MGA KABABAYAN KO! (Pinoy MFK members only)
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Something to contemplate during some hours of darkness in the P.I.
Our Collective Shame
GLIMPSES
Jose Ma. Montelibano
In the avalanche of bad news brought about by endless reports on corruption,
poverty and conflict, the Filipino people are in a daze. The truth is that
most Filipinos are not corrupt, are not greedy, are not quarrelsome. But the
Philippines is all that. - corrupt, poor and constantly in conflict. What
has happened? How can a people and their country be so divorced from each
other that the characteristics of one are opposite that of the other?
It is simply an extension of history where those who govern and those who
were governed belonged to opposite sides. Colonial masters and subservient
natives had nothing in common except a relationship that blessed one and
cursed the other. The rulers exploited, and the ruled were exploited - the
interest of one went against the interest of the other. It is really just a
simple story, one so common throughout human history.
While true, history cannot be an excuse forever, not for the exploiter and
not for the exploited. The advantaged are challenged to share, and the
exploited are challenged to demand. Democracy is the preferred option or
interface mechanism whereby government as big brother reins in the greed of
the privileged few and assures the rights of the many. Hopefully, the
process will then continue where common principles will respect the natural
or divine dictum of all human beings being equal in worth and dignity.
Many among those who turn apologists for a system of extended corruption and poverty say that democracy in our country is a process in its infancy. This claim is true, but this truth does not excuse the corruption of the powerful nor the poverty of the majority. Corruption and poverty are social anomalies that guarantee conflict and violence. Leaders of a fledgling democracy are challenged to reverse the pattern of exploitation, and ordinary citizens are challenged to discard mendicancy for productivity and contribution to the collective coffers.
So far, both sides have failed.
Leaders continue to exploit, unmindful or totally unable to comprehend
democratic principles of servant leadership. The few exceptions are
ridiculed by their own, as though honesty, transparency and diligence are
traits to be ashamed of instead of virtues that all leaders must adopt and
develop. Not so long ago, a governor related how buying medicine by
government means buying them at abnormally high prices so that the
collective corruption of officials in collusion with pharmaceutical firms
and/or their dealers will not become obvious. In other words, all prices are
kept on a corrupt level so that it will appear there is no corruption at
all. Hiding evil from the eye does not hide evil from the nose. It simply
stinks.
Citizens have lagged behind in the democratic process. Most Filipinos refuse
to shed their pliant and subservient ways, afraid that insisting on their
rights will lead to conflict and disrupt their relatively quiet lives. The
native culture of harmony even at a high cost to principle has become like a
millstone around our collective neck. Peace for peace's sake has translated
to compromising with wrong or evil. Ideals are exchanged for appeasement,
and the lesson that mankind has been given by despots going wild when they
sensed the cowardice of their neighbors.
There is the failure of leaders to adhere to the highest of ethics and
brightest of visions. There is also the failure of followers to outgrow
their historical subservience and the fear of stepping into the unfamiliar.
Corruption and cowardice, a deadly combination that nourishes the greed and
arrogance of the elite and the captivity of the weak and the poor. What a
fate for the Filipino people.
The eras of slavery and carpetbaggers have long been left behind by many
countries who have moved on to higher states of patriotism and good
citizenship. It can also fade away in the Philippines but that will need the
collective mind to recognize, define and battle with corruption and poverty.
Many nations have progressed from their own sorry states, but they did so by
entering into social disruptions, and bloodshed, that gave their people the
lessons and will to move forward, to move up.
Filipinos have yet to do so. The corrupt find new ways to practice their
ugly trade, while the victims wallow in self-pity or finger-pointing, then
more self-pity and finger-pointing. The formula is truly simple – servant
leadership of the few, the courage to be intolerant of wrongdoing for the
many. How pathetic that neither honesty nor courage can find enough
disciples among millions.
That is our collective shame, that our leaders cannot develop the character
to be noble, that we, the people, cannot find the courage to be free. Life
had sometimes stepped in and offered heroes among our midst, the Ninoy
Aquinos, the Ed Jopsons, the Evelio Javiers. We stood in awe at their
bravery, praised their bravery and built stories and statues in their honor.
But when our moments came, our leaders could not resist being thieves and
traitors, and we, the people, stood paralyzed in fear we were robbed of our
dignity and honor.
We forgot the nobility of Jose Rizal, we forgot the courage of Andres
Bonifacio, we forget the wisdom of the Kartilya. Because we forgot, we bow
our head in shame before our neighbors and the world, and most of all,
before our Creator. Never had so much be given to a people, the treasures of
the earth, the beauty of a tropical paradise, the talents of artists. We
dishonored our gifts. We dishonored the Giver. Never has there been such a
need to be rescued, to be lifted from the cesspool we have allowed ourselves
to sink to.
Let us not be fooled by consoling words and thoughts if they make us imagine
that all is not that bad. There is always hope, but it demands a lot of
faith first, a lot of love for others and ourselves. There will be no heroes
who will fall from the sky, no Superman or King Arthur out there. There is
only you and me and what we decide we can do to help ourselves even when no one else does.***
Our Collective Shame
GLIMPSES
Jose Ma. Montelibano
In the avalanche of bad news brought about by endless reports on corruption,
poverty and conflict, the Filipino people are in a daze. The truth is that
most Filipinos are not corrupt, are not greedy, are not quarrelsome. But the
Philippines is all that. - corrupt, poor and constantly in conflict. What
has happened? How can a people and their country be so divorced from each
other that the characteristics of one are opposite that of the other?
It is simply an extension of history where those who govern and those who
were governed belonged to opposite sides. Colonial masters and subservient
natives had nothing in common except a relationship that blessed one and
cursed the other. The rulers exploited, and the ruled were exploited - the
interest of one went against the interest of the other. It is really just a
simple story, one so common throughout human history.
While true, history cannot be an excuse forever, not for the exploiter and
not for the exploited. The advantaged are challenged to share, and the
exploited are challenged to demand. Democracy is the preferred option or
interface mechanism whereby government as big brother reins in the greed of
the privileged few and assures the rights of the many. Hopefully, the
process will then continue where common principles will respect the natural
or divine dictum of all human beings being equal in worth and dignity.
Many among those who turn apologists for a system of extended corruption and poverty say that democracy in our country is a process in its infancy. This claim is true, but this truth does not excuse the corruption of the powerful nor the poverty of the majority. Corruption and poverty are social anomalies that guarantee conflict and violence. Leaders of a fledgling democracy are challenged to reverse the pattern of exploitation, and ordinary citizens are challenged to discard mendicancy for productivity and contribution to the collective coffers.
So far, both sides have failed.
Leaders continue to exploit, unmindful or totally unable to comprehend
democratic principles of servant leadership. The few exceptions are
ridiculed by their own, as though honesty, transparency and diligence are
traits to be ashamed of instead of virtues that all leaders must adopt and
develop. Not so long ago, a governor related how buying medicine by
government means buying them at abnormally high prices so that the
collective corruption of officials in collusion with pharmaceutical firms
and/or their dealers will not become obvious. In other words, all prices are
kept on a corrupt level so that it will appear there is no corruption at
all. Hiding evil from the eye does not hide evil from the nose. It simply
stinks.
Citizens have lagged behind in the democratic process. Most Filipinos refuse
to shed their pliant and subservient ways, afraid that insisting on their
rights will lead to conflict and disrupt their relatively quiet lives. The
native culture of harmony even at a high cost to principle has become like a
millstone around our collective neck. Peace for peace's sake has translated
to compromising with wrong or evil. Ideals are exchanged for appeasement,
and the lesson that mankind has been given by despots going wild when they
sensed the cowardice of their neighbors.
There is the failure of leaders to adhere to the highest of ethics and
brightest of visions. There is also the failure of followers to outgrow
their historical subservience and the fear of stepping into the unfamiliar.
Corruption and cowardice, a deadly combination that nourishes the greed and
arrogance of the elite and the captivity of the weak and the poor. What a
fate for the Filipino people.
The eras of slavery and carpetbaggers have long been left behind by many
countries who have moved on to higher states of patriotism and good
citizenship. It can also fade away in the Philippines but that will need the
collective mind to recognize, define and battle with corruption and poverty.
Many nations have progressed from their own sorry states, but they did so by
entering into social disruptions, and bloodshed, that gave their people the
lessons and will to move forward, to move up.
Filipinos have yet to do so. The corrupt find new ways to practice their
ugly trade, while the victims wallow in self-pity or finger-pointing, then
more self-pity and finger-pointing. The formula is truly simple – servant
leadership of the few, the courage to be intolerant of wrongdoing for the
many. How pathetic that neither honesty nor courage can find enough
disciples among millions.
That is our collective shame, that our leaders cannot develop the character
to be noble, that we, the people, cannot find the courage to be free. Life
had sometimes stepped in and offered heroes among our midst, the Ninoy
Aquinos, the Ed Jopsons, the Evelio Javiers. We stood in awe at their
bravery, praised their bravery and built stories and statues in their honor.
But when our moments came, our leaders could not resist being thieves and
traitors, and we, the people, stood paralyzed in fear we were robbed of our
dignity and honor.
We forgot the nobility of Jose Rizal, we forgot the courage of Andres
Bonifacio, we forget the wisdom of the Kartilya. Because we forgot, we bow
our head in shame before our neighbors and the world, and most of all,
before our Creator. Never had so much be given to a people, the treasures of
the earth, the beauty of a tropical paradise, the talents of artists. We
dishonored our gifts. We dishonored the Giver. Never has there been such a
need to be rescued, to be lifted from the cesspool we have allowed ourselves
to sink to.
Let us not be fooled by consoling words and thoughts if they make us imagine
that all is not that bad. There is always hope, but it demands a lot of
faith first, a lot of love for others and ourselves. There will be no heroes
who will fall from the sky, no Superman or King Arthur out there. There is
only you and me and what we decide we can do to help ourselves even when no one else does.***
Erap, Arroyo jokes give way to Trillanes chucklers
12/06/2007 | 01:06 AM
The Trillanes jokes were posted late Wednesday night on an online forum that replaced the Pilipino" website of missing Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon.
Jokes in the forum included the top 10 reasons" why Trillanes and his followers packed up at The Peninsula hotel last Nov. 29, and the top 10 reasons" they should have holed up at a motel instead.
According to the jokes, the top 10 reasons for Trillanes and company to pack up were:
* Not even his mother joined them;
* Oakwood had a better lobby;
* CNN was not there to cover it;
* The hotel had run out of ice cubes;
* The APCs were parked in the lobby and not the parking lot;
* Trillanes realized being tear gassed was not part of his mandate as senator;
* (former vice president Teofisto Jr.) Guingona thought it was an anti-Erap, or pro-Erap pardon rally;
* Cool surrender was better than the company of Father Robert Reyes;
* Trillanes noticed people were crying not because of the tear gas but because of him; and
* Even GMA was beginning to look better the longer they stayed.
On the other hand, the top 10 reasons Trillanes and company should have gone to Victoria Court instead were:
* They were only gonna stay for a short time anyway;
* Bishop Labayen and Fr. Robert Reyes could have heard **confessions;
* They could have wet the towels in the Jacuzzi to combat tear gas;
* There are no wedding receptions in Victoria Court. Only honeymoons;
* It always has more people than Manila Pen;
* The APC wont know which garage to park;
* The ceiling mirrors would have thrown off the raiding party;
* ABS-CBN could have done an episode of XXX and The Buzz while covering the coup;
* What happens in Victoria Court stays in Victoria court; and
* Its a good place to get screwed. - GMANews.TV
12/06/2007 | 01:06 AM
Before, there were Erap jokes," then there were Gloria jokes." After last weeks Makati standoff, the latest to make the rounds of cyberspace are Trillanes jokes."The Trillanes jokes were posted late Wednesday night on an online forum that replaced the Pilipino" website of missing Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon.
Jokes in the forum included the top 10 reasons" why Trillanes and his followers packed up at The Peninsula hotel last Nov. 29, and the top 10 reasons" they should have holed up at a motel instead.
According to the jokes, the top 10 reasons for Trillanes and company to pack up were:
* Not even his mother joined them;
* Oakwood had a better lobby;
* CNN was not there to cover it;
* The hotel had run out of ice cubes;
* The APCs were parked in the lobby and not the parking lot;
* Trillanes realized being tear gassed was not part of his mandate as senator;
* (former vice president Teofisto Jr.) Guingona thought it was an anti-Erap, or pro-Erap pardon rally;
* Cool surrender was better than the company of Father Robert Reyes;
* Trillanes noticed people were crying not because of the tear gas but because of him; and
* Even GMA was beginning to look better the longer they stayed.
On the other hand, the top 10 reasons Trillanes and company should have gone to Victoria Court instead were:
* They were only gonna stay for a short time anyway;
* Bishop Labayen and Fr. Robert Reyes could have heard **confessions;
* They could have wet the towels in the Jacuzzi to combat tear gas;
* There are no wedding receptions in Victoria Court. Only honeymoons;
* It always has more people than Manila Pen;
* The APC wont know which garage to park;
* The ceiling mirrors would have thrown off the raiding party;
* ABS-CBN could have done an episode of XXX and The Buzz while covering the coup;
* What happens in Victoria Court stays in Victoria court; and
* Its a good place to get screwed. - GMANews.TV
Pinoys Unite!!!! Originally From San Francisco CA, but been living in Seattle WA since the mid 80's!!!
Pinoys rule the airwaves!!!!
Pinoys rule the airwaves!!!!
