Butterfly effect
Published May 8, 2022 12:05 am
THROUGH UNTRUE
Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P.
According to Chaos theory, what we consider ordinary, insignificant happenings can have far-reaching influence on subsequent events. A metaphor for this is the "butterfly effect." A butterfly flapping its wings can trigger a powerful typhoon elsewhere. If this theory is correct, then our seemingly trivial decisions and actions can set off chaos and disasters in the future.
History has shown that the tragic end of many individuals was often caused, not by complex plans and decisions, but by blatant acts of stupidity, like Esau exchanging his birthright for a mess of pottage (Genesis 25:29-34), Judas selling Christ for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15), Bonaparte deciding to fight a powerful confederation of European armies in Waterloo, and the United States joining the Vietnam War resulting in the death of 58,220 American soldiers and around $22 billion a year pension to the Vietnam veterans, their families and survivors.
Stupid decisions may seem harmless at first, but over time these can cause immense and irreversible damage. Whether poor or rich, powerful or powerless, educated or illiterate, no one is immune to committing idiotic follies. In our country, stupidity rises to the level of an epidemic when election time approaches.
Those who think that full computerization of the forthcoming elections will be error-free and absolutely immune from cheating ignore the stupidity factor. Computers heighten our desire for perfect precision. But as we know, human fallibility always spoils our best efforts. Technology, no matter how advanced, is susceptible to stupid manipulation and evil schemes. Since the computer works only on the basis of "garbage in, garbage out," the results we get depend on what we feed into it.
Many Filipinos also act stupidly when they allow what they read, hear, and see in the social media, surveys, and TV and radio infomercials to determine their vote. They refuse to see that these are the work of invisible business and media conglomerates, landlords, capitalists and investors, political dynasties, lobbyists, even multinational cartels who operate behind the scene. These puppeteers have set up an elaborate PR machinery oiled by their money to assure their candidate’s victory. They know that once their candidate wins, it is they who will rule.
Self-styled intellectuals are already predicting that the candidate who consistently leads the surveys will win. But who knows? Perhaps decades of misery will finally force the young and old voters to say: “I am not stupid. Why should I vote for candidates whose platform is thoroughly bogus? Why should I vote for candidates who are only good at exploiting our gullibility? Enough is enough!”
Stupidity can be dangerous. Like power, absolute stupidity corrupts absolutely. And yet, social and political analysts often choose to ignore it when discussing human affairs. They would rather settle for more complex, more sophisticated reasons for our ceaseless woes and crises.
The elections are a democratic way of ensuring that we are governed according to our will. But the same elections also ensure that we are governed no better than we deserve. So if we foolishly continue to allow surveys, infomercials and social media to influence our votes, let us prepare to suffer another monumental letdown.
Fr. Rolando V. dela Rosa, O.P.
According to Chaos theory, what we consider ordinary, insignificant happenings can have far-reaching influence on subsequent events. A metaphor for this is the "butterfly effect." A butterfly flapping its wings can trigger a powerful typhoon elsewhere. If this theory is correct, then our seemingly trivial decisions and actions can set off chaos and disasters in the future.
History has shown that the tragic end of many individuals was often caused, not by complex plans and decisions, but by blatant acts of stupidity, like Esau exchanging his birthright for a mess of pottage (Genesis 25:29-34), Judas selling Christ for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15), Bonaparte deciding to fight a powerful confederation of European armies in Waterloo, and the United States joining the Vietnam War resulting in the death of 58,220 American soldiers and around $22 billion a year pension to the Vietnam veterans, their families and survivors.
Stupid decisions may seem harmless at first, but over time these can cause immense and irreversible damage. Whether poor or rich, powerful or powerless, educated or illiterate, no one is immune to committing idiotic follies. In our country, stupidity rises to the level of an epidemic when election time approaches.
Those who think that full computerization of the forthcoming elections will be error-free and absolutely immune from cheating ignore the stupidity factor. Computers heighten our desire for perfect precision. But as we know, human fallibility always spoils our best efforts. Technology, no matter how advanced, is susceptible to stupid manipulation and evil schemes. Since the computer works only on the basis of "garbage in, garbage out," the results we get depend on what we feed into it.
Many Filipinos also act stupidly when they allow what they read, hear, and see in the social media, surveys, and TV and radio infomercials to determine their vote. They refuse to see that these are the work of invisible business and media conglomerates, landlords, capitalists and investors, political dynasties, lobbyists, even multinational cartels who operate behind the scene. These puppeteers have set up an elaborate PR machinery oiled by their money to assure their candidate’s victory. They know that once their candidate wins, it is they who will rule.
Self-styled intellectuals are already predicting that the candidate who consistently leads the surveys will win. But who knows? Perhaps decades of misery will finally force the young and old voters to say: “I am not stupid. Why should I vote for candidates whose platform is thoroughly bogus? Why should I vote for candidates who are only good at exploiting our gullibility? Enough is enough!”
Stupidity can be dangerous. Like power, absolute stupidity corrupts absolutely. And yet, social and political analysts often choose to ignore it when discussing human affairs. They would rather settle for more complex, more sophisticated reasons for our ceaseless woes and crises.
The elections are a democratic way of ensuring that we are governed according to our will. But the same elections also ensure that we are governed no better than we deserve. So if we foolishly continue to allow surveys, infomercials and social media to influence our votes, let us prepare to suffer another monumental letdown.