Counterpunch | History may have come to an embarrassing end in the centres of the
Empire but not in it’s remote regions. As the great Egyptian analyst
Samir Amin points out in a recent Monthly Review essay: it is in the
periphery of the global system where the great political and social
storms occur.
Why? Because history is still fluid there. The battle for and against
the transformation of the system still resonates there. Whereas the
stagnant centres of the system are dealing with the pathetic aftermath
of modernity – on the edges: modernity is still being born and still
being strangled.
In other words, the weakest links in the global chain of capitalism
best reveal what the hell is going on. And what’s going to happen next.
Therefore if you want to gauge the system forget about New York or
London or Paris and head to places like the Philippines.
Before Rodrigo Duterte was elected Filipino President last year no
one gave a damn about the country. It was just assumed to be an American
puppet. Another one that is full of poverty. But overnight this
perception changed. A significant political storm emerged from within
the Filipino archipelago that forced the world to adjust its vision.
Within days of Duterte’s election the Empire was forced on the back
foot, as he insisted on Filipino sovereignty. Ironically he did this by
acknowledging China’s position in the South China Sea. Refusing to take
the American bait (war on China) the new President of the Philippines
quickly defused one of the world’s most dangerous confrontations.
For this diplomacy alone, Duterte deserved the Nobel Peace Prize.
However the Empire and even some Filipino progressives, like Walden
Bello, were frustrated by this outbreak of peace in the South China Sea.
For committing “the crime of peace” on the international stage
Duterte became a figure of hate for liberal imperialists everywhere. And
on cue, liberals suddenly cared about life in the Philippines. From
being an ignored entity before the advent of Duterte – Filipino life
became front page news in New York, London and Paris. Liberal cynicism
went into overdrive and felt the need, for geopolitical reasons, to
demonise yet another Third World leader.
0 comments:
Post a Comment