I MISSED writing my articles for a few weeks now. It’s because I have shifted to physical organizing, that is of youth, students, people and political action.
I was able to write again after positioning some young people to handle the organizing. Now I am in the ‘information war’ campaign again.
My first target now is the Manila Times’ and De La Salle University’s Antonio Contreras who I now consider part of the “jukebox scholars” that are especially aplenty these days due to the U.S. $ 500-million 2022 budget for “America’s state-sponsored anti-China propaganda” as U.S. and Western media have reported since 2021.
You can catch the jukeboxes in the web of lies they weave that entangle their writings in contradictions of their own making.
This is evident in the April 22, 2023 column of Antonio Contreras entitled “War and fearmongering” where he alleges that the Philippines is conducting “its foreign policy in the context of whether it will please or offend China for fear that if offended, it may declare war on us.”
Contreras’ contention is completely the opposite of the reality of Philippines foreign relations which for decades has been, and continues to be based on the fear of the United States’ economic and financial and “regime change” threats and actual execution – such as the financial attack on the first Marcos’ government through the destabilization of the early 80’s – including engineering Ninoy Aquino’s assassination and subsequent kidnapping of President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, Sr.
We must not forget the U.S. “persuasion flights” of U.S. Phantom Jets ordered by then U.S. National Security Advisor Colin Powell to protect their client Corazon C. Aquino from the rebellious force of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) of Gringo Honasan in 1989. Then the 1998 to 2001 regime change operation against President Joseph E. Estrada to install Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to enable the most massive transfer of state assets to the U.S.-Philippine oligarchy “coalition.”
In the 1,200 years history of Philippine-China relations when has China ever threatened the Philippines? In the contentious South China Sea claims disputes, China never threatened the Philippines’ very tardy and actually opportunistic claim and occupation of ten features in the Spratly’s while Vietnam actually grabbed Pugad Island from the Philippine Marines.
This and all other events I narrate here this La Salle “scholar” does not even consider depicting who has or has not been hostile to the Philippines.
Contereras claims, “We need to call out this outdated view that we can exempt ourselves from the adverse effects of a nuclear war between China and the United States over Taiwan by declaring our neutrality,” concluding that neutrality is useless as nuclear war is inevitable which is conveniently fatalistic to confuse people out of neutrality and swallow the U.S. war alliance. ASEAN believes in the efficacy of neutrality hence the ASEAN Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality pact.
Contreras’ mind is bereft of imagination from staying in the ivory tower or from the tight sinecure provided by the business school. To think that neutrality is just a passive posture is inert, for neutrality allows the space to maneuver and seek avenues towards peace.
China has maintained neutrality and created peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia – maybe soon between Russia and Ukraine. Until the Philippines broke ranks and spoiled ASEAN’s ZOPFAN it could have brokered the peace between the US and China.
Contreras had this inane argument that Switzerland’s neutrality was possible in WWII but not now due to ballistic and nuclear weaponry, a theory debunked by the effectivity of China’s persistent neutrality and subsequent operation of Xi’s Global Security Initiative (GDI) creating the opportunities for its peace mediation worldwide.
The Nuclear Weapons age makes neutrality of nations imperative and peacemaking constantly available, while efforts towards global disarmament intensified.
Contreras claims that, “It is strange that some people would allow China’s arrogant stance, dictating on us our options by holding hostage the Filipinos who are now living, working and studying in Taiwan to cow us into submission…”
For a scholar to comment on what he obviously has not read carefully is criminal, as Amb. Huang Xilian actually expressed concern for the 150,000 OFWs in Taiwan fated to be crossfire victims in the US missile barrages from US bases here.
China does not want war over Taiwan, a fact confirmed by no less than the U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on March 8, 2023, when he testified before a U.S. Congressional hearing that “It’s not our assessment that China wants to go to war” over Taiwan, and China does not have to.
50 percent of Taiwan’s exports go to China, 2-million out of its 24-million population live, work and do business in mainland China (to be continued).