The Philippines joined other authoritarian nations in southeast Asia to ban the film Abominable, a joint production by DreamWorks and China’s Pearl Studio.
The animated film about a Chinese teenager helping a yeti return to his home shows a chart featuring the “nine-dash” line which sets out Beijing’s expansive claims to the flashpoint waters.
By including the U-shaped line, the movie — a joint production by DreamWorks and China’s Pearl Studio — has stumbled into a festering row that has long been a source of friction between Beijing and Southeast Asia.
The Philippines’ community of “woke” Netizens are, as expected, ecstatic. This community is at the core of the Philippines’ political Opposition camp and have been railing against what they perceive to be increasingly troublesome Chinese influence over the Philippines under the government of President Rodrigo Duterte. The trouble is, they are exhibiting yet again the very inconsistency that had become a feature of their style of “activism”.
(Photo source: ShanghaiList)
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Free markets and free expression are at the core of the problematic state of affairs here. Unlike the rest of most of southeast Asia, the Philippines styles itself as a liberal Western-style “democracy” with an economy where capital freely flows to where return on it is highest. Perhaps Abominable, in its portrayal of Chinese interests, offends the “woke” crowd of snowflake “activists”. But does it break any laws? Does its producers use it as a tool to unfairly influence the market using illegally obtained information, monopolistic behaviour, or to spread misinformation through dishonest means?
As usual, the top “thought leaders” of the Opposition apply a selective lens to who they condemn for dishonest expression of political positions. Some time back, for example, a CNBC report revealed that Rappler CEO Maria Ressa had engaged the services of “lobbying juggernaut” Covington & Burling to boost her PR campaign against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. This, and an ongoing investigation on allegations of her company’s foreign ownership — illegal under Philippine law — arguably makes Ressa and Rappler a candidate for banning using the same arguments used against Abominable today.
The bigger point the Philippines’ “woke” crowd are missing is that, in a free market, consumers can simply opt not to patronise products that they find unsuitable to their needs or, in this case, a source of personal offense. They can even call for a boycott of the movie, and that’s perfectly alright.
However, rather than rely on the free market to determine what flies or not, many of these so-called “activists” — many of whom are noisy advocates of free expression, free inquiry, and are self-styled anti-authoritarianism campaigners — prefer, as in this instance, to call for outright censorship. Ironic, right? Inconsistent, definitely.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
The way these political oppositions are behaving nowadays, is the same as the Italian Fascist Dictator, Benito Mussolini, behaved before grabbing power in Italy, and established a fascist regime, during World War II.
The Nazi German Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, learned from the Italian Fascist Dictator, Mussolini; political tactics, in grabbing power, and remaining in power, using dirty political tactics, violence, misinformation, etc…
Here are the political tactics, being used by any political faction, or politician, who are bent in grabbing power and remaining in power :
(1) Indoctrination – the use of misinformation, fake news, fake history, fake narratives of the “leaders” greatness and sainthood, to dumb down the next generation, like the children’ s textbooks, children’s play, children’s songs and poems, etc…children’s minds are easy to manipulate…
(2) Cult of Personality – Showing the “leaders” large pictures and monuments in public places; naming prominent public edifices, roads, international airports, to their names; inculcating people of their greatness and sainthood, etc…
(3) Use of Propaganda Machine – the mainstream media is used as a propaganda machine , to feed and dumb down the public of misinformation, favorable to the dictator.
(4) Demonization of Political Enemies – political enemies, whether real or imagined…long dead or alive; are frequently demonized to dumb down the public. Even frighten the ignorant public, so that the dictator will remain in power.
(5) Use of War and International Conflicts – to cover up their true political agenda, incompetence, corruption, evil intention, etc…they use war and international conflicts, to hold and mesmerize the people in their control…
(6) Cheating and Rigging Elections – dictators cheat in democratic elections to defeat and frustrate , the will of the people, and put themselves in power…they even use religion, to promote their political agenda…
We have to learn the lessons of history, so that we will never repeat the same mistakes again… “Those who forget the past, are condemned to repeat it.”, from a known history philosopher, Santayana…
Ninoy Aquino, founded the New People’s Army, and was an ardent supporter , financially and materially of the Communist Party of the Philippines. The late Cory Aquino, once she was installed into power; released all jailed communist insurgents, and exiled, Jo Ma Sison to Amsterdam, Holland.
Cory Aquino put the “Partylist System”, in our Legislative Branch. She allowed the insurgent communists, to be members in the Legislative House. This made them , legally get the government funds, from our taxes, to finance their insurgency, true political agenda, etc…
Now the CPP and NPA are well financed by our taxes, and operating with impunity in our midst…they use false organization’s names, false political causes, and have morphed into disguised political nature, to deceive us all. Jo Ma Sison, the CPP Supremo, is living like a King in exile !
Not only in the Philippines but also in the USA as well that having the so-called the “Anti-China” activism. Like the best example is the NBA where the General Manager of Houston Rockets posted a cryptic tweet message that he support pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong in which the Chinese “Communist” government pissed off on his tweet message & they want to pull out the NBA on Chinese markets. Except in the case of Lebron James in which he became neutral on the current political situation in HK: https://youtu.be/QyUp5UMfZLk
Silver was told by the Chinese officials, they wanted Morey fired. LeBron called Morey misinformed. Then again I am not sure who has been to China more LeBron or Trillanes? One for the love of Nike, the other for the love of Noynoy.
Funny how Lebron is “neutral” when it comes to Commie China, but when it comes to President Trump, all these loud mouths and goons gotta open their big mouths like we care what THEY think.
Well unlike Trump, the Chinese Communist government are notorious on human rights abuse. So its ok for him to bash & criticize him but not the Commie Chinese gov’t. If he did that he’ll be sentenced to a death penalty. ?
To complete my summary of fascists tactics of Mussolini, by which some politicians have intimidated political opponents, in our times:
Mussolini used Political Colors, to further his political agendas, He used the color : Black, his loyal followers, wear : Blackshirt and Black clothing. He armed them, and used violence to intimidate political
opponents. Nazi Fuhrer Hitler, used: his Brownshirt and Nazi SS loyal Army to intimidate his political opponents. The communists, under Russian commie: Vladimir Lenin, used the color Red : had the Red Army to intimidate all political opponents.
The Aquinos and the Aquino Cojuangco political axis , used the color: Yellow , as their political color. They use the , YellowTards, followers wearing Yellow Shirts, to intimidate political opponents and promote their political agendas. The Aquinos used the New People’s Army and the communists, other communist fronts, the Roman Catholic Church, as their “de facto” political forces, to gain financial and material supports. This was the reason, Pnoy Aquino used the : DAP, PDAF, Typhoon Yolanda Fund, Pork Barrel Bribery, other government funds to support the NPA and the communists, and to promote their political agenda. Th e Aquinos also used the Shabu Drug distribution to the Barangay level to gain financial and material support of their political causes…this was the reason, Leila De Lima , the drug dealer used Bilibid Prison convicts, as drug lords and made the Bilibid Prison the “center of distribution” of the Shabu drug and other illegal drugs. Leila de Lima, also made the Bilibid Prison, a “five star hotel” for useful inmates; and made the Bilibid Prison the “Las Vegas Entertainment Center” of Shabu distributors…
We have all to be educated and informed of these dirty political tactics. Ginisa tayo lahat sa sariling mantika !