Filipinos Lament How Far They Haven't Come by Seth Mydans in NY Times
The Philippines, with a population of 92 million, is one of the most vibrant nations in Asia, with a flamboyantly free press and a creative, assertive body of independent organizations and interest groups.
But it has not managed to tame its Communist and Muslim insurgencies or its restive military, which seems constantly to be plotting coups. Human rights groups say abuses by the military have returned to the levels of the Marcos years.
And the political arena sometimes seems more like a form of mass entertainment than a place of governance.
Everyone wishes for someone to really start pulling our act together as a nation. This is the biggest problem with us, Filipinos. No politician is bound to save us. Little steps are incremental to the big changes we want, people. Let's ultimately start these changes within. Only then we can start saving ourselves.
