In my part of the world I'm a raving liberal, waaaaaay out there.
Which part of the world is that, or shouldn't I ask?
The political spectrum in the Philippines is somewhat longer than it is in America: the lefts are lefter, the rights are righter, and we have active armed fanatics at both ends of the fence. There is a center, of course, but it is somewhat under siege and largely devoid of political representation. Actually, everybody is devoid of political representation: the politicians pretty much represent their own interests, and those of their financiers. Essentially the same system that we have in America, just much, much, cruder.
Do you suppose your friends in the Philipines may not think you could be a true liberal, simply because you're American? I've come across this attitude myself.
I don't think that's it. We see lots of very liberal Americans here, mostly from the NGO set, coming over to further the cause du jour and generally making fools of themselves. They remind me more than anything else of the fundamentalist missionaries: the same oozing confidence, the same certainty of rectitude, the same conviction that theirs is the way. They would be a menace if they weren't so ineffectual.
I think my reputation as a conservative is mostly a consequence of the vocally critical stance I take toward certain left mantras, and my insistence on bringing up reality in discussions where fantasy plays a prominent part. These abound among Philippine leftists, one reason why the Philippine left makes such an interesting case study in institutional suicide. |
