Similar dream, different lives
By Joel Ruiz ButuyanThe latest survey showing Jejomar Binay as still the front-running presidential candidate has stirred the middle class and the rich (the “nonpoor”) to again mouth their pet refrain: The poor are to blame for all that ails this country because they are unintelligent voters who allow corrupt leaders to rule.
An interesting article. I agree that mocking the poor is ridiculous, and it is the non-poor and the culture of impunity that creates the problem where the people must subsist, and are willing to cut corners to do so, and put in office dreams of something better (Estrada). But the idea that the non-poor can cure poverty quickly is to fail to comprehend how deeply rooted the problem is. To say there is not evidence of the improved Philippine condition is to deny all the work being done across the nation and steady improvement of housing and conditions. It is a big lie.
It will take 20 years to cure poverty if the current progression of steady growth is maintained. Those who would disrupt it for political reasons are a large part of the problem, not the solution.
“This present-future divide between the poor and the nonpoor influences their choice of leaders. A candidate who promises a better future captures the imagination of the nonpoor, while a candidate who guarantees a better present is endeared with the poor.” Do the survey numbers bear this out?
Binay’s 29 percent is broken down as follows: Economic Class : ABC 22; D 30; E 33.
Erap’s 12 percent is broken down as follows: Economic Class : ABC 7; D 12; E 15.
Binay captured the imagination of 22 percent of the middle class and nonpoor. Does that mean one out of every 5 of ABC see the same thing that D and E see in Binay?
Now to the poor that gave Binay 30 (D) and 33 (E) percent. Another way of looking at those numbers is Binay failed to capture the imagination of 70 percent of D and 67 percent of the E. Does that mean that 70 percent of D and 67 percent of E think like ABC?
Now let’s go to Binay and Erap. Combined they got 42 percent of D and 48 percent of E. So they still have to capture the imagination of 58 percent of D and 52 percent of E. It seems like those two have “endeared” themselves to less than half of the poor.
Now the following statements:
“The latest survey showing Jejomar Binay as still the front-running presidential candidate has stirred the middle class and the rich (the “nonpoor”) to again mouth their pet refrain: The poor are to blame for all that ails this country because they are unintelligent voters who allow corrupt leaders to rule”
and
“Mocking the poor for their choice of political leaders—a choice dictated by sheer survival—amounts to mocking their misery and destitution.”
The numbers do not bear out the contention that the poor make poor choices because they are poor. In other words his entire thesis is based on a stereotype of the poor. So who is mocking the poor now?
The fact is Binay has not captured the imagination of 78 percent of ABC, 70 percent of D, 67 percent of E. Those number show clearly that despite their condition the voting IQ of the poor is not that far off from ABC.
Inuna kasi yung thesis bago yung analysis. :-)
great analysis mb. completely agree. (including the part about what mocking the poor actually is)
Completely agree.