Skip to main content

The Foolishness (and Hypocrisy) of Wanting Imported Luxury Items as Christmas Gifts While Opposing BADLY NEEDED Economic Reform

I wrote about the Filipino obsession with the iPhone a few months ago. With Christmas being a few days away, I wrote that post to address the foolishness (and hypocrisy) of wanting imported luxury items for Christmas. One of the greatest wishlists that someone in the Philippines could have composed of imported luxury items. It shouldn't be just a bag--it should be something like the latest Prada or Hermes. It shouldn't just be a smartphone or a new tablet--it should be an iPhone or an iPad. Some Filipinos may have even pestered their OFW relatives to bring them the latest imported luxury item. Never mind that working abroad, separated from loved ones, is anything but glamorous.

Ironically, some people who want imported luxury items still oppose economic reform. I mentioned how Apple has a huge factory in Communist Vietnam. I wrote an article where I discussed Lego operating a factory in again, Communist Vietnam. Just think for the moment if I talk to them, who are either wishing for Apple gadgets or having them now. I could start talking about why the Philippines needs to get rid of the Filipino First Policy and allow more FDIs to enter. It could be either in person or on Facebook.

I would expect some dumb answers which are very common. The reasons I tend to state are as follows:

  1. "But the Philippines is not this or that country!"
  2. "But only FDIs will get rich when you let them invest in the Philippines!" (Read rebuttal here)
  3. "But letting FDIs invest here will mean there will be no jobs for Filipinos!" (Read rebuttal here)
  4. "Foreign investors are invaders! They will invade the country and destroy our sovereignty!" (Read rebuttal here
  5. "We need more wage increase, not more FDIs!" (Read rebuttal here)
  6. "No to foreign imperialism! Filipino Pride!" (Read rebuttal here)
Those same reasons I listed above that might barely cover the long range of stupid answers. It would be very stupid if they're all anticipating those imported luxury items (and maybe, blaming the rich for their poverty at the same time). Even funnier is if they write all the false flags about FDIs and MNCs using their iPads and iPhones. They will say they're "simply forced to participate to survive". Were they forced to buy Apple products when they could've had cheaper substitutes? Maybe, they're also carrying those iPads and iPhones in imported luxury bags. Some people hate the rich, for simply being rich, because they want to have what the rich have, without working for it. 

They've already contradicted themselves with their Christmas wish. How can people who are calling for the Filipino First Policy be using imported luxury items? How can the same people who say that only FDIs will get rich in investing in the Philippines be saying this while using imported luxury items? The sheer contradiction is there. Didn't they just "empower" the "imperialists" by buying imported luxury items? Don't tell me those they call "imperalists" forced them to buy those luxury items? They could've bought other non-luxury items.

I'm really going to laugh at the stupidity of the situation. Why can't they think of a better Christmas wish with a more open economy for the Philippines? Just imagine saying FDI will ruin the spirit of the Philippines (all the while, most Filipinos are Catholics) while wishing for imported luxury bands. 

Popular posts from this blog

It's More Fun In The Philippines Thanks to the Filipino First Policy

I guess it can be called a day, right? This April 1, 2023 , I'm finally calling it quits with fighting for economic liberalization! Yes, that's right! All the advocacy for economic liberalization is just garbage. Why did I even spend so much time writing this blog only to find out that I've been duped? I hereby renounce everything I wrote here. I finally saw how brilliant the Filipino First Policy is. Man, what have I done? How much damage have I caused in advocating for economic liberalization?  The greatest president we ever had was... High School Philippine History Movement It's time to listen to the economic genius known as the late Carlos P. Garcia. Yes, he has to be one of the greatest presidents that ever existed.  I took this note from the Bohol Provincial Library and found this about CPG's Filipino First Policy ; CPG adopted the “Filipino First” Policy to promote greater Filipino participation in business, and to put the Filipinos in control of the economy...

Learning from the Late Lee Kuan Yew's Proving Protectionist-Driven Economists Wrong About Multinational Corporations

Reading the book From Third World to First is really a must. The late Lee Kuan Yew was faced with the mentality of the development economists of his day. Here's an excerpt from "Chapter 4--Surviving Without a Hinterland" which I'd like to share from Pages 57-58: After several years of disheartening trial and error, we concluded that Singapore's best hope lay with the American multinational corporations (MNCs). When the Taiwanese and Hong Kong entrepreneurs came in the 1960s, they brought low technology such as textile and toy manufacturing, labor-intensive but not large-scale. American MNCs brought higher technology in large-scale operations, creating many jobs. They had weight and confidence. They believed that their government was going to stay in Southeast Asia and their businesses were safe from confiscation or war loss. I gradually crystallized my thoughts and settled on a two-pronged strategy to overcome our disadvantages. The first was to leapfrog the reg...

The Myth of "Invading" Other Countries Through Foreign Investors and Overseas Filipino Workers

BoardGameGeek Years ago, I could remember how "Filipino pride" seems to be required by the DECS. Some songs in the Filipino subject (or called Tagalog) tend to glorify it. One of the songs was called "Ako'y Isang Pinoy" (or "I'm Pinoy") feels ironic since it was played on an imported music player. We had discussions for years about how Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are often the unsung heroes or the new heroes. The mentality kept going on with how people desired to take a particular course not because they wanted to--it's because they wanted to go abroad. Why I wanted to take Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) was not just to impress people but also to go abroad . However, more people shifted away from BSIT either because they were eliminated (common cause) or because it was too hard for them. Some of them flat out admitted that they took BSIT in hopes of going abroad. Some were taking nursing in hopes of again-- going abro...

The Good Old Days when Gasoline was Cheaper Under the Late Noynoy Aquino

Millennials' Voice I would like to clarify first and foremost that this post isn't an attempt to say that the late Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III's legacy was all bad. Some good things happened. However, let me be clear that it's stupid to say, " We don't need economic cha-cha because of the late Noynoy. " However, let me clear that I decided to write this because of a Facebook post called Millennials' Voice , which wrote this: Did you know that during President Noynoy Aquino's time, the price of oil in the world market was high, between $100 and $110 per barrel. But even with those high prices, gasoline and diesel at local pumps in the country were still relatively affordable.  Under President Duterte, world oil prices went up and down, from a low of $41 to a high of $101 per barrel. The big jump to $101 in 2022 happened because of the war between Russia and Ukraine.   Now, under the current president, world oil prices have gone up again to around $...

Pinoy Pride Economics Helps in Drug Mule Recruitment

Al Jazeera Who can remember the execution of three drug mules in China on March 30, 2011 ? These were three separate cases where the three convicts were  Sally Villanueva , Ramon Credo (who was cremated before his remains were brought home, and Elizabeth Batain (whose face was never shown). Sally had an episode in the GMA-7 TV show Magpakailanman,  where her husband was personally interviewed by Mel Tiangco. We never got Sally on the big screen. The husband's side of the story said that his wife was guilty of a frame-up, while Mel herself said, "If the offer is too good to be true, don't take it, or you could end up in the same pickle." Take note that I'm just paraphrasing Mel's words, not saying the words she said.  Reviewing the three drug mules who got arrested, based only on what's available for public viewing on the Internet If we read through the circumstances , this is how they were arrested, proving they weren't a trio: China has brushed aside...