wake up call...

my polsci professor finally noticed me today............
nodding off on my chair... hehehehehehehe...
it was my most embarassing moment of the day, as all eyes turned to me when my prof called "mr. obidos, would you like to sit here in front?"
THAT woke me up, and just as well...
if i had fallen asleep i would have missed a very important lesson, and another wake up call...
what is a nation?
a nation is a group of people who are linked by a shared culture and a shared history...
at least that's what the book says....
another definition discussed in that class was that a nation is a group of people that are united in glory and suffering...
like when america was united after pearl harbor, and then that same unity allowed it to win the second world war...
then the discussion shifted to... uh oh... the philippines
are we a nation?
oops... nice question...
yes, we filipinos share a history, and we, at least at the very basic level, share a culure...
but throughout our entire history, did we unite?
the philippine revolution?
a localized rebellion of the tagalogs in luzon characterized by factional infighting (magdiwang vs magdalo)
the japanese occupation?
different guerilla groups under different leaders acting without coordination
edsa 1?
1-5 million active participants, in a nation of about 50 million
edsa 2?
1-3 million active participants, in a nation of 70+ million, and
a blatant violation of our constitution
edsa 3?
+/- 50,000 people, who tried to storm the gates of malacanang
today?
good god...
a weak president, who is trusted by only 32% of the population
a government who chooses to set aside the fact that the country is in dire straits, in effect lying to the people
political figures who would rather unite against each other than do something to unite the country...
moral leaders who bicker among themselves about whether to accept or reject donations from gambling lords and druglords...
and...
a population of 84 million, wherein 1 out of 4 would leave the country if given the chance...
a population of 84 million, where 8 million live and work abroad, probably 16 million if you count those who live illegaly in other countries...
a population of 84 million, where only a handful live in comfort, as the rest suffer and die in poverty...
need i go on?
so, are we a nation?

haaay... life...