The Pervert’s Guide to Historical Revisionism: Traversing the Marcos Fantasy

Abstract

This article argues that historical revisionism is constituted by the Marcos fantasy, which (1) generates jouissance and (2) shields Marcos apologists and supporters from the traumatic Real through narrativization, the concealment of lack, and displacement. This fantasy can be dialectically undermined by pushing Marcos apologists and supporters to fully identify with their desire. Although many critiques of such distortions validly tackle factual inconsistencies, they ultimately miss the fantasy by which these perversions are framed. Hence, the article attempts a way out of this impasse by employing Žižekian philosophy and psychoanalysis, a mapping of this perversion’s historical origins, and gesturing toward the necessity of a new political alternative.

KEYWORDS: MARCOS DICTATORSHIP • HISTORICAL REVISIONISM •FANTASY • PERVERSION • ŽIŽEKIAN THEORY