Franchises, Diversity of Views

cvj comments on my previous post, and is thankful i've given voice and form to the "21st century Filipino middle class variant of fascism". quite flattered, my initial instinct was to accept this gracefully and just rest on my laurels, content to wait for the near future when i'd be receiving royalties for my own little version of Mein Kampf. but courtesy demands a reply, and creature of habit that i am, i have no choice but to set aside my complacent laziness, and start typing my response.

but first, what indeed is fascism? almost always, the term is never self-descriptive; it is so loaded and has been so misappropriated that often its only use arises when one party wants to tar-and-feather another. by supporting the current administration, we'd long ago been called fascists by those dedicated to its downfall, way way before i supposedly confessed to being one. it is useless to object to and contest their definition, as useless as it is to argue with most of them. they think we are fascists? very well then, we will embrace it as a badge of honor. they profess to abhorr fascism? very well then, it must have some redeeming qualities, and we will consider its aspects more seriously. they call us fascists to our face? very well then, fascism can't be too bad.

let us look at 'A'.

in my original post i expressed a reluctance to give more weight to the opinions of those more passionate about their causes. i stand by my belief that passion, or the lack of it, is irrelevant to the worth of one's political position. it does not automatically confer correctness, logic, or even clarity. its only contribution is drama. indeed, it was to guard against such passions that the founding fathers of the US designed a representative (some would say restrictive) rather than a more direct type of democracy. they were as wary of democracy run amuck with emotions as they were of tyrants.

yet there are those who would insist that their views are more valid, just because they take the time to march on the streets. they denigrate those who refuse to participate in that way, and call them apathetic, a state of mind they would have no way of knowing. do they realize how that appears to the rest of us? what it looks like is that just because the opposition does not have the numbers, they now have to claim a greater worth for the few who are with them. a selective application, if any, of the democracy that they so profess to espouse.

i agreed with torn's statement that there would be violent reaction from those wedded to the 'one-man-one-vote' principle. i myself have my doubts about the principle. as i've posted before, i think a minimum educational qualification would, um, 'improve' the electorate, if you'll forgive the newspeak. so my opposition to torn's statement has less to do with defending that principle, than with an objection to his particular basis for restricting the franchise. still, whether you're wedded to that principle, or take the more extreme view i espouse, i think you'll find it an objectionable idea. after all, those who are truly not interested wouldn't even bother going to the polls. why force the issue and second-guess who these people would be?

with regard to 'D', i affirm the parenthetical statement. unlike in the physical world, diversity of views is to be commended in weblogs, where they do not hinder economic progress. lest there be any mistake, i say this unironically. in plummy tones and with as much gravitas i can manage, even. i do hope cvj was not in any way belittling this vibrant virtual marketplace of ideas. even if it is not as disruptive or dramatic as actual rallies, it is a lot more constructive and useful, the occasional flame war notwithstanding. and in any case, he is part of it.

gah, i've already spent too much time on this. back to work. next, some other time, when i feel like it, we'll look at 'B' and 'C', and maybe construct a theoretical underpinning for the Philippine middle class' will to power. then again, maybe not; as torn notes, perhaps we have neither the energy nor the principles to ever truly achieve fascism.

my thanks to mr. jugo for challenging me to synthesize these disparate musings into something resembling a consistent, systematic school of thought. i assure him, i'm working on it. if i finally get around to writing it down in a book or propaganda pamphlet, it will be dedicated to him, whether he likes it or not.