In disunity there is weakness – and paralysis

“How can you render the duties of justice to men when you’re afraid they’ll be so unaware of justice they may destroy you? Especially since their attitude toward their own race is a destructive one.” – John Howard Griffin

IF foreigners invade the Philippines tomorrow, the Filipinos will be wiped out.

Even if it isn’t China, the invader or group of invaders will make mincemeat of the “inferior” and fractious Filipinos. We will be massacred in our own homeland.

There will be resistance, of course, but it won’t be enough to repulse the enemies.

We don’t underestimate the courage and resilience of our compatriots, but courage or valor and resilience alone can’t win a war.

Why are we saying this?

We need a sophisticated army and logistical support from our Big Brothers, like the United States and our European allies, if possible. And the greatest weapon of all: a united Filipino people.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a united Filipino people. We don’t have harmony and solidarity. Therefore, we don’t have that great weapon.

When a nation is not internally united, it faces severe political, economic, and social instability.

This internal division can lead to polarized governance, stalled public services, economic decline, and, in extreme cases, civil unrest, regional secession movements, or violent civil war.

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Even without an actual invasion, we already quarrel; we are at loggerheads and cannot unite behind a common stand and principle against China.

While the majority of Filipinos rue China’s bullying of our fishermen in the South China Sea, there are traitors — prominent politicians included — who not only tolerate the harassment but also side with the enemy.

Instead of rallying behind their fellow Davids, the traitors cuddle Goliath.

Our vulnerability to foreign interference will be crystal clear. Rival nations will be tempted to exploit our internal disunity through propaganda, cyberattacks, or financial backing for opposing factions.

If there is a breakdown of trust and confidence, citizens lose faith in democratic institutions, the legal system, and public officials, leading to widespread civic apathy or protests.

Even without an actual invasion, we are already being bedeviled by paralysis because in disunity there is weakness.

If we are weaklings, it’s only a matter of time before we collapse and are destroyed.

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American voters have consistently ranked the cost of living as the top issue this election cycle, according to the latest news related to the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections.

Half of registered voters surveyed in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll cited the cost of living as the most important factor in how they will vote.

In the same poll, voters highlighted health care, gasoline, food, and housing as the top household expenses lawmakers should focus on.

Republicans’ top legislative achievement was a tax cut extension that slashed roughly USD 1 trillion in spending for Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income Americans, and other health programs.

Democrats last year forced a government shutdown over a failed effort to extend expiring health insurance subsidies that benefited 24 million Americans.

Reuters reported that gas prices have spiked since the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes on Iran in February. The national average price of gasoline is USD 4.28 per gallon, or USD 1.20 higher than it was a year ago, according to AAA. The average cost of diesel is USD 6.32 per gallon, an increase of USD 2.70 from a year earlier.

(The author is based in New York City and was formerly the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines. — Ed.)