We are not the enemy; self-interest is
Lastofthreeparts
DearLloyd, Recently,we’vebeenreadingreports astudent,I’vebeeninvitedmany timestojoinsomeorganizations that are allegedly affiliatedwith thecommunistpartybasedonthenews.Ihavealways beenservingthecountry.Iwonderifyoucangiveme yourinsightsonpatriotismandloveofcountry.
Niko
Niko,
If you have missed the first and second parts of this series, I shared my experience that led to my graduation as a sergeant at the Philippine Air Force Reserve Command after weeks of military training. I also enumerated the reasons I decided to enlist as a reservist. In a nutshell, I said, “Love is service made available.” In other words, when the situation called me to be part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, I answered “yes” — and made myself available with no excuses whatsoever — because I believe it’s one way to show my love of our country.
I’d like to conclude this three-part series with a statement: We are not the enemy; self-interest is.
First, I believe no one wins in a war. Even if you win, it’s only a matter of time before you are challenged again. The men and women in uniform hate war or any conflict that may cause it as much as any patriotic citizen. When we go to war, we invite death. People die in battle. When it happens, it’s not just about one soldier’s fall; it’s about the future of the family they leave behind.
Then again, why can’t we end the conflict? It’s not because we don’t love our country. Everybody loves the Philippines, but we do it differently depending on which belief we subscribe to.
But joining the so-called progressive movements may not be as it seems. And if we are only thinking about ourselves, it’s easy for us to confuse serving the country and serving ourselves — or the self-interest of a few who recruit you.
To put this in a clear perspective, some people are recruited easily because they are convinced that their life misery is caused solely by an irresponsible government to the tune of “You are poor because of the government.” Or “You are unable to send your kids to school because of corruption.” Or “You don’t have anything to eat on the table because the rich people are taking advantage of you.” These, among many other lines.
Our fellow peace-loving Filipinos, who may be starving or challenged at the time, may think that must be right. Thus, they become recruits of the communist-terrorist groups. At first glance, it’s a battle of principles. But in reality, it’s a battle of interests — between you serving your country’s interest or you serving your own interest or that of the group that recruits you. In the long run, it becomes Filipinos versus Filipinos. Filipinos killing each other. Filipinos destroying each other. We are not the enemy; self-interest is. Poverty is our enemy. And we don’t solve poverty by taking up arms and destroying the institutions that aim to eradicate it. Corruption is our enemy. And we don’t stop corruption by bribing our leaders or by selling our votes during elections. Greed is our enemy. But even that we can’t end if we would only replace it with our own greed. Unemployment is our enemy. And we don’t defeat it by either rallies or not harnessing our own occupational skills and positive attitude toward work. Low-class education is our enemy. And we don’t become world-class if students don’t study well and our teachers are not teaching properly.
The Philippines is not only its government. The Philippines include you and me and the people you meet every day. The failure of the government to solve the problem of the nation is a failure of the people. And if we keep on knocking each other out, who’s winning?
It’s easy to accuse the government of irresponsibility without looking at our own shortcomings as a citizen as if the government is the sole responsible for our personal mess. The good news is you are free to blame and complain as much as you can. You can join the group that tear down our country or join the institutions that build it. The bad news is whatever you choose, you are choosing for the country that keeps you.
As part of the Philippine Air Force Reserve Command — particularly the 1st Air Reserve Center where I report for duty — let’s do a raincheck of ourselves. In the end, it doesn’t matter where we will go as a nation. What matters is what we believe as a people.