Activists...

[nicolodeon]

I was following the news last night on my way home and heard that students tried to protest (a near daily occurrence once classes starts) at the US Embassy. Cops stopped the group and and according to the news person, a number of students got hurt.

During my time in university more nearly two decades ago, activism against the US government was quite high, as student activists were chanting "Marcos tuta ng Kano" then a few years later "Cory tuta ng Kano." A few were really anti-American. A number of my schoolmates were quite active in these protests. I remember asking them in jest this question "What if fate brings you to America to work? Would you go?" A number of them emphatically said "Heck no!"

Some months back, I bumped into an old schoolmate - who was once an avid activist. So we exchanged pleasantries, did some chit-chat and talked about our lives. So asked him how he was and what he does for a living. He told me he is a PT - in America.

Now why am I grinning, you might ask? It's because this buddy of mine was one of the guys who shook their head in an emphatic 'NO' when I asked my question. So I kind of ribbed him about it. He just laughed and told me quite a number of our friends who joined in those rallies were now based in the US. So I asked him what changed his mind. His answer: economic/financial need. He also uttered this statement: "Pare, tama ka. Mahirap palang lagyan ng period or exclamation point ang bawat sentence. Kinain ko mga sinabi ko 'nun."

To the reader who read this post: don't get me wrong. I'm neither pro-American or anti-American. I've worked for and with American companies in the last 8-10 years and I've seen the good and bad of things - or so I may think.

I'm just wondering if those students in the news last night would wind up like that buddy of mine who ate his words: after college would they succumb to economic/financial needs and go to work in the US - or any foreign country for that matter?

Chances are, they might...they just might.

[CoDer]

Heheheee... Activist?




Never mind.

[redorange]

I remember when I was going to college in Manila some of my activist classmates asked me to join them in their rally against the US not knowing that I was Fil-Am. I just said no and asked them where they're going after the rally and they said they would eat at either KFC or McDo. I questioned their anti-American views since they would eat at American businesses instead of Jollibee or Max fried chicken and go to the rally wearing their Levi's jeans and Nike shoes.

To your friend who is now in the US, I wonder if he disclosed to the US Embassy his anti-American views when he was interviewed.

[coiter]

sometimes reality simply wins over ideals/principles. ibig sabihin hindi talaga ganun katibay ang convictions nila dati. baka nadala lang sila ng emotions nila nun. and when they finally experienced how hard life is (work, bringing up a family, etc), naisip nila na mas importanteng mabuhay ng tahimik kesa mamatay ng lumalaban. basic survival instinct.

pwede rin naman na narealize nila yung futility of their actions, kay 'live to fight another day' na lang.

siguro kahit papano we could praise them for at least trying (as long as their ideals are logical). at sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, it's not a surprise na mangyayari talaga yung paglimot o pagisang tabi sa pinaglalaban nila.

[uls]

Hindi na-su-sustain ng mga activists ang "lifestyle" nila na puro rally rally. Sooner or later kelangan parin nila kumita ng pera.

Most of those "activists" we see on tv are young people who live with their parents. Pag uwi nila sa bahay meron sila makakain.

But their parents will get old, get sick, and die. So time will come pag uwi nila galing sa rally, wala sila makain.

And they will also have kids... and they will realize "magastos pala magka-anak"

Dun na nila ma-iisip na hindi pala magandang career ang pag rarally.

hehe

[v6dreamer]

There were so many anti american back in the 70's and present, but cannot really explained their objective. My brother in-law(married to my cousin) he was a die hard anti american activist in the 70's and he hated us too just because wa are all live here in america. Now most of his sibling are now living here and he was talking about following theme too. I guess, he dont mean nothing!

The question is..... What did the american do in our country that, why so much hate towards theme?

If pilipinos dont like the american, why wants to watch there Hollywood movie and cannot refuse the GREEN or those what we called stateside?

[mbeige]

Most of the changes rallyists are protesting against, only span a certain time frame. Beyond that, it's a different story already. So they don't have anything to cry foul about, and move on with their lives, accepting reality as it is.

[niky]

Being a UP boy... and an American Citizen (my mother is an American... Mom and Dad met up and got married in New York)... I've seen both sides of the coin.

The reason for the hatred against the Americans is the perceived and actual meddling of the US government in local politics... first by their annexing of the Philippines from Spain and denial of outright independence, and then by the support they poured into the (oft-times corrupt) government as part of their general "anti-communist" drive.

It's those actions in the 60s-80s that has generated the most anti-American sentiment worldwide. In order to supress what they viewed as the rising tide of communism in the third world, the US government lent its support to a lot of corrupt, dictatorial leaders. Marcos, for one...

Yes, at that time, and even up till now, Philippine politics is affected greatly by US foreign policy. Strange, though, that people would chant "Cory, Tuta ng Kano" since she earned the ire of the US government because of the reconciliatory stance she had towards rebels.

But what this has to do with our current situation? Absolutely jack-sh*t. Nothing. While some of the blame for the current oil crisis may be laid at the feet of George Dubya, he wasn't the one who started the war between Islamic radicalism and the US... Osama bin Laden is.

Pero activists can't see that. They think that the world is black and white... that if there's a problem, there has to be a culprit. And can the culprit be the communists, islamic fanatics or the terrorists? No, it's got to be the "establishment". Trying to talk sense with these guys is like talking to a brain-dead parrot. Which is a shame. Many of these kids are otherwise very intelligent people.

----

But when they grow older, they grow up. Realize that the world isn't simply black and white, and learn to live in the real world. Remember, Bill Clinton was an activist in college... and yet he became President of the United States.

[Memphis Raines]

Indeed most of them become hypocrites in the end when their fuel for idealism runs out. Their beliefs are eventually exposed to the reality of our way of life and our dependency to other countries for coexistence.

Heck, I even saw a protester using a US made Sheriff's BullHorn in their rally

.

[B2Bomber]

chancer are... some of them might.

just sharing too. back in uni days, one thing that I noticed was that there are always this "same people" who would always be present whichever uni went on strike/rally. this "same people" are not even students of these different unis. they're far too old to be. I even saw the "same people" when the RCPI employees in session road went on strike.

What's more intriguing is that they are more "active" than the people who are suppose to be on strike/rally. Which really got me thinking, if say students of a certain uni or employess of a certain coy really wanted to get something across, and they have the guts to go on strike/rally, then they ought to do it on their own. 'Coz the thing with having these "same people" and them being more active is that the original rallyists' points might get drowned out by these "same people"'s own agenda.

I just hope if students go on strikes, that they wouldn't bother those other students who want to go and attend the class and don't stigmatize them by labelling them "rich kids", "indifferent", etc., etc. Some students may share your cause but they have their own causes too -- their thought/idea that with their education, they can alleviate their family's status.