Lost wars

In the book, We Were Soldiers Once and Young, which took up the first major engagement between US and North Vietnamese forces in the I Trang Valley in Viet Nam, the author said that even that early in the war, ranking US military officials realized that the US could not win a decisive military victory. The reason is that the enemy was allowed to retreat across the border into Cambodia, where they could rest, recuperate, re-group and re-arm in safety, then attack at their pleasure. This was one lesson that came out of Viet Nam, and it is significant in the light of the location of the Abu Sayyaf and the MILF camps in Mindanao.

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Dr. David Murphy, an American citizen who is following the day-to-day political and economic activities in the Philippines, predicts that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will refuse to tolerate the defiance of Filipino law by the MILF and that the war that started under Joseph Estrada will be fought again, this time with a conclusive ending. Dr. Murphy anchors his forecast on the fact that the majority of people in Mindanao, Muslims and Christians alike, want peace and security. That war will be fought by Filipinos, with American logistical support, in compliance with all Filipino laws.

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Dr. Murphy has an interesting analysis of President GMA as a leader. "She has been an incredibly adroit politician, consolidating her power carefully and effectively. Have people forgotten how fragile her administration seemed just a year ago? We used to talk about the genteel ladies from the Old South of the US as having an ‘iron fist in a velvet glove.’ That’s her," he said.

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Dr. Murphy noted a lesson from Macchiavelli, in The Prince, a classic medieval manual on politics that has unfortunately acquired a bad reputation for deviousness. Machiavelli said that in times of crisis, choose a side and commit to it early. If you pick the winning side, the winner will remember your support. If you guessed wrong, the winner will be anxious to have you come over to his side. Dr. Murphy noted that President GMA was the third person to talk to US President Bush and offer support after the WTC attack — and the results have been quite interesting.

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Dr. Murphy cautions us never to underestimate President Arroyo. The rule is: "You want your enemies to underestimate you and your friends to overestimate you." Murphy thinks that the MILF underestimate her and that will lead to armed conflict. But the MILF will lose.

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"From my outsider’s viewpoint, President Arroyo has demonstrated integrity, intelligence, strength, ability and a genuine dedication to serve all Filipinos. Am I the only one who notices that in addition to her other qualities, she is also a very, very good politician?," Dr. Murphy stated.

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Here are some things that Mother Teresa said before her death:

• When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread. But a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out of society – that spiritual poverty is much harder to overcome.

• Those who are materially poor can be very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition. I told the Sisters: "You take care of the other three; I will take care of the one who looks worse." So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand, as she said one word only: "Thank you" – and she died. I could not help but examine my conscience before her. And I asked: "What would I say if I were in her place?" And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said: "I am hungry, I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain," or something. But she gave me much more – she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face.

• Then there was the man we picked up from the drain, half eaten by worms and, after we had brought him to the home, he only said, "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die as an angel, loved and cared for." Then, after we had removed all the worms from his body, all he said, with a big smile, was: "Sister, I am going home to God" – and he died. It was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that without blaming anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel – this is the greatness of people who are spiritually rich even when they are materially poor.

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A lady with the initials WFD, a former Manilan who migrated to Baguio, and a "Reuter Baby" ever since she studied at Maryknoll College, ia lady who taught at the St. Louis University for 39 years, is a citizen enraged by what seems to be an arbitrary and unexplained new rule set up by the Philippine Military Academy authorities in Upper Market Subdivision, one of two barangays that used to allow the use the PMA Camp Allen checkpoint by barangay residents. The old camp regulation is to have a decal on the residents’ vehicles that enable motorists to enter or go out of the barangay between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

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A few days ago, however, without informing the residents, the PMA authorities decided that vehicles without decals are not allowed to enter the camp at any time of day and night, a move that surprised a lot of residents. Taxis have to drop their passengers at the checkpoint and the passengers have to walk uphill to wherever they are going and with whatever load they are carrying like grocery bags, bayongs, etc. Guests who want to visit have to leave their cars outside the gate and walk to the village homes, which is quite a distance from the checkpoint.

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Even people who go there for Sunday mass also have to leave their cars outside the camp! Why the PMA authorities did this baffled the residents. "When the military is on Red Alert, it is clearly stated on a placard by the checkpoint but there is none placed there now. What may be the reason? Are the residents and civilians the enemies?," WFD asked. She said that move was discriminatory and a big hassle to residents who use the decals.

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WFD asked me to remind the military to come up with rules and regulations that are not disadvantageous to civilians who religiously pay taxes. "We are not their enemies, so why make life difficult for us?," she said. . I am a good friend of Fr. Reuter– a "Reuter Baby". I am a Maryknoller who taught in St Louis University, Baguio, for 39 years. I was a former Manilan, now a Baguio "immigrant"

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Thoughts For Today:
You know what’s good about mornings?
It’s knowing that God still loves us,
enough to wake us up and give us
a chance to live.

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No life ever grows great until
it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.
But no life is every happy until
it is lived for the glory of God.

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My e-mail addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]