"Accept yourself as the white man's burden!"
Or all after seeing protests and side comments about Obama's visit
and the same old mendicant foreign policy in the Philippines
"Itak sa Puso ni Mang Juan"
by Antipas Delotavo
It was weeks ago when news about Obama's planned visit to the Philippines created an aura of promise to most Filipinos yearning for green cards, visa, and even the Philippines to be a 51st state in order to have its subjects given food stamps and welfare.
Mostly in a form of comments about "need to have US bases in the Philippines", "US aid against China", up to "Philippines as a 51st state" and a variety of comments yearning for green cards and calling for American help against corrupt personages in the bureaucracy, those people commenting seemed to be sick and tired of being bullied by a bigger entity (or they're just numb), if not tired of having an independent nation and wanting for a generous bully to occupy instead as if it can provide anything from its taxpayers in the mainland.
The latter, mostly from the middle class had kept on ridiculing Obama just like Bush, Clinton, and Reagan for having foreign, rather than domestic policies being prioritized time and again; they had even initiated actions such as the radically-charged "Occupy Wall Street" or the conservative "Tea Party" whose emphasis as about where were their taxes go? Or whose war are they fighting for? And a dozen of questions pointing against a trigger happy, mpney squandering order.
But despite seeing events coming from the American mainland, "Little brown Americans" living in that goddamn 7,107 isles rather disregard those issues inside and felt contented at the usual presentation what U.S. is all about: "prosperity", "freedom", "happiness", "modernity", "security", anything frequently shown in mainstream television, newspapers, and in the internet. Movies like "Spiderman" is much appreciated by Filipinos for it is American not because it carries lessons in life like "with great power comes great responsibility", and with that quote Filipinos as a nation should have the responsibility to act collectively "for there's power in it", yet instead they chose to get contented in relying on a bigger entity, as if that bigger entity can commit agreements seriously and beyond iterest.
But come to think of this, despite all the modernity being presented by Uncle Sam does it mean Uncle Sam can generously provide support for free in its former subjects? If so, then how come there are most Ameriasian children who haven't given child support from their estranged fathers nor the Balangiga bells not been returned? Much more that the reef at Tubbataha haven't been rehabilitated other than having the ship just dismantled and left without any payment, and other issues related to both America and the Philippines?
Perhaps in reading their pleas on social media sites and in online newspapers made this writer say that right was the statements of Americans during the occupation. Guised as benevolent assimilators and putting Filipinos on the track of Civilization and progress, all despite their so-called contributions they do have a large share of bullshit against their "little brown subjects."
Looking back in history, Americans justified occupation using the terms of the "Treaty of Paris", with Spain giving up Puerto Rico and the Philippines for a million dollars. These two countries, like Cuba, had also fighting for independence due to the repression such as forced labor, tribute, and taxes. And these countries had looked at the United States as an example of a once colonial subject struggled for freedom.
However, did the United States reaffirm on those two countries as a liberator? Nope, they care about interests. Even today they use agreements regarding the status of Asia Pacific region as means to protect their interests just like during the cold war. Peace through Strength is also one example of flexing military supremacy against others such as Russia, China, or even Europe; making the United States unofficially described as an international superman, a world police of sorts.
And behind those efforts lies subjugation and slander. An average American soldier is trained to kill, much more in dehumanizing a community citing order as its reference.
In a book entitled "Turn of the Century", Felice Sta. Maria explained how the colonizers had described their subjects fighting for independence s ingrate, if not barbaric. In fact, these colonizers were inspired by Rudyard Kipling's "White Man's Burden" to justify subjugating Filipinos, and it had helped "prompt a comparison of Filipinos with other conquered peoples, particularly black Africans."
Oscar King Davis, a New York Sun special correspondent wrote about the beliefs of the common American volunteer in regards to Filipinos, and most of it are racially charged out of just misunderstanding or ignorant about their newly occupied territory:
"The Americans did not understand the native's language, customs or beliefs. They called the natives 'niggers' and treated them as such."
Yes, these people really don't understand or simply just acting superior in regards to their subjects, and even today Davis's statement remains as Filipinos been redescribed negatively from time to time regardless of its contribution such as Pacquiao with his boxing stint or Efren Peñaflorida as an educator. Some, if not most westerners are basing much on racial superiority that made Filipinos endure countless slander. Filipinas for example, being described as "rice dolls", "prostitutes", "exotic beings" being fantasized by a western pervert at the streets of Olongapo and Angeles city, that back then acted as "rest and recreation" sites.
How about the statement of Stuart C. Miller in his "Trans-Action" article "Our Mylai of 1900"? That statement is somehow not been discussed in both Filipino and American history circles nor even written in history books about the perception of American occupiers over Filipinos and proposals involving the Philippines itself as a territory:
"General A.G. Greenwood even suggested that after the (Filipino-American) war, the United States could solve its racial dilemma by colonizing the Philippines with African blacks who could mix with the 'Filipino niggers'."
For sure most Filipinos are quite ignorant about what General Greenwood, Correspondent Jose de Olivares, or even an average volunteer during the Philippine-American war think about the Filipinos. No matter how bred you are in an American way, singing RnB, love to watch NBA, and demanding green cards or any other American-style bullshit, these people from the good old U.S of A still think about their matters as more of their interest in regards to relations with the Philippines.
Yes, they provide you with state of the art this and that but does it mean these are affordable or for free? How many years did the average Filipino who yearned for green cards paid taxes with its large chunk allocated to debt servicing? Worse, the system demand loans, loans, and more loans than be self reliant and act independent as a nation-state! Right was what Kipling to say about "the white man's burden" in today's setting seeing middle class "moochers" (sorry Ayn Rand) crying for the stars and stripes, green cards and possibly doleouts! Right was the racially charged statements, its just that people are acting blind, deaf, ignorant, stupid about these inconvenient truths as they're contented in convenient lies and illusions presented by today's media. Do they want the Philippines to become 51st state? If so, then they should accept themselves as in par with the minorities than the whites they loved to admire with, with all the papaya whitening lotions, or glutathione supplements compromising their colour! They should even think that most had yearned not just green cards but doleouts and foodstamps that made taxpayers in mainland be burdened! They should even remember that racially-charged individuals like Greenwood had wanted to turn Philippines into a ghetto and at the same time exploiting natural resources, a garden and a gold mine just like from 1900 to 1946!
Or to sum it all, these people, regardless of their social status yet yearning for stars and stripes wanted to become a white man's burden, full of illusions such as the latter as a generous overlord, not knowing that it is the same generous overlord who chose to confront others (like Europe, Middle East) while its own daughter (Philippines) raped at the backroom. Having US bases or presence of US troops doesn't even provide strength for a subject country more than providing fuel and supplies to the occupier, and the bullets? Tanks, and planes? Second hand junk presented as modern by mainstream media and state-sponsored propaganda, why on earth a coast guard cutter be called as a Navy warship? Is that what they call modernization or help? No! A mockery! It even depends on the president if he/she wants to support you, Ron Paul had ran for the presidency, but he is also the same Ron Paul who opposed the war! Paleoconservatives in the Republican party like Pat Buchanan also opposed interventionism citing the US's supposed stance as neutral in regards to foreign affairs, and expect fanboys living in 7,107 isles changing their minds in reagrds to their actions if not still stubbornly crying for help failing to understand this.
Anyways, Most people who had loved Yankees still preferred to be blind and deaf despite acting sought and heard about what goes on in their society. Recto is, rather than was right to say about his country rather having a foreign policy that is mendicant, an inconvenient truth clothed in a lie that is called support and alliance.