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Pseudo-nationalism 07 Dec 2005 |
[Commented on the PCIJ Blog article "More Pinoys feel hopeless [...]"]
jester-in-exile said:
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one thing i know for sure, though: in my mind i will not call anybody Filipino who refuses to take part in the betterment of my country.
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This certainly brings tears to many people’s eyes.
But to presume to be the judge of who deserves to be called “Filipino” or not is a bit of a stretch bordering on self-righteousness.
To equate being Filipino with actually living in the Philippines and being “happy” being paid peanuts after slogging throug Engineering school highlights the disease that affects Pinoy society — this penchant for undervaluing one’s personal worth and settling for mediocre rewards for what for many are world class skills and talents.
Great nations like the United States where built by migrants who believed they deserved to be well-rewarded for a hard-day’s work. To comfort yourself with the security blanket of nationalism as a means to justify subjecting yourself to mediocre government, mediocre standards of living, and mediocre pay is truly the Pinoy Way.
As I once said in my value proposition to the Filipino which I articulate here:
[Link]
“Great nations were not built on good intentions. They were built on business sense. Real change in Pinoy society will never be achieved through the “sacrifice” of altruistic “heroes”. True change will be driven by people who find no shame in expecting a buck for their trouble.”
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