“[A]s
long as most folks are patting themselves on the back for charitable
acts, we’ve got a perpetual poverty machine. It’s an old story;
we really need a new one . . . Because of who my father is (Warren
Buffett) I’ve been able to occupy some seats I never expected to
sit in.” [Peter Buffett, The charitable-industrial complex, The
New York Times, 26th Jul 2013] “As more lives and communities
are destroyed by the system that creates vast amounts of wealth for
the few, the more heroic it sounds to “give back.” It’s what I
would call “conscience laundering” – feeling better about
accumulating more than any one person could possibly need to live on
by sprinkling a little around as an act of charity . . . But this
just keeps the existing structure of inequality in place . . . Nearly
every time someone feels better by doing good, on the other side of
the world (or street), someone else is further locked into a system
that will not allow the true flourishing of his or her nature or the
opportunity to live a joyful and fulfilled life.”
There
were recent articles about how “corruption” has already invaded
the expected power supply in Mindanao? With the anticipated surplus,
given the frenetic construction of new power facilities courtesy of
the big boys, cooperatives are now receiving offers – i.e., no
different from electricity [and water] in Manila, franchises [and
concessions] expect rate-adjusting mechanisms in their contracts.
Arguably, if they are transparent, there is no issue. The real damage
to PHL is the heart of oligopoly: the interest groups –
well-entrenched and woven into the fabric of our cacique culture –
that have shut out foreign investment and dominated the local market
while we turned into economic laggards! It is a vicious
circle. “Shops were closed and hospitals ran on generators
Wednesday in a Philippine province (Albay) that was plunged into
darkness when the national power grid operator stopped its supply due
to unpaid debts.” [Associated Press, 31st Jul 2013]
My
wife's friend from Sofia, who was having dinner with her, was already
amazed thinking how it could happen to an entire town, much less a
province! Translation: Even at their worst their former communist
masters, that forced them to resort to self-immolation, never
committed such an egregious act! “The combined net worth of
the Philippines’ 50 richest totaled $65.8 billion, more than a
quarter of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product,” reports
Forbes. It brings to mind Peter [and Catherine] the Great. And not
surprisingly, despite the red scare being passé,
we still have leftist extremists in the Philippines – even when we
Filipinos don’t have firsthand experience of communist rule?
Eastern Europeans precisely tapped the outside world to learn the
ropes of free market. And despite the global recession (and with EU
fumbling the ball to boot) and thus the elevated unemployment in
Europe, majority wouldn’t want to go back to what they call their
‘dark ages.’
“There
is no doubt Metro Manila’s perennial traffic problem can only get
worse each day . . . But unless and until we all cooperate and have
discipline in our streets and in the long run ultimately develop an
effective mass transport system – this Metro Manila headache will
never go away. As a matter of fact, it’s already a giant migraine!”
[Babe’s
Eye, Babe Romualdez, The Philippine Star, 14th Jul 2013]
Is
that a microcosm of PHL underdevelopment, and our widespread poverty?
We have even institutionalized “learned helplessness”? “The
incoming president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) on Monday issued the call to lawmakers, saying the
pork barrel, officially called the Priority Development Assistance
Fund (PDAF), had made public governance a system of patronage.”
[Philippine Daily Inquirer, 30th Jul 2013]
“Learned
helplessness [loosely translates to “ganoon ‘yon talaga”?]
occurs when an animal is repeatedly subjected to an aversive stimulus
that it cannot escape. Eventually, the animal will stop trying to
avoid the stimulus and behave as if it is utterly helpless to change
the situation. Even when opportunities to escape are presented, this
learned helplessness will prevent any action . . . When people feel
that they have no control over their situation, they may also begin
to behave in a helpless manner. This inaction can lead people to
overlook opportunities for relief or change. The concept of learned
helplessness was discovered accidentally by psychologists Martin
Seligman and Steven F. Maier.” [What Is
Learned Helplessness, Kendra
Cherry, About.com]
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