Saturday, September 08, 2007

THE RECTO READER: Economic Nationalism, Part 2A of 6


"Let us not ask for miracles...let us not ask that he who comes as an outsider to make his fortune and go away afterwards should interest himself in the welfare of the country. What matters to him the gratitude or the curses of a people whom he does not know, in a country where he has no associations, where he has no affections? Fame to be sweet must resound in the ears of those we love, in the atmosphere of our home or of the land that will guard our ashes; we wish that fame should hover over our tomb to warm its breath the chill of death, so that we may not be completely reduced to nothingness, that something of us may survive. Naught of this can we offer those who come to watch over our destinies."..- filosofo Tasio to Ibarra  (NOLI ME TANGERE.), quoted in Hernando J. Abaya's THE UNTOLD PHILIPPINE STORY, 1967

"A certain kind of progress and material development can be achieved by economic activity that is not nationalistic in orientation but it can not solve any of the major social, economic and cultural problems of that large community which we call a nation." - Claro M. Recto


***********************************************************
PLEASE DONATE CORE SUBJECT BOOKS TO OUR HOMELAND (i.e. your hometown public schools, Alma Mater, etc.). Those books that you and/or your children do not need or want; or buy books from your local library during its cheap Book Sales. Also, cargo/door-to-door shipment is best.  It is a small sacrifice.  [clean up your closets or garage - donate books.THANKS!]
***********************************************************

" Fear history, for it respects no secrets" - Gregoria de Jesus (widow of Andres Bonifacio)

Of 533 previous posts, the following selected posts and the RECTO READER are essential about us native, Malay Filipinos and are therefore always presented in each new post. Click each to open/read

OUR FILIPINO CULTURE:
  1. WHAT WE FILIPINOS SHOULD KNOW:
  2. WHAT IS NATIONALISM [Filipino Nationalism]?
  3. Our Colonial Mentality and Its Roots 
  4. The Miseducation of the Filipino (Formation of our Americanized Mind)
  5. Jose Rizal - Reformist or Revolutionary?
  6. The Purpose of Our Past, Why Study (Our) History?
  7. Studying and Rethinking Our Philippine History
  8. Our Filipino Kind of Religion
  9. Our Filipino Christianity and Our God-concept
  10. When Our Religion Becomes Evil
  11. Understanding Our Filipino Value System

OUR PHILIPPINE ECONOMY and MILITARY: (Post-WW2 Agreements)
NOTE: Recto's cited cases, examples or issues were of his time, of course; but realities in our homeland in the present and the foreseeable future are/expectedly much, much worse. Though I am tempted to update them with current issues, it's best to leave them as they are since Recto's paradigms about our much deepened national predicament still ring relevant, valid and true. In short, Recto saw the forest and never got lost in the trees.- Bert

******************************************

Hi All,

In Part 1(A&B), Recto defined and clarified for us what Filipino Nationalism is and what it is not.

In Part 2, Recto elucidated the need for economic independence: the "what, why, how, where and when" of economic independence characterized by a nationalistic outlook and drive for industrialization.


He reminded us that economic independence propelled by nationalism is the sine qua non for political independence, domestically and internationally. 

Unfortunately for us native Filipinos, economic independence never materialized as all our so-called national leadership -- all traitorous to the native Filipino majority-- have continued to pursue an economic policy, which has been and is destructive to the common good, as practically dictated by America via the IMF-WB/WTO Agreements.

- Bert


*************************************

THE RECTO READER (1965): PART 2 - ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE
- Selected and Edited by Prof. Renato Constantino

For our country today, industrialization and nationalism are twin goals. Indeed, they are two sides of the same coin. Nationalism cannot be realized and brought to full flowering without a thorough-going industrialization of our economy by the Filipinos themselves. And you can not have an industrialized Philippine economy controlled and managed by Filipinos without the propulsive force of a deep and abiding spirit of nationalism. (1)

Economic Nationalism

The propulsive force that will take us to our economic goal is nationalism. We achieved political independence, or the restoration of our sovereignty as a people, by asserting consciously, fearlessly, and unceasingly, our aspiration to become a free and independent nation, until the foreign sovereign power, America, finally agreed to the restoration of our independent political status. In other words, we asserted the prerogatives of our nationalism. 

Today we are politically, but we are far from free economically. A nation that has been a colony for a long time cannot and does not, on the day of its political independence, achieve simultaneously its economic independence.

But we have had ample time to be well past the first stages of transformation, and we would be so now were it not for the stubborn insistence of past administrations to cling to the old system

That transformation can still be worked out by the people themselves, under the guidance and inspiration of their leaders, through the stimulus of wise and farsighted policies, perhaps with calculated sacrifices, and perhaps also with the advice and suggestions of disinterested foreign friends.

It is people, through their leaders, who must achieve economic freedom, or the change from a colonial pattern of economy into an independent one. Only economic nationalism will enable us to achieve basic and lasting solutions to our problems of mass poverty, unemployment, underproduction, perennial trade imbalance, and misery and backwardness in the midst of rich natural resources and abundant manpower.(2)

My program of industrialization is a logical outgrowth of my stand on Philippine nationalism. Nationalism in the economic field is the control of the resources of a country by its own people to insure its utilization primarily for their own interest and enjoyment. 

Its political expression is independence and sovereignty, the desire to be treated with respect by all nations, and to decide, without bowing to outside pressure, the most advantageous course of action for a country vis-a-vis these powers. 

The political aspect of nationalism becomes a dynamic mobilizing force which insures the realization of the economic objectives. In turn, the economic objectives lend practical reality to the fight for sovereignty.

What does economic nationalism mean for us Filipinos? Economic nationalism means the control of the resources of the Philippines so that they may be utilized primarily in the interest of the Filipinos. What course does this economic self-interest indicate for the Philippines at the present time? I have demonstrated by means of facts and figures that a raw-material exporting nation, that is, an agricultural nation, is always dependent on a manufacturing nation. 

In any relation between the two, the industrial nation is the gainer, the agricultural nation, the loser.This is implicit in the fact that we export our raw material cheaply, because we can not use them as such; and we import the finished products at high prices, because we need them in our daily lives. Clearly  under this setup, we are not in control of our natural resources for our best interest. 

But if we industrialize, we shall no longer be at the mercy of manufacturing nations, and, in more and more instances, as we thoroughly industrialize, our own people shall become the beneficiaries of the values added to the raw materials by the manufacturing process. There is no question, therefore, that economic self-interest demands that we industrialize.(3)

The simple meaning that may be given to economic nationalism is a nation's aspiration, desire, and willingness to improve its material and cultural conditions through its own talents, resources, and sustained labor, and for the benefit of the whole national community. 


Its mainspring is a strong sense of togetherness of the people in a common desire to progress, to improve livelihood, to achieve worthy and noble things, to enhance the good name, even the glory, of the national community, of the country which is the homeland, of the flag that symbolizes country,nation and the nation's history and ideals. 

Without that dominant and ever-present will to achieve the enhanced well-being of the large community, rather than merely one's own selfish interest, any economic effort or activity, however large or impressive, is not nationalistic in character. 

A certain kind of progress and material development can be achieved by economic activity that is not nationalistic in orientation but it can not solve any of the major social, economic and cultural problems of that large community which we call a nation.(4)


Why Filipino Ownership is Necessary


Now you may ask, why the insistence on Filipino ownership or control of such variegated industries? The answer is: unless it were so, it would be impossible to place the benefits to be derived from these industries within the means of enjoyment of the largest majority of the Filipinos. We must remember that if industries of such variety and scope were actually existing, they would be creating enormous amount of wealth annually. 


If the wealth created were to remain in the Philippines and be reinvested again and again in other productive enterprises which would create, in turn, new wealth, then all that wealth could sustain an ever-spreading and rising standard of living. 

But if the industries were alien or foreign-owned, then much of the wealth created would have to leave the country, what remains would never be enough to cope with the ever-increasing needs of an expanding Filipino population --and this is precisely the circumstance in which we have found ourselves through many decades-- the few rich would merely continue becoming richer, and most of them would be aliens and foreigners, and an ever-increasing number of the poor would be getting poorer. It is a similar circumstance, we may note, which brought about the Fidel Castro revolution in Cuba not long ago.(5)

To expect non-Filipinos engaged in large-scale enterprises in our country to have a nationalistic orientation in their economic activities is, as they say in Indonesia, like expecting lizards to grow feathers. We have no choice; it has to be Filipinos themselves, through the nationalistic aspiration of their economic endeavors, who must bring about a truly industrialized Philippines.(6)


Alien Control of our Economy


Our economy is heavily dominated by aliens. They have, per capita, more income than our own people. This is so because capital, which here is to a large extent foreign, begets profits, whereas salaries and wages, which constitute the share of the people in a colonial economy, are never high enough to allow their recipients much beyond their needs for daily living; consequently, there is almost nothing left for savings. If therefore, we mean to develop an economy that will bring welfare to our people, we must reverse this trend.(7)

As late as 1951, raw material sources and channels of distribution were in alien hands, according to F. Rodriguez, erstwhile chairman of our National Economic Council. Other officials at that time revealed that 80% of our retail trade was alien-controlled; that 78% of our foreign trade was in the hands of aliens; that sugar, and trade in rice, copra, tobacco and lumber was also alien-controlled; that 68% of our foreign exchange was bought by aliens.

There is urgent need for study and adoption of measures calculated to eliminate this alien stranglehold on our economy. Will our friends and advisers help us succeed in this great endeavor? Will they assist us in the study and adoption of the needed measures? Can we expect this kind of assistance from them? They, too, have their economic welfare to think of and protect. That is in the nature of things. 


We will have to depend, therefore, on our own resources, on our own ingenuity, on our own judgment which, right or wrong, shall at least be guided by the consideration that the national interest is supreme and that the common patrimony must always be defended and safeguarded with all the care, awareness, dedication and vigilance to which every Filipino must be regarded as having pledged his honor from the cradle to the grave.(8)


The Cause of Our Poverty


Why is the Filipino worker poor under the present feudalistic regime? Although underproduction, unemployment and poverty are the three principal problems of the working class, the truth is that these are only the natural consequence of the two dominant facts in our economic system: 


  1. that we are predominantly an agricultural country, and 
  2. that we have a colonial economy characterized by foreign denomination in many important areas.

In wartime, the workingmen suffer most at the hands of foreign invaders. In peace time, it is still the workingmen who suffer from the alien control of our economy. This is true because of the very nature of foreign denomination, whether in peace or in war. 

Foreigners who go to any country for conquest, or to set up businesses, do not do so to serve the interest of their host-nation. They go because they are attracted by abundant natural resources and cheap labor, both of which guarantee higher and easier profits than in their home country.

If this were not the case, no foreigner would leave his country to seek his fortune elsewhere; no foreigner would fight to conquer another people without expectations of profit or a better life than he has at home.

A country dominated by foreigners enriches the foreigners, a few of the nationals, but seldom its workingmen. Our country therefore is poor, its workingmen are poor, and many thousands are jobless, mainly because we have had an alien dominated economy and political life for more than four centuries now. 


If Filipinos had been independent from foreign domination in these four centuries, with the tremendous natural resources in their homeland, they would surely have found better ways of developing their economic assets to achieve a high standard of living and prosperity for all elements of the population, including the class of workingmen.

The workingmen of the Philippines are poor for still other reasons besides alien control of our economy.Throughout the more than four decades of American regime, the emphasis of our educational system was on the training of our people in democratic principles and in public administration. This emphasis was well-placed, for the high literacy of our people and their better understanding of the workings of the democratic processes have been beneficial results of that policy.


But commendable as that educational orientation was, it left a gaping void in the integrated education of the Filipinos.The educational system fired our people's desire for political liberty, but it purposely neglected to develop economic nationalism among the citizens, and instead insidiously inculcated in them ideas of economic dependence on America. 

The literacy of our people, their awareness of the high standards of living of the West, so temptingly shown in movies, televisions, books, magazines, and other forms of advertisement, merely made the Filipinos more vulnerable and readily susceptible to the sales appeal of promoters of American trade and commerce. 

The Filipinos, ill-prepared to develop their country economically in order to attain a standard of living comparable to the West, were nevertheless thoroughly conditioned to become avid and insatiable consumers of Western finished products, from canned milk to flashy cars and televisions sets. 

Thus developed the preponderance in our national economy of a merchant class composed mostly of aliens, leaving the native producer class to shift for itself as best it could in an economy that is thoroughly colonial in nature.

To meet the needs of the merchants, especially import tycoons, there must be a continuous supply of foreign exchange. The native producers were thus encouraged to concentrate production on a few export products, mainly raw materials, that earn a foreign exchange with which to pay for ever-increasing imports of foreign goods, from lipstick to automobiles. 


Importation and distribution of foreign goods, however, create few opportunities for mass employment; and the production of raw materials for exports requires less manpower than the processing of those raw materials into finished goods. (10)

We must have the courage to face the true problems of our nation so that we may succeed in raising the standard of living of our millions of poor and unemployed. We must have the honesty of mind to tell them the truth, as Rizal in his time had to do, so that they may free themselves from their empty illusions, so that their minds may be awakened to the real solutions to their difficulties. 


We must have the integrity of patriotism to tell our people that they are poor because of economy is unbalanced, and therefore, unable to give them the opportunities to use in their interest the tremendous potentialities of the country's natural resources. 

We should have the courage to tell our masses and make them understand that our economy as a whole is poor and underdeveloped because it is colonial in pattern, and that all the hand-shaking and back-patting of the men they elect to office will not improve their lot if these leaders are not nationalistic enough to change the character of our economy.(11)


The Need for Economic Planning


Economic planning is, therefore, a "must" for us. For without such planning, either the greedy few will despoil the nation of its resources or those resources will remain unexploited to the detriment of national interest.

Ours is an underdeveloped country and has been so for centuries. While our economy has stagnated, our population has increased. Mass poverty and mass unemployment have been the inevitable results. It cannot be doubted that if we let things continue drifting, we will soon prey to communism, for the decisive battle against this enemy shall be fought not on the legal and parliamentary stage, as some people want us to believe, but on the economic.

And this planning should be the government's special concern. Some will call this socialism. Be it so. But it has been our sad experience that private Filipino entrepreneurs, without government initiative and intervention in the form of incentives or aid, have not been able to take advantage of opportunities for increasing the national wealth that would provide employment and bring welfare and economic security for all the people. 


Only a bold leadership and decisive action by the government can produce the break-through that will set us moving away from the present poverty and national unemployment.(12)


The Colonial Pattern of our Economy


There is, of course, an economic policy in the Philippines, but it is not one made by Filipinos nor is it intended for the welfare of Filipinos. it was conceived and formulated by others and introduced and implemented here for purposes other than the nation's interest.This economic policy has for its objectives:


  1. to keep the Philippines the agricultural country that it always has been; 
  2. to attract to the Philippines foreign investments. 

For the realization of these objectives, appropriate measures have been devised:

  1. economic aid, to be dispensed through officers and economic advisers who are alert to the above objectives;
  2. advisory assistance in all sectors of activity, both public, including practically all government offices and agencies, and private, including labor and peasant organizations, and in all fields --political, economic, military, social, and cultural; 
  3. military protection, or more accurately, token military protection, through a so-called alliance loose in terms and terminable in one year's notice, and a lease of bases for 99 years with no provision for its earlier termination; and
  4. parity rights for the Americans with respect to all business activities and public utilities and the exploitation of the country's natural resources.(13)




*************************************

An economic policy must respond to basic economic problems, those arising from the economic realities in the nation, among which the following are the most important: 


  1. the kind of economy that the nation must have, and 
  2. the proper approach to the question of foreign investments and financing.


We have not settled these basic issues.(14)


References:

1. Nationalism and Industrialization, July 30, 1957
2. The Role of labor in our Economic Emancipation, September 8, 1957.
3. Nationalism and Industrialization, July 30, 1957
4. Industrialization and Economic Nationalism, October 3, 1959.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. A Realistic Economic Policy for the Philippines, September 26, 1956.
8. Our Raw-Material-Export Economy, June 26, 1957.
9. The Role of labor in our Economic Emancipation, September 8, 1957.
10.Ibid.
11. Filipinism and the Coming Elections, August 10, 1957.
12. A Realistic Economic Policy for the Philippines, September 26, 1956.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.



....TO BE CONTINUED...Economic Nationalism Means Industrialization, Part 2B of 6



"This, his message, valid as it was in his lifetime, is even more timely now. For there are still those among us, devoid of sufficient faith in our potentialities, who would in their attitude and thinking, in effect reject the gospel of national dignity, national pride, and the national responsibility of self-reliance. The words of Claro M. Recto may, it is fervently hoped, occasion a change of mind and of heart." - Justice Jesus G. Barrera.




*************************




THE FILIPINO MIND blog contains 533 published postings you can view, as of December 20, 2012. Go to the sidebar to search Past & Related Postings, click LABEL [number in parenthesis = total of related postings]; or use the GOOGLE SEARCH at the sidebar using key words [labels, or tags] for topics of interest to you. OR click a bottom label or tag to open related topics.

The postings are oftentimes long and a few readers have claimed being "burnt out."  My apologies. As the selected topics are not for entertainment but to stimulate deep thought (see MISSION Statement) and hopefully to rock the boat of complacency (re MISSION).

(1) Bold/Underlined words are HTML links. Click to see linked posts or articles.

(2) Scroll down to end of post to read or enter Comments. Any comment sent to my personal email will be posted here.
 ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL BE IGNORED. 

(3).Visit my other website SCRIBD/TheFilipinoMind; or type it on GOOGLE Search.View/Free Download pdf versions of: postings, eBooks, articles (120 and growing). Or another way to access, go to the sidebar of the THE FILIPINO MIND website and click on SCRIBD. PLEASE Share!
Statistics for my associated website:SCRIBD/theFilipinoMind :
119 FREE AND DOWNLOADABLE documents 
148,510 reads
2,750 downloads

(4). Some postings and other relevant events are now featured in Google+BMD_FacebookBMD_Twitter and BMD_Google Buzz

(5) Translate to your own language. Go to the sidebar and Click on GOOGLE TRANSLATOR (56 languages - copy and paste sentences, paragraphs and whole articles, Google translates a whole posting in seconds, including to Filipino!!).
(6).  From suggestions by readers, I have added some contemporary music to provide a break. Check out bottom of posting to play Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Chris Botti, Josh Groban, etc. 

(7) Songs on Filipino nationalism: please reflect on the lyrics (messages) as well as the beautiful renditions. Other Filipino Music links at blog sidebar.  Click each to play.:
(8) Forwarding the postings to relatives and friends, ESPECIALLY in the homeland, is greatly appreciated. Use emails, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, etc. below. THANKS!!






24 comments :

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your forwards.

God bless us and our country.

-Jay Hilotin

Bert M. Drona said...

Jay, Welcome!

Bert

Anonymous said...

Hi Bert,

I know you mean well. I am sure you care about the country where you used to live.

I hate to be a constant critic of yours. I believe you are trained as an engineer, and you are probably good at it.

At political insight or the understanding of the human condition you are not as talented.

I do not believe you have understood where the real problems lie in this country. You quote lots of recycled political thoughts which failed. The intellectuals in quoted were mostly frauds.

Their previous failures to effect change makes these old Hacks even more culpable because for over 200 years they have managed to achieve exactly Zero for the Filipino Nation.

I would dearly love to discuss the real problems and some possible solutions with you but to date you do not appear to have cracked the critical threshold which would predispose you to being able to benefit from such a discussion.

Misguided Nationalism is a dangerous thing.

In my opinion the Philippines has less than one generation to make itself into a credible Nation. The slow demise of US influence and the total shift of the Atlantic Axis to the Pacific axis for power and economics is going to remove any chance of the Philippines getting any further extension of time to get its act together. I personally do not believe we are going to "make it"

Regards Graham

Anonymous said...

Hi Bert:

The real culprit here is the IMF-World Bank. Due to the relentless denunciation of Rectoist in both the Liberal and Nationalista Party, we had high tariff protection in the 60s. This finally came to an end when the IMF-World Bank demanded the lowering of our tariff as one of their unconditionally to extend badly needly loans to the country. Hence Marcos was forced to gradually reduce the tariff during the 70s.

The World Trade Organization was simply a creation of the IMF-World Bank. As soon as the industrial nations got together to press for lower tariffs to reverse the slackening of growth rates of their countries, the IMF-World Bank began twisting the arms of the developing nations to lower their tariffs as a pre-condition for the loans that they needed. Developing nations who were facing severe BOP deficits had no choice except to join the WTO.

In South America, the denunciations of the IMF-World Bank is even more severe. This arm twisting tactics of the IMF-World Bank has been loudly denounced by South American economists and political leaders. The complaints against the IMF-World Bank is practically endless.

Ramon

Anonymous said...

HI BERT, I JUST LOVE THIS TOPIC,
IT'S SIMPLY MAGNIFICENT !!!! THANKS.

PHILIP

Anonymous said...

Dear Bert,

I always find your posts very interesting and
enlightening as well as informative. There were some
items which raised my eyebrows in all your posts and I
enjoy reading them as well as browsing the links.

It is indeed sad to think that most of the Filipinos
today do not give a damn. My two cents worth is that
most Filipinos weren't exposed and trained ion
nationalism. It isn't driven home in our educational
system nor has it been for several decades. I deplore
this very much and am saddened.

Let me give you several examples:

1. The Philippine National Anthem isn't sung by those
present whenever it is supposed to be done so in flag
ceremonies. It is also true in government. They just
play the recording. Maybe it is not a bad idea to have
just the distributed in order to force the people to
sing what is supposed to be sung with their hearts.

2. The Pledge of Allegiance or Panatang Makabayan is
virtually unknown by most. It even has undergone some
changes. Why?, I don't really know. Probabaly someone
had the bright idea to update it.

3. Practically all our books dealing with the origins
and development of the Philippines and the Filipinos
center on defeat and being conquered. I know that
these defeats and being conquered are true, but do we
have to focus on these defeats and being conquered?
How will we, as a people, become proud of what we are
if we focus on the negative aspects of our history.

Take World War II for example. True, we were defeated by the Japanese, but our efforts in Bataan and
Corregidor destroyed the Japanese timetable with
Germany that both eventually lost the war because it
gave the Americans and the Allies the breathing space
they needed to regroup. These we did despite the
Americans and Allied preoccupation with "Europe
First." Imagine if the Japanese were able to keep to
their timetable in their part of the war theater.
There wouldn't have been an Australia to launch a
counteroffensive from.


- George

Anonymous said...

Hi again Bert!

Just want to say again how much I appreciated Recto's mind. I believe that he is ON TARGET 90%, but the question is how to implement and execute. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Pauline Santos

Bert M. Drona said...

Graham,

Thanks for your response.

Well, am sorry if you find my analysis or my postings shallow. I do not mind being misunderstood. Maybe am not smart enough for you, whatever or whoever you are. But, I do/would not lose sleep due to your comments.

I know my fellow native Filipinos and why my homeland is in deep predicament for so long.

You talk of "misguided" nationalism. Can you expound on that?

You dismiss people I quote and claim that they all are frauds. I doubt if you know much or deeply about any of their works.

But anyway,I'll stop here; lest I fall into the trap of personal/ad hominem discussions.

Life is too short, there are more important issues to pursue than showing who is smart or not.

You of course are still welcome to give any feedback, positive or negative.

Bert

Bert M. Drona said...

Ramon,

Thanks for your feedback.

Obviously you have a good appreciation of the external forces that contribute to the internal forces,i.e. native rulers/elite and their foreign partners who,then and now, work to control and maintain the status quo.

Bert

Bert M. Drona said...

Philip,

Thanks!

I hope you pass it around to your friends and relatives especially in the homeland.

Bert

Bert M. Drona said...

George,

Thanks for your comments.

It is truly sad and maddening that our recent and present rulers since the Marcos Dictatorship have actively allowed the neglect of fostering Filipino nationalism in our schools, etc.

Such has happened because our native rulers in government and business themselves have no nationalism as we understand it.

In lieu, they have time and again planned, decided and acted to please the foreigners/aliens; in short they have literally prostituted our people and homeland.

Gradually, foreigners have established themselves in our own "house" and have influenced changes in it to suit them.

As long as we natives do not appreciate and regain our national consciousness, our nationalism, we will never earn any respect as a sovereign people, from fellow Asians, from other peoples of the world and those aliens and foreigners in our land who are greatly benefitting from our lack of nationalism, and its resultant lack of national unity.

We native Filipinos have to fight back to regain our homeland, peacefully or not; if not for ourselves now, surely for our next genrations of native Filipinos.

Bert

Bert M. Drona said...

Hello Pauline,

Haven't heard from you in a long while.

As to how to implement. As an individual, I am doing my small part/way in raising the national consciousness of those I can reach and/or am in contact with. This blog is a significant part of it.

As you may know, to attain the same for the whole country is presently difficult but, may not be impossible.

Since all the post-Marcos rulers and their bureaucracy, the native business elite and other influential groups have not been/are not themselves nationalistic, we may be wishing upon the stars to expect any initiative on their part to work for nationalism.

It seems attainment of nationalism among the broad native population through peaceful means will not occur during our time. To hope and wait on nationalism to develop in the current sociopolitical milieu (include our mass media under strong foreign influence) may not happen in our lifetime and it has a low probability.

It seems a nationalist cadre (with authentic nationalism and strong determinism) is necessary to take power or influence in our educational system, government, media, etc. Whether we have them now is unknown.

All our institutions in government, i.e. education, military, bureacracy; in business and religious ones are heavily influenced, if not subtly controlled, by aliens/foreigners.

It seems only the CPP/NPA has such an organization that has a potential to be pro-Filipino, nationalistic. I believe it has nationalistic members in it.

Note though that Marxist-Leninist Communism is against nationalism just like or no different from the foreign capitalists- whether we call the latter imperialists, neocolonialists or globalists). Russian communism itself was imperialistic with its Nomenklatura as the ruling elite replacing the capitalist they revolted against (as I discussed elsewhere).

I think only communists seem to have a good organization, as exhibited in past histories in other countries, including our own.

My inference is that communists, whether in Russia or its satellite countries then, or now China, Vietnam, North Korea or Cuba, rely on their respective nationalisms when crunch time comes and real sacrifices are needed. Note Russia during WW2, Bays of Pigs in Cuba, American War in Vietnam, etc.

Do you see any nonviolent means for nationalism to be realized now in our homeland, in our lifetime?

Bert

Bert

Anonymous said...

Hi Bert:

The People's Power government is the greatest anti-nationalist force that ever took power in our country. The People's Power government sincerely believes that free trade is the key to our industrialization.

Before the advent of Martial Law, the Liberal Party was dominated by liberals in the country. Politicians who wanted change joined the Liberal Party. That is why Magsaysay was originally a member of the Liberal Party. He bolted the Liberal Party because Quirino refused to help him get the nomination in the Liberal Party as a presidential standard bearer. Marcos stayed with the Liberal Party since he entered politics. He was only forced to join the Nationalista Party because Macapagal refused to give him the support he needed to be nominated as the Liberal Party presidential standard bearer.

Although the Liberal Party was dominated by liberals in the country, this soon changed when the People's Power government came into power. The People's Power government were dominated by ultra-liberals.

Although the policy of both the Nationalista and Liberal Party was to promote development through protectionism, the People's Power government reversed all of these by espousing free trade. During the Spanish and American colonial times, free trade was the policy of the colonial government. Hence our economic policy was reverted back to colonial times.

Had free trade been successful in lifting the economic plight of our people, the Filipinos would have not asked independence from the US. The main reason why Filipinos asked independence from the US was because the American colonial policy of free trade was not benefiting Filipinos.

In spite of the obvious lessons of history, the People's Power government ignored all our experience of development believing that free trade was really the key to our industrialization efforts. Both the Liberal and Nationalista Party stood for protectionism because of our bad experience with free trade.

The People's Power government was only able to have its way because of its policy of continuously rigging the elections. Had the last presidential elections been clean, FPJ would have won the elections but GMA just cheated herself to victory. The Liberal Party could not espouse free trade because all elections before the People's Power government were clean.

Because of the rigging of the elections, the People's Power government need not care how many local companies closed their businesses because of foreign competition. These local businessmen could not get back at them in the elections because the government kept cheating these elections. Hence the People's Power government could have its way since they were never accountable to the people in the first place.

-Ramon del Gallego

Bert M. Drona said...

Hi Bert,

Your answer is very good and tells the story from your perspective.

I think I am probably smart in my own rite but this is not about personalities or one upmanship.

I always seek a tennis player who can return my fastballs so we can have a hell of a game of tennis.

Maybe a sort of model to "depth" could be Plato and Aristotle model. What appear to be simple statements or words when taken to depth generate a surprising outcome.

You are correct I have not read the "Frauds" at any depth.

You may remember in engineering when a complex system was involved we used to say,"Black Box" it. In other words How the gerbils run in the wheel is irrelevant. All one needs to do is look what goes in and look what comes out and one has the total answer.

I am living in the Philippine problem. 150 years ago Plaridel writes of this proble. 100 years ago Rizal writes of this problem.

All Latin states on this planet have a similar problem.

If these supposed mental giants whom I call frauds have not produced even the slightest change after 300 years, either they are wrong or the Philippine people are wrong.

Maybe it is the Philippine people who are frauds, that would actually make more sense to this argument.

My final point is that the reality of humanity is that everything we do is for some "benefit".

I am desperately looking for answers as to why the Philippines remains to be such a basket case in spite of having more going for it than most other countries. Just maybe it is the people themseles.

Go to Asia Times on your search engine. This is basically world geo-politics, but each author is a heavyweight intellectual and each takes responsibility for their thoughts.

They never have to quote what others have said or thought because that is their starting point and then they publish their opinions based on all that has gone before.

Engineering always starts from what has already become known and then puts a new design using that information. They do not reinvent the wheel for every calculation.

Anyhow each of us is what we are and does what we know. I mean you no harm. I am just trying to get you to the next level of intellectual discussion.

Regards Graham

Bert M. Drona said...

Hello Graham,

In these matters, I am not in them as in a contest, game or what have you. I get so many invitations to join Filipino chatgroups, yahoogroups, etc. on current political issues in the homeland but I always refused because they all regress into debates, name-calling, insults,etc so typical of my fellow Filipinos. I have no time for that.

My main objective is to rock the boat of complacency, ignorance and colonial thinking among most of my fellow native countrymen. If I get them to think, for or against what I rant about, I am happy with that.

Oh yeah I visit and read AsiaTimes Online every week in the last 3 years. I even wrote to request if I can republish some articles in my blog but they wanted me to pay for each! I have downloaded quite a nymber into my harddisk as reference.

Thanks and have a good day.

Bert

Anonymous said...

Nationalism must ultimately become a way of life, a point of view that each one of us should share, and a goal that everyone should seek to peacefully fulfill. However, not everyone share the weight of our national tragedy, not everyone answers the call to nationalism because most of us are mired in our own miserable existence just trying to survive our daily lives, our daily struggle to make it through another day of harsh economic reality. So it seems that principle and integrity so relegated to the background will take center stage only when we have a national disaster or dilemna and then again maybe not.

I just hope that the likes of Recto, Mabini and Rizal with all their fervor for nationalistic pride and achievement come from a new generation of Filipinos that are willing to take on the task of nation building with abiding faith in their own capabilities, no matter how insignificant their daily and singular their efforts maybe,

I just hope that this, our present, generation would be able to provide our youth the right inspiration and example to further the cause of nationalism in peaceful harmony among themselves and with the other nations of the world.

Regards and thank you for your efforts to spread the seed and faith of reform and nationalism as we look back to our own humble beginnings.

-Joseph

Bert M. Drona said...

Ramon,

Again thank you for your feedback.

Yes, all the post-Marcos regimes (so-called Peoples' Power)were for the most part pro-foreigners,i.e. mainly Americans, Japanese, the local Chinese and now Koreans. These rulers are so anti-Filipino in their actuations as demonstrated by their plans, decisons and actions.

They so willingly trade-off our sovereignty and patrimony for their own selfish interest/greed for money and power.

The issue for us is to make our fellow countrymen realize and act against these traitorous actions by our native rulers.

-Bert

Bert M. Drona said...

Hi Joseph,

Thank you for your feedback.

I could agree with you almost totally except that I have doubts whether we can recover our nationalism peacefully, given present realities, to name a few:

(1) rulers who are not nationalistic and actually working against it and for their selfish interests and those of aliens/foreigners;

(2) the economic hardships of the ordinary citizen whose daily struggles give him no time to think of the whole system: the root causes of his daily and long-term problems, of the national predicament;

(3) the foreign and local media which efficiently and effectively work, wittingly or unwittingly, to perpetuate our miseducation and colonial mentality;

(4) the Catholic Church, as represented by the hierarchy, is as a whole not socially progressive and supports the present regime just because the latter supports its doctrines regardless of how they contribute to the perpetual, socioeconomic predicament of natives;

(5)Christian religion: Catholic or Protestant truly serves as "the opium of the people" in our homeland. Catholics keep believing that their predicament is what their God intended; Protestants withdraw from social concern per teachings by Calvin,etc. and solely pursue individual piety.

-Bert

Anonymous said...

Hi Bert,

What can I say, I am glad you read Asia Times, it is a good source of info. Those guys have great insights.

My only interests are to find a source of greater intellect than mine so that I may benefit thereby.

Many of my ideas on the Philippine Condition are discussed or published by our intellectual and political columnists here. I have already formulated many answers and your blog has not exceeded what I already know. I am living it everyday here.

Purely for this reason and nothing personal I have no more to be gained from your blog. Can you remove my name from your list.

I forgot to answer your question "Misguided nationalism" In my opinion; is guiding or advising a people in detrimental directions. Those following these directions are also exhibiting misguided nationalism.

In my opinion all the Filipino frauds I talk about were and are misguiding the Filipino people. They all have a legacy of Failed ideas and policies or we would not be in the hole we have been in since 1515.

What the frauds thought the problems were, may not be the problems at all. What other people think is irrelevant.

If you really want to guide your Nation, find out the real problems and present some workable answers for them. Join all those groups and go the Jesus route to prosletiszing. If enough people see your answers as real and true, they will follow.

Regards Graham.

Bert M. Drona said...

Graham,

Sorry to disappoint you. I do not write or rant to satisfy someone's supposed intellectual pursuit. Maybe joining MENSA is more appropriate for such an individual.

I try my best to present historically documented facts and use them to critically analyze my homeland, our strengths and weaknesses as a people, as a society. And hopefully influence others, my young and not-so-young fellow countrymen to do the same and thus to rock the boat of ignorance and complacency, of apathy.

As to what foreigners say about Filipino nationalism, to hell with them. They should stay out of our way towards our own nationalism within our territory. They might as well ship out.

PS. Done. I removed you from my list,per your request.

Bert

Anonymous said...

Bert,

For as long as the lowliest of the poor is uneducated and dependent on the mercy of the rich, the powerful, the corrupt and the very deceitful people or organizations that wield the means to detemine his/her fate, nothing will help the desperate situation of the common man/woman.

Only knowledge forged with wisdom will free the poor from such oppression. It is time to educate and bring forth the truth. Each of us can do our share to propagate the truth with the humblest means we have, our efforts and time. But only a few are willing to do so. It is just human nature that everyone looks after their own interest. The very thing that perpetuates our ignorance. Anyone willing to do their share to leave a legacy that will alleviate our own sufferings. Only a few sad to say....

- Joseph

Bert M. Drona said...

Joseph,

What you stated are essential truths in our homeland. And the tasks -- very difficult if not almost improbable to accomplish-- are to have mass education, to develop critical thought, and to instill nationalism; given the selfish interests of the rulers and vested interests (those with economic power have political power in our homeland) who will not allow such possibility.

The internal and external factors and influences are humongous and greatly against our abolition of ignorance. But if a significant few continue to remember our nationalist heroes and forefathers, and thus continue raising the issues on "what's going on", continue ranting about fundamental causes of our problems, somehow we can make others think and start questioning, ranting, being angry, and acting too.

And "they (so-called rulers)" will be forced to listen and start acting for the "common good" or else they will see worse than ranting.

That's why, if I may say, I am encouraged in my two years of blogging seeing that I have aroused some interests, obtained responses for or against my ideas, and even some encouragement on my blogging(I have started from just writing and emailing friends and relatives until someone suggested that I blog).

At the very least, paon the personal, I can tell myself that I have tried in whatever small way I could; even if no significant progress for our people happens during our lifetime.

But I know when our people regain our nationalism and thus obtain national unity, we will be successful in uplifting our society, to decent existence and life for many, because Filipino nationalism is the only missing link in forging/harnessing our misdirected competencies towards working primarily for economic and social progress for our native majority and national sovereignty.

Regards,

Bert

Anonymous said...

Paumanhin, medyo mahina tayo sa 'english', ganun pa man nais kong ipaabot ang aking pang-unawa at suporta sa iyong adhikain kaugnay sa usaping pang-makabayan o Nasyunalismo...

Ako ay lubos na nakikiisa at naniniwala lalo na at kayo ay sumasalig at taga suporta din ng ating mahusay na manunulat na si Gng. Renato Constantino na siyang nagpakilala naman ng lubos, sa makabayan na mga adhikain ni Claro Mayo Recto...sa totoo lang naman bihira sa mga Pilipino ang may site na ganito na nagbibigay linaw sa mga ugat ng problema na kinakaharap ng bansa.

Sadyang napakahirap na mainindihan ng karamihan sa mga Pinoy at ipamulat ang nakagisnan na at halos 'nakaprograma' na sa kaisipan at paniniwala nito dagdag pa ang mga samu't saring naglipana na mga 'epektibong propaganda' ng naghaharing uri. Kaya naman pambihira ang kagaya ninyo na nagpapagod na ipamulat at yugyugin ang kaisipan ng ating mga tulog na kaluluwa ng ating mga kababayan upang magising sa matagal na pagkahimbing at kawalang malay sa mga ugat at tunay na nangyayari at nagiging sanhi ng pagkaligaw,maling paniniwala,sa katayuan ng bansa.

Sang-ayon ako sa sinabi dito ni 'Joseph'... "not everyone answers the call to nationalism because most of us are mired in our own miserable existence just trying to survive our daily lives, our daily struggle to make it through another day of harsh economic reality." at dagdag pa lalo't higit na tayo ay namulat sa maling pagtuturo o edukasyon.

Muli, saludo ako sa inyong pambihirang gawain...

PILIPINAS!!! ... ang Mabuhay ng dahil sayo.

P.S. pero maganda nauuso ngayon ang pagka-makaPilipino...sana totoo na nga ito!

Awtomatik

Erica said...

Hi.
Do you know any site where I can view or read the book Recto Reader? Ang what is the historical background or context of the economic nationalism speech of Claro M. Recto.
Thank you :)