Sunday, March 6, 2011

The Spratleys and Envy

Are you ever surprised at what comes out of your mind? It is amusing to me that certain words pop out onto the keyboard with no thought attached. They are simply an alignment of word to context, unconsciously. Two words that popped up recently were “temerity” and “flaccid”. I never use these words, but they emerged onto the computer screen in perfect union with the meanings I was driving at. I suppose because I read relentlessly, they are recorded in some wayward sector of my hard drive, and my central processing unit has a good contextual search engine.

The alignment of words is similarly amazing to me. On a good day, some profound alignment or another will simply emerge from my brain and flow onto the paper. On other days it is a struggle to write anything at all.

One of the recent gems that flowed forth had to do with an assessment of China’s bellicose stance toward the Spratleys and other islands in the oceans hereabouts. A bloggist on the Pro-Pinoy site commented that the Philippines has a defense agreement with the US, and presumably the US would ride to the rescue if the Philippines got into a pissing contest with China.

That led to some amusement on my part, for I know how much resentment is held in the Philippines toward the US. Usually, it is couched in terms that the prior colonial rule by the US was racist and brutal, and all the problems that exist in the nation today somehow derive from that imperialist thuggery. Well, no question, American rule was racist and brutal. But, also no question, since then, the acts of Filipinos have something to do with what the Philippines is today.

I wrote something like “the hate that arises from envy is within the envious person, not the person being envied, so the solution must come from the envious person.”

My enlightenment on this originates from having discovered how envy drives a lot of the bad behavior of Filipinos. Sensitive egos get bent out of shape and the urge to knock down others becomes the profound driver of behaviors. So there is a lot of tearing down, and not a lot of building up hereabouts.

The interesting thing is how envy results in a denial of responsibility for one’s own bad behavior.

If Filipinos are envious of the US because of its power, and Filipinos issue up hateful or critical comments as a result, there is little the US can do to respond unless the US decides to become less powerful. Then the hateful Filipinos would ridicule the US for being weak. And the US would be less able to defend its own citizens, and the Philippines.

The more constructive approach is for envious nation to assume responsibility for the failures that drive the envy, and to change ITS OWN behavior.

It seems to me that the Philippine nation, and Filipinos in general, are masters at denying responsibility, at tearing down instead of building, at finding excuses or casting blames. When the rubber hits the road over China and the Spratleys, you can bet that the Philippines will play its US card. Never mind that the Philippines was the first nation to flee Iraq when the bullets started flying there. The US was not allowed to play its Philippines card because envy is a one-way street. Responsibility is a two way street.

16 comments:

  1. A good point here. It's "colonialism" when the Philippines doesn't want the US here, and "our country’s special relationship with the United States" when they do.

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  2. Filipinos are difficult to understand. They may hate America but love Americans. They wanted to speak perfect english. They wanted to be white like Americans. They wanted to live and groove like Americans. They copy anything American including constitution and form of government. I do not know what Filipinos hate about Americans. Those who wanted the US bases out are now living in America. Those senators and congressmen who professed patriotism and nationalism when they retire they go to America. They travel America. They love America. They send their children to study in America. But they wanted to look like they love Philippines for votes and get re-elected.

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  3. Those who can understand Filipinos can solve the riddle of chaos theory that has dogged Einstein till death. The hatred is "pakitang-tao" or "as-if". They love America. They love the smell of greenbacks. They wave their Visas. When denied, they hate America. Now, I get it! They hate America because they didn't get their Visa approved! They lambaste Americans for children having sex at an early age. They criticize Americans for immorality. They do not like how Americans are treating the Priestly Tong Collectors to the Vatican. They called Americans evil. Yet, they wanted to go to America to partake what the devils has sown. That is why Filipinos are derogatorily called Flips. They easily Flip where the bread is buttered on.

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  4. These nationalism and patriotism is for public consumption only. Do not get fooled. It is for votes to elected office so they'll get their "pabaons". Philippines has no economic and strategic military value. American government is making "pakitang-tao" because Philippines were once their accidental "colony". McKinley never intended to colonize Philippines. He's had having headaches what to do with Filipinos. And his hands were forced due to circumstances. I can paste the link but I do not want to live this site and lose my train of thoughts. Maybe some other time. Definitely, McKinley was not happy with Filipinos and the Philippines. Their main intention then was to obliterate the Spanish Armada parked in Manila Bay during the Spanish-AMerican war. Philippines then was like Afghanistan now. Bush went after Osama and end up with Afghan tribes.

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  5. TRUE! Filipinos are envious people. They do not know they practice envy until it happens to them. A corrupt government official brands those who are after them in unraveling corruption as envious people. Of course, those who are after these corrupt government are envious of these corrupt government wealth that they want to run after them hoping there is money thrown their way. Once they bleed, they stop JUSTICE. That is the essence of Filipino corruption.

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  6. TRUE! Filipinos are master of denying responsibility. They elect corrupt officials and presidents. They do not blame themselves for electing them. They blame the elected officials for corruption. They elect Benigno Aquino whose family ruled over Tarlac. Tarlac was, is, still is and forever will be a 3rdworld Province in Banana Republic. They elect him anyways because he is the son of their dear departed EDSA "heroine". Eventually, the Filipinos will blame Benigno Aquino for incompetency and bungling not them as the electors. WoW!

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  7. . How so much they love white or fair skin. Million of times have I heard, “Pogi o maganda siya, ano? Ang kinis atsaka ang puti na puti ang pisngi atsaka binti niya, ano?”. They pop glutathione and dab industrial-strength Eskinol skin-whitening lotion with Papaya extract to make them white and fairer in skin tone the more they do not look like Filipino the best. Because white skin is a show of working in environmentally controlled office, away from the sun. Brown smooth skin is dead give away of lower-class pedigree whose lineage is exposed to sun as drivers, sidewalk vendors, cargadores, policemen or military. While sticky-pomade hair are government people who are naturally corrupt that talks with Rs proudly rolled in their mouth. How Filipinos love English language. English language is their measure of IQ, white skin for beauty. In Filipino blogosphere they can bash Filipinos but never make fun of English language or mangle it or peppered with atrocious spelling and syntax errors. Their hate of America is just “as-if” “sinonggaling”. THEY DO LOVE AMERICA. Their nationalism and patriotism is just misplaced. They envy America yet LOVE AMERICANS.

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  8. And, oh, before I sign-off. You may have failed to notice it. "Ing-git" envy in english is very common word used to put down forumers and commentators in blogs and forums. Say, Joe, you disagree with my comment, you just end it with "Ing-git ka lang!" Ask any Filipinos or bloggers, "Ing-git" is very very very very ... common !!!!

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  9. Oh, Joe, on your Anonymity piece Americans are more protected than the Filipinos living here and abroad. You can get your ass kicked back to America but will never harm you. Because Filipinos love America and the Americans and their money. They wanted to kick your ass so you will come across and stay happily forever in the Philippines. MONEY TALKS. ENVY WALKS.

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  10. Mariano, I get treated better than Filipinos in many places like banks or government offices or stores. It's strange.

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  11. This is good education for you, Joe. Foreigners as what they call non-Filipinos are treated better because they got more money. Most of all they are white. Filipinos believe white is right. White has power. If you and I get to a restaurant at the same time, They'll give you service first. You get what you want. Best table. Best smiles. Table away from the kitchen and the cashier. A table in secluded private part of the restaurant. I betcha if I would even get a smile and thank yous.
    I was in MacDonald in Los Angeles. Their staff were Filipinos. The woman handed me my meals without even a cursory thank you and look me in the eye with a smile. She just, like, shove my tray. WoW! A Jollibee manager, who is a friend of mine from the Philippines, told me that Filipinos trash his store all the time. They don't clean after them. Do not bus trays. Rowdy and rude to Jollibee staff, of course, they are Filipinos. Fellow Filipinos looking down on Jollibee wait staff. Dude.

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  12. I believe you have written somehwere your wife is a Filipina. Your wife may have been a victim of annoying gossips by neighbours, relatives, brothers or sisters. Because they envy your wife marrying a white gentleman. Ask your wife and tell us about it.

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  13. So true, Mariano. People who don't even know her accuse her of having a "bad attitude". A part of this is because she has to deal with me on American terms, one of which is to speak frankly. Evidently she is not supposed to do that to the Barangay Captain, but, rather, is supposed to be subservient. Ha! Too late! She likes being forthright. In time, the envy will be set aside, I am confident.

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  14. Joe Am,
    Back to US and Phl. agreement..the US will not fully rescue the Phl. from China aggression because US has bigger agenda with Europe & the Middle East. US has more bigger problem, America is now facing almost another 3rd world...so many problem that even their own citizen ( Hispanic) are self deporting for lack of jobs...millions are on food stamps, millions lost their homes...wealthy, industrialist change their citizenship & moved to other country. Obama owes too much money from China.

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    1. The U.S. has shifted an aircraft carrier fleet from the Middle East to the pacific, and established new service bases in northern Australia and Singapore, plus firming up that the VFA in the Philippines is in good standing. These are not the actions of a disinterested nation. The illegal immigrant problem is lessening. China has more at risk with its lending to the US than the US does as a borrower. The two nations are deeply intertwined at this point. I don't think the US would allow China to go for active military engagement with the Philippines without getting involved.

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  15. Sorry Joe...ahihihi I can see your expression between two crabby Pinoy:))))

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