Random Thoughts on the Question of the Nation and the State

Random Thoughts on the Question of the Nation and the State 

The continuing hegemonic perspective of even the most well-intentioned academics, writers, and scholars of the nation and state is nothing but irksome. As if you are reading the same old notes of teachers mouthing the same slogans since 1937 when finally, out of the heavens of Quezon and Reco, there is now this ‘one of the existing languages’ that serves as the ‘national language’ (or eventually, as if from hindisight) as its ‘basis.’

Some even display a certain arrogance of political intention by claiming that all the rest of the revolutions and uprisings waged by ‘the other nations’ were but ethnic acts of the supposedly regional groups. The Visayans, the Ilongos, the Pampangos, the Boholanos, and the Ilokanos, among others waged these. Ethnic, my foot! 

This display of ignorance of what happened to these more than 300 political actions is, well, ignorance.

In its place is the valorization of the KKK. 

KKK, to them, thought nothing but ‘Katagalugan’ that conceived of a nation beyond the Tagalog communities. This position reminds us more of the same hegemonic sins of those still in that phantasmagoric belief that the Philippines should be, and ought to be, a fascistic project.

They should check Mojares' 'Brains of the Nation' and they will soon realize that KKK is not the summit of the concept of the 'nation'.

They should look at the archives and read some of the documents written Ilokano katipuneros in their Ilokano and swearing allegiance to the Daga a Nakayanakan.

Of course, they do not see that they are small-time fascists, but fascists just the same.

Now, now, I refuse to enter into a conversation with fascists.

They make your mind narrow.

And they do not understand what diversity is all about, what multiplicity is all about, and what language rights are all about.

Enough said.

Hon, HI/Oct 11, 2013