Ego Bondage

Okay, I can move on to a different subject now. I can do no more regarding this culture thing.

After following the Japanese way of “asking why five times”, I have a crystal clear picture of the essence of Philippine culture. I asked why is the nation so poor and struggling and got the answer corruption. I asked why is there corruption and got the answer greed. I asked the question why is greed allowed and got the answer that this is a society that believes laws of self-advantage supersede laws of state. I asked the question why don’t people fix this and got the answer that Filipinos are blind to the roots of their own behavior.

So now I know what separates Filipino culture from western culture, where the former is haphazard and the latter productive. The Philippines is bound by its accumulation of Egos, by millions of people going about their day taking care of themselves, not even aware that there is a different dimension to life: taking care of the community.

Even Filipino pride is shallow and self-engaged, an excuse, a way to hide from the malaise that surrounds the nation: the corruption, the pollution, the violence, the unkindness, the incompetence. Pride hangs on the achievements of a boxer or singer or Miss Philippines or a really good tuba-drunk cock fight.

But there is no pride in achievement, for there is so precious little of it.

Achievement requires a “marketplace of others” where a person aspires to compete well and honorably against people who are also striving to do well, striving to grow, striving to gain, striving to produce. It doesn’t require a place where everyone merely subsists by taking care of themselves while being unkind to others.

Productivity is also other-directed. It requires creating a product that SOMEONE ELSE wants. Alas, self-engagement does not permit other-oriented disciplines such as time-management, the courtesy of appointments or taking care of someone else’s needs.

Barriers to productivity thrive: corporate Philippines in collusion with elected officials; corruption that diverts money from wealth-building; pollution that makes people sick and drains their health and pocket books; unsafe conditions that wash people away in mudslides or kill them when stray dogs trip their motorcycles; an education system that builds respect for authority, to the advantage of the empowered elite . . . but not innovation or ambition.

Everything is for the benefit of the empowered.

The Philippines needs a revolution, not of guns and democracy. But of culture, of thinking. It needs a wake-up call. A release from bondage.

People must come to realize that to compete as an individual . . . to achieve and gain riches of wallet and soul . . . one must take care of others. One must create markets.

The old power model, where intimidation and cheating and uncaring dominance is admired, must be squashed dead. It is sucking the Philippines dry.

Who has the perspective and the power to lead a revolution?

The church is too self-involved and bound by old doctrine. Politicians are too self-engaged. Corporations and rich people are too greedy. Indeed, these are the three pillars that support a dense power front that blocks progress: the church, the politicians and the corporate dogs. It is a national axis of evil; it perpetuates poverty and favoritism.

The only force strong enough to cut through this blockade is the internet community. But it can’t be done by whining bloggers like those on Anti-Pinoy. It requires constructive work, not tear-down, Ego-bound complaints that mirror the malaise of the community they criticize.

It requires a few people to step forward to lead, people who “get it” and are willing to give a little of self to start building a new Philippines. Then it will require money, and publicity, and acts that challenge the well-embedded status quo of Ego-bound Filipino behavior. . .

Call it a revolution. One that aspires to rid the country of the leadership of three dictators that have the country locked in poverty and favoritism: (1) the Catholic Church that consigns the Philippines to poverty, (2) self dealing politicians who drain the nation of riches earned by the people, and (3) corporate dogs who don’t build markets, but limit them.

The revolution needs to replace the subsistence mentality with an achievement mentality. It needs to throw out the obsession with self and replace it with a giving of self and thoughtful efforts to care for the community.

I have no confidence that this kind of revolution can be envisioned or organized by citizens hereabouts, and for me to urge it on is like some foreigner beating a dead horse on the streets of Manila.

It is time for me to search for a different animal to see if it is dead or alive. Maybe an 800 pound gorilla, called government finance.