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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
don’t get me wrong, i recognize the merit of this book and its noble pursuit of fighting historical revisionism but this felt like a chore to read — coming from a book whore herself.
i would not at all doubt that this was self-publish because it shows. the writing style leaves much to be desired; its verbosity makes it incoherent and hard to take seriously.
b-but joan? you like austen, hugo, and other classic writers, why are you such a hypocrite?! but those are fucking novelists and such use of literary devices serve a purpose, etc. etc.
in contrast, this is a historical account and this should be accessible to all. the masses in general would not find this interesting to read and see this as a hindrance instead. the objective is to educate everyone as much as possible and not everyone are book lovers as we are, they would not give a shit if the flowery prose are beautiful or whatever.
i swear to god, if you remove at least 20-30% part of the book you wouldn’t miss much—the narrative will still be intact.
overall this was an enlightening experience and it was interesting to have an insight on the machinations of the political world and its power struggles
forgot to mention how i nearly lost my eyes with the amount of eye-rolling i was compelled to do whenever mirajes sang praises to america, moreso by the fact that he was worshipping ‘70s usa where racism, misogyny, and homophobia were rampant and way worse. really, it isn’t the democratic paragon he extols it to be. i’ve been debating whether to include this on my review since i figured it doesn’t take away from the purpose of the book: which is to denounce the trash marcoses. so it’s whatever
i would not at all doubt that this was self-publish because it shows. the writing style leaves much to be desired; its verbosity makes it incoherent and hard to take seriously.
b-but joan? you like austen, hugo, and other classic writers, why are you such a hypocrite?! but those are fucking novelists and such use of literary devices serve a purpose, etc. etc.
in contrast, this is a historical account and this should be accessible to all. the masses in general would not find this interesting to read and see this as a hindrance instead. the objective is to educate everyone as much as possible and not everyone are book lovers as we are, they would not give a shit if the flowery prose are beautiful or whatever.
i swear to god, if you remove at least 20-30% part of the book you wouldn’t miss much—the narrative will still be intact.
overall this was an enlightening experience and it was interesting to have an insight on the machinations of the political world and its power struggles
Took me a while to read this and let the material sink in without getting lost in the details. I say, however, that this is a good starter to familiarizing oneself with Martial Law and the effect of the Conjugal Dictatorship in the country. These are mostly firsthand accounts of Mijares while he was working with the administration, which shows from a certain, distinct perspective how things worked back then.
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Not in the proper headspace to continue this at the moment. But I will definitely return to this.
The Conjugal Dictatorship, written by Marcos Sr. former propagandist and media czar Primitivo Mijares, is a classic inside account of the Marcos regime's first few years of dictatorship. The book was published in 1976, prior to the end of martial law (1981) and Marcoses' downfall (1986). Thus, the book does not cover the entirety of the conjugal's dictatorship, and as the introduction declared: "The book is not finished, the Filipino people should finish it for me." After a year of its publication, the author mysteriously disappeared and declared dead years later. Even though he did not achieve the immediate purpose for his heroic defection, he had left behind a book and preserves history for posterity.
Since the return of the Marcoses in Philippine politics, specifically Marcos Jr.'s unfortunate win in the recent Philippine presidential election; the demand and popularity of this book surged. I have high expectations on this book especially due to its widespread promotion on social media, but the book failed to meet such expectations. These are the reasons:
First, the book is shaggy and voluminous. As Solzhenitsyn wrote, "The whole scope of this story, and of the truth, is beyond the capabilities of one lonely pen." Even though Mijares pointed out through this quote that his book is far from what should the Filipino people know; the book becomes dense due to its complexity of ideas, trivial narratives, and unnecessary details that I think should not be included. It juxtaposed his main purpose to expose the Marcoses to the Filipino people, because I am sure that majority of them would be tired to read this thick book. And maybe bored, because the writing is dull. It is too 'scholarly?' as it bombarded too much detailed and trivial information and even whole articles and decrees which a common folk could not understand or would be loathsome to understand.
Furthermore, there are also too much repetition on certain points of the book which I think contributes to its thickness. For example, he consumed a lot of pages regarding the story of how Marcos bribe him with a hundred thousand dollars to halt his confession in the US committee. This particular narrative is repeated again in the next chapters. I understand Mijares' courageous act here, and considered him as brave and heroic as he dared to fight the Marcoses. But, too much repetition of this part disrupts the book's organization. It makes me said "okay, I know, I already know, it's enough." There are other parts/story that are also repeated in the other chapters in another phrase, like his witty pun on the Marcos regime's Bagong Lipunan terms (e.g. Bagong Likuman, Gulangan Archipelago) and etc.
Second, the book's organization of points and ideas are not presented systematically with each chapters. For a casual reader like me, who just wanted to read for leisure and be informed to our history, this book is difficult to read. You needed a lot of interest and desire to this particular book/author/history to read this effectively. Added to my first point, the book also contains flaws and disorganization of thoughts. The physical copy of the book I owned published by Ateneo Press used single space to separate each paragraphs consistently and there is no smooth transition on how Mijares shifts his thoughts.
The book is difficult to read because its flow is confusing. In particular chapters, he talks about a specific topic (e.g. Ban Marcos agenda of the Congress), then he suddenly changes out of nowhere on the next paragraphs. In the next chapters, he will again open up that particular topic he already discussed before. There is even no sign or change in the spacing even though the topic is already independent in the preceding paragraphs. Each paragraphs are divided in a single space throughout every chapters! (Mijares only includes sub-topic/sub-titles in Chapter 10). It is like Mijares written up what comes out of his mind. Maybe because of the circumstances attached and the immediate need to finish the book, as Mijares, Marcos tentacles know no bounds. Thus, he had no time for a comprehensive revision.
Third, I disagree with some of his certain stand/points presented. Particularly:
(1) his claim that the Marcos' Bagong Lipunan (New Society) is like the barangay leadership/society in our pre-colonial past. Even though barangays in the past are in feudal and authoritarian leadership, Mijares' comparison is vague and dubious. The systematic and complex status quo of the New Society Marcos maintained through outright injustices is incomparable to our pre-colonial structure.
and
(2) his claim that the Filipino people should be inspired to Washington/America's national self-determination, democracy, sense of justice and nationalism to dismantle the conjugal dictatorship. Even though he presented some trivial basis to this claim, they are mere examples that should not be used to generalized American role throughout history. Is he unaware on the America's role to perpetuate the Marcos dictatorship? I don't think so, because he presented them in his book. Or he just shrugged off the America's imperialistic roles and neo/colonial policies that contributes to the kind of system he despised?
But still, there are good reasons to read this book. I finished the book due to my desire to undestand Marcos' history in the time of historical distortion and denialism perpetuated by the Marcoses' strategic propaganda. Mijares' book is an important primary account and an attestation of the dark history of the Marcos regime. The book comprehensively analyzed and explained how our political system can be manipulated by a certain individual and how the power can be wielded to satiate the insatiate avarice of the political elites and technocrats. Mijares also effectively discussed Marcos' wit and strategic policies to dress with a cloak of legitimacy his political plans to stay in power. The systematic corruption and plundering of the country is also presented in detailed, and its implications to the economy and the Filipino people. And also, his field of expertise, the media and censorship propaganda, are elaborated and externalized how it is utilized according to Marcos' interest and how it is suppressed during the Martial Law years.
There are a lot of information in this book. Even though it is not complete, it provided a glimpse of the conjugal's rise and stay in power.
As Mijares, Marcos recognized the importance of history. Thus, part of his propaganda is to rewrite history according to his needs and interests. He ensures that history will judge him according to his own judgement. Just like Marcos, Mijares also perceived the importance of history. Thus, to preserve the 'truth' of the Marcos' regime, he defected and untied his leash of loyalty to Marcos to write this book for posterity. A dichotomized appreciation of history between Marcos and Mijares existed; the former for the preservation of his family name and the latter for the preservation of the memories and truth-telling to avoid repeating history.
Decades has passed and the Marcoses grasp back in power. The same censorship, revisionism, and historical distortion are recurring in the age of digital information. Marcos' sense of history triumphed over Mijares' as of today. But the fight is not over and a revolution will surely come, and the Filipino people will reclaim its lost memory, dignity, honor, and freedom from the past.
#NeverAgain
Since the return of the Marcoses in Philippine politics, specifically Marcos Jr.'s unfortunate win in the recent Philippine presidential election; the demand and popularity of this book surged. I have high expectations on this book especially due to its widespread promotion on social media, but the book failed to meet such expectations. These are the reasons:
First, the book is shaggy and voluminous. As Solzhenitsyn wrote, "The whole scope of this story, and of the truth, is beyond the capabilities of one lonely pen." Even though Mijares pointed out through this quote that his book is far from what should the Filipino people know; the book becomes dense due to its complexity of ideas, trivial narratives, and unnecessary details that I think should not be included. It juxtaposed his main purpose to expose the Marcoses to the Filipino people, because I am sure that majority of them would be tired to read this thick book. And maybe bored, because the writing is dull. It is too 'scholarly?' as it bombarded too much detailed and trivial information and even whole articles and decrees which a common folk could not understand or would be loathsome to understand.
Furthermore, there are also too much repetition on certain points of the book which I think contributes to its thickness. For example, he consumed a lot of pages regarding the story of how Marcos bribe him with a hundred thousand dollars to halt his confession in the US committee. This particular narrative is repeated again in the next chapters. I understand Mijares' courageous act here, and considered him as brave and heroic as he dared to fight the Marcoses. But, too much repetition of this part disrupts the book's organization. It makes me said "okay, I know, I already know, it's enough." There are other parts/story that are also repeated in the other chapters in another phrase, like his witty pun on the Marcos regime's Bagong Lipunan terms (e.g. Bagong Likuman, Gulangan Archipelago) and etc.
Second, the book's organization of points and ideas are not presented systematically with each chapters. For a casual reader like me, who just wanted to read for leisure and be informed to our history, this book is difficult to read. You needed a lot of interest and desire to this particular book/author/history to read this effectively. Added to my first point, the book also contains flaws and disorganization of thoughts. The physical copy of the book I owned published by Ateneo Press used single space to separate each paragraphs consistently and there is no smooth transition on how Mijares shifts his thoughts.
The book is difficult to read because its flow is confusing. In particular chapters, he talks about a specific topic (e.g. Ban Marcos agenda of the Congress), then he suddenly changes out of nowhere on the next paragraphs. In the next chapters, he will again open up that particular topic he already discussed before. There is even no sign or change in the spacing even though the topic is already independent in the preceding paragraphs. Each paragraphs are divided in a single space throughout every chapters! (Mijares only includes sub-topic/sub-titles in Chapter 10). It is like Mijares written up what comes out of his mind. Maybe because of the circumstances attached and the immediate need to finish the book, as Mijares, Marcos tentacles know no bounds. Thus, he had no time for a comprehensive revision.
Third, I disagree with some of his certain stand/points presented. Particularly:
(1) his claim that the Marcos' Bagong Lipunan (New Society) is like the barangay leadership/society in our pre-colonial past. Even though barangays in the past are in feudal and authoritarian leadership, Mijares' comparison is vague and dubious. The systematic and complex status quo of the New Society Marcos maintained through outright injustices is incomparable to our pre-colonial structure.
and
(2) his claim that the Filipino people should be inspired to Washington/America's national self-determination, democracy, sense of justice and nationalism to dismantle the conjugal dictatorship. Even though he presented some trivial basis to this claim, they are mere examples that should not be used to generalized American role throughout history. Is he unaware on the America's role to perpetuate the Marcos dictatorship? I don't think so, because he presented them in his book. Or he just shrugged off the America's imperialistic roles and neo/colonial policies that contributes to the kind of system he despised?
But still, there are good reasons to read this book. I finished the book due to my desire to undestand Marcos' history in the time of historical distortion and denialism perpetuated by the Marcoses' strategic propaganda. Mijares' book is an important primary account and an attestation of the dark history of the Marcos regime. The book comprehensively analyzed and explained how our political system can be manipulated by a certain individual and how the power can be wielded to satiate the insatiate avarice of the political elites and technocrats. Mijares also effectively discussed Marcos' wit and strategic policies to dress with a cloak of legitimacy his political plans to stay in power. The systematic corruption and plundering of the country is also presented in detailed, and its implications to the economy and the Filipino people. And also, his field of expertise, the media and censorship propaganda, are elaborated and externalized how it is utilized according to Marcos' interest and how it is suppressed during the Martial Law years.
There are a lot of information in this book. Even though it is not complete, it provided a glimpse of the conjugal's rise and stay in power.
As Mijares, Marcos recognized the importance of history. Thus, part of his propaganda is to rewrite history according to his needs and interests. He ensures that history will judge him according to his own judgement. Just like Marcos, Mijares also perceived the importance of history. Thus, to preserve the 'truth' of the Marcos' regime, he defected and untied his leash of loyalty to Marcos to write this book for posterity. A dichotomized appreciation of history between Marcos and Mijares existed; the former for the preservation of his family name and the latter for the preservation of the memories and truth-telling to avoid repeating history.
Decades has passed and the Marcoses grasp back in power. The same censorship, revisionism, and historical distortion are recurring in the age of digital information. Marcos' sense of history triumphed over Mijares' as of today. But the fight is not over and a revolution will surely come, and the Filipino people will reclaim its lost memory, dignity, honor, and freedom from the past.
#NeverAgain
Given the context in which this was written, it deserves recognition for consolidating the many issues of the Martial Law regime of Ferdinand Marcos, at least for its first three years. For its content I can’t give this any less than 4 stars. It’s all quite important, and probably mostly accurate.
However, frankly, this was not a good read. I would go so far as to say that I doubt that the majority of the people who’ve claimed to have read this from cover to cover have actually done so. It’s frustratingly all over the place both structurally and thematically and overall feels like a first draft. And whoever organized the official PDF for this as released by ADMU seriously needs to re-read the document because it’s filled with so many distracting typos.*
It also devolves too often into hyperbole and in the process hurts the air of objectivity that the divulging of vital information would otherwise demand. Maybe this is because years as a propagandist forever shaped Mijares’s writing style, but none of that helps in making his case. Because of this he unfortunately occasionally sounds like an unreliable narrator.
Beyond my many stylistic issues with the book, I do think that the information it contains is necessary for a deeper understanding of the Marcos administration. It’s just a shame that it has to be so hard to read.
*Maybe the typos are in the original manuscript, but if that’s the case someone needs to edit them out for a cleaner edition. And maybe re-edit the whole book as well for better clarity.
However, frankly, this was not a good read. I would go so far as to say that I doubt that the majority of the people who’ve claimed to have read this from cover to cover have actually done so. It’s frustratingly all over the place both structurally and thematically and overall feels like a first draft. And whoever organized the official PDF for this as released by ADMU seriously needs to re-read the document because it’s filled with so many distracting typos.*
It also devolves too often into hyperbole and in the process hurts the air of objectivity that the divulging of vital information would otherwise demand. Maybe this is because years as a propagandist forever shaped Mijares’s writing style, but none of that helps in making his case. Because of this he unfortunately occasionally sounds like an unreliable narrator.
Beyond my many stylistic issues with the book, I do think that the information it contains is necessary for a deeper understanding of the Marcos administration. It’s just a shame that it has to be so hard to read.
*Maybe the typos are in the original manuscript, but if that’s the case someone needs to edit them out for a cleaner edition. And maybe re-edit the whole book as well for better clarity.
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
I'm halfway done but decided I will not continue reading this anymore because I have a lot of things running in my mind and I kind of got confused halfway since it now discussed about businesses and corporations that my dumbass brain could not comprehend that much anymore. This is why I'm stopping reading this book, but I have planned in mind to read this again very soon.
Well, to review this book, this is a very detailed account of Marcos' skeletons in his closet. Honestly, he's just the worst and people really support this man? I had a discussion with someone because they told me that Marcos Jr. would remove all contents villainizing his father. Basically, this means that martial law will have it come back ONCE he's elected (I hope not, please vote wisely). They even told me to learn more about history yet this is history. Mr. Mijares is THE PRIMARY SOURCE ya'll uncultured swines. Look at the books, listen to the oppressed, and fight for freedom.
Anyways, this looks like more on a vent rather than a review. This book was published in 1976 and it was kind of incomplete since Marcos' grip was gone in 1986. However, this book is somewhat the prologue as to how Marcos went on his way to become the tyrant. To quote from the author's foreword,
"This book is unfinished. The Filipino people shall finish it for me."
Well, to review this book, this is a very detailed account of Marcos' skeletons in his closet. Honestly, he's just the worst and people really support this man? I had a discussion with someone because they told me that Marcos Jr. would remove all contents villainizing his father. Basically, this means that martial law will have it come back ONCE he's elected (I hope not, please vote wisely). They even told me to learn more about history yet this is history. Mr. Mijares is THE PRIMARY SOURCE ya'll uncultured swines. Look at the books, listen to the oppressed, and fight for freedom.
Anyways, this looks like more on a vent rather than a review. This book was published in 1976 and it was kind of incomplete since Marcos' grip was gone in 1986. However, this book is somewhat the prologue as to how Marcos went on his way to become the tyrant. To quote from the author's foreword,
"This book is unfinished. The Filipino people shall finish it for me."
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
“This book is unfinished. The Filipinos should finish it for me.”
The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos by Primitivo “Tibo” Mijares was the first book to give a detailed, first-hand account of the horrors that had happened during one of the dark ages of the Philippines- the Marcos’ regime, released about a decade after the proclamation of the martial law. It was also what led to the death of the author, who disappeared after giving a testimony against the government (specifically the Marcoses) and publishing this book, and his son who was brutally tortured and murdered. The takeaway from this book is simple: the Marcoses are evil and corrupt, and they are and will always be a constant threat to the betterment of this country as long as they are in a position of power. It is truly one of the bloodiest parts of history and the way it is elaborated here makes this a frightening book. The details honestly makes me want to crawl out of my skin and gag. I won't go too much into details because the things in this book is honestly difficult to simplify and articulate, just as tough it was to read. Still, I do encourage every Filipino who’d be able to see this review to read this book (this is your sign if you're looking for one!! read it!!!)- it’s truly a hard read but it’s a necessary one. I rarely recommend books, especially non-fiction ones, but I really, truly recommend reading this if you have the time- especially now that historical revisionism is as relevant as ever and is continuously persisting. Whatever your age is, let us work together to never forget one of the darkest parts of history.
PS.
Honestly, the political situation right now in the Philippines is so bad (i mean, it was always bad but going to social media these days is especially grinding because the fanatics are absolutely everywhere)- and it’s just so frustrating that a huge number of Filipinos are willing to defend a cruel and fascist dictator just because of course it has a cult following and of course they’re going to revise history and spread misinformation that will continue this cycle. 45 years later after this book’s publication, the Marcoses are still in positions- still in power, and that just truly, really sucks.
PPS.
I wasn’t born during the Marcos’ era, nor did I actually experience it. I was born years later and grew up in a community of enablers and apologists and revisionists, and my history teachers from primary school to high school were pro-Marcos- but I was privileged enough to have access to materials like this- to the internet, to other sources that will negate the revisionism I would be relentlessly taught throughout my teenage years. I am very fortunate to have history professors in college who would later correct these teachings and reaffirm my own research. I am very lucky that I was taught to be critical of information no matter where it came from- to think outside the classroom, to have friends with the same line of thought that'll encourage me to learn further, and I am very, very lucky to grow up passionate about history that I was motivated enough to read and learn everything I can about it. I’m sure this is cheesy as hell and I’ll probably delete this post-script later but for now I am linking a copy of this book available online, please read it if you have time. Thank you!
PPPS.
LINKS
The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos
Martial Law 101: Things You Should Know
Marcos’ Martial Law: Golden Age for Corruption, Abuses
Martial Law in the Philippines: An Enduring Story
Lasting Legacies: Marcos’ Denial Feeds into a Culture of Corruption
BY THE NUMBERS: Human Rights’ Violations During the Marcos’ Rule
The Macroeconomic Effects of the Marcos Era to the Filipino People
OPINION: Imee Marcos told US Court - yes, Archimedes Trajano was tortured and killed but it’s none of your business
(not all of these links necessarily support the book altho if you ask me, despite the people who made doubts and calls on debunks for this- i think the numbers speak for itself, and none of the allegations against this book was proven true, according to my research. if you do have credible sources to support or negate this claim, feel free to inform me (kindly). there are other articles i found helpful about the marcos’ regime that i also linked, do note that most of this are of recent years and you are free to research in your own time- i highly encourage you to do so if you do have the time. #never forget #never again,, keep screaming these)
█████▒▒▒▒▒ 。°。°。°。°。°
A timely read as revised history and apologists once again threatens to wash clean the blood spilled during the dark ages of Philippine history, more so erase the fact that the Marcos regime was not, in truth, the golden age of the Philippines. RTC. (conflicted between 4-5 stars, will settle on a rating on actual review)