MERGED: Do You Want U.S. Statehood For the Philippines?

[EZRA]

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JOSEPH... then how can that be changed? Unsaon man nga ang mga taw ma palit man ang ilang mga ballots? Being hopeful and optimistic alone can't do diddly. Easier said than done.. that's why I said.. "Only in a perfect world" .. but in reality, daghan kaayog mga factors and variables...
And one more thing... someone who's "IDEAL" enough to replace the "corrupt" one in office is hard to find.. how much more nga padaugon pa gyud inig election.

[gareb]

Now, akong pangutana, nganong karun ra man ni gibuhat sa government sa San Fernando ug sa Naga? Nganong gidungan2x man nila ug kawt tanan karsada? I suspect this has something to do with the coming May elections.

ang imong gihatag nga situation is a very good example of how the concept of election has been corrupted. this "ultimate manifestation of democracy" unfortunately is not immune to teh machinations of the devious and corrupt minds who will jump at any opportunity to stay ahead of everybody else.

Kining atong tendency nga ganahan ta maka-una at the expense sa uban taw (pareha sa situation sa traffic), kining atong lack of patience and self-discipline, mao jud ni siya'y maka-stagnate sa development sa ato country: Everyone wants to get ahead of everyone else at the expense of everyone else (In Tagalog, we are "makasarili"), we lack patience and self-discipline, so our lives never improve.

it is true that the Filipinos has, to a certain extent, lost his sense of self respect. it is also true that the majority of the Filipinos have lost that zest of nationalism, that "love of the counrty" as u call it. it is evident in the hopless remarks that our countrymen utter whenever one asks them to comment on their situation. the number of those who see their brighter future nowhere else but outside the country, the sheer number of immigrants and wannabe immigrants... even in our everyday living, u see the lack luster attutude we have of the things that are Filipino in favor of something "imported".

but we must stop here. our analysis must dig deeper unto why such disinterest is prevalent in our country. as u have mentioned, we lack a "national identity" basically because we do not feel that we are a duly represented in the halls of power. majority of the population cannot "feel" the government working except perhaps when it is election time as u have succinctly related above. dialectical materialism dictates that a two-way relationship between why the sense of apathy and the causes for such.

is this attitude being encouraged by the prevalent system? who is benefiting? based on current happenings, who is the power behind the proliferation of such "desensitization" efforts of the ruling establishment?

They have prospered because they have a sense of their past, and therefore they have a grasp of their future, of where they want to go. This is the important function that history plays in the life of a nation: it serves as its memory.

indeed. i could not agree with you more. as you can see, the history that our "future leaders" are being taught is not the history of the Filipino people in the eyes of the Filipinos themselves but from their colonial masters of the past (and the present). what our history teaches us is that we have become "recepients" of "benevolence" and "enlightenment" from certain cultures who posed to be our "liberators". our history books seldom emphasize the meaning of the grave atrocities that these powers have done in the past to enslave the people... what is more, the very same powers are doing the enslaving even as of the present.

we will never learn these lessons because we have not necessarily come out of the grasp of the "powers that be" that have constrained us to do its bidding. the politicians that we have elected to power are the very same group of people who have prospered during the time of foreign occupation... the landed and the rich. corruption has become institutionalized because at the very beginning, these very same people have been in power even before the constitution was created!

the bootlicking of the present day government to the only super power in the planet (which incidentally is also our "former colonial master) is an abject evidence of how the old colonial system is still prevalent no matter the separate constitution, the flag, etc. we have not necessarily changed so much. the "revolutions" at EDSA were shams. there was no revolution. the old order still prevails. different figureheads, same system.

actually we are regarded by some as "little brown americans". unofficial americans in a country that is in between being a full fledged state of the US of A and a fully independent nation. puerto rico has it better than us. at least they are still under the administration of the US of A.

we, the philippine nation, the filipino people, are but commodities to them. we are the trash bin for their excess capital. we also are their source for cheap labor and raw materials. we are indespensible. but they cannot afford to take us in completely because of the sheer size of the population and the problematic degree of poverty that we have (which ironically they are causing with their repressive policies). the philippines is in shambles and they want it that way so that they can continue to exploit our human and natural resources.

[gareb]

JOSEPH... then how can that be changed? Unsaon man nga ang mga taw ma palit man ang ilang mga ballots? Being hopeful and optimistic alone can't do diddly. Easier said than done.. that's why I said.. "Only in a perfect world" .. but in reality, daghan kaayog mga factors and variables...
And one more thing... someone who's "IDEAL" enough to replace the "corrupt" one in office is hard to find.. how much more nga padaugon pa gyud inig election.

the problem cannot be solved superficially EZRA. this is not a matter of mere "implementing laws" as we know for a fact that law enforcers are even the ones spearheading various criminal syndicates... what more for relatively petty crimes such as vote buying and such.

this is about culture. this is about the society that we are in. this is about the prevalent system that is being encouraged by the ruling establishment BECAUSE they can benefit from it. selfish motive is their main dish of the day and nothing else. the hell wih morality and what is just. those are being used as fronts for them to further their greed. look at what they have done to the religious institutions. money making ventures. block voting.

the people by their indivudual efforts cannot do it alone. it is hard to be JUST and LIVE in a soceity that is full of criminality and corruption. the situation is analogous to a squatters area. if u try to be a hero there, you will most likely end up dead. if u do not consort to a certain extend with the low lifes, more than likely you will end up with a hole or two somewhere in ur body.

all of us, to a certain extent, are guilty of this, knowingly or unknowingly. we will settle for the lesser evil anytime as long as it can guarantee our safety. the poor and the middle class is of the same situation.

as i have mentioned in another thread, "you cannot fill a dirty bottle with clean water and say that the water is still clean when it is inside the bottle. one must first clean the bottle if we do not want to throw away another bottleful of dirty water."

only by radical means can the current problem of the society be solved. only by breaking the monopoly of power of the elite can the people, coupled with a drastic and radical re-education and re-orientation, can this problem be given a solution.

this is not a piece of cake, mind you. but unless we realize this, we will continue to commit the same mistake we have made in the past... throwing way a bottleful of water because we were mistaken when we thought that it was clean

[EZRA]

That's what I was talking about... the mentality of the masses. To each his own! Mamintaha gyud bahala nag makina-unsa. That's why everybody runs for office `cause that's where the bulk of the money is... mga kickback, mga bigay, mga kawat, mga unsa pa diha.... and when you're in office, chances are youo can go above the law. Last nakong na dunggan ni Osmena, nanumbag ug Taxi Driver.. pero na unsa man to? Gi reject man ang kaso sa huwis.
Karon mao na ang norm sa society sa Pilipinas .. AYG SUKOL SA NAAY LAKAS (or bisag katung naay kaila nga lakas). Igka dugayan, parte na ni sa culture sa Pinoy. Luoy ang walay ika sukol samtang ang naay backer, mo asenso gyud.

There was a chance unta nga someone decent ni lansar pagka presidente... ironically, naa siya sa pinaka ubos.. he even had less votes than Imelda Marcos. Asa na kaha si DOY LAUREL. That man could've made a change!

Damn the voting public who sells their ballots for a mere hundred pesos! And damn the political leaders and the greedy hopefulls who wishes to follow them. How can a country prosper when the lawmakers are themselves the lawbreakers?
Like I said... the country needs a grand renovation...

If you look at it realistically... the country is in the PITS and will remain there until people starts to renew their way of thinking. Who, in his right mind, would elect an under-educated ACTION STAR as President Why the hell did he win?

[josephdc]

Of course, being optimistic and hopeful is never enough. I was only saying that it is one step in the right direction. As to the next steps, kung unsa jud exactly ato dapat buhatun, I really don't know. Basta I know nga we must not lose hope. Mga general ra kaayo nga ideas akong ma-offer, which is, anyway, common sense lang: For example, how can we change the political situation? I think through education ra jud. By teaching the masses to think critically for themselves, para they can begin to make wiser decisions, not only during elections but also in their everyday lives. The government has a huge role to play in that respect, and we the people must continually remind it of that role because obviously iya na gi-take for granted (Dili priority ang education sa national budget. I don't know pila lang ang gi-alocate para sa education, pero last time I heard, relatively small ra jud. If I'm not mistaken, mas dako man siguro ang budget allocation para sa "defense", unya labi na sa pagbayad sa atong utang sa WB and IMF). And the media, too, must be reminded of its role, which is to help mold responsible men and women in society. It's good, for example, nga naay mga TV programs like Debate, Probe Team, I-Witness, etc. But why the hell do they have programs like "Magandang Tanghali Bayan," "Eat Bullaga" (I don't know if naa pa ba ni, dili nako tig-tan-aw ug TV), etc.? I wonder if I'm only being naive. Some people would say that that's exactly the function of the mass media: to make people dumb. Para it's easier to sell them things they don't need. To divert them from the real issues in society, to keep them from participating in the making of policies in government, etc. Pero for me television, radio, etc., are neutral mediums, they can be used for good or bad ends. Daghan nindut ug helpful nga programs sa TV, and they must be encouraged. Pero gabaha sab ang mga bati...

As I've said, I haven't lost hope in the way things are now. I still think we can change and improve things. Gareb, I agree with everything you said, but about the revolution part... Hmm... Ambot lang bai. I used to think that revolution was the answer to all our problems, but then I've come to realize that that would be a very risky undertaking. You'll never know the consequences of a revolution. It would be too drastic, there would be a lot of blood shed, violence, daghan mga matay. I don't want violence, dili ko ganahan ug blood shed. You will never know kung unsa ang outcome. I think nga when you embrace violence man gud, you risk becoming the monster you seek to destroy. And kanang "dictatorship by the proletariat," I think that would be scary. Once the vanguards of communism will sieze power from the elite, what's your guaranty that they will not become the elite themselves? Remember George Orwell's Animal Farm? Remember Stalin? You know the saying, "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely". Human nature mana gud, even the noblest intentions can be corrupted by power. For me democracy ra jud ang answer. People empowerment. Struggle through non-violent means. Changing things little by little. For me possible mana ba. I haven't lost hope.

[LytSlpr]

I am a very nationalistic person but from what evil (no need to enumerate) our leaders have done to our country for many years & generations, I am willing to forego of that nationalism & say YES!!!

[FK]

onsa may kasiguraduhan ninyo kong U.S. state na ta walay corrupt? sigurado mo nga ganahan mo mag state sa U.S. or ganahan lang mo mahimong dollar earner?

[gareb]

It would be too drastic, there would be a lot of blood shed, violence, daghan mga matay. I don't want violence, dili ko ganahan ug blood shed. You will never know kung unsa ang outcome. I think nga when you embrace violence man gud, you risk becoming the monster you seek to destroy

i was not talking of a "communistic revolution" actually. violence must be the last resort in any noble aim for social justice. the power of violence is a double-edged sword.

a peaceful transformation of the government is most necessary. a thorough reformation, not like the EDSA chronicles wherein only the mere figureheads of the government were overthrown and not the corrupt system entirely. what i am calling for, is an overhaul of the feudalistic relationship that is prevalent (although not necessarily overt) in the philippine setting as well as what is exhibited by its relationship with the imperialist US.

I used to think that revolution was the answer to all our problems, but then I've come to realize that that would be a very risky undertaking. You'll never know the consequences of a revolution.

we have seen the pitfalls of various revolutions. we must learn from them. but we must never ignore the current state of the people of the country. we need a radical change. 50% of the population is just well above the poverty line, while 33.3% is below that line. a supposedly just society cannot afford to ignore this.

we know for a fact that hungry and suffering people will do anything just to get their stomachs filled. let us not wait that these people act as one and resort to drastic and aimless violence. the threshold is almost met. we must be aware of this.

democracy is the only manifestation of any just society. democracy that is not just exhibited by the amount of votes one gets during elections. true democracy is reflected by the voice of the many, the voice of the poverty-stricken, the voice of the have-not's, the voice of the majority plebians. true democracy is measured by the state of the majority of the people. this measure is even more important than that of the number of votes one gets.

as a democratic country, the philippines is suppose to be a nation that embodies social justice. sadly this is not so. the power of the state does NOT reside in the majority of its people but on a very few tight-knitted, inter-breeding. yes, we elect our officials, but can a silent nobody with a good track record win any major position in the government? have the elected officials of the past and the present (yet hopefully NOT in the future) fullfill the promise of genuine democracy and social justice?

I wonder if I'm only being naive. Some people would say that that's exactly the function of the mass media: to make people dumb. Para it's easier to sell them things they don't need. To divert them from the real issues in society

they call this the "desensitization of the filipino psyche". how popular these diversions are reflects the current status of the majority "masa"; in congruence to the rising alcoholism, criminality and other forms of the "sub-culture of poverty".people are receptive to these diversions as these offer them an outlet, a reason to smile, a break from the almost hopeless battles for that meager sense of economic security if not prosperity.

the analysis of these rising fads (F4, sexbomb dancers, etc.) is that the reactions to these are similar to that of fiestas (sinulog and other parochial celebrations, etc.).

it is not that the barrio fiestas and such religious celebrations are wrong, but the current fads are. philippine "masa" society ignores the reprecussions of the sexist attitude that the sexbomb girls exhibit. instead of the local (however tasteless) talents, we would rather settle for foreign.

all of these fads are being encouraged so that the blunt of the pressure will not be directed towards the ruling establishment but be partly cooled and partly sublimated into these "diversionary tactics".
and of course, how saturated we are of this culture of callousness and hands-off attitude (almost approaching that of masochism) that these diversions breed, is most exhibited by our open-armed welcome of the idea of a statehood of teh philippines. our economic justifications, however unfounded and baseless, even approaching the idea of hilarity, masks our devotion to that which is defeats the purpose of our independence.

[EZRA]

That's a rather interesting opinion there, GAREB.... being the media and entertainment industry serve as diversions covering up what's really going on. If this was true, it only goes to show how weak a typical Filipino mind is .. if the general public can be easily manipulated, heck! there's not much hope after all.

Now.. here's the thing. Talking about drastic actions and such... if the U.S. was to handle things, do you think that the people in power right now could still abuse their power knowing how tight the U.S. laws work?

[FK]

I think so... because the same people would be in power... same minds, same practices. I think what you want is Americans will run the government for us... right? And you would also want U.S. police.