In review and in prospect
The idea of rallying behind soldiers is, quite simply, not part of the Philippines’ cultural DNA. Filipinos’ most prominent monuments and political symbols are peacenik and religious in nature. Their heroes are mostly so-called “martyrs” and not victorious commanders and conquering chieftains. The Philippines last vestige of any semblance of a martial tradition was finally crushed when mandatory civilian military training was abolished some years back.
Indeed, back in 2017, images and stories of Filipino celebrity Angel Locsin consorting with Marawi’s displaced civilians were making rounds in social media attracting thousands of Facebook “likes” and Twitter “retweets”. But there is a conversation that needs to be had about these supposed “victims” of the Marawi conflict, perhaps starting with this hypothesis:
Many of these “victims” were, for decades, fully aware of the terrorist cancer gestating under their very noses within their own city.
Fast forward to the present and we will see that this finds parallels with the situation Palestinians find themselves in today. And, as expected, its underlying facts fly over the heads of today's “activists”.
I wonder if people remember Pearl Harbor. I get the feeling not too many do. When Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese Empire on the 7th December 1941, what did America do? They got together and bombed back — not just Imperial Japan but Nazi Germany as well. America set their entire military-industrial complex to the task of joining — and winning — a war that, at the time, looked like one that they may have to fight alone if necessary.
What happened since?
Political correctness took over. Apparently, nowadays, things are solved by prayer and “diplomacy” even when the problem involves an enemy that upholds an irrevocably perverted sense of what it means to pray and be diplomatic. Americans are now a fat, smartphone-addicted bunch of motorheads who had surrendered their freedom to a dependence on Arab oil and cheap Chinese manufacturing. They had all but surrendered their sovereignty to Big Private Corporate and, in the process, paved the way for an irreversible haemorrhage of their most prized technologies and manufacturing prowess to the Enemy all in the name of the gods of the Corporate Bible — “productivity”, “market share”, and “shareholder value”.
We like to celebrate how World War II turned out. We won. Why did we win? Because America and her allies won. They won it not by using “smart bombs” supposedly designed to “minimise civilian casualty” but by carpet bombing entire cities to send their strategic message across. There was a cost to winning that war that we seemingly are not willing to bear today. Nonetheless, history will bear witness to the fact that they won because they knew where to draw the line and say enough is enough.
Last week's blog posts
VP Inday Sara Made Enemies of Senators and Congressmen Over Confidential Funds
November 11, 2023 by Oman
"Even granting that Vice President Sara Duterte could keep her mainland Chinese funders, it would be unlikely that they’d continue supporting her with funds at the level that they’re said to have supported her candidacy for Vice President in 2022."
NTC Asked to have SMNI Investigated for Possible Violations
November 10, 2023 by Oman
"...we still agree that SMNI should be investigated and possibly found guilty of violating KBP broadcast standards for journalistic ethics for allegedly allowing itself to be used by former President Duterte to lob death threats as well as make admissions of criminal acts."
Rape of the Philippines AGAIN!!! Politicians Using Makapili Whitewash Japan’s Abuses
November 10, 2023 by Ramon Ortoll
"None of the senators called out Japan for releasing over a million tons of nuclear (RADIOACTIVE) wastewater into the ocean, and wanton disregard for the livelihood of thousands of fishermen dependent on a healthy Pacific Ocean."
Is PRRD Suffering from Dementia or Faking It as a Prelude for House Arrest Plea?
November 9, 2023 by Oman
"...given his advanced age as well as slurred speech, sudden violent outbursts, disjuncted often rambling remarks, failure to recall words as well as names of people and unsteady gait; the former president could be suffering from advancing dementia."