Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Hostage
Well, this Angelo Cruz hostage situation has put the Philippines on an international stage once again. Reading through all the news stories (the latest ones here, and here, and various opinions I get the feeling that this tidal wave of emotion and national unity has been masterfully handled by the prime minister... er, president. Whatever the outcome, Malacanang will be seen to have some mettle by pulling out at the expense of US interests (earning her brownie points at home) and making the Empire sit up and take notice.
Really it should have come sooner, we've been so very stupid. Nearly a century since we attached ourselves to the US and still our country gets treated like the poor alalay who shines his amo's shoes but gets kicked in the nuts by his "betters". We have toadied to US interests for as long as I can remember and yet US aid and investment to the Philippines is a tiny percentage of its largesse to its former enemies. Japan, Iraq, Germany and the Soviet Union, all "great powers" who once opposed the Empire, now get a sizeable portion of US investment. We've been so eager to please that we've hunted down our own citizens, opened up our land to a virtual occupation by the US Armed Forces, sold our resources to multinationals who then set up tax free sweatshops in Cavite, and in the end all it takes is one act of terrorism by good old Osama and once again we are subjected to full body searches in the airports and even more discriminated against than before (if that was even possible).
I am a very proud guy, more than a bit short tempered, and few things piss me off more than the sight of a fellow Pinoy, hat in hand, trying to explain to an immigration officer how he has been accepted at a US medical school and is off to better himself, only to be denied because, well, little brown brother, you're a terrorist! And so are all your little brown friends. By the way, we're keeping those canned goods and pasalubongs.
This actually happened to an acquaintance of mine. Hostage situation? Yes. Ninety million of us, being held to ransom by a country who won't even let us serve their airline food.
I say fuck the Coalition of the Willing, let's kick ourselves out of Iraq and solve our own insurgency problems first, how's that for a hundred day plan Mrs. President? And show more independent thought while you're at it, if you haven't guessed yet, your amo likes a little feistiness in his pets. Not TOO much though, you wouldn't want those fine used Apache helicopters to be repossessed!
I need to get decaf coffee from now on.
Really it should have come sooner, we've been so very stupid. Nearly a century since we attached ourselves to the US and still our country gets treated like the poor alalay who shines his amo's shoes but gets kicked in the nuts by his "betters". We have toadied to US interests for as long as I can remember and yet US aid and investment to the Philippines is a tiny percentage of its largesse to its former enemies. Japan, Iraq, Germany and the Soviet Union, all "great powers" who once opposed the Empire, now get a sizeable portion of US investment. We've been so eager to please that we've hunted down our own citizens, opened up our land to a virtual occupation by the US Armed Forces, sold our resources to multinationals who then set up tax free sweatshops in Cavite, and in the end all it takes is one act of terrorism by good old Osama and once again we are subjected to full body searches in the airports and even more discriminated against than before (if that was even possible).
I am a very proud guy, more than a bit short tempered, and few things piss me off more than the sight of a fellow Pinoy, hat in hand, trying to explain to an immigration officer how he has been accepted at a US medical school and is off to better himself, only to be denied because, well, little brown brother, you're a terrorist! And so are all your little brown friends. By the way, we're keeping those canned goods and pasalubongs.
This actually happened to an acquaintance of mine. Hostage situation? Yes. Ninety million of us, being held to ransom by a country who won't even let us serve their airline food.
I say fuck the Coalition of the Willing, let's kick ourselves out of Iraq and solve our own insurgency problems first, how's that for a hundred day plan Mrs. President? And show more independent thought while you're at it, if you haven't guessed yet, your amo likes a little feistiness in his pets. Not TOO much though, you wouldn't want those fine used Apache helicopters to be repossessed!
I need to get decaf coffee from now on.
Labels: news, philippines
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