October 24, 2021

people's movement

Hey friend, thanks for opening! Just like that, we’re approaching the last week of October already–any plans for Halloween? Heads up: Just like last year, cemeteries are bound to be closed, so I hope you’re planning ahead if you’re visiting. Also: Nov 2 is NOT a holiday, because this government has its priorities. 🙄 Anyway, gusto mo yon, intro pa lang high blood na agad?? 😂😂😂 Nevertheless, hope you find something useful here. -K

Leni, on “Bakit dapat si Leni?” – “We inspire each other”

On Wednesday, the General Assembly of Dapat Si Leni volunteers had a very special guest: The Vice President herself. And dahil tao lang ako, na-starstruck ako (of course). She spoke briefly to thank volunteers, who have been organizing as early as July: “When I made the announcement last Oct 7, alam kong matutuwa yung supporters, pero hindi ko inasahan na magkakaroon ng groundswell.”

It’s no secret that the VP’s initial hesitation regarding throwing her hat into the ring re: the presidential elections was due, by and large, to her lack of resources and machinery, compared to her opponents who have done nothing in the past few years other than amass these very resources. “Nakakapawi ng alinlangan. One of the reasons why hindi tayo naglakas ng loob kaagad na magdesisyon to file, kasi alam nating wala tayong resources, wala tayong makinarya. Habang yung mga kalaban natin, years and years na yung nagawa to prepare. Ano namang binatbat natin, na last-minute nagdecide?”

However, as Robredo herself has seen in all her runs for office–as Congressman in 2013 and Vice President in 2016–no amount of money can match the people’s energy. “Yung aral ko sa lahat ng eleksyon… walang sinabi yung pera sa lakas ng taumbayan. Mahina yung loob ko kapag naiisip ko na wala tayo ng meron sila. Pero lumalakas ang loob ko dahil meron naman ako na wala sila — at kayo yun.”

Robredo acknowledges the energy that she has seen so far, but reiterates that much work is left to be done. “I’ve been in so many elections in the past, and it’s the first time I’m seeing this energy. The challenge for us now is to sustain. Pangalawa, paano pa natin pararamihin yung nasa hanay natin.“

While she encourages supporters to fight disinformation, she emphasized the need to reach out and listen without judgment. “Madaling makipag-debate, pero mas radikal magmahal. Call ko yun sa inyong lahat. Sa huli, kabutihan ang mananaig.”

Asked the group’s signature “check-in” question for new volunteers, “Bakit Dapat Si Leni?”, Robredo initially had reservations about answering the question. “Nahihiya akong sumagot–parang nagbubuhat ng bangko,” she says. There’s a lightness to her–I can’t quite put my finger on it. After a day full of meetings, by 5pm I’m already so depleted–how does she do it?? What’s her secret?? But after repeated requests for her to humor her 900-strong Zoom audience, she finally replied: “Dapat si Leni kasi… kayong lahat naiinspire kapag magkakasama tayo.”

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From the Internet

This interesting thread on why people want things just because other people want it–the difference between thick and thin desire. Desire that is rooted within, and desire that is rooted elsewhere. Something to think about.

This by Charlie Warzel, on polarizing conversations–in their case, vaccine hesitancy. In our case–well, a bajillion other things, because we love to argue, don’t we? ;) tl;dr, “[O]ur media delivery systems are caught in a churn loop that degrades almost any conversation”–which is absolutely bound to happen in an ecosystem extraordinarily invested on clicks and eyeballs and likes and reach and engagement, etc.

Frankly, the “metaverse” being paraded this early by Facebook is iffy and I don’t trust it.

The executives know that no company, however big, can capture all the world. But there is an alternative: If only the public could be persuaded to abandon atoms for bits, the material for the symbolic, then people would have to lease virtualized renditions of all the things that haven’t yet been pulled online. Slowly, eventually, the uncontrollable material world falls away, leaving in its stead only the pristine—but monetizable—virtual one.

Ending this with a note from this cat, who approves of your week that was:

This weekend’s rest is well-deserved, if I may say so. Hope you got some, because we have yet another week ahead.

XO,

K