War affects us all
The latest consequence of United States-Israel attacks on Iran and Iran’s subsequent retaliation comes to us now in the form of oil price hikes. We saw long lines at gas stations last Monday, bracing for the double-digit increases the next day. Beyond just gas prices, this will cascade to increased prices of goods, including electricity. This human-made crisis should disabuse us of any notion that we can afford not to care about what is going on in the rest of the world. Moreover, this is a stark reminder of how connected and dependent we are on others.
Interconnectedness is an oft-repeated theme in this column. Our fates are all connected. What is happening elsewhere eventually reaches our shores. And so, it pays to pay attention. Having Filipino workers all over the world ties our families and households to global affairs. The recent bombings in the Middle East have made our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) unsafe, with families at home praying for their well-being. They are particularly vulnerable because they don’t have the resources of the ultrarich, whose powerful passports and finances can afford them private charters out of war zones. That our OFWs also tend to choose not to evacuate until it is mandatory is due to economic hardship. The scarcity of viable income and employment opportunities here increases their tolerance for safety risks abroad if it means financial security for their families. The failure of our economic policies and our inability to improve living conditions domestically thus push Filipinos toward more volatile regions to begin with.
All issues are also connected. While different concerns compete for our (increasingly short) attention, they intersect with each other in ways we cannot immediately discern. The issue of misogyny, for example, has a deep intersection with attitudes that contribute to war. Negative prejudices against a marginalized group, like women, are related to less empathy. Lowered empathy or having difficulty relating to others makes us care less about the plight or welfare of others. This, in turn, makes us more likely to perpetuate harm or violence as we dismiss or minimize the suffering of others. This is why misogyny is never a light issue; it has its correlates with violence. And if misogyny is institutionalized, the institutionalization of violence tends to follow.
Extrajudicial killings, as a form of institutionalized violence, as well as a lack of due process, are also interconnected with warmongering. What they have in common is the insistence on the most expedient and aggressive strategy to solve a perceived problem, with a willingness to violate human rights. The “war on drugs” is intentional wordplay. It is an attempt to legitimize violence and killings against perceived “enemies,” when in fact these so-called “enemies” are also fellow citizens with a right to due process. In the United States, the name change from “Department of Defense” to “Department of War” is not simply stylistic; it is a declared change in priorities and strategy. Normalizing and justifying extrajudicial killings clear the way for war and war crimes.
While war affects us all, it affects us differently. The powerless are more vulnerable. The consequences are felt more immediately and intimately. OFWs are in this category. They did not have a hand in this war, yet by their circumstances, it is their lives that are at risk, as opposed to American leaders who have rallied for bombs yet enjoy the safety of being outside the range of retaliation. The rich and powerful will eventually feel these effects too, when their businesses and governments can no longer absorb the losses and their own safe spaces are breached. As long as war continues, it will make itself felt by all.
We do not just feel its effects; we have contributed to war in our own way. We have allowed our local troll farm industry to grow, a shadow industry that exploits our strength in outsourcing labor. Troll farms are used to professionally manipulate and distort public opinion. They create the illusion of support for institutionalized violence and wars. There are allegations that troll operations have been set up as a testing ground for tactics used to influence elections both here and abroad. Filipinos are mentioned in the infamous Epstein files as workers who scrub the internet clean of any critical news and information against Jeffrey Epstein.
There is no such thing as immunity from the effects of war. In a highly connected world, we will all be affected sooner or later. Keep in mind, however, that this connection is bidirectional—we can affect the outcome of war, too. There are ways in which we can change our fate away from war and tragedy. We must improve our living conditions such that Filipinos can have the luxury of choice and not be forced into unsafe places. We must not allow ourselves to be used by proponents of war and violence. We must cultivate values and attitudes that respect people’s rights and their lives.
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aatuazon@up.edu.ph
