War, War is Stupid, Part 3

A friend, Froi Vincenton of https://vincenton.wordpress.com/ commented to my earlier points in Part 2 of this subject. He wrote,

Some people didn't ask for war. Just look at the Christians and Yazidis in Musol and other parts of Iraq. They didn't call for war. They didn't want to defend themselves by exacting reciprocal response. They were all massacred. Those who are calling for 'collective' self-defense against organized, adequately funded terror groups (by both transnational terror networks, Islamic countries and OUR GOVERNMENT) are not warmongers or hawks.

If an organized group of more than 1,000 ISIS terror members were able to take several parts of Syria and Iraq and kill hundreds of thousands of Christians and Yazidis who didn't want to defend themselves, then there's a big possibility that an organized alliance of 10,000 to 50,000 members of diverse Islamic terror groups in Mindanao (who are being funded by Malaysia, the Philippine government and other transnational terror networks) could also massacre Filipinos and take over Mindanao or some parts of the country.

Poland didn't ask for war prior to WW2. Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain attacked those who were calling for the British government to stop Hitler. Perhaps Chamberlain also called them many names, including warmongers and chicken hawks. He tried to appease Hitler and then told his own people to "go home and get a nice quiet sleep". But then Hitler invaded Poland and started the Second World war.

There are people who want war or want to initiate war, and war is always a collective or group struggle. War is always initiated by organized, well-funded armed groups or even governments. Now if your response to people who call for RECIPROCAL RESPONSE is-- "go to war yourself and don't bother us" despite clear acts of aggression by WAR INITIATORS, now be ready to be massacred next.

The thing is, some people are simply afraid of the word "war". We know you don't want war. No freedom-loving or sane people want to initiate aggression or war. But what if war comes to you whether you like it or not? If you still don't want to call your response to war "war", then we can use other terms like RECIPROCAL RESPONSE or all-out response. Responding to war initiated by real warmongers or terror groups is not the same as initiating war. There's a term called the Fallacy of Moral Equivalency.

Many valid points by Froi, I thanked him. I support the current war by the AFP vs the BIFF, ASG, JIM, others, It is messy and many civilians are affected, true, but it may have to be done, These break away groups plus future breakaway militant groups. are somehow good because they help cleanse the MILF of the most militant, more blood-hungry elements, until the MILF is left with people who are open to the possibility of cessation of fighting, of co-existence.

The top leaders of MILF -- Murad, Salamat, Iqbal, etc. -- all of them are old and ageing. They have been fighting the PH government for 2, 3, or 4 decades, Endless war has been their life. They are tired, too tired, of the war, and this is the message they are telling to their younger MILF men -- enough of endless war. Learn to co-exist.

AFP/PNP war vs the militant, anti-peace agreement Muslim groups, Yes.

But AFP/PNP war vs Muslim forces that are open to peace agreement and co-existence, No.

Another friend protested what I earlier wrote, "people who call for war are also the most coward to go to a real war." I clarified that  if he and others are not calling for a new big war in the south, then my term does not apply to them. I refer to people who say, "why negotiate with MILF? bomb and shoot them now". And I still think that these people are cowards if they do not volunteer themselves or their kids to be at the frontline of a real war. Not for one day or one week but for months or years until their goal is achieved.

Even if there is no law on the peace agreement yet, there have been a number of new businesses about to come to some Muslim areas in the south. People there are supposed to be holding tractors or computers, not guns and bombs. That is why a peace agreement is necessary.

From this report, February 2, 2015:

"At least three foreign firms looking to partner with local businessmen have put investments on hold after the deadly clash...

Malaysian businessmen due to arrive on Monday to inspect sites in Cotabato city have cancelled their trip, Pasigan said. The group was looking to build small hotels and department stores.

Jordanian businessmen looking to invest in up to 50 hectares (123 acres) of banana farms left abruptly on Sunday without finalizing a deal.

Singaporean and Malaysian partners seeking to replicate their mini shopping mall business in Johor Baru said they were postponing their investment."

There should be more local + foreign Muslim investors. There should be more malls, more hotels, more agri-business, more agri processing, etc. in Cotabato city and outside the  city.

Those who are likely to invest in bangsamoro areas will be fellow Muslims, locals or foreigner from Malaysia, Indonesia, Middle East. It's better to have clannish Muslims holding tractors or computers, than clannish Muslims holding guns and bombs.

There have been proposals in the past to relocate all Muslims in the south to Sulu, Basilan and/or Tawi tawi so they can have their own country. Maybe sound proposal, but the Maguindanaos and Maranaos (from Lanao) do not want to give up their current land, and there are also differences among them Maguindanaos, Maranaos, Tausug (from Sulu), Yakan (from Basilan), etc.

Co-existence is the best compromise. It is happening even in  Malaysia, there are big population of non-Muslim Chinese and Indians there, plus other nationals.

Otherwise, I can support Mindanao to be a separate Republic, and it will be a largely Christian-dominated. And a Cebu Republic, Negros Republic, Panay Republic, and so on. The land area of each of these republics are at least 5x, 10x the land area of Singapore, which is a successful and very rich country. Being separate countries, they can have their own public policies and tax rates, competing with each other to attract more investments and visitors.

But since we have been engulfed with bureaucratism culture, it will be costly for people in Mindanao or Bacolod or Cebu to go to Manila or the rest of Luzon and vice versa. They will need a passport, queue at immigration, pay travel tax, pay higher terminal fee, and so on.

-----------

In another thread, a friend posted this meme. Another war mongering one, supposedly from GRP.

They are suggesting that there is no more need for peace negotiations? That the option is endless war? Lousy.

Its bottomline is "why are WE even negotiating?" Implication is the AFP and PH national population have superiority over the MILF and Muslims respectively and hence, no need to negotiate, use that superiority to overpower them, militarily and politically. Irresponsible.

"give up a pieace of the country" is too emotional. The air space, land space, rivers, etc. in the area under the agreement (but not yet a law) will all be under the PH government. Not a single sq. meter of land will be outside the territorial jurisdiction of the PH government.

The BIFF left the MILF precisely because they do not want to obey the MIs. Umbra Kato was saying when he and his men broke away, "We do not want to obey you and your peace talks with the PH government. any question? You want to get our guns and overpower us? let's shoot each other to death."

So people expecting the MIs to "discipline" the BIs, and now the JIM (breakaway from BIs) are confused. Once an entity breaks away, it means it does not want to be disciplined by its mother or father entity. So to argue that (negotiation) is "totally pointless" because "The MILF... can't control the other groups." is misplaced.

----------

See also: 
War War is Stupid, February 16, 2015

War, War is Stupid, Part 2, March 06, 2015

MILF, PNP SAF and the Fallen 44, Part 4, February 16, 2015 

MILF, Fallen 44 and Napenas, Part 5, February 21, 2015