An Empowered Argument for a People Power

by Joy Aceron



On an “Alternative” to People Power Proposal

There is an alternative to people power which is being proposed: “have Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the president for the remainder of her term,” for her staying there “presents our nation with a golden opportunity to change in a deeper, more meaningful and more lasting manner.”

Let me say at the onset that at this point of the political crisis, this proposal is not anymore an alternative, a new or a middle proposal. The progression of the on-going debates and dynamics points to fact that this is the same solution being offered by Malacañang obviously to be able to survive yet again a formidable challenge to its authority. As stated rather eloquently by a pro-Gloria protester covered by the media (who was basically echoing the administration’ s line), the country should just wait for the 2010 elections since that is only about one year and eight months away. “Bring the case to the courts and let all those who are responsible be punished.”

Class Struggle and the Radicalizing “Middle Class”

Working class in a changing landscape [1]

By Emmanuel M. Hizon and James Matthew Miraflor

“When political analysts ask, ‘Where are the middle forces, they who triumphed at the two Edsas [people power uprisings]?’ I am tempted to answer: At Starbucks, drinking an iced venti latte."

-Raul Pangalangan, Starbucks and
the Class Struggle

Rationale

Now that another political uprising, on the tradition of EDSA, is slowly gaining ground, brought about by the aborted ZTE NBN deal implicating once more Mrs. Arroyo, the role of what had been dubbed as the “middle class” or the more politically correct term “middle force” in such an upheaval is again slowly entering social discourses. Regardless of how we define the nature and composition of such middle class, its potent capacity to introduce change is already assumed in many progressive and reform-oriented circles, so much so that formations such as the Black and White movement (B&W) explicitly labels itself as a group which has its purpose to organize the disgruntled members of the middle class in its effort to oust the “evil” Arroyo regime.

But how do we characterize the middle class and its members?