It's crazy how some Filipino communists such as Bantay Nakaw dare to use Taiwan's success to belittle and demean President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Not surprisingly, Bantay Nakaw is supported by Antonio F. Trillanes IV and former human rights chairperson Etta Rosales. I remembered writing about how Filipinos need to understand how Taiwan rose from rags to riches. Now, it's time to consider how Taiwan's Cs that led to its low infection rate. These three Cs are capitalism, compliance, and competence.
How did capitalism help Taiwan in its current situation?
Consider the history of the economic miracle in Taiwan. Reading the book From Third World to First by the late Lee Kuan Yew may be helpful but you need to study the Taiwanese economic miracle. What should be noteworthy that Taiwan's economic miracle also involved the acceptance of foreign investments and trade relations to help form their domestic capital. For a time, China in itself was still under the Maoist rule. The Great Leap Forward of Mao Zedong was trying to prove socialism was the best but only caused it to CRASH. Socialism helps the poor? Well, history really shows that socialism ended up making the poor even poorer and enriched furher those in power. Taiwan, meanwhile, started a capitalist revolution while China was still stuck under socialism. Taiwan was encouraging businesses by attracting foreign capital and encouraging domestic development. It was quite the opposite of Mao's socialist revolution which brought the Great Leap Forward to disaster.
How did a capitalist, pro-business savvy culture help Taiwan over the Philippines? The Philippines lives on the loser mentality of economic protectionism. Taiwan doesn't have the "Taiwanese first" policy. Instead, Taiwan's acceptance of foreign investment to be part of its local economy had given it much needed revenue via taxes. Taiwan didn't have the mentality that only foreigners will get rich. Instead, they decided to embrace the competition that allowed more Taiwanese to have more jobs, encouraged Taiwanese businesses to innovate, and made the country into a business hub.
With a free-market - Taiwan is able to have all the fundings it needs to fight the COVID-19 virus. It would have the money to pay back any foreign debt. The problem with the Philippines is that we've got idiots who complain about the piling COVID-19 debt but don't want to let foreign investors come in. Maybe, Taiwan has bigger borrowing than the Philippines but it doesn't have to be a problem if it can pay it back on time. What about the Philippines? Will socialist policies like 4Ps ever help pay back the COVID-19 debts?
Compliance
It's really getting annoying at how the pasaways still want a free pass this COVID-19. According to them, they aren't at fault for the increase of COVID-19 cases because the testing kits and taxpayers' money aren't with them. Yet, do they realize that they too have helped increase the cases by NOT FOLLOWING SIMPLE GUIDELINES? One of the reasons why Taiwan is successful and the Philippines isn't is because of the culture of following simple guidelines.
Former Taiwanese vice president Chen Chien Jen owns Vice President Leni Loud Robredo. Leni Loud really doesn't want to acknowledge the existence of pasaways. I guess that's why Leni Loud is the pasaways' new best choice for president. Chen himself also has stated that SOCIAL DISTANCING and GOOD BEHAVIOR is more effective than mass testing. Yes, it's a problem that pasaways have been demanding for mass testing but are they willing to follow simple guidelines? They have the nerve to criticize the stupidity of Debold Sinas and Mocha Usok yet they decided to have a Mananita at UP-Diliman led by Renato Reyes Jr. himself. Worse, Pignoy Ako Blog even invited people over to the said mananita. What's the use of criticizing the mass gathering done by Sinas when they would rally? Worse, some are stupid enough not to acknowledge that rallies can spread the virus. How could they go ahead and use Taiwan's success to criticize Duterte when they ignore Chen's two most simple advice - SOCIAL DISTANCING and DISCIPLINE? Besides, what's their next course of action after #OustDuterte and blaming him for their OWN stupidity?
From East Asia Forum, we can also learn from Taiwan's coronavirus response. Taiwan did things that your typical Filipino (which is separate from the decent Filipino) would call as "dictatorial". Back in 2003, strict mask-wearing and quarantine procedures were done. 2003 was back when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was still the president. Fortunately, SARS didn't enter the Philippines. It's also because of scientific evidence-based decision making that also led to the compliance rules. Besides, it's also because of capitalism and competence that allowed the compliance to be possible.
Competence
The result of Taiwan's capitalist culture creates a culture of competence. If anything gave Taiwan a sense of achievement in science and technology - it's because they have a free market. It's amazing how Benign0 of Get Real Philippines STILL. DOES. NOT. GET. IT. that it's because of a lack of free-flowing FDI that has caused Filipinos not to become business-savvy. That's why I wrote an article where I said that Benign0 is still as clueless as Benigno even during COVID-19.
It's really all about COMPETITION. No competition means NO competitiveness. Why is the Philippine business environment lacking in a culture of achievement? It's because economic protectionism is babying the local businesses. Why is Taiwan competent? It's because it welcomes competition rather than whine about it. Taiwanese businessmen were forced by circumstances to either innovate or perish. What should also be noted is that foreign investors can help local businesses progress. Do you know why the imported products of first world countries are nice? It's because they are subjected to competition on a daily basis. Take away Taiwan's culture of competition and it will become the third world country it was once was. Give the Philippines loads of competition and it's sure going to be competitive.
Do you want to know what made great Filipinos, great, abroad? It's the whole fact that great Filipinos embraced competition. Do you think the late Leandro Locsin would get his recognition in Brunei if he didn't compete with other architects? Do you think Lydia De Vega would become one of the titleholders of the world's fastest woman if she didn't frequently compete with other athletes? If competition were brought to the Philippines then competence is bound to be the culture of the Philippines.
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