Militarism and the economic system: A view on escalating tensions

Netizens lambasted the United States after the assassination of Qassem Soleimani. But when President Duterte expressed support for the US on the pretext of Iran harming the OFWs, many are once again confused especially with the Malacañang reiterating allegiance to the US.

The protests’ cry is, then, right in saying US-Duterte. Why drag the Philippines into US-Iran Conflict when Iran has no agenda with Philippines? Shedding light, one may look into the US-Ph Relations, e.g. Mutual Defense Treaty, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and other treaties especially the economic. The Philippines dragged into such a conflict is a reflection of its semi-colonial status vis-a-vis the global capitalist crisis. Our country had been caught in inter-imperialist conflict during World War II and now our president in his confirmation of AFP’s relationship with the United States Special Operation Command under the Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines may drag the country between an imperialist and an anti-imperialist. If our president is indeed anti-imperialist, then, it is timely now to show his disgust at US imperialism by expressing support for Iran's example of independent foreign policy. He could've cast the IMF-WB neoliberal policies away. If the president’s independent foreign policy is indeed genuine and not a lip service, he could have expressed support to any country fighting for patrimony and sovereignty.

Why support an imperialist hegemony? Instead of displaying anti-imperialist stance, our president maintains the country’s semi-colonial status.

Even main US allies are isolating Trump. What is then the relationship of the AFP with the US military? What is the dynamics between militarism and the neoliberal economic system? Data shows that supplies and funds from the US military continue to flow to the AFP. From pistols to surveillance gadgets, advisorships and trainings, the AFP enjoys the hundred million dollar US military aid through the International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement,

International Military Education and Training, and Foreign Military Financing Program. These are evident in the US Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bills. Militarist imperial aggression is a twin sibling of the rotten global monopoly capitalism. There is a link between transnational and/or multinational interests and the military industry. Toying with China does not mean independent foreign policy since China becomes imperialist. Neoliberalism is an imperialist agenda. Casting it away could have been

President Duterte's legacy to differentiate himself apart from his predecessors and usher a genuine change he promised. Can there be genuine change in the same rotten macroeconomic policy implemented by the current and the previous administrations? The geopolitical west itself had been rocked by massive protests against neoliberalism. Many renowned academicians are too critical of the neoliberal global capitalism paving the way for warmongers’ imperialist aggressions. Is the US-Iran conflict popular among the Americans? In just seven days, five Pentagon officials resigned after the assassination of Qassem Soleimani. Westerners are critical of the military industry vis-a-vis political economy yet many Filipinos are confident in Trump.

Noe M. Santillan

Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Social Studies

University of the Philippines Cebu