On certain blogs, podcasts and trolls

The septuagenarian in me tried to understand the meanings of words which are rather new. Blog. Podcast. Troll. The internet was my quickest aid. I learned that the “term "blog" was first used in April or May 1999. It was coined by programmer Peter Merholz, while the term "podcast" was first used in early February 2004 although it was coined by British journalist and The Guardian columnist Ben Hammersley in an article discussing the potential for a boom in amateur radio.

Troll is a noun that can be viewed in two different perceptions. In one sense, it refers to a Scandinavian mythology dating back to 1610, as a supernatural being, like an ugly dwarf or giant. The modern sense of "troll" though, appearing in the late 1980s or early 1990s, is to describe troll as when someone intentionally disrupts online communities or provokes arguments. Thus, there is trolling when someone posts or comments online to 'bait' people to provoke deliberately an argument or emotional reaction.

In my last three articles, I raised a cautionary alert against the specter of our countrymen’s rushing towards a revolutionary government of the kind established by the world acclaimed People Power Revolution also known as the EDSA I. Candidly, I expressed my caution based upon what I gathered from blogs, podcasts, trolls and from some of those who joined the street rallies notably the September 21 Trillion march. During the tail end of that demonstration, television cameras panned to a small number of men who made themselves significantly difficult to identify thru the use of masks and hoods. They tried to add violent fuel to the feeling of the marchers’ indignation by assaulting peace enforcers, smashing police barricades, crashing thru business establishments and igniting fires ala rebellion. I believed that they personalized the rumors of efforts to bring down the administration of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr.

I now dare venture to say that certain bloggers, podcasters, troll and rumor-mongers appeared to be orchestrated by “political hi-jackers.” The internet defined hi jack as an illegal seizure of a vehicle. mainly an airplane or a ship, in transit and forcing it to go to a different destination or use it for one's own purposes. This seems to be what these people do - enrage the people enough as to seize government power for their own purposes. This political hi jack completely disregards the constitution.

Until the other day, the social media platforms of these bloggers, podcasters, trolls and rumormongers were plain noise to me. Their rambling was intended to arouse the people to support a supposed call for a revolutionary government although aside from the seriousness of the subject, no significant move in that direction got to be openly marshalled. I said, “until the other day.”

I heard from a national television news program that there is a group of people who wants to exploit our anger over the flood control project scandal and that this group reportedly approached Senator Panfilo "Ping" Morena Lacson Sr. to join a civilian-military junta designed “to replace President Marcos Jr., and everyone down the constitution xxx.” For the first time, a man of national stature revealed that such an extra-constitutional group exists. Such revelation validated the earlier ramblings I noticed.

Here is my opinion. Only a few selfish individuals will be benefitted by this unconstitutional subversion. I believe that most of these few selfish individuals are those prominently mentioned in the ongoing investigations on the unspeakable flood control project scandal. The civilian-military junta will stop the process of punishing the abusive, corrupt and dishonest officials who stole billions of peoples’ money. I doff my hat to Sen. Lacson for not even answering the offer. His rebuffing the offerors gives me added strength to disbelieve certain concerned bloggers, podcasters and trolls.