Have you read the classic short story called "The Emperor's New Clothes"? I have read various versions or watched it animated. The story involved two swindlers who told the emperor that the can make such a marvelous cloth. Worse, they said that anybody who can't see the cloth was "stupid". People who didn't want to be considered "stupid" by the standards of the swindlers. When the day of the parade arrives, the emperor was either fully naked or just in his underwear (depending on which version). Everybody just pretended to see the "marvelous clothes" Suddenly, a child said, "The emperor is not wearing anything." or "Just in his underwear." depending on the version. What most people don't realize is that the story can still be related to today's society.
How can Pinoys relate to the story today in their society? Many Pinoys today are involved and stuck in a culture of anti-intellectualism. If you want to be popular and you want people think you are smart, it looks like the only solution is to be stupid and agree with everyone's stupidity. There's always the problem of smart-shaming. If you don't agree with the majority then they'll think you're stupid. It's a real problem that stupid people think they're the smartest and many really smart people tend to think they're the dumbest. If you don't want people to think you're stupid then conform with the crowd no matter how stupid they are.
It sucks to be an enlightened Pinoy in the midst of stupidity. When you start making proposals to make the Philippines better, you're destined to hear something like, "Eh di pumunta ka sa ibang bansa?" or "Why don't you go to another country?" You start talking about the benefits of foreign investment over OFW reliance so there will be more jobs in the Philippines, they are bound to say, "What? Are you allowing foreigners to invade us?" It's a sad fact many Pinoys might be considered as either economically illiterate or they really lack basic knowledge in basic economics. Only a few Pinoys really understand that the whole idea of Heneral Lunatic's self-industrialization is a stupid fantasy. This also includes it sucks to be a rule-abiding Pinoy while most people are people who refuse to follow simple guidelines.
The Philippines also has the persistent problem of treating Aquinos like royalty and "basta Aquino, iboto ko." Last 2010, it can be assumed that majority voted for President Nobita because people just love to believe in the preposterous promises of candidates. When he said, "Kung walang corrupt ay walang mahirap." many people voted for him aside from the fact that his mother Corazon C. Aquino died before his election in a stupid cycle of necropolitics. Worse, the logic that many Filipinos have today is, "If you're not for Aquino then you're for Marcos and against democracy." When you start to speak against President Nobita's stupid legacy then do expect to be called stupid, a Marcos loyalist and whatever stupid assumptions they can make.
Fortunately there are some enlightened Pinoys are not there to be popular but to make the difference from the idiocy surrounding today's Pinoy society. Do you remember the child in the story? He wasn't afraid to tell everyone that the emperor wasn't wearing anything at all even if society would tell him he's stupid. Only if more there were Pinoys would have had that courage to state the awful truth and stand to make up a difference. Just imagine what a difference would it make if more people were like the child than the fools in the story.
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