THE FILIPINO MIND

THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS....ARE WE SLOW-DANCING TOWARDS REVOLUTION?

Well, the news says the Catholic hierarchy, i.e.Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), voted not to demand the resignation of the "devout Catholic" Gloria Arroyo - never mind her hypocrisy. No surprise. The predominantly conservative bishops (no more than 10 of about 86 bishops in the homeland may be considered progressive) to keep the kolehiyala Gloria rather than encourage oppositionists of all colors to go into a free-for-all among themselves: the Fidel Ramos-military, former Marcos cronies, born-again Brother Eddie, etc. Had the CBCP called for Gloria to step down, the girl could go down soon through a repeat of an EDSA, given that Filipino Catholics, here and abroad, are mostly a herd of sheeps. [http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/when-our-religion-becomes-evil-our.html]

Even in the face of a decades-old and worsening national predicament in the homeland, the CBCP and Catholic followers do not want any radical change in our society. They seem to believe or be mislead that prayers will lead to miracles. The Spanish friars of yesteryears have been replaced not by native, secular clergymen of the heroic GomBurZa variety, but by native versions of the Spanish friars and American missionaries, most of whom were reactionaries, content with their comfortable lives under the status quo while teaching the faithful to practice escapist piety, to forget their dire predicament and suffering, and to look forward to a heavenly afterlife.

Historically, the Christian Church (Catholic or Protestant), where it is or has been the majority, becomes a defender of the status quo. The revolutionary Christ who was crucified by the Romans for being a "de-stabilizer" has been sold out by his so-called modern disciples. Actually, this is characteristically true of all religions that started as a minority, revolutionary cult or sect. Our mainly native Catholics, most especially educated ones and middle class -- have either ignored or not learned from the ascendancy of their Church-anointed "religious and prayerful" Cory Aquino, who grossly failed (we do not have to recount the results of her governance here). We, the so-called educated, should know and do more. We the so-called educated should acknowledge these realities and work with the impoverished majority instead of blaming them. Or all the educated and middle class might as well leave the country and not come back (if we could when we want).

But what are the present alternatives? When most of the major oppositionists to Arroyo are similarly incorrigible and unconscionable opportunists. When a number of them deserve to be put against the wall and shot or put at least behind bars and the keys thrown into the China Sea. Different faces, same people who would use their "gold, goons and guns" to have their way. They are probably church-going Catholics too; these practitioners of "split-level" Christianity. They call all who practice democratic dissent, including those who are Filipino nationalists and/or practicing authentic Christianity as either "communists" or "terrorists" to rationalize their state-sponsored terrorism committed against dissenters.

They do not get bothered, so calloused in heart and mind, by their thievery of government coffers, their corruption and cooptation with foreigners which does violence to the young, the old and the sick, to the ordinary worker and their family: by depriving the majority of the native citizenry of food, medicine, and other essential human needs and services, such as proper education, health care, etc.; their cooptation with the World Trade Organization (WTO) that lead to the death of our native agriculture and industry, consequent loss of millions of jobs and the pillage of our national patrimony. [http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/06/multilateral-punishment-wto-and.html].

Now, we have economic deterioration, political deterioration which are ingredients for a revolution. Is a bloody revolution and/or upheaval imminent in our homeland then? I venture to say NO although I am convinced that it is the only way for radical changes, given the almost 60 years of pleadings for peaceful changes (reforms) and promises by the political leaderships that never materialized.

Any revolution against the Arroyo regime or any governing substitute is untimely and irresponsible. A timely and responsible revolution has to have a good probability of success. Timely in the sense that a significant number, if not majority, of the native citizenry are primed for it; responsible in the sense that the native citizenry understands the reasons for it; and successful in the sense that the cost, i.e. human lives to be lost or injured, will be selectively minimized and bring to fruition true and fundamental changes in the economic and political systems and social institutions; all for the "common good" of the native, Malay Filipinos in the homeland.

Right now, I think and believe that a revolutionary situation is not completely present for a successful revolution. A successful revolution in the sense that it will be nationalistic and united, that will remove from power the greedy and unconscionable among the ruling elite and their foreign partners. A successful revolution that will pursue the dismantling of the present political-economic system that allow the plunder of the national patrimony by foreigners and native partners. A successful revolution that will prioritize agriculture and industries to produce and satisfy first the essential needs of the majority. A successful revolution to be led and supported by truly nationalistic Filipinos who sincerely identify with our revolutionary heroes who fought the foreigners (Spaniards, Americans and Japanese); and nationalistic Filipinos who continue to struggle towards those ends in the recent past and today. A successful revolution that will form a truly professionalized Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) subservient to the sovereignty of the people; and not to a foreign power, i.e. America, or government that does not serve the common good of the unarmed, native citizenry/majority. [http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/what-is-filipino-nationalism-mrs.html], also [http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/impediments-to-filipino-nationalism-to.html]

To ensure such a successful revolution, mass education is first and foremost, sine qua non, it is imperative. Education to have the majority understand what is going on. Education that makes the majority see the forest (present socioeconomic and political systems) and not get lost in the trees (all these current events/issues about military and civilian corruption, cheating, etc). Education to explain the neocolonial economic system that we inherited and adopted from the American interventionists/occupiers ("friends") which only kept in cage the majority of Filipinos to perpetual perdition. Education to instill knowledge and understanding that will propel them to demand radical and fundamental changes. Education that will ensure, produce and identify truly nationalistic leaderships and similarly nationalistic followers courageous and dedicated enough to fight for a more humane and dignified future for their children, grandchildren, and their unborn. [http://thefilipinomind.blogspot.com/2005/05/filipinos-in-cage-in-pursuit-to.html]

It is only then that a successful revolution can be realized. This educational process for fostering Filipino nationalism among the majority will not be an easy task since the International Monetary Fund/World Bank/Asian Development Bank (IMF/WB/ADB) and WTO have imposed pressures on our national educational system to discourage study of our nationalist history. Thus the need for informal education via "teach-ins", conferences, etc. common during the premartial law/Marcos Dictatorship years. With nationalism instilled, these foreign financial institutions that built, in cooperation with our Americanized native technocrats, the millstone of odious foreign debt on our people have to go.

Of course, we should not forget who the US supports, since America has always thrown its weight around whenever political upheaval seems to blow up in our homeland. Its Philippine Desk plans and coolly acts to place their bets on the surely, Americanized minds among native politicians, technocrats and military officers. In short, to identify and support Filipino leaders whose Americanized minds will continue to protect American economic and military interests instead of their own people and homeland. Thus America is vehemently against Filipino nationalists and not necessarily against communists, who it has learned to do great business with, as the mainland "Communist" Chinese.

An instance of support for Americanized minds: during one of the almost successful attempted coups against Cory Aquino by the RAM officers -mostly PMA Class 1971(attempted takeover to install the AFP as the new political/ruling elite), USAF jets flew over the rebel RAM soldiers. The RAM officers and their followers got the message and quit; that's how cowardly, unresolved and weak we Filipinos are; always allowing a foreign power, our former colonial master and now neocolonial master, to call the shots.

America, itself now effectively and efficiently controlled by its transnational corporations, with its citizenry made content and quiet with conspicuous consumption, kept ignorant, distracted and misinformed of its foreign affairs (which lead to hatred for America --thus to the American citizens' surprise) has conveniently forgotten its revolutionary origins and heritage.

"Those who profess to favor freedom
and yet deprecate agitation
are men who want crops without plowing up the ground;
they want rain without thunder and
lightning.They want the ocean without the
awful roar of its waters.This struggle may be a moral one
or it may be a physical one
or it may be both moral and physical
but it must be a struggle.
Power concedes nothing without a
demand
It never did, and never will." - Fr. Pedro V. Salgado, O.P. (The Philippine Economy: History and Analysis, 1985)

“The first priority for any underdeveloped country, before it can begin the economic and social development most appropriate to the needs of its people, is the seizure of power by the masses and the total destruction of the control and influence of the foreign power and local exploiting elite. Without this, nothing is possible.” – Felix Green, British Author, 1970

"If the people are not completely free and happy, the fault will be entirely their own." - George Washington, shortly after the end of the American Revolution

“They do not easily rise whose abilities are repressed by poverty at home.” - Decimus Juvenalis, 120 AD (CE)

“Colonies do not cease to be colonies because they are independent” – Benjamin Disraeli, British Prime Minister (1804-1881)

“Nations whose NATIONALISM is destroyed are subject to ruin.” - Colonel Muhammar Qaddafi, 1942-, Libyan Political and Military Leader

"Upang maitindig natin ang bantayog ng ating lipunan, kailangang radikal nating baguhin hindi lamang ang ating mga institusyon kundi maging ang ating pag-iisip at pamumuhay. Kailangan ang rebolusyon, hindi lamang sa panlabas, kundi lalo na sa panloob!" --Apolinario Mabini La Revolucion Filipina (1898)