INCIDENTALLY, in the US during the last day of September, the president of the United States had assembled hundreds of his generals and admirals, along with the chiefs of staff for more than an hour, to talk about the growing threat of “enemies from within,” insinuating that the matter should henceforth be among the new priorities of the military.
Now I do not really care whether the POTUS’ order was against their Constitution or not. In fact, the same sentiment goes for all other matters of US affairs. The sole mention of such here is just to peep into the top brass’ treatment that they gave their leaders. His extemporaneous rambling, as well as that of his secretary of defense, was met with deafening silence from the people in the filled room.
Meanwhile, back at the proverbial ranch (where we are all mere hands to their lordship status), making the rounds of social media these days are several video clips which show the cold and silent treatment the president of the country has received during his several ocular visits to the earthquake-affected areas of the country.
From both (the US and our) situations, it’s no rocket science to deduce that support and loyalty are clearly on the table. In the case of our local situation, the concept of gift-bringing or “Ayuda” has definitely disappeared from the people’s minds, despite their being victims of this natural tragedy. Insofar as many are concerned, earthquakes or not, they are already living in one and are fed up with the present government’s charade and games of smoke and mirrors.
Meanwhile, a national TV host, radio broadcaster, and newspaper columnist, being a local from a quake-hit municipality in Davao del Sur, had sharply admonished his fellow townmates, calling them utterly lacking in class and “refinement”, telling them that’s because they mostly come from the mountains and thus, far from civilization.
All this was because of the way they cold-shouldered the president while he came bearing gifts. At his shame for ‘his’ people’s actions, a fellow columnist had cautioned, aid for natural calamities may indeed prove helpful and life-saving, but these should not make us forget the reasons why wraths of God like floods and earthquakes become more dreadful and harder to bear are purely because of a far worse calamity that is laid upon the people. It is corruption at the foundations of government.
At this stage, it thus begs the question, what sort of aid do we then need for this type of tragedy? And how can the government provide this?
