I LIKE posting sermons on the Internet.
Facebook and the social media have become my platform to reach the young Filipinos.
Often, I trigger the arrogant youth who think that having a computer or smart phone gives them the right to screw the world.
Imagine people ‘demanding’ to normalize prostitution (they call it ‘sex work’.)
Imagine teens reacting to me calling the stupids ‘bobo’ as if it were never done in real life.
Imagine their call to normalize stupidity and kabobohan.
***
And so, this four-part essay in Filipino.
Because, well, many of my online readers have difficulty with reading comprehension.
And especially in English.
But again, I really think that the stupids, and the smart, must see the whole picture if we are to save the world and our civilization.
So, here I go again…
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Bago pa man tayo ma-technical ng mga mahina sa reading comprehension at selective readers na naghahanap lamang ng triggering words, i-define muna natin ang Kabobohan 2.0 as the attitude and mindset of keyboard warriors circa 2020s.
‘Yong mga gusto lang makipagtalo.
At gustong matalo (like masochists)… dahil, obviously, hindi ko sila hahayaang manalo. Ever!
***
You see, there was a time na tahimik lang ang mga matatalino na katulad ko.
Noon kasi, uso ang mga kasabihang “silent water runs deep,” “silence is gold,” et cetera.
Noon, sinasadya, dinadalaw, pinupuntahan, dinudumog ang mga matatalino.
Like pumupunta ang mga students to school to learn from teachers.
Pumupunta ang mga tao sa simbahan to learn from sermons of learned homilists.
***
Noon, ini-invite at binabayaran para magsalita at mapakinggan ang mga matatalino.
Binibigyan ng microphone habang ang audience ay nakikinig para matuto.
May Question and Answer portion, pero iyon ay para may maidagdag na kaalaman, para maliwanagan; hindi para makapagdebate, hindi para makipag-argumento.
***
But all of that changed after Y2K.
Kung may mga bobo before the year 2000, may Kabobohan 2.0 na nailuwal ang ICT (Information Computer Technology) ng bagong millennium.
***
Dahil sa Internet connection at “information at your fingertips” na mga gadgets katulad ng smartphones and tablets, laptops at computers, nagmukhang obsolete na ang pagpunta sa school to learn.
Kung ma-Google search mo nga naman ang sagot sa mga academic questions, ano pa ang silbi ng teacher na naggu-google din ng sagot?
***
Unfortunately, education is more than just intellectual virtuosity.
More than just answering a math problem, or a language proficiency test.
Hindi naman kasi lahat academic knowledge lang.
Uulitin ko: Kabobohan 2.0 is not about what you know, but how you live.
Hindi lamang ito tungkol sa laman ng utak mo (knowledge), kundi tungkol sa effective na paggamit mo nang nalalaman mo (proof of education).
***
Maraming matatalino ang tahimik lang ngayon at walang pakialam sa mundo.
Why should they bother?
The world has gone Bobo 2.0, at wala silang time and patience to deal with it.
Hinahayaan na lamang nilang mabulok sa sariling katangahan ang marami.
***
Paano nga ba tayo napunta rito?
Tingnan natin ang mga Kardashians, circa 2007.
Paano nga ba sila naging famous at naging entrepreneurial empire?
Di ba sex tapes lang ang pinagmulan nila?
Sex tape ni Kim circa 2002.
***
E, kung dukha kang Pinoy, maralita, mahirap pa sa daga, at naghihikahos sa buhay, would you miss on a chance like the Kardashians?
Sex tape. Leakage. Internet. Million views. Million followers.
Notoriety = Popularity. Bad publicity is still publicity. Sex sells. Popularity converted to money.
Pokpok na rin lang ang dating, pagkaperahan na natin!
***
Si KK ang isa sa mga unang self-celebrity na yumaman (ang familia) hindi dahil sa intelligence o good morals and best behavior.
On the contrary!
Tuso lang siya/sila, aggresivo, opportunista, exploiter ng kahinaan ng mga tao.
(Ang Nanay yata nila ang magaling magplano how to convert scandals to money.)
***
Kung noong nakaraang mga centuries, merit o intelligence o decency ang basehan ng success, not anymore in this century.
Isang name pa bilang proof in addition to KK: Trump. As in Donald Trump.
***
At nasaan ang matatalino in all these?
Ayon, tahimik.
Nasa academic towers nila.
Too intelligent to stoop down to the level of palengkeras, chizmozas, and bold stars.
Nasapawan ng maiingay na netizens at keyboard warriors.
It’s democratic chaos, baby!
Everybody having rights, privileges, opinions, and self-celebrities. (To be continued)/PN
