I’ve been reading through old pieces I wrote starting in ’16 and it surprises me no end, some things have never changed. Sure, there’s that frayed maxim, the only thing permanent in the world is change but oddly, it’s like scanning through the length of the horizon and finding there’s a loop somewhere and everything just repeats itself. Take the case of politicians and our reactions to that breed. Whether good or bad, their character arc has become so cut-and-paste predictable, I’m appalled why we always fall for their loopy tactics time and again like fools.
Even though I promised not to write about politics when I first started Honoring my Mother years ago, the excuse “tao lang po” (I’m only human) might hack it as a temporary alibi for the moment. Well, it’s either that or I could plead insanity instead. Truth is, the political process in our country always turns out as a joke whenever election nears. Just look at its roundup of an ever-colorful cast of pretenders/actors who like to call themselves politicians, together with their equally-interesting crew of extras by the thousands who, by their command, put one up over each other, short of physically coming into blows. It’s precisely because of this, one just could not resist playing the role of troll. Surely, our pinoy brand of personality-oriented politics appears to have been handed down to us by our forefathers who in turn learned from the white conquistadores. Look, pathetic as it is, even the template of what is a politician looks like it came out of a handbook or catalogue.
Not much had changed. The most recent fascination with colors by politicians is a funnier case in point. Perhaps as in the earlier times, our colonial masters may have first started with the colors black and white in associating parties, people and such, and then graduating to extend their preferences to the colors red, pink, yellow, brown and other hues of the rainbow. All this, while their knowledge at discrimination and packaging has improved through constant tinkering and perfecting.
It’s here one realizes, all along, it was never Tagalog komiks, Marvel or DC which were the original authors of the goons and bad politicians’ concept. It’s just a case of art imitating reality. Now, merging this present almost-childish and color-crazy frenzy with that of the age-old goonie slash dirty politician action figures, then adding a dash of Joker and other comedians into the political cauldron, one wonders, what’s being cooked for our coming electoral dinner? Hopefully, the kitchen staff won’t forget the most important ingredient that ensures we loop endlessly in a cycle that enslaves us all: that short-term memory inducing potion which makes us all eternally-happy and prisoners in our little kingdoms.
