America, Don't Throw Away What Many Countries Can Only Dream Of.

 

In the Philippines, it is still common to see farmers planting rice by hand and plowing with draft animals right next to modern roads with high end pickups and SUV's. It illustrates the contrast in wealth in one of the most unequal countries in the world.

 I woke up to the news that there had been an attempt on Donald Trump's life in the U.S. At the time, I was in the Philippines, where political violence is so common as to be almost normalized. It was shocking and upsetting to see America go down that road, especially while I was living in a place where political killing is just a fact of life.  

My wife and I were in the Philippines for a month, where her family lives in the so-called "Killing Fields Of The North," as Abra province is known. Most of the violence revolves around politics, but there is a level of random violence in the Philippines that is always there.  Bangued, as the capital of the province and largest city, is the center of much of the violence. When we visit, there are almost always heavily armed police and soldiers with checkpoints to go through. Such is the nature of living in Abra. I've spent several months here over the years, and there are always heavily armed police or soldiers somewhere in town.

Most of the violence revolves around political factions and their thugs. Politics in the Philippines is a battle between entrenched oligarchies where corruption is rampant, and votes can go for as much as 500 dollars. Five hundred dollars is a nice amount for an American, but it is a fortune for a poor Filipino farmer. In the mountains, there are still elements of a 55-year-old communist insurgency that remain a force because of the unequal and corrupt politics that put the vast majority of the people in this country in survival mode with few options.

Anyone who runs for office or speaks up can be a target. Democracy there is a bit of a farce when people are afraid to speak up about even basic issues for fear of being killed. A local lawyer was gunned down about a year ago, and it caught national attention, though it is likely nothing will come of it. Killers kill and get away with it. The Philippines is one of the most dangerous countries for activists or journalists. There is a reason Maria Ressa earned the Nobel Prize. Usually, there is almost always a killing while we are there. This time, two area politicians had grenades thrown at their houses. Fortunately, nobody was hurt. The violence of political factions always ramps up before an election, so we kept a pretty low profile while we were there.

In the U.S., many of us have the privilege to walk down our streets with relative safety, and politicians can ply their craft without the threat of violence. Elections here are largely fair, and corruption is not as overt as in a country where it is part of daily life. Before we throw it all away, we need to check our privilege and realize no matter which side wins, it will still be better than many other countries where people wish they had what we take for granted.