Young Filipinos today – especially the so-called millennials – have embraced the western lifestyle as shown in many ways.
Enhanced by technology transfer, basically through the manipulative “magic” of the media (motion pictures, TV, social media (YouTube), print (news, fashion, tourism magazines and the like), our people bit into anything that is American – hook, line and sinker.
I hear boys and girls utter the F…word as if it were part of their vocabulary. Wow, our forefathers are turning in their graves.
Look back to the past and history will show that the Americans tamed us more subtly than the Spaniards who domesticated our countrymen for close to 400 years.
While agriculture was our best natural resource, American educators (Thomasites) taught us to master this ditty: “Planting rice is never fun Bent from morn till the set of sun Cannot stand and cannot sit Cannot rest for a little bit.” (Magtanim hindi biro Maghapon nakayuko Di ka man makatayo Di ka man makaupo).
Look what happened as elementary pupils sang this folksong everyday in school. We have less and less children of farmers wanting to farm but more and more to get out of farming. Now farmers are selling their lands to real estate developers.
This were all subliminal messages that dwelt inside our cranial spaces which our government policy makers and educators failed to rectify but tacitly carried on for many decades as we became more and more dependent on the US as our ONLY trading partner.
Until the very recent pronouncement by PRRD that henceforth he would not anymore authorize the purchase of second hand military hardware from the US, Filipinos might have not awakened to this harsh reality.
All the past administrations before Duterte did not raise a hoot whenever used (Huey) helicopters, jets, C-130s, ships for the navy were consigned to the AFP by the US State Department because they were made to believe that these were being given as an appreciation of the RP-US Defense Treaty.
Records will show how many unwanted accidents (crashes) that claimed the lives of our AFP service personnel have occurred.
That we were allies during the Pacific War against the invading Japs is already history. But the exploitation by America of our country was solidified with the signing of the Parity Rights agreement that allowed the US to explore the country’s rich patrimony.
Everytime a global issue arises involving America and she wags her tail to wage war against its enemies, the Philippines is always tied up to wave its support.
We should appreciate the independent stance of our Chief Executive because he is teaching us how to stand on our own two feet. Some Filipinos who are now residents and citizens of America chide our president for hurling tirades against ex-US Pres. Obama because they do not any longer think and feel like the former Filipino citizens that they were once before.
That is how effectively toxic the American media technology is.
We have only one country and that is the Philippines. Even if by naturalization, Filipinos become American citizens, by looks and physical appearances (the nose especially), they will never become native white Americans.
Let us help PRRD achieve and sustain his independent stance. Let us not allow ourselves to become mendicants forever.
There are other markets where we can sell and export our products.
For years, the Americans have succeeded in picturing to us the bad side and effects of dealing with other countries other than the US herself.
Don’t we realize that our exports are competitively better? We pride ourselves of the sweetest mangoes, bananas, pineapples, copra & coconut water, the quality of our marine resources (tuna and other fish products), and many other exportable resources from the land and the sea.
Our country is rich but is only pretending to be poor.
PRRD is right when he declared he will not purchase second hand military hardware anymore. Our soldiers deserve better. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
