The National Democratic Movement and The Political Activist - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The National Democratic Movement and The Political Activist

Objectives

1. To learn what is national democracy and the origins of the nd movement 2. To learn what the role of the political activist is 3. to learn how to explain what nd is to other people

“It is a vigorous movement of human and material forces challenging the old Establishment… born of the historical struggle of our people against Spanish colonialism and U.S. imperialism.” “The term national democracy sums up the people’s view of their interests and aspirations, particularly at this stage of our history when as a people we suffer from the dictates of U.S. imperialism and the persistence of feudalism.”

What is National Democracy?

INtroduction

“The true patriot is a militant.” “His militance goes by the interests of his entire people… he can never be validly described as an extremist so long as he is fighting the local tyranny

• f

the compradors, landlords and corrupt bureaucrats.”

What does it mean to be a patriot?

INtroduction

“...we are still short of organized men and women conscious of the necessity of national democratic struggle and… we run short of the necessary

• rganized strength to overcome imperialism and

feudalism.” “The national democratic movement arouses the people to mobilize them in order not only to remove the root causes of national exploitation but also to develop the mass strength to engage in nation-building.”

What is the ND struggle?

INtroduction & The Development

• f National

Democracy

“The Filipino nation as a political entity is a recent historical development. It was born out of struggle.” “The Philippine revolution became the ultimate process by which the Filipino nation took shape. It developed as a climax of all the sporadic struggles made by our people in scattered places and at separated times through the more than 350 years that Spanish colonial power succeeded”

The rise of the Filipino nation

The Development

• f National

Democracy

What allowed the domination of the Filipino people? 1) The lack of national consciousness (according to Dr. Jose Rizal) 2) The selfishness of the old native ruling class, the rajahs and datus, and their compromising attitude towards the foreign rulers. 3) Suppression and coercion of the conquistadors, and, “the suasive approach of the ostensibly humble and kind missionaries”

The Folly of the Filipino People

The Development

• f National

Democracy

After numerous sporadic armed rebellions against armed oppression, “Ultimately, the revolutionary imagination of an entire people was inflamed against a common enemy and against the entire system.” “It became the role of the first national democratic activists to lead and clarify the situation for people. They were the ones who led the people to fight-and the people easily joined the Philippine revolution because of its patriotic and democratic content.”

The Role of the first nd Activists

The Development

• f National

Democracy

When the United States snatched away the freedom of the new-born Philippines, the Filipino people were faced with a threat from a nation that had a military-industrial capacity which was far superior to Spain’s. The U.S. used liberal language to deceive the ilustrado who gained class leadership of the

• revolution. The U.S.’s method of imperialism was

sophisticated in its approach and meticulous in its application.

Shit the united states like: imperialism

The development

• f national

democracy

Stability in the Philippines exists only on the uppermost level of power, however unrest among the masses is apparent (as evidenced by the constant protesting and conflicts in the country) The ND movement never was truly destroyed by U.S. imperialism as history affirms that in every decade since colonization, there has been serious

• pposition

from the movement.

U.S. Imperialism con’t

The development

• f national

democracy

U.S. imperialism targeted the bourgeois class of the Philippines to assure their hold on the country. By “educating,” them and allowing “self-government” of the country under the U.S. educated bourgeois politicians, the U.S. government affirmed its influence over the Philippines

Yet even more U.S. Imperialism

The development

• f national

democracy

1) The newly formed Philippine government became assimilated to a neo-colonialist mentality which allowed for concessions to be made with the U.S. rather than demands for immediate independence 2) Led to labor unrest in the early 20’s, causing the brutal suppression of the Sakdalistas and the Communist Party

Effects of U.S. attempts of filling government seats

The development

• f national

democracy

The United States was hailed as the saviors of the Philippines, regardless of the success the Filipino armed elements during the U.S. absence MacArthur’s return to the Philippines was considered to have been the saving grace of the conflict in the country

The U.S. during WWII

The development

• f national

democracy

• Bell Trade Act→ Act passed by the U.S. Congress prior to the

Philippines’ “Independence” from the United States. Also known as the Philippine Trade Act, its passing effectively tethered the Philippine economy to the U.S. economy--with the former being subordinated to the latter.

• Parity Amendment→ Legally allowed for the exploitation of

natural resources of the Philippines by both U.S. citizens and Filipino citizens. In practice, this leads to the expansion of U.S. Imperialist control over Philippine natural resources and the super-exploitation of these natural resources and peasant labor by the Filipino ruling class.

• The return of U.S. military presence to the Philippines meant

also the return--and indeed, EXPANSION--of U.S. military hegemony over the country in the form of the military bases.

Independence In Name, Semi-Colony In Content

U.S. Military Power in the Philippines

“The imposition of the Parity Amendment and the Bell Trade Act...has meant the re-established internal control

• f
• ur

economy and the perpetuation of a colonial form

• f economy which provides

raw materials to the United States and

• ther

capitalist countries and which serves as the dumping ground

• f

finished products from abroad.”

Independence In Name, Semi-Colony In Content

U.S. Military Power in the Philippines

Why do imperialists in general, and the U.S. in particular want to “protect,” the Philippines via its military bases?

WHY? (IMPERIALISM)

$$$

The insatiable Capitalist-Imperialist desire for profit (read: economic exploitation,) is what fuels the U.S. Imperialists to culturally, politically, and militarily exploit the FIlipino people. U.S. Military Power in the Philippines

“National Democracy is necessary in the struggle

• f our people for social justice, whereby the

freedom of the entire nation is first secured so that the nation-state that has been secured would allow within its framework the masses of the Filipino people to enjoy the democratic rights to achieve their social emancipation.”

WHY? (NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION)

The meaning

• f national

democracy

1) “To assert our national sovereignty against imperialist power(s) in all fields” 2) “To effect basic agrarian reform as the main content of our democratic struggle at the present stage”

TWO MAIN TASKS OF THE ND MOVEMENT:

The meaning

• f national

democracy

Knowledge of the objective forces

WHO ARE “THE PEOPLE?”

“It is easy to say that for the national democratic movement to succeed there should be the support of the people. But, there is the need to clarify what we meant by the term people.” “Let us, therefore, clarify what are the popular forces of national democracy…”

“It is a matter of strategy for the activist of national democracy to know the basic forces to be aligned and concentrated against the rightist forces.”

WHAT FORCES OPERATE IN THE PHILIPPINES?

“In order for the left wing to triumph politically, it is necessary for it to win over most of the middle

• forces. The same rule applies to the right wing. If

the left wing wins over the middle wing, it results into the isolation of the right wing.”

Progressive and Revolutionary Conservative and Reactionary

Grasp the balance of forces

“In the long run, the national democratic movement will be strong if the masses are conscious of the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle, pursue their democratic ends militantly both in urban and rural areas, and are highly organized. The activist must be able to observe carefully the vacillations and zig-zags of the middle forces. He/she must ensure that the adoption and implementation of the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal policy by the middle forces are converted into advantage for the main force of the movement. If the middle-middle wing or the right middle wing should betray the Philippine revolution, it is not surprising, and the activist must never be caught by surprise because, after all, he/she has prepared the masses well for a protracted struggle, with its tactical ups and downs.”

WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

The correct approach

It is up to the political activist within the National Democratic Movement to Arouse, Organize, and Mobilize the broad Masses

• f the People towards National Democracy for the downfall of

Imperialism, Feudalism, and Bureaucrat-Capitalism!

WHO SERVES THE PEOPLE?

But wait, There is more!