Dutertismo: ‘Enshitification’ of PH politics
MANCHESTER—In a heroic attempt to analytically capture the systematic degradation of our online platforms—from instruments of connectivity to weapons of informational destruction—author Cory Doctorow coined an indecorous yet emotionally resonant term: “enshitification.” First comes the exhilarating introduction of seductively helpful and supposedly “free” platforms, which help connect people overnight. This unleashes untold levels of productivity for content creators, reconnects long-lost friends, and allows public figures to connect with supporters in previously unimaginable ways. As soon as the “network effect” kicks in, billions of people find themselves locked into a curated universe: friends, followers, and communications on one platform are not transferable to another. The sunk cost fallacy kicks in, encouraging users to double down. What comes next is the third act, namely the “enshitification” process, whereby users become products (for advertisers), guinea pigs (for politicians), and zombies (through designed addiction) simultaneously. The parallels with our current political moment are hard to miss.
Of course, I’m not romanticizing the past. Despite our bravest democratic aspirations and moments of sheer revolutionary brilliance, Philippine politics was hardly ever exemplary. Think of how seamlessly many of our founding fathers—with the dramatic exception of Gen. Artemio “Vibora” Ricarte—integrated into the American imperial system not too long after valiantly defeating the fading Spanish empire. After Americans handed us our “independence” on the ruins of World War II, a few dynasties began splicing the country into their own little fiefdoms. It was precisely against this backdrop of democratic debilitation that former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. authored a self-styled “constitutional authoritarianism” in the name of national rejuvenation. It took almost two decades before opposition forces mustered enough organizational prowess and external patronage to topple one of the most corrupt and inept dictatorships in human history.
The revolutionary rupture was quickly undermined by the return of the old oligarchs and, just a few years later, the seamless return of the Marcoses from luxurious exile. The disgraced former First Family quickly reconsolidated its power base in the “Solid North,” setting the stage for a steady comeback at the national level—ultimately recapturing Malacañang with the largest-ever share of votes in more than half a century of presidential elections. Time and again, our political establishment deftly avoided utter national collapse by surviving on cheap compromise. Absent structural reforms and given the scandalous coexistence of unprecedented growth and widespread deprivation, they made a mockery of our centuries-old quest for democratic self-determination. Soon, a toxic cocktail of Marcos-era cronies, ancient warlords, and the “new rich” oligarchs quickly negotiated a new equilibrium of shared hegemony. What they lacked in metaphysical commitment to our national well-being, they more than compensated for through their voracious pursuit of material success. Hence, the masses’ struggle for a better future dissolved into the spectacle of “elite democracy.”
But, dear reader, it’s still hard to overlook just how debased and vacuous our current democratic politics have become due to the singularly destructive contribution of a new elite faction, which has all the vices of our old oligarchy without any of its virtues. The soul-destroying and unfathomably demoralizing ongoing circus in the country’s “highest chamber” is a microcosm of what has gone profoundly wrong in the Philippines: The surreal scenes of authorities begging for cooperation from plunderers and mass murderers. The shameless antics and embarrassingly puerile excuses to cover up a fugitive escape. The tsunami of logical fallacies and pretentious legalese contortions to disrupt parliamentary procedures. The tragically laughable attempts to maintain a “majority” at all costs—even if it means creating a new online chatroom to vote for the protection of an undeclared patron from an upcoming trial. Even by the standards of 20th-century Philippine politics, we have entered a new era of crazy!
At once, Dutertismo is both a symptom and a cause of a profound “enshitification” of our republic. First came the old man’s hypnotic promise of “real change” ahead of his fateful presidential run—followed by the creation of a cult-cum-movement for radical change anchored in algorithmic fake news, organic mobilization, and performative leadership. As soon as Malacañang was captured, it quickly degraded into a new regime of “hyper-impunity” fueled by the triple evil of treasonous incompetence, shameless plunder, and mass murder. The Duterte dynasty and their minions are like little Neros fiddling while our republic burns down.
—————-
richard.heydarian@inquirer.net
