To Honor Thy Brother: Against National Self-Flagellation

Do something long enough, and no matter how untrue and uncharacteristic it is of you outside of the play act, you will soon embody the spirit behind the words and actions you could only imagine being done until now.

The word “cucked” is vulgar—and I apologize for the reproach on the reader’s sensibilities—but it accurately describes the current disposition of most Filipinos aware enough of their country’s predicament, fueled at first by cynicism and pessimism towards their government, then by grief at the oft-repeated historical tragedy of being “oppressed” for three hundred years, and finally by blame towards their fellow Filipinos for being the principal cause of their dire fate. At some point, one begins to realize where this leads to.

An accelerationist might argue that, eventually, a collapse would occur, thus paving the way for the real overman of our race to rise and seize power in the vacuum. Others suggest total takeover by superior Orientals from the north. But these predictions gloss over the apparent problems of spirit and sovereignty: no collapse will ever fix the ruin we have incurred, no clean slate will ever suffice the evil spirits of entropy, and no benevolent foreign power will come in a jovial manner to our aid.

The reality is that our senses constantly bombard us and have grown so used to the smell of manure that it has already become an accepted practice of mortification—not the religious kind, but a collective masochism that seeks approval through self-abasement. Any form of pride in one’s people is spurned upon comparison to a foreign exemplar, and any negative stereotype is given the microphone at full volume. This repeats itself in every news cycle and every new report of corruption, poverty culture, and backlash for online behavior.

While such behaviors, admittedly, are to be looked down upon in ways that satisfy the demands of justice, in every situation, there is always a concerted effort to magnify our nation’s faults and rub salt on its wounds. But from whom do we yearn for approval? Do we derive pleasure from the bleakness of our state?

I am not the type to believe in conspiracies, but a demoralized people is easily preyed upon by stronger nations. Filipinos today cannot help but see themselves as weak and passive creatures, thus setting themselves up for failure. Is it really to our benefit to be highly critical of ourselves, to have no collective sympathy in our plight, and to have a premature disdain and cynicism behind every event or action relevant to the state of our nation?

But for those who look down upon their people and relish it, there is no future. While virtue-signaling usually stems from a desire to expose the state of affairs in the hope of encouraging reform, no such encouragement follows. Like a government’s eminent domain project, the building is shattered. Yet, the roadmap has either been lost or forgotten, and the development has stalled—leaving an empty, disastrous lot to be filled by the vapid squatter and the rogue grifter.

While critique is often necessary to encourage refinement, the truth is that while anyone can be a critic, it takes more than words to dedicate time and effort to refinement. An example I see online is the annual discourse on the Traslacion and the warnings from our Protestant brethren concerning its supposedly idolatrous nature.

God, they say, punished the Israelites at Sinai for their idolatry. This is a common talking point among Protestants, and even some Catholics who bash the faith of their brethren for being too “massified” and for encouraging the participation of society’s dregs, in whom they see (in their disgust) a mob of men and women desperately clinging to their last recourse for escaping poverty.

I am inclined to understand these concerns, but never to accept them as proper. The reality is that there is a genuine faith among the people for their Lord: one that is admittedly filthy, but sincere and pious. A proper view of humanity would help us realize how far we are from the heavenly host, and how much we belong instead to the heap of men, overcrowded by our sins and iniquities.

The aversion some express towards the Traslacion stems from a mentality many would decry as elitist or snobbish. Instead, they are the expressions of a generation of narcissists who secretly loathe themselves for being incapable of unshackling themselves from the biological reality that connects them to the unwashed masses. Their prejudice against their own kind thus becomes a mark of cleanliness and detachment, an implicit statement of “I am not them, I am better.”

These are the sorts of people who hide from the sun’s rays in the hopes of having clearer skin, who fantasize about leaving the so-called hell of their birth, and who wish to live in a home not of their own and in a land they have no stake in. Globalization has made them entitled to a life whose fruits—whether by their own hands or those of their ancestors—they have no right to claim, believing that they can reject the state of nature brought upon them by God.

To restore a country from the rootlessness brought about by self-loathing and ignoble elitism, we must restore a sense of shame, guilt, and, most importantly, dignity. These must come together to form a common understanding of the need to act, save face, and remain mindful of our actions and their potential consequences—the consequences of our prejudiced tirades against our own people.

Let us bring back a culture of respect for those whom God commands us to honor. To love one’s family, community, and country is a step towards fulfilling Christ’s command to love our neighbor. Though I do not deny my fellow citizens the right to criticize our nation, I ask that we also consider the potential for collateral damage. As we examine our people’s culture and faith, let us not forget that we belong to one another, for we all share a common ancestry and are formed in the Catholic tradition of our fathers.

Let us, therefore, have charity for our brethren. Let us keep in mind our noble responsibility toward our people, without setting ourselves apart from them. As Ham sinned by exposing the nakedness of his father, so too should we avoid jeering at the nakedness of our people. Instead, let us who aspire to refinement clothe our brethren in the dignity worthy of the Filipino.