was ruling the Parliament. Generally, the voting behavior is governed by party platforms and policies.
Partisanship, political and business-wise, has unfortunately created unwanted layers in our multi-level ethnic society that were vulnerable to the dictates of the few ruling dynasties through their long-entrenched political blocs.
These urban-based groups formed the strong nationally-dominant culture rotating in the center which were pitted against the ethnic minorities in the regions and provinces who stood – helplessly – against the status quo.
Ruthless interest groups have also reared their ugly heads as they assert their existence. They are also partisans who cling to an ideology – left or right – as they try to seize government attention.
Don’t be afraid. The current situation in the country is not reeling out of control.
There is actually -now – a re-awakening of sorts, if not a renaissance.
The majority who are poor and the twenty percent of those living below the poverty line may be considered themselves partisan because they espouse the same cause or causes.
But unlike some years back when they were held captive by a media-controlled partisan thought that governance was doing well (even when it was not), the poor and their poorest cousins are now more mature in recognizing the serious efforts of the incumbent government to rid Philippine society of crime, criminality and corruption.
Negative partisanship will come to an end.
Watch it happen. A united Philippines within six years is likely achievable. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
