Illogical neutralism

Title

Language

English

Source

Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume IX (No. 6) June 1956

Year

1956

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

PHILIPP INES AR~1ED FORCES JOURNAL Illogical Neutralism By Honorable Eulogio Balao SIA, before the second world war, was peopled by men who had by then grown rather docile andresigned to being ruled by foreign powers. Then the war isolated the colonies from their rulers. Left alone, each colony was forced to seek aid within itself. This contingency fused each fellow with his neighbor, until the colony became a social unit fired with one sentiment. Long.atrophied initiative and ingenuity were roused by long-lost unity and native interest in state affairs. All at once, America's attitude towards .them throughout Asia, the colonized people leaves something to be desired. became aware of their inherent At any rate, these small republics power; that their existence did not, of Asia have grown suspicious of after all, flow from that of foreign any foreign country that has enough masters. The events that happened strength to colonize. It is a natural soon after the war were inevitable consequence. They are naturally - revolutions swept like wildfire anxious to guard their new-found throughout Asia and new republics happiness. They are over-anxious in were born. But even after becom- fact, and this has resulted in nearing free, these people never lost the sightedness in the matter of f"orming bad taste in their mouths. Unhap- international relations. They have pily, America whose clean record in gone to extremes, resorting to neuthis regard is well known to us, has trality which we feel is wrong. Surebeen unjustly included with the taste, ly, any nation which affirms democfor it has always been associated racy as its guiding principle, as these with the former colonizers. Further- nations do, cannot sincerely liv~ neumore, the Asians, sensith·e of their trally. Neutrality in this fight, and newly-realized rights claim that with the main protagonists involved, The .ehi!ippine• ;, one of 1he •ignoloriu of the SEATO. In the co•e of young, ond individuo!ly impolent republic, only co!lecti•e oction with SEATO member notion• ond Olher bi!jger free powefl con offer oolilfoclory delerrent armed force manifests impulsiveness arising from desire to cultivate Russian friendbaseless fears. And when that na- ship. tion is weak, as these nations are, Why colonialism should, up to now, neutralism practically guarantees its be associated only with the West is death. something we cannot comprehend. The neutralists claim that an al- We can only understand it to mean liance with America would invite lack of full appreciation of history, Russian invasion. They claim this, its shifts and motivations. Genghis even as their respective territories Khan and his Asiatic hordes tried teem with Red subversives already and succeeded in colonizing. Japan implementing the same threat they tried to do the same barely a deare trying to forestall futilely by cade ago but failed. Russia, that fence-sitting. With voices trembling Asiatic country, has colonies right with ~motion, they avow sincere be- now. The spirit of colonialism does lief in America's anti-colonialism; in not arise from geographical or racial the next breath, they announce their factors. It arises from the mind which is modified by ideas, anrl nothing else. Today, no Western country would consider colonizing, for recent experiences have taught its impracticability, and the rest of the free world have been alerted to its basic dangers. To the Western World I dare ~ay that colonialism is a museum-pu~cc. \Vestern colonialism went out of vogue with the downfall of monarchy and the want of lands to discover. Today, when democracy is the popular principle, only states governed by mad dictators and Comnism is a new power, and it is essentially totalitarian in nature and experience shows that these particular conditions spawn forcible expansion. If these new democracies find un equalled joy in their existence, does not human compassion and charity dictate that efforts be made to insure that their past sad fate not befall other countries? If these fencesitters are sincere in their abhorrence of a colonialism, does it not follow that they should join the battle against it? Is not active participation in the fight against oppression the only moral and ethical way? They claim that they only need economic and technical aid to strengthen their resistance to Communism. But economic stability cannot be attained overnight. You can- i,; trying its best to tak~ o, . ..,J not hurry up the land. You cannot country. take a people bowed by foreign rule White they are forming a nonfor years and transform them in one military, spiritual and economic butsweep into spirits capable of produc- wark against Red oppression, they ing an industrial revolution. Mean- expect the Communists to leave while, as steps are being taken to them alone. Thus, they dismiss the attain economic stability, Communism Southeast Asia Treaty Organization so long as it has provisions for mili- aggression in any form, cannot protary defense. It is not the defense \"ide otherwise. All it can allow us of actual battlefields which call for to do is fence our land while we till local counter-attacks along the line it and fill our granaries. At this whenever pressed. All we signatories stage of the game there can be no hope for is to stabilize present eon- substitute for security backed by ditions and present boundaries. Our military power. Security backed by democratic principles, being against sincere friendship is ideal, but sin~~~"""" .'N ""'"" MAlo\'1~ ~ £9<1•/"~ WEO ')~m~s ~d' ~'·:·~. Q '1./'t,,.. ~..._.. · -~ ,,~ ~ ~ ... ?~~__...,. • ll Map show, sprenrl of communist menace in Soutl>eosl Asio. { J l AUSTRALIA eerily is a vi1·tue which has ret to the ground; and small nations like gain entrance into the communists' the Philippines who have tasted freesou\. Korea and Vietnam showed dom, liked it so much that they sufthal only armed force can stop fered defending it and consequently Communism's march. And in the know how to insure its permanence. case of youn~, and individual_ly im- There is no choice for the Philpotent repubhcs, only co!lec.llve _ac- ippines but to join the SEATO. It tion with each other and With bJg- was a dynamic anti-communist gesger free nations can offer satisfac- ture and we are proud of it: We tory detertent a:med f~rce. have high hope~, and we take pride We SEATO s1g_natorte.s have also in not having attempted to ·meet ex~:enn i~~~:~: r~o~·n~::a~~: c~~t~c:e~~ tinction ~quatting on our haunches. so blind to the illegal military build- We choose to align ourselves with up in North Korea and North Viet- the other SEATO nations, because nam? How can they be deaf to the it is the only honorable and sincere reports of their own military leaders way; the only move in keeping with of the exploits of local Communist the dynamic spirit of freedoms' he· agents? It is we, on the other hand, roes whose deeds form our 'g1.1iding who are trying to reduce the tension. heritage. We choose to take sides The status quo in\·olves an aggres- because only in doing so can our si\'e communist bloc; an unselfi~h existence be guaranteed. We choose America whose hand, it seems, is be- sides because we are a people who ing constantly bitten by those it would like to continue worshipping feeds; the neutralists whose heads our own God, and give posteiity the are way up in the clouds without wholesome life that communism can ha\·ing their feet planted firmly on never hope to offer.

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