I’ve intentionally cut back on blogging recently because I have more productive and worthwhile stuff going on. The point being that I wanted to unload myself of baggage called “the Philippines” and focus on creating my current and future reality. Also, I have shifted to creating memes which are posted in the Antipinoy Facebook page. For one, the meme images capture what I want to say very clearly – and I don’t have to keep on repeating myself by typing the same concepts over and over again.
Having said that, I noted the recent assaults on personal liberties of Filipinos under the guise of curbing crime. Banning hammers, caps, and sunglasses in malls has been the more recent enacted policies. And in Davao, there’s the speed limit allegedly to reduce accidents.
All of these measures are distractions from the true criminals – this group of thugs, paid for by taxpayers (who are still trapped in the consensus reality that government is needed to provide for their safety and security).
Banning hammers, caps, and sunglasses – what will they think of next – how about banning malls? That cop who said people should not be wearing sunglasses since it is in a mall anyway obviously have not heard of Corey Hart’s “I wear my sunglasses at night”. At any rate, since SM is private property, they can choose who they let into their property. Now, we, always have the option to vote with our feet and take our business elsewhere. Should more malls also engage in this assault on personal liberties – we can choose to shop online and shop naked if we want.
For instance, in Davao, the LGU has purchased speed guns, purchased speed limit signs, and imposing fines on speedsters (even if there are no accidents or damages caused on persons and property). Frankly, the reason for a huge number of reckless going on in its streets is the fact that the LTO issues licenses to people who don’t know how to drive. Frankly, the LTO exams are a sham. Any one who fails the licensing exam is not due to the lack of driving ability – rather it is the lack of ability to pay the fixers who pass on the mullah to LTO personnel. The practical driving exams are also a figment of the imagination as people get licenses without ever undergoing a practical test. When you pack the roads with people who don’t have an inkling of road courtesy and understanding of road signs and markings – and squeeze them into Davao’s congested roads – naturally you will get accidents.
The answer therefore lies in ensuring that those who are issued licenses really know how to drive. But then, the politicking officials of Davao don’t want to antagonize the pool of voters who can be easily bought – the tricycle drivers, the jeepney drivers, the bus drivers. This driving incompetence becomes more glaring when Filipinos go overseas to apply for drivers licenses. Here in the US, it is not uncommon to see Filipinos who have to take the drivers exam at least five times or more. Worse, they ask if there are contacts in the DMV who they can pay off!!!
Comparative studies in other countries such as Germany and the US have shown that speed limits are useless and only serve to slow down traffic. In Montana for instance, where speed limits have been lifted, or the German autobahn which has no speed limits – it has been shown that death races have not taken place as people only drive at speeds they are comfortable with. A comparison showed that there are actually lesser accidents in the German autobahn than there are in the US rural roads which have speed limits.
But you can bet – someone mad a whole shitload of money with the purchase of speed guns and speed limit signs – and it definitely isn’t the taxpayer. Frankly the LGU officials who condone extra-judicial killings, who assault a sheriff serving a court order, who assault the elderly in the streets are the true criminals. The indifference to impunity is plain ridiculous – and the criminals have the gall to set speed limits at that.
As government officials get away with murder and plunder, Filipinos are left wondering what can we do. I have said it time and again – government is the problem. The solution is not another government official, not another government program, not another government legislation, not another form of government – the solution is to abolish government’s intervention in our lives.
The solution lies in empowering Filipinos to think for themselves – and not have a government official to do the thinking for them.
If Filipinos can muster the effort to imagine a world where they are in control of their lives – that will be one helluva Christmas gift.
Clearly, the wrong people are in jail – and the wrong people are out of jail.
P.S. Please check out Antipinoy on Facebook – feel free to download and share the memes – happy holidays folks, have a great winter solstice everyone.
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