Why Are Some People Better Off than Others?

We cannot disregard the truth that in reality, there is inequality. The professor in our master lecture said that it is inevitable. There are a lot of opportunities for everyone but inequality still exists. Globalization may have helped the people live a comfortable life but not everyone benefits from it. For instance, the rich gets richer while the poor gets poorer. Those who are educated get good jobs but the ones who are not remain unemployed. The developed countries enjoy the best things in the world whereas the developing countries suffer from poverty or hunger. In a sense, life is definitely unfair.

I learned that our society has been dominated and shaped by capitalism. Our lives mainly depend on them since they provide us the things that we need and want. However, because of competition, instead of focusing on the welfare of the people, some of them become more concerned in producing more and reducing the price of their goods in order to sell in the market and make more money. Sometimes, it results to obliging the workers to work overtime and even receive low salaries. Although it may bring some positive effects on our economy because we try to compete with the international market, it also has negative effects in terms of the motivation of the people at work since they get no real benefits at all.

In France, the professor shared with the class that the workers who are on strike enjoy the rest of the day. They don’t go to work and they spend the whole day eating baguettes, strolling in parks or reading books. But in our country, even if the workers are on strike, they continue working because they have to earn money for their family. For this reason, their strike is useless and defective. By comparing these two scenarios, I realized that the professor has a point when he told the class that incidents like this happen in our country because the people lack political will. Our fellow Filipinos have the opportunity to fight for their rights, but they are not brave enough to do so. They may be afraid of the consequences such as losing their job. Due to our country’s current situation, I think that earning money matters most than anything else.

In my opinion, inequality among us can be lessened if we will try to come out of our shell and show the whole world what we can do. I believe that we need to strive harder in order to live a more comfortable life or get a job. Even if inequality exists and it is inevitable, we should not feel hopeless. Do something for a change.

How is the World Organized Economically?

Our life is like a pie. It is divided into three parts--- economics, social and political. They are interrelated with each other because they satisfy our needs and wants. However, although they are interrelated, the economics part takes the huge slice of the pie because it is where the things that are essential for us to live belong. The basic needs like food, water and shelter are found in this area. We need these things in order to survive. The social and the political, on the other hand, have equal slices. The social part enables us to interact and build relationships with the people me meet in our everyday lives. Meanwhile, in the political, we practice our right to negotiate with others so we can get what we want. The exchange and division of goods happens here.

In class, we define economics as the “production and distribution of goods and wealth”. However, these are not produced equally because they are scarce or limited. Adam Smith once said that a man, by nature, is selfish. Though we may not be fully aware of it, we become selfish because we want to have what is best for us. At times, we are like crabs; we don’t care what the others feel, as long as we are happy and contented.

In the article that we read, the world is divided economically by means of the three periods in history: Liberalism, Neo-liberalism and Marxism. Each one of them has different perspectives on economics, and they have changed people’s way of living. For example, when the invention of the machines was born, the production of goods and wealth increased. The unemployment rate grew because the machines were doing most of the job. Because of these machines, there was an abundance of goods and wealth and they were somehow beneficial, most especially to the elites and the entrepreneurs, who became even richer as they received more money, while the others were not. For this reason, some were forced to be involved in illegal operations to support their well-being. As Peterson mentioned in his article, “growing inequalities drain people’s sense of inclusion in a global community; increase feelings of frustration, despair and resentment; reduce the likelihood of people working together for common goals.”

From our class discussion, I learned that we should learn how to listen to the voice of those who are greatly affected--- the poor. They are the ones who suffer because of our selfishness and own desires. We should think beyond the box (critically) so we can find the best alternatives to help them have a more comfortable life. Like what Nash proved to us, we could work together for a greater good. We don’t need to be like crabs in order to survive in this world. If we only compromise, we will be able to solve this global concern.

How Does the Nation-State Work?

A nation-state is a “community of persons, more ore less numerous, permanently occupying a definite portion of territory, independent of external control and possessing an organized form of government to which the great body of inhabitants render habitual obedience.” In this kind of nation-state, based from the class lecture, the people share the common language, history, religion and even tradition under one territory. However, even if they have the same beliefs, sometimes, they also have conflicts for the reason that some of them are not sensitive towards the feelings or concerns of the others. But, regardless of their similarities and differences, they are bound to create or develop a deep comradeship because they live and abide by the rules of the government. Because the government has an autonomous sovereignty, the people are obliged to express great solidarity to protect and make their territory a better place to live in. Like what our professor said in his master lecture, “A government can exist without a state but a state cannot exist without a government.”

Learning about this, I think that the different nation-states around the world would have a better future because globalization opens many opportunities for them to learn about, explore around and develop awareness of the things that are happening at present. Without globalization, for example, each one of them would not have offered their help and support when the others need some support when calamities such as typhoons and earthquakes hit them. In my opinion, globalization plays an important role in reuniting each nation-state as it enables them to forget their differences, even for a while, most especially in times like this. Furthermore, this kind of gesture can make each one of them build a sense of belongingness which for me is good because nobody in this world should be left behind or forgotten. Hence, I can conclude that globalization is also a key in closing the gap between the nation-states’ differences, which makes them understand and accept each other and maybe, even create stronger relationships. In relation, like what this famous Michael Jackson song says, let us “Heal the world, make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race…”

Before I end this blog, let me ask you, do we have to wait for another typhoon or earthquake to become united again? Think about it.

Why is the World Divided Territorially?

Spain had been the most powerful country in the world during the 19th century. It colonized a lot of countries and one of them was our country, the Philippines. For over three hundred years, the Filipinos were under the influence of the Spanish culture and rules. The Spaniards taught us their culture--- from their food, clothing and music to their religion, Christianity. And since the Philippines was their colony, the Filipinos at that time had no choice but to follow what the King of Spain ordered. Until that one fateful day when Jose Rizal, our National Hero, published his two books because he wanted to open the eyes of his fellow Filipinos to reality. He gave them an idea about on what they should do to attain their independence from the hands of the Spaniards. They fought and risked their lives so that the Philippines will have its freedom.

Had not the Filipinos fight for our country’s sovereignty, perhaps, until now, we’re still a territory of Spain, America or Japan.

In class, I learned that everything and everyone is driven by power. Each one of us has the desire to become leaders in our own ways to achieve different goals. Countries like Spain love to colonize other lands because it symbolizes power and money. Rules are being imposed for the people to follow or obey them. In my honest opinion, it is like crab mentality--- it does not matter if others are affected, as long as one gets what he or she wants to gain authority.

I think that this is what’s currently happening in our country right now. Since elections are fast approaching, the people who are running for a government position are trying to conquer the whole Philippines through their never-ending campaigns. They visit the different parts of Luzon, Visayas and even Mindanao to influence the people to vote for them. This is their only way to win the election in May since all of them are longing to have power in our society.

Our professor said that the Philippines cannot be a first world country because the lands are scattered--- an archipelago. Given that the lands are spread out, it is difficult for us to become united. Conflicts happen among the three big lands because their beliefs and practices are different from each other. As a matter of fact, Mindanao wants to become an independent land for this reason. May this serve as a challenge for the candidates of the upcoming elections. I hope that they will use their power to do good things, rather than bad, to make the Philippines a better and more competitive country.

Why Do We Obey?

During the time of Martial Law, Filipinos were forced to obey the rules imposed by the Marcos regime. President Marcos and his wife Imelda became more powerful and influential. I was not yet born yet at that time but because of the stories as told by my parents and history teachers, I have come to learn that the Filipinos were disciplined. For instance, unlike today, the drivers then used to follow the traffic lights and the people walked on the pedestrian lanes when they cross the streets. They were afraid to not to abide by the rules because they might get arrested, kidnapped, tortured or worse, killed. When the Martial Law ended, the Philippines became a democratic country. Until today, the Filipinos are enjoying the freedom to express themselves through music, writing and the like. We are able to share our thoughts and ideas about the government without being punished in a gruesome way. It is our own prerogative if we want to obey or not to obey the government.

We obey the government for the reason that it has the moral authority to enforce rules for the good of its country, to maintain peace and order. By means of the rules, we are able to know what is expected from us. Like what Jenny Edkins wrote in her article, “It is good to have a framework of conventions and rules in place even though some of them may not be ideal, and for them to be someone else, in a leadership position, who is responsible for dealing with many crises that may come along.” The rules serve as a guide for us to be prepared when something unexpected happens. In relation to this, we are also afraid of the consequences which we may encounter if we disobeyed them. On the other hand, if the government is bad, we are still obliged to obey it since its power is legitimate. No matter how bad it is, it is our responsibility to respect and acknowledge its authority. However, we have the right to disobey and oust the government if we feel that the rules aren’t becoming beneficial for our interests and needs anymore. Hence, the People Power in EDSA happened twenty four years ago and President Marcos lost his power to control the Philippines.

In three months, a new government will be born. As citizens of this country, we have to practice our right to vote and choose for the candidates, who we think, deserve to become our leaders. We need a government that finds ways on how to solve the problems or issues in and caters to the concerns of the society. We should not only depend on their popularity or life story. Let’s become wiser this time. We don’t want another people power, right?

Who Do We Think We Are?

How do we define ourselves as Filipinos? Who are the real Filipinos? In my honest opinion, these questions are hard to answer. There is no definite answer yet because I think that we are still in the process of knowing who we really are as Filipinos. There may be distinctive characteristics that the Filipinos exhibit which are known in the whole world, but I suppose they are enough for us to be called as real Filipinos. We may be hospitable and happy people but if we are not proud of our culture and our country, everything will be worthless. As a matter of fact, we find our local products baduy, as we are becoming more attracted to the western culture. We are slowly moving away from our own identity, from our culture. We are becoming someone whom we are not.

Identity is important because it gives us a clear picture of our own self. It enables us to learn more about our nationality, ethnicity, race, class, gender and religion. It makes us different from the others. Our ancestors risked their lives and fought for our freedom because they want the Philippines to have its own identity. They believe that this is a great country and we have the potential to become as competitive as the other great nations in the world. Hahayaan nalang ba natin na mawalan ng saysay ang lahat ng pinagpaguran at pinaglaban nila?

I’m not saying that it is bad to be influenced by the western culture. However, I think that even if we support it, I hope that we will not forget our own beliefs and practices as well because they are part of who we are. I think that I’m a transformationalist because I believe that the intermingling of cultures can widen our horizons and help us become more open to the world. Perhaps, this can also give us an opportunity to let the others know about the wonders of the Filipino culture. It’s time for them to recognize the greatness of the Philippines--- that boxing is not the only thing that our country is truly proud of. And maybe, through this, we would be able to find the answers to our questions (on who we really are as Filipinos).

(for February 1 master lecture)

How Do We Find Out What is Going On in the World?

Since yesterday, I have been thinking about these two questions: How can I build my character? And how am I going to leave a legacy? I am not a powerful or influential person unlike our national hero, Jose Rizal, and the late President Cory Aquino, who became the source of inspiration to many Filipinos around the world. I never thought of the kariton classroom of Efren Penaflorida, the incumbent CNN Hero of the Year, which changed the lives of the Filipino youth who cannot afford to go to school. I am just a simple third year student who is, hopefully, graduating from college soon.

I have big dreams and goals in life. When I was still in my preschool years, I dreamed of going to Disneyland to meet Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. During my grade school years, I studied very hard because I wanted to have a gold medal. When I entered high school, I envisioned myself in a prestigious university. And now, in my college years, I hope to become a better early childhood educator. As I think about these big dreams and goals of mine, I realized that what I want to achieve changes over the years. What I dream about in my preschool years is very different from now. Different factors such as my environment, culture and media may have influenced me to think this way, for the reason that I have been exposed to them ever since I was born.

Through this class, I learned about how the environment, culture and particularly the media shape the minds of the people. For instance, why do a lot of girls today buy beauty products such as powder, lotion, perfume and the like? It is because the magazines, billboards and television advertisements say that if they use these products, they will become more beautiful. I am not saying that it is bad to buy these. What I’m just pointing out is that if there are no magazines, billboards and television, girls will not know about them. In our society today, being beautiful is given much importance because it is believed that it can greatly affect our lives in many ways.

Our professor said that character is something which we cannot buy. It is like education, which nobody can ever take away from us. However, I think it is not easy to build our own character--- our own identity--- because the environment, culture and media dictate how we should live and how we should become. We tend to believe in everything say because we think that it is always right and true.

We always seek for the truth because we want to become involved so we can do something to make a difference. Being curious is our way of knowing about what is going on in the world. However, we also need to be careful as we try to find out the answers to our never-ending questions and dilemmas. Sometimes, we have to be critical thinkers since we do not know if what we see or hear around us everyday is true or not, biased or neutral, right or wrong. We need to analyze in every situation so we would know when to believe or not to believe.

I guess when we begin to learn about making decisions on our own can help us build our identity, or rather our character. Maybe, if we have our own character, we would be able to know what we can really do to make a difference and in the long run, leave a legacy. Perhaps, this is the right time for us to unlock and set ourselves free from the doors of our environment, culture and media so we will be able to look at the different angles of the story. Our perception and point of views do matter too.