Ep. 33 Why is Morality Political? with Prof. Wataru Kusaka

The P*I* Podcast

In the aftermath of the 2022 elections, Filipino politics is still hounded by polarization and moral outrage. In this episode, we discuss these issues with Professor Wataru Kusaka through the lenses and in response to his seminal work entitled "Moral Politics in the Philippines: Inequality, Democracy and the Urban Poor." We tackle the nature of moral politics in the Philippines, how his work is still relevant to our current situation, what has changed since the publication of this book, and how we can live with political-moral conflict in the post-EDSA regime.

You may order your copy of Wataru's book here:

https://shopee.ph/Moral-Politics-in-the-Philippines-i.75162109.1805844945

0:00 Music

0:15 Intro

1:00 Aftermath of elections

2:10 Guest Speaker, Wataru Kusaka

3:30 Why Study the Philippines?

8:00 Wataru on living in a poor community

9:40 Why study Moral Politics?

12:00 What is Moral Politics?

15:40 EDSA DOs, EDSA TRES and Erap estrada

21:10 EDSA and Martial Law Narratives

25:10 Urban Governance vs. the poor

27:00 Bongbong Marcos and fantasies

30:00 Reactions to Moral Politics

37:15 Updates to Moral Politics; Middle-Class Morality and the ethics of discipline.

53:20 Spaces and Social Media

59:00 Moral politics the 2022 Elections

1:16:30 BBM Redemption Narrative and the middle class

1:22:00 How do we live with Moral Politics?

1:31:00 Japan and Philippines as Stressful societies

1:34:00 Moral imagination and the emergence of new symbols

1:37:00 Wataru's final message

1:42:35 Recommendation

Recommendations

Two Cheers for Anarchism by James Scott

https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691161037/two-cheers-for-anarchism

The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness by Erich Fromm

https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Human-Destructiveness-Erich-Fromm/dp/080501604X

Ang Konsepto ng 'Pagsasaayos' Bilang Panimulang Postkolonyal na Pagdalumat Pulitikal sa Panahong Postmoderno ni Antonio Contreras

https://www.pssp.org.ph/diwa/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/02.1-Artikulo-Contreras.pdf

Chapter 3 from Patronage democracy in the Philippines:Clans, Clients and Competitions in local elections:

https://shopee.ph/amp/Patronage-Democracy-in-the-Philippines-Clans-Clients-and-Competition-in-Local-Elections-i.75162109.17209361701

Babae sa Septic Tank

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1961179/

Pepito Manaloto

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepito_Manaloto