I'm not the one majoring in Pol-Sci, but I can't get politics out of my system.

crossposted to LJ

Is equality really such a difficult thing? In this society where rights are being bandied and flaunted, are we starting to impinge on individual rights for the sake of common sensibilities?

In the social contract, the liberty of one man ends where another one begins. Okay, so we have the liberties of our suffrage and candidacy, we have the liberties of our speech, we have the liberties of enterprise. Yet when they begin to be at the expense of others' rights and liberties, such as the liberty to livelihood, respect, freedom, security...can we still really justify the exercise of our liberties?

Rousseau once said that the minute a man says of the business of the state "what is it to me?", the state has failed. I think this is what has happened to our country. It's always 'my family', 'my business', 'my kababayan', 'my pork barrel', 'my lifestyle', 'my right to speak'...

We voters must remember that just as much as our leaders, we are part of the state. And our leaders must remember the duties of representation, not domination.