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LINK: ‘Note Verbale‘, Manila Times (Sunday-Career Section) – 30 September 2007 Issue

“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one’s safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind”, wrote American novelist and playwright, Joseph Heller, in his historical fiction book entitled “Catch-22” published in 1961. 

The book relates the story of a US bomber crew characterized by Captain Joseph Yossarian stationed in the Mediterranean island of Pianosa during the late stages of World War II.

BBC News reported that the book, which already sold more than ten million copies, is one of the significant novels of the 20th century. 

In his book, Heller described that Yossarian sought to be excused from flying suicidal mission. To do so, he must submit an official diagnosis from the flight surgeon that he is unfit due to insanity. But according to army regulations, any sane person would naturally refuse to fly dangerous combat missions. Therefore, by seeking to be excused on grounds of insanity meant that the bomber crew is in fact sane and is fit to fly. But those who willingly accept the mission implicitly demonstrate unfitness because of insanity and should be excused from flying without the need for a medical diagnosis.

In another setting, Yossarian offered marriage to a woman who felt distraught because no man would ever marry a woman like her who is no longer a virgin.  The woman rejected the offer claiming he is crazy for wanting to marry a non-virgin.
 
Both scenes satirically show that sanity is a prerequisite to recognize one’s own insanity.

Catch-22 depicts a paradox in a law, regulation or practice in which one is a victim regardless of the option taken because of a circular dilemma or a self-defeating logic. It creates a situation in which an action has consequences which make it impossible to pursue that action because it puts the person in a double bind or in a ‘chicken and egg situation’.

There’s always a ‘catch’ in day-to-day life. And that’s a practical reality that is difficult to escape from. A person cannot get a job without work experience but cannot get work experience without a job. An author cannot publish his work without an agent but cannot get an agent until his work is published. Schools portray a vital role in students’ reformation and learning and yet would shun students away when they obtain failing grades or commit some delinquencies.

But when Catch-22 widely afflicts public governance, society stinks.

It is axiomatic that corruption is one of the major causes of poverty, yet poverty is also an important element to keep corruption alive. As Manila Times senior reporter Annie Ruth C. Sabangan said in her January 6, 2004 special report: “Corruption became even more ingrained. Every administration’s effort to cure the disease appeared to be just a part of a vicious circle. Worse, the public perception lingers that the ones offering solutions are in fact part of the corruption problem.”

What is paradoxical, tragic or perhaps satirical in the Philippine setting is to see the same chameleons simply switching roles and standing either as accusers or the accused, the oppressor or the victim, depending on the prevailing political scene or social climate.

In one interview, Heller summed up his intentions in writing the novel in this wise: “everyone in my book accuses everyone else of being crazy. Frankly, I think the whole society is nuts – and the question is: What does a sane man do in an insane society?”

In the final chapters of Heller’s book, he said: “anything can be done to you that you can not prevent,” and so the only solution is to entirely break out of the system. Thus, Heller’s hero deserted and fled to Sweden.

No wonder millions of Filipino have opted to leave the country out of dismay.  Unfortunately, the Filipino who would lead the country out of Catch-22 is yet to be heard.

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