Elusive search for peace

Is the United Nations a "paper tiger"? The answer to this question will be determined if and when the UN will try to implement the unanimous Security Council vote calling on Israel to withdraw its troops and armaments from the Palestinian bastion of Yasser Arafat. Unless the UN moves soon and quickly to effect a ceasefire in that war-torn area in the Middle East, more human lives will be lost.

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Violence begets violence. One wonders whether the Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the other Israeli leaders took this into consideration when they decided to send their tanks and fully armed soldiers into the Palestinian territory. As of now, the Israeli strategy of "isolating" Arafat and making their military presence felt by Arafat and the Palestinian suicide bombers has not produced positive results. For each Palestinian killed by Israeli gunfire, half a dozen or more Israeli civilians have lost their lives from the daring acts of the suicide bombers.

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Sooner or later, public opinion will most likely turn against the Bush administration’s favorable stance towards the Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip. This will happen if the "war" between Israel and the Palestinian government will not come to an end. Right now, there are no signs that the Israeli firepower is going to intimidate Arafat and the Palestinian terrorists.

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David Murphy, MD, the American whose knowledge and interest in the Philippines are remarkable, sent to me an excellent article he wrote on how sovereignty should be defined at a given time. Let us give ample space to Dr. Murphy’s thought-provoking thesis on the matter. He said:

Sometimes I feel like a traveler standing on a high mountain pass, looking down on a battle. From my vantage point, I can see patterns that affect the course of the battle but that are not apparent to the people more closely involved. For good or ill, there seems to be nothing I can do about what I see.

I see that the threat of international terrorism is causing the concept of "national sovereignty" to undergo a paradigm shift..

Mass media had already weakened the foundation. Watching "Gunsmoke" in Greek thirty years ago was my first clue. It really hit me some years ago when an Iraqi government official (I think it was the Minister of Defense and I think his name was Terik Aziz) said, before the Gulf War, "This is not going to be some kind of Rambo operation." That an official of a middle-Eastern country would refer to a second-rate American action movie, with an assurance that his audience would know what he meant, was an indication to me of how pervasive the influence of the media had become.

The increasing ease of international travel also played a role in weakening the concept of nationhood. When it is faster to go from Manila to Los Angeles than from Manila to Tuguegarao the difference between the two nations seems less.

Internet technology has created a different environment, one in which "national sovereignty" is less critical and more a historical artifact than a political necessity.

The globalization of the economy, itself a function of internet technology, further erodes the autonomy of individual government entities. Headlines suggest that the developed nations have utilized this globalization to further increase their economic advantage of the developing nations. I believe that appealing to the American sense of equity and fairness is the best approach to stopping this abuse. It’s a benefit of understanding the other side’s values.

The negative aspects of nationalism, such as the World Wars, "ethnic cleansing," race-based riots and tribal warfare have also led to a largely unarticulated disenchantment with the concept.

The speed of the process has increased exponentially since the attacks on the World Trade Center. It’s a matter of security and of pragmatism. When a small terrorist group in any country in the world can kill millions, literally, anywhere in the world, the old concepts of national sovereignty and absolute autonomy become untenable and arguments for their continuance unconvincing.

Filipinos are caught in a riptide of historical forces. I think the identity of the Philippines as a sovereign nation is just beginning to take root in the "hearts and minds" of the people, after so many years under foreign rule and occupation, physical and economic, and the aberration of the Marcos dictatorship and the enormous damage to the democratic process he left as his legacy. The current crop of corrupt politicians and officials are the spawn of his reign. I believe they are a dying breed and that we are seeing, even now, the emergence of a new generation of dedicated, uncorrupted public servants. Just as the Filipinos are on the verge of creating a nation that justifies their pride and rewards their devotion, the concepts of nationhood are changing radically.

Recognizing that my American background may be leading me astray, I envision a world of nations that function somewhat as do the individual states of the United States. Issues that are restricted to the national boundaries will be the prerogative of the individual country and in these matters, autonomy is absolute. Matters of international trade and security will take precedence over national sovereignty.

I do not know what form this global government will take. I do not believe the US has the economic, ethical or cultural capacity to continue in its self-designated role as sole arbiter of all issues. Perhaps, the United States, the European Union and China will take on some sort of cooperative effort, although that concept partakes heavily of the old concepts of nationhood. Perhaps, the United Nations will evolve into an effective political entity. My best guess is that the ultimate structure and function of the global political unit will be unlike anything that exists today.

As the old national identities become less pertinent, perhaps autonomous political groups will become smaller and more homogenous in composition, with economic, religious, cultural or linguistic affiliation becoming more important than geography or artificial historical boundaries. I can foresee a time when a large nation such as India would be subdivided into a vast number of autonomous units, based on such parameters. Perhaps, the Muslims in southern Mindanao will have their autonomy, not as a result of insurrection but of supranational forces. Perhaps, Visayan, Ilocano and Tagalog will refer to political entity as well as language. Who knows, perhaps southern California will become an independent nation, the Old South of the U.S. will again become the Confederate States of America and Miami, Florida will be the capitol city of New Cuba! Today’s most exaggerated ideas are tomorrow’s reality.

The brightest feature of this new world order will be the opportunity of the individual to succeed. In this new economic and political reality, traits such as creativity, flexibility, skill, knowledge and initiative replace capital as the prime requirement for growth. In these characteristics, Filipinos can compete with anyone in the world.

The "nationalists" who fear that American servicemen represent a threat to the sovereignty of the Philippines are swimming against currents that are too strong to overcome. Even those who are advancing the course of these forces do not understand what is happening. But the immediate task for Filipinos is to eliminate those obstructions that are handicapping them so they can assume their rightful place in the new political and economic order.

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Thoughts For Today:

Don’t try to force anything.
Let life be a constant "let-go."
Notice how God opens millions of
flowers every day,
without forcing the buds.

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Each day, our goal is to touch one’s heart,
encourage one’s mind and inspire one’s soul.
May you continue to be blessed and be a blessing.

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