Political blogging is for the political, not the hysterical

Caffeine Sparks wrote an interesting piece titled "Blogging at Pulitika" over at Filipinovoices. What she said can be summed up to one statement--every one has the right to express himself. If you're a rational animal and you know how to write, then, it's your right to populate the netsphere with your views.

True, everyone has the right to self-expression. It is an inherent right. However what this character who- just- wants- to-be- known- because- he's- jobless- right- now -and- does- not- have- anything- to- do- with- his-free-time is doing is plain and simple dramatics. He's just riding on the crest of the popularity of FilipinoVoices because simply, he represents the basest kind in the Filipino blogging community. A few reads his posts and to generate enough "hits" and "impressions" which he needs to justify his being part of the professional blogging community, he writes things against his fellow bloggers.

Poor fella (read FELL-a). He's probably soooo stressed and so pressured about where to get his next meal that he pours his frustrations over some silly and concocted matter and creates a moth hill out of nothing.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

This is the last time I'll write about this psychotic thing raised by a frustrated and hungry blogger. Four points to ponder.

1. I don't agree with BeniGno on credentials. Yes, Caffeine Sparks, any one with a pen or a notebook or a personal computer has the right to write something about government or politics. Yet, credentials are important, especially for something very sensitive like political blogging. Why? Writing politics is all about the application of political theories and proper understanding of social dynamics. If you're a CPA, would you understand that? Yes, you may have theories about how things work; but if you don't have the proper academic training and you don't know how to look on things that matter, then, you're just there to muddle everything up and contribute towards misunderstanding rather than honest-to-goodness discussion. For example, you may examine the quantitative aspects of a political phenomena yet your observations would be deemed unimportant without a qualitative analysis. Understanding phenomena and applying theories to explain them are skills which not all people possess.

If you allow, say, an hysterical psychotic to write or comment about things which simply he does not even know or he profess to know, then, it's a disservice to everybody.

2. Political blogging is about politics, not hysterics. When you comment on something and you use coarse language, that's not political commenting. That's hysterics. When you just hijack the post and want every attention directed on your own site or post, that's plain and simple disrespect and merits the same kind of response from other people against you. As they say in some quarters, politics is for those who love analyzing things, not for those who love wearing other people's clothes.

3. Having the acuity in analysis takes years of practice. BeniGno may frown upon a bachelor's degree on History or a Masteral degree in Communication and his chuwawah may agree, but, this is simply a fact of life. If you're a computer programmer, would people believe you when you talk about things which you don't even have experience nor the intellectual stamina to begin with? BeniGno and his chuwariwah based in the States may holler and shout whatever and whenever they want against what I said now, but, that's the truth. A professor of political science or a professor of History with masters is more believable than, say a jobless CPA, right? I read Manolo Quezon simply because he's a student of History. I read Ellen Tordesillas because she's in the thick of things and she's always there in the field, writing stories that matter. I believe in what others write, like Ricky Carandang or Amado Doronilla of the Inquirer because Doronilla has a Master's degree in Political Science in the Australian National University (ANU).

I don't read people whose simple claim to fame is that they use coarse and vile street speak in their sites and those who want every attention by pretending to have a new concrete philosophical world construct when all they want to say is fuck the world and eat muck. Maybe, in their little and dark places where they reside, all they see are ghosts and make-believe fairies. It's simple really.

Those people who frown upon credentials can do whatever they want but they can't erase the undeniable fact that these people whom I stated here have more spunk and more knowledge than, say, a psychotic jobless fella or someone who thinks that his world is simply that of ours. It's simply not that simple really.

Lastly, let me expose what this hungry CPA wants to achieve---fame for himself and some money from Mrs. Arroyo to discredit those who just simply write the truth. Maybe he's hoping that Mrs. Arroyo provides a job for him (In Dubai, perhaps) and secures his threatened job in the states. That's a maybe which obviously, some psychotics out there would again misinterpret as categoricals.

Patricio Mangubat will continue his advocacy and will never be deterred by psychotics and pseudo-intellectuals. If you like what I am writing here, thanks. If you don't agree, debate me. If you don't want a debate, and you hate what I'm writing, then, you're free to go somewhere else. I am writing not for glory, nor for fame, nor for money, but for the heck of it. I love my country. I love my people. I started my struggle since my early years as a student leader in the University of the Philippines-Diliman. And though I'm at the twilight of my third decade, I am not about to give this up. No.

Patricio Mangubat will just stop writing about the truth as soon as a New Society through a New Philippine Revolution happens. And this, my friends, will happen very soon.

4. Unqualified people always rant the most against other more experienced and more qualified people. Because they know deep within themselves that they lack the necessary skills and experience unlike other people. When you accuse somebody of a crime, you are as guilty as the one you're accusing. As they say in Tagalog, " ang nasalang ang damdamin, karaniwang ang nasalang ay ang tunay na saloobin". There must be truth behind this. Those who really pollute the netsphere with their sloppy and psychotic writing could very well continue what they're doing for as long as they don't use other people to gain hits.

Enuf said. ONward with the struggle!