I always remembered how the Philippines always has the problems of people who refuse to follow simple guidelines. It just made me think of the time that when I went to Singapore and later to Hong Kong, I was amazed at how people could follow simple guidelines without the use of Communist policies such as beating people up who do offenses. The problem of not following simple guidelines has the scenario that the problem is NOT democracy in itself but a lack of discipline.
Now I am not saying we should criminalize everything like the Communists do nor am I endorsing the real need for another martial law era. The problem is that, after martial law, a lot of Filipinos have developed a wrong sense of freedom. Freedom for them has been defined by a do what you want and you're not the boss of me type of thinking. I remembered all the activist groups who keep on spray painting stuff like, "There is no system that grant freedom." (Carabao English) and we would have other stuff like they paint the Anarchy Symbol left and right. Sad to say they think that discipline equals dictatorship when there's a thin line between both of them. I guess these people can't tell the difference between a disciplinary state and a draconian state. It's just like people who keep calling Singapore as "everybody's favorite tyranny".
Why is it then NOT draconian to ever implement certain fines for offenses like throwing garbage anywhere? First, I am NOT criminalizing the offenses that I want to implement disciplinary action on with a monetary fine. For example, after I made a wrong turn when I was driving, I was requested to pay PHP 500.00 for that unintentional offense as a reminder never to do it again. The blue traffic ticket was given because my offense was not really big but I could have killed someone. If I got a PHP 50.00 penalty for jaywalking, it's also a reminder that I could have been run over by a car. While I didn't serve jail time for my offenses, I certainly got hit by a lesson never to do them again. If people were fined for littering, spitting, mendicancy vandalism, pooing and peeing anywhere just to name a few offenses (and no, they do not need to serve jail time unless it was at a massive scale) then people would be discouraged from doing their offenses which in turn, may discourage crime.
If you look at progressive countries, it's because people choose to follow simple guidelines which in turn helps reduce the crime rate, which in turn may reduce the state's need to hang people for heavy offenses like murder and legalized theft. Do you know why America right now is under turmoil? Don't blame free trade Mr. Blabbersky, blame the fact that a lot of Americans like you today choose to be Muricans, they refuse to follow even simple guidelines thus it creates a domino effect. Likewise, a lot of Filipinos today even refuse to follow simple guidelines, taking them as mere recommendations rather than as an order or advice to be followed. When you are advised to pass your paper on or before the deadline, YOU DO IT. When you are advised to comply with safety standards from the health inspector, YOU DO IT. Sad to say but not following simple guidelines in turn, creates a domino effect that destroys society.
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