tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post8827519876503546604..comments2023-09-28T05:38:56.877-07:00Comments on THE FILIPINO MIND: THE PHILIPPINES, THE WORLD BANK (WB) AND THE RACE TO THE BOTTOM, Part 1 of 4Bert M. Dronahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06864941770380173324noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-75976318420800482172010-07-05T08:05:27.548-07:002010-07-05T08:05:27.548-07:00Hopefully with the new president the Philippine ec...Hopefully with the new president the Philippine economy will improve. Other blogs have published confidence on <a href="http://www.philbusinesswatch.com" rel="nofollow">the new Aquino administration.</a>jayhttp://www.philbusinesswatch.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-81191345275377663522009-06-22T21:08:18.330-07:002009-06-22T21:08:18.330-07:00JM,
There are many reasons. Among which we note t...JM,<br /><br />There are many reasons. Among which we note that the history of our [Filipino] politics --is essentially a history of a feudal/traditional society, of landed aristocracy with its ignorant and impoverished tenants (virtual slaves) dealing in sugar, rice, coconut, and a few more commodities; of treachery, of arrogance towards the poor, of pursuit for political power thus reinforcing their economic power (joined now with the nouveau riche by those with mostly ill-gotten wealth who reached political power --via merit and/or celebrity status-- and used to obtain economic power); etc. We as ordinary citizens watch this vicious circle for generations.<br /><br />To the so-called educated in the know we deserve it since we allow it to happen, because we Filipinos deep down have only our selfish selves. We are class- conscious, look out only for ourselves, relatives and friends at best. The rest, to hell with them. <br /><br />We look at our corrupt politicians, we complain or maybe not, because we wish to be with them, to have the same opportunity. <br /><br />We claim to be Christians but we practice "split-level Christianity," from petty to grand scale in our now culture of corruption. Maybe our grandparents/parents, etc fed us from stolen stuff, saw that they steal, gain hidden wealth in cahoots with the ruling elite, etc. <br /><br />And maybe our Catholic schooling on social teachings was not taught or was absorbed only skin-deep, never integrated/internalized within ourselves, and our rulers --supposed to be role models -- are surely bad role models.<br /><br />As to the ordinary Juan de Cruz or Pepe & Pilar, let us not put blame on them, the impoverished and ignorant native majority. If we sincerely know and appreciate their state of living, or more aptly state of existence, then we would understand why they sell their votes, why they commit petty crimes, etc.<br /><br />We the educated ones, who can spend time in the internet, should attend to inform them (not just our clique of so-called educated selves and of mutual admiration --- of what we know, of what really happens, then maybe we can help make changes in the leadership, a nationalist leadership). <br /><br />Hopefully, as in the 60s such a mass education will produce leadership to our nationalist liking. The nationalist struggle will produce them. <br /><br />We do not need knights in shining armor. We will not have one. Else God would have made angels, instead of men, to run the country.<br /><br />Without recognizing and fighting for Filipino nationalism, as sine qua non, we will not think, we will not act to have fundamental/radical changes in economics and politics; With strong nationalism, it will not be easy, but very difficult and probably bloody and deadly. See what happened to Mossadegh, Trujillo, Allende, Bishop Romero, etc. to name a few. <br /><br />If we are united by nationalism, then the resultant/chosen leadership will be nationalistic and brave. When people and leaders are in the same nationalist wavelength, then we have a good chance of having changes in our homeland/society; and/or dealings with foreigners/foreign entities for directed for the betterment of the native citizenry.<br /><br />- BertBert M. Dronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06864941770380173324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-65265738528157090822009-06-22T16:05:25.454-07:002009-06-22T16:05:25.454-07:00JM,
Thank you for forwarding the post and feedbac...JM,<br /><br />Thank you for forwarding the post and feedback.<br /><br />I understand your differing opinion. As they say it taskes two to tango.<br /><br />We know regarding the dealings with the primarily American-controlled IMF/WB (now via WTO) that our rulers --since the Marcos Dictatorship-- simply agree and obey the conditionalities to preserve the status quo.<br /><br />And let us always remember that even decades before our homeland fell into the debt trap, our rulers since American colinialism through our so-called independence (political, not economic since we never attained the latter) consistently followed America like a dogface; whoever has the gold, usually makes the rules; though one can break or not follow if brave enough, wealways follow (our rulers were not brave enough).<br /><br />You highlight political leadership is the cause. As I alluded and as you may know, our rulers are not nationalistic as they see only their self-interests, not the "common interest or common good" of the native majority.<br /><br />- BertBert M. Dronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06864941770380173324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-616475746897853692009-06-21T09:50:42.372-07:002009-06-21T09:50:42.372-07:00HVRDS,
Thank you for commenting.
I think and bel...HVRDS,<br /><br />Thank you for commenting.<br /><br />I think and believe that Karl Marx was one of the greatest thinkers of all time, and as a social critic, one with deep insight, originality and humanity (on human alienation). <br /><br />In your comments re Lenin, I say that I also find Lenin's writing in his "Imperialism - the Highest Stage of Capitalism" as almost, if not entirely, pre-scient now that multinationals (largest banks/financial institutions)have heavily influenced if not controlled the governments of the rich countries (and of course as a consequence of the poor countries like our homeland). <br /><br />It can be said that is the logic of capitalism - growth, i.e endless growth in capital formation for those who have the latter.<br /><br />It may be the case that their [Marx & Lenin] solutions then and now are not feasible in the long run, as we have witnessed. But their identification/analysis of acute problems in capitalist societies are oftentimes accurate.<br /><br />- BertBert M. Dronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06864941770380173324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-39389047784356603002009-06-21T06:46:09.179-07:002009-06-21T06:46:09.179-07:00I found this particular e-mail transmittal so impo...I found this particular e-mail transmittal so important to be disseminated to as many potential readers in cyberspace. Thus, while sending a reply to you, I decided to send a copy to several e-groups whose fora remain worthwhile to use for presentation of ideas for consideration of the more politicized denizens in cyberspace.<br /><br /><br />Re:<br /><br />We do not seem to appreciate the fact that economics: national economic development (political economy) is also extremely important and at this point in our history, requires equal, if not more, attention from the native citizenry. For without economic independence, political independence becomes ineffective and meaningless.<br /><br /><br />I have to express my strong disagreement with the basic premise built in these two (2) statements. By this time, politics and economics are intricately not just inter-related but inter-dependent variables for humankind's development. <br /><br /><br />Available documentation, including those referred to in your e-mail, confirm that the political dimension has greater weight as a direct determinant of the potential policies that will be adopted by both global and localized organizations/governments/countries. <br /><br /><br />The IMF and WB entities are the concrete manifestations of how the political dimension determines the direction of economic policies. In short, whoever has control over the IMF and WB basically determines the economic parameters that will have to be faced by governments/countries, directly in connection with negotiations for loan availment.<br /><br /><br />The other side of the coin involves the political leadership of the borrowing countries. There is a great volume of research done by the Freedom From Debt Coalition on this. The bottom-line is that theoretically, if only the political leaders of borrowing countries truly represent the welfare and benefits for the majority of the citizenry, the IMF and WB funds can be negotiated with reasonable terms and conditions for specific programs and projects for economic development of countries like the Philippines.<br /><br /><br />It should really be a no-brainer about the IMF and WB as creditors, attempting to swing loan contracts that will tie down borrowing countries to remain as borrowers. Creditors always want debtors, plain and simple.<br /><br /><br />It is incumbent upon the representatives of borrowing countries to secure the best terms and conditions for specific loan contracts with the IMF and WB.<br /><br /><br />From where I am looking, the burden is not on the creditors like the IMF and WB. The burden is on the side of the debtors. And the real issue lies in the political dimension of the borrowing countries/governments.<br /><br /><br /><br />JMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11987503.post-42002927084208266942009-06-17T17:26:13.410-07:002009-06-17T17:26:13.410-07:00For underdeveloped economies---
A country that ha...For underdeveloped economies---<br /><br />A country that has been using an inflation based taxation system undermines the entire basis for societal development. It destroys the entire basis for the labor value creation process. Money after all is the alien abstract of labor. Hence only a few retain the wealth and continuously invest their wealth only in the land to hedge against the debasement of currency. <br />* "Lenin is said to have declared that the best way to destroy the capitalist system was to debauch the currency. By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. By this method they not only confiscate, but they confiscate arbitrarily; and, while the process impoverishes many, it actually enriches some. The sight of this arbitrary rearrangement of riches strikes not only at security, but at confidence in the equity of the existing distribution of wealth. Those to whom the system brings windfalls, beyond their deserts and even beyond their expectations or desires, become 'profiteers,' who are the object of the hatred of the bourgeoisie, whom the inflationism has impoverished, not less than of the proletariat."<br /><br />" As the inflation proceeds and the real value of the currency fluctuates wildly from month to month, all permanent relations between debtors and creditors, which form the ultimate foundation of capitalism, become so utterly disordered as to be almost meaningless; and the process of wealth-getting degenerates into a gamble and a lottery."<br /> "Lenin was certainly right. There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose."John Maynard Keyneshvrdsnoreply@blogger.com