tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post114007492349653020..comments2023-09-28T05:38:56.877-07:00Comments on THE FILIPINO MIND: Nationalist Revolution and Our IgnoranceBert M. Dronahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06864941770380173324noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-1141366994689001892006-03-02T22:23:00.000-08:002006-03-02T22:23:00.000-08:00The key to the political crisis in the Philippines...The key to the political crisis in the Philippines,I think,is NOLI<BR/>DE CASTRO.<BR/><BR/>Everyone knows he is politically, intellectually,academically out of<BR/>his element and had won by a popularity vote.<BR/><BR/>But even his guapo votes now appear to be on a steep decline according to all recent polls.<BR/><BR/>Gloria is no fool.<BR/><BR/>She knows Noli's incompetence as her constitutional successor is her greatest protection.<BR/><BR/>Noli frightens the country that he might become President.<BR/><BR/>Two Step Solution:<BR/><BR/>(1) Noli should resign.Resign from the Vice Presidency and promise never to enter any<BR/>political race again.<BR/><BR/>He should realize he can serve the country more effectively as a journalist.<BR/><BR/>(2) ABS CBN should take him back and return him to his comfort zone.<BR/><BR/>He would today be a wiser observer of the political situation in the country.<BR/><BR/>(For Noli,this isn't a supreme sacrifice because he isn't sacrificing anything especially not the morsels of assignments given to him by GMA just to let him appear busy)<BR/><BR/>- Ricardo TaylorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-1141366580818980892006-03-02T22:16:00.000-08:002006-03-02T22:16:00.000-08:00Thanks, Mr. Drona. That's a good one to share with...Thanks, Mr. Drona. That's a good one to share with others.<BR/> <BR/>Cora ClaudioAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-1140974856254922182006-02-26T09:27:00.000-08:002006-02-26T09:27:00.000-08:00These "politics of the streets," etc. led by diver...These "politics of the streets," etc. led by diverse groups of conflicting interests and the Arroyo regime reacting to them are nothing new; we've been there, done that: in EDSA 1, EDSA 2 and EDSA 3 (if the Oakwood Mutiny is lumped with both). <BR/> <BR/>As we all see/experience, the long-run results are the same: ever-worsening existence for the majority. Because we, the so-called educated among the middle class and up, only talk among and plan for ourselves, only think within a caged mentality, without looking at and/or avoiding the need to deal with the root causes of our socioeconomic problems, which requires questioning our basic assumptions: the socioeconomic system we inherited from America and unquestioningly practice/propagate. We do not question because we profit from it. <BR/> <BR/>And at the same time we ignore and put down the poor and ignorant, we are that arrogant and cocksure. Thus, w e all get bogged down and spent on personalities among our so-called leadership who, then and now, still have no honest desires and actions that would lead to public good (It is so discouraging and outrageous to see an endless pretense/show to "fool the people, buy the people and off the people.)" <BR/> <BR/>Most of these personalities are from within our ranks of so-called educated class; and many of us desire to be among these personalities in power: in government to make and have our share in the people's money cum power. <BR/> <BR/>Thus we want to keep the majority ignorant and use them only for our own selfish purposes. We know that with an ignorant majority, we can easily fool and get no pressure from them to have us change our decisions which adversely impact the majority in the long haul. Radical changes for their betterment and for the common good will therefore not come from us. <BR/> <BR/>Unless the majority of the populace are made to raise their national consciousness (nationalism) and thus gain national unity and united action, fundamental changes for the generations of Filipinos, for their common good will never come to fruition. Of course, again, we so-called educated do not want these fundamental changes to occur. <BR/> <BR/>So we continue to self-destruct as a people, WHILE our foreign "friends and /or naturalized citizens," i.e. Chinese, American, Japanese, Canadian, Korean, etc. thanks to the WTO, laugh at us and enjoy themselves in our house, i.e. homeland, take our women and children, our patrimony: our land and its minerals, buy off/shut our factories, convert our agricultural lands into malls and golf course, steal our accumulated native knowledge, etc. all so very cheaply with our devaluated peso. At the same time, depriving millions of natives of decent jobs. We the so-called educated are traitors by allowing these economic disasters to perpetuate since we can still go on with our selfish and merry ways.<BR/> <BR/>It's been 40+ years since we last enjoyed a "Filipino First" national policy, to look out for #1, i.e. us native but decolonized Filipinos. I hope it will not be as long, that I witness a nationalist revolution come to stop us in our self-destruction, for the sake of our children, grandchildren and the next generations of native Filipinos.Bert M. Dronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06864941770380173324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-1140965829318888982006-02-26T06:57:00.000-08:002006-02-26T06:57:00.000-08:00Because I failed to see in your blog little bio o...Because I failed to see in your blog little bio on Luis Taruc, I am forwarding what I wrote on the day I learned about his death.<BR/><BR/> A REQUIEM TO SUPREMO KA LUIS TARUC<BR/><BR/>The peasant farmer depends on the fruit of his labor to the land he toils to support a family. But even when fertile fields become fertile grounds for discontent, there is incongruity between the basic needs he yearns and the impossible demands from the landlord. Pity the poor abused sharecroppers for they shall inherit bloody agrarian revolution.<BR/><BR/>One man understood the plight of hapless farmers. He witnessed the abuses of absent landlords and incensed on the inept and often biased government army soldiers who were supposed to protect them. He saw the birth and demise of the Sakdalista movement and its peasant origin. <BR/><BR/>He also witnessed the litany of abuses temporarily halted during the Japanese occupation but not the occupiers’ brutal treatment to the citizens deserted by MacArthur. That man’s vision started an effective answer to oppressive regimes of what we now know and what it spawned other violent groups by their acronyms, HUKBALAHAP, primarly against ther Japanese, HUK (urban and rural guerillas during Roxas, Quirino and Magsaysay) and HMB Hukbong Magpalaya ng Bayan of the Garcia and early Marcos administration. Now NPA is getting its share in the struggle.<BR/><BR/>Like Andres Bonifacio of the 1896 revolution, this man can also speak the language of the masses. He even adopted the title Supremo. If I remember correctly, while the first supremo has the equivalent of second grade elementary education, this other supremo attended two years at the University of the Philippines. Call him Bonifacio re-incarnate!<BR/><BR/>During those years of Huk insurgency, whenever he showed up in countryside of partisan crowd he likened the gathering like Balintawak or Pugad Lawin to address dispense PILL hopes for better tomorrow. He tried to represent their interest in the halls of congress, elected in 1946 but unseated year after that ushered a long civil war known as the Huk Insurgency and again democratically elected to take their cause in the new society era under Marcos.<BR/><BR/>In the niche for deserving Filipinos, <B>I would rather see the bust statue of Ka LUIS TARUC instead of Ninoy Aquino.</B>The peasant leader who died last week will be remembered as AUTHENTIC NATIONALIST of peasant origin who understood, cared and worked for the abused, dispossessed and neglected peasants. An ordinary man with an extraordinary heart.<BR/><BR/>Jose S.LuzadasAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-1140965343614639172006-02-26T06:49:00.000-08:002006-02-26T06:49:00.000-08:00"The mixed economy that we had before martial law ..."The mixed economy that we had before martial law was workable and could be improved on. But essential too is a change in our way of thinking and behaving, a need for a "cultural revolution;" especially towards nationalism within our homeland, our territorial boundaries."<BR/> <BR/>This is precisely the reason why I am encouraging you to keep on writing your ideas. <BR/><BR/>Nobody will help the Philippines except Filipinos. We cannot rely on the Americans, the Japanese or any other foriegners to help us. We Filipinos have to learn to help ourselves because no foreigner will do that for us. We will obtain happiness or misery because we Filipinos have collectively chosen happiness or misery as our goal.<BR/><BR/>In the ultimate analysis, only Filipinos are to be blamed for anything that is happening in our country because we have allowed it in the first place.<BR/><BR/>- RamonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-1140945886100788772006-02-26T01:24:00.000-08:002006-02-26T01:24:00.000-08:00Ramon, I agree with you. Absolute free trade, whic...Ramon,<BR/> <BR/>I agree with you. Absolute free trade, which the WTO/economic globalization is all about, is disastrous for our poor country. <BR/><BR/>Free trade is great only for the rich nations. WTO rules are made by the rich nations to be followed by the poor nations; and in reality, not necessarily by the former.<BR/><BR/>Free trade/WTO is one of the fundamental aspects in our political economy that needs to be dismantled. <BR/> <BR/>The mixed economy that we had before martial law was workable and could be improved on. <BR/><BR/>But essential too is a change in our way of thinking and behaving, a need for a "cultural revolution;" especially towards nationalism within our homeland, our territorial boundaries. <BR/> <BR/>It is only when we have attained national unity can we be able to stand on our own and be able to deal other nations with confidence and strength; and be treated fairly and with respect. <BR/> <BR/>Without nationalism, we will be where we are now and going nowhere up but continually spiralling down, i.e. increasing impoverishment for the expanding majority (declining native middle class). <BR/><BR/>That is why the ruling elite, i.e. the native and local politicians/technocrats/businessmen/military and their foreign partners and TNCs want to keep the "masa" ignorant. Knowledge is power. <BR/><BR/>To maintain slaves and slavery, our majority have to be kept ignorant of what's really going on.Bert M. Dronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06864941770380173324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-1140944693981569332006-02-26T01:04:00.000-08:002006-02-26T01:04:00.000-08:00Hi Bert!We are poor because this People's Power go...Hi Bert!<BR/>We are poor because this People's Power government believed in the lie propounded by the free trade economist that all poor nations will be eliminated if only all economies practice free trade. This is a blatant lie propounded by professional economist who is more interested in propaganda rather than truth.<BR/><BR/>When NAFTA was implemented in Mexico, the average growth rate of Mexico fell from 5.9 per cent to 3.9 per cent, and yet free trade economist refuse to recognize these facts and keep on insisting that poverty will be eliminated in the planet if free trade is practised everywhere -- inspite of all the evidence to the contrary.<BR/><BR/>Because our People's Power government economic planners believed in this obvious lies of the free trade economist, the People's Power government has failed to take off our country inspite of their promise that they will do better than President Marcos if allowed to run the country. Because of the institution of free trade in the country, our average growth rate has fell to one half that was achieved by Marcos and all his predecessors.<BR/><BR/>Inspite of these facts, the Liberal Party in its official website has called for the continuation of free trade in the country and made free trade as the principal economic platform of that party.<BR/><BR/>Free trade was the principal economic policy of the American colonial administration. When the United States acquired Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines, the Americans instituted a policy of free trade on all its newly acquired economies. <BR/><BR/>Because free trade was keeping the Philippines as an agricultural economy, nationalist like Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmena demanded independence from the United States. It was the election of Manuel L. Quezon as President of our Commonwealth that finally put an end to the policy of free trade imposed by the Americans on the Philippine economy.<BR/><BR/>One of the principal reasons why the Nationalista Party was able to easily obtain the passage of the Tydings-Mcduffie Law which granted independence to the Philippines was because the American labor backed the independence move of the Philippine government. The American labor unions is opposed to any free trade in the United States between its colonies or any other independent nation.<BR/><BR/>When the commonwealth administration of Pres. Quezon put an end to the colonial policy of free trade of the Americans, we saw the emergence of Philippine industrialization. However, because of the devastation in the Philippines caused by World War II, the Americans again imposed free trade as a condition for the American assistance in the reconstruction of the Philippines. This free trade was embodied in the Bell Treaty.<BR/><BR/>This Bell Treaty again did not improve the Philippine economy but only fanned the hatred of Philippine political leaders against the Americans. The Bell Treaty was denounced by leading luminaries in both the Liberal and Nationalista Parties.<BR/><BR/>Inspite of all these facts, the Liberal Party and the People's Power government believed all the lies that was propounded by the free trade economists. Neither did the lessons of Philippine history nor the warnings of economists who saw through the lies of the free trade economists could convince the economists of the People's Power government that free trade will stultify the economic development of our country. They kept insisting on believing the lies of the free trade economists that free trade is the solution of the poverty of the planet -- inspite of all the evidence to the contrary.<BR/><BR/>Very truly yours,<BR/> <BR/>RAMON A. DEL GALLEGOAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-1140944460844423762006-02-26T01:01:00.000-08:002006-02-26T01:01:00.000-08:00Thanks for your response. Yes, when one steps bac...Thanks for your response. <BR/> <BR/>Yes, when one steps back and think, educating the masses is crucial. Else, no fundamental changes can happen. The "masa" will be simple pawns and duped as in the past,present,in the near future. You also are mainly correct in inferring that the is ignorant. <BR/><BR/>The church is essentially part of the establishment; as a former seminarian and catholic, I am to put it very mildly, disappointed with it.Bert M. Dronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06864941770380173324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-1140944218219437212006-02-26T00:56:00.000-08:002006-02-26T00:56:00.000-08:00I agree that the masses should be educated. Churc...I agree that the masses should be educated. Churches and schools are agencies that can help but the leaders of these organizations are also ignorant. <BR/><BR/>Listen to their sermons - they do not teach people to look at facts, to think and how to make dicisions in terms of the general good of the community and the country.<BR/><BR/>- DrPazAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com