The Philippines as White Conservative Male Paradise

I had the opportunity to live in the Philippines for a couple years. Not in Manila, mind you, but in the provinces. Think endless rice fields, beaches galore, and only a handful of privately-owned automobiles in town. I can speak three Filipino languages and love their food, including balut. Even my girlfriend is Filipina, and I honestly believe that doing better than her is a physical and theoretical impossibility. That being said, I got to see a side to the Philippines that most foreigners either never get to or never want to see. I've been to neighborhoods so filthy, just to describe the sights and smells would give you convulsions. I've seen such poverty as would make you drop to your knees instantly and praise your deity of choice for every single bite of food, piece of clothing, breath of air, and drop of clean water you've ever had.

All that notwithstanding, the Philippines is still overflowing with white people, particularly men. As infrequently as I went to the mall nearest to my apartment, I always always always saw all shapes and kinds of white guy patrolling the mall with either a girl on his arm or a creepy gleam in his eye. This got me to thinking: what is it about this place that makes it so appealing? With the exception of typhoon season, the weather is perfect for most of the year. Additionally, I'd be lying if I didn't say that my girlfriend is a dazzlingly beautiful paragon of Filipina beauty, not to mention the fact that we have a very good, open relationship on a personal level. I knew all this, and yet... I knew there had to be something more. That's when it hit me. The appeal of the Philippines wasn't just one level, nor was it general for all white guys. Its appeal had very specific underpinnings, which I will now discuss.

Think about it:  a tropical, free-market paradise, full of English speakers and beautiful women! A place so obsessed with light skin that the only dark people with any modicum of influence or power are Black NBA stars! A place where all your deepest, darkest desires can be yours for only 42 Php/US dollar! A place where Muslims are generally derided and discriminated against, and Christianity unquestionably rules government at all levels! A place where the rich are rich, and the poor keep to themselves!

This last point highlights the main problem in the Philippines, something that would make it very appealing for the white conservative man: except for portions of Manila and other large cities, there is effectively no middle class. While unemployment sat at 7% last year (US unemployment at the same time was around 9%) over 32% of the population, or around 30 million people, lived below the poverty line. For all our talk about wealth distribution here in the US, 2011 statistics tell us that the bottom 10% of the wealth distribution scale held 2.4% of total income, whereas the top 10% claimed 31.2%. I see no reason why our current economic circumstances would have improved that at all. This problem is compounded by the government-encouraged Filipino tendency to go overseas for work at the earliest convenience. Currently, there are over 9 million Filipinos working abroad in various occupations. Maybe you know one: they're typically employed as nurses, care givers, crewmembers on cargo and cruise ships, and IT positions.

Here's what's wrong with that. With so many of the younger, educated, and upwardly-mobile generation leaving for greener pastures overseas, only the top and bottom of the wealth distribution continuum are left. In other words, no middle class = the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Now let's take a look at why this would appeal to the white conservative American man. The Philippines is popular with retired expats because thanks to an exchange rate that hovers around 42 Php/$1, they can maintain or increase their spending habits from back home. For businessmen, the appeal is even greater: not only has the economy been largely shielded from global fallout, but rampant government corruption makes regulatory enforcement incredibly difficult. In conservative terms, we're looking at the kind of capitalist environment that would make Ayn Rand pass out in ecstasy.

Speaking of Ayn Rand and her virulent hatred of all things communist, the Philippines has seen over 800 cases of extrajudicial murder in the last 10 years, mostly against journalists or members of leftist organizations demonized by the government as "communist fronts". Because the previous presidential administration, that of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, made the destruction of the communist New People's Army and Islamic extremist groups a top national priority, attacks against individuals and groups with leftist backgrounds are as frequent as they are unprosecuted.

So why is this important? The answer is simple: the wealthy classes of the US and the Philippines seem to want (subconsciously, at least) to turn their country into the other, and vice versa. Allow me to explain in bullet points:

• White Americans want to be tan, and Filipinos have been convinced by the media that success and popularity is directly related to the whiteness of one's skin.
• Wealthy American conservatives want an unregulated economy, one that will lead to an ever-widening wealth gap.
• Shared Filipino experiences with poverty and foreign invasion have led to an attitude of passive tolerance when dealing with hardship, meaning the poor persevere without rising up and demanding their fair share.
• 80.9% of the population is Catholic and almost 95% is Christian, leaving secularists and the Muslim minority effectively out of power in the national government.
• Government-sponsored fear of and attacks against communist and Muslim ideologies mirrors the rhetoric of Michele Bachmann, Allen West, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, etc.

What we're dealing with here is not a comparison/contrast between American and Filipino social values, but political and economic conditions. While I would love to have some of that Filipino resourcefulness and resilience, I want no part in the economic environment the American religious right seems to be aiming for, one which bears striking similarities to the Philippines. While I wouldn't go so far as to label it a fascist theocracy quite yet, Filipino politics is absolutely owned by religion and the wealth disparity grows wider  every year. I fear that this is the America we will be looking at if we let the fanatical wing of the religious right, particularly the Tea Party, to have their way at any level of government.

Remember that in November and beyond. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and make friends with a matronly, middle-aged Filipina who will feed you delicious food until you die (albeit happily) from it.