Rizal Philippines
February 21, 2016
When were activists about 40 years ago, we fought and chanted vs all the ISMO, ISMS. One of them was feudalism, (PIYUDALISMO) It was landlord tenant relationship, like a king to his vassal. It is a culture of dependency and patronage. The tenants/vassal, the fief takes care of the farm and planting, the lord gives them all the help - financial, etc. To be sponsors of wedding baptism, and take care of the needs of the vassals. It was a healthy functional relationship. I did not know exactly why we activists were against.
Then came land reform; the farmers were given land. And yet they remained poor. Why - because no landlord gave them or lent them farm inputs or cash to tide them over during the time they were waiting for harvest.
Fast forward to modern times. Maybe the farmers now have lands and maybe they know of the opportunities to be independent educated and wealthy. The lords (the jueteng, land, drug, political, war) will exert every effort to make the people think of their own (by being educated) or be rich.
We must get out that thinking that the political leaders have our future and prosperity in their hands. We can be who and what we want to be without them. We have proven this time and time again. Some of our multinationals expanded without govt help and intervention. It was purely private venture and perspiration
No more ISMO
