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Janneil Monica C. Morales BA Pol Sci- IV Commentary on Something the Lord Made

Colors of the Wind

People like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. really changed the world. Not only did they

brought out the voice of the people of color and minority groups but they helped bring about reforms that

shaped the fate of millions across the world.

Racism has never really died in human history. Until now, many are violated simply because of

the issue of race. Rights of people are infringed because theyre black or Negro as they say. Did the Lord

made every human being equal? I suppose the answer to that is no. It was never really discussed in

Genesis in the first place. And you have history as proof that the inherent inequality amongst people of

the world has escalated across time -- from slavery in the ancient times to the Anti-Racism Movement in

America. Inequality is not solely the result of geography or who achieved technological progress first but

it is also a matter of thinking. The white men did not just conquer Africa or Asia because of interest in

their resources but it is also a boost to their egos. That some races are far more superior than others is amatter of ideology. If you want to conquer peoples, you would have to inject some kind of ideology that

will somehow brainwash these people into thinking that you are the dominant one. This ideology would

entail bringing about a culture of insecurity: Since the White men are the civilized one then we should let

them civilize us. To civilize the rest of the world, that is the White Mans Burden. And from this line of

thinking, sprang great divisions and hierarchies among the people of the world.

The issue of inequality through racism can be reflected in the economic aspect of society. As

what Marx posited, those who control the economic base of society also control the superstructure. Not

only do people of color suffer from low salary grades, less health benefits and other economic constraints,

they also suffer from political and social oppression. From the economic aspect of racial discrimination,

we could see that minority groups are thrown into the informal economy as proper work disappears or isunavailable. In the United States for example, migrants, though they legally come to the country, are

presented with limited options.

We may recall in history that people of color were denied the right to vote despite the name of

democracy. Perhaps the presence of racism can best be felt in schools where students are still labelled as

either black, Asian or Hispanic. The issue of race, of discrimination has even penetrated institutions like

the academe. Racial discrimination then is something institutionalized, injected in the structures of

society. Racism cannot only be attributed to individuals but also to institutions alike. Institutional

discrimination is a pattern in social institutions that produces or perpetuates inequalities, even if

individuals in the society do not intend to be racist or sexist.

Is racism permanent? I think the more important question should be, can the effects of racial

discrimination be curbed? We have seen the situation of minority groups slowly change for the better,

though members of these groups still fall victim to past discrimination. There is a need to go back to the

political system particularly, its feedback mechanism. This is where the role of interest groups, lobbyists

and even political parties come in. However, countering racism is not something to be left solely to the

responsibility of these groups but it is high time that members of minority groups should say no and take

charge of their destiny.

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Janneil Monica C. Morales BA Polsci-IV Commentary on Sicko

Bawal Magkasakit

In the Philippines, healthcare has become a privilege that only a few can access. According to

_______, the ratio of doctors to patients is _________. Most of the medical assistance is concentrated inurban areas while a large portion of the population resides in the rural areas. Aside from the unavailability

of medical assistance, even the cost of medical treatment itself is high. I remember having to spend

thousands of pesos over chicken pox. The slogan Bawal Magkasakit, is indeed true as one cannot afford

to be sick due to the high trade offs including the high cost of healthcare.

Watching the film Sicko makes me wonder why some countries could afford to provide their

citizens with astounding healthcare benefits. Healthcare and other social programs are in the first place,

central to governance. Welfare states, in particular, could attend to the social needs of their citizens better

than other types of states. As in the case of UK, Canada and Cuba, we could see how healthcare remains a

key priority for governance. An interesting case would be the US. Though not a welfare state, being a first

world, industrialized country, you could expect that it meets the basic needs of its people. However,thousands of Americans suffer from a distorted healthcare system. Unable to avail of their long planned

insurance, many Americans cross over the border to avail of Canadas healthcare system. The healthcare

field has been a continuing issue for many governments. Health is after all, a basic amenity. Surely, there

must be something wrong with a government who can barely provide suitable health assistance to its

citizens. In the US and the Philippines in particular, the healthcare system has been distorted by layers of

bureaucracy. Compared to welfare states, healthcare in these countries are in shambles.

Though taxes in welfare states are high, social programs remains a priority of the government as

it is the heart of social welfare. In the film, we could see how the healthcare system works in these states.

Is it better to switch to a welfare state? The problem for welfare states though is sustaining the welfare

they promise. Today, even major welfare states like the UK are having problems in terms of providing

welfare assistance as other areas of priority are seeking in and as they become heavily involved in the

international arena. Welfare states have the dilemma of balancing their foreign policy affairs without

harming their domestic policies. Stephen _____, the Prime Minister of Canada, for instance, has been

criticized for his deep engagement with the US war on terrorism while citizens argue that Canada should

remain committed to its domestic affairs.

I read this book by Bob Jessop entitled The Future of Capitalist States and it talks about how

welfare states will possibly transition to workfare states. His writing is basically hypothetical but it could

be an eye opener for welfare states. Going back to the main issue of healthcare, the most basic argument

is that the government should be able to provide for its citizens, basic amenities. Rousseaus Social

Contract talks about how people surrender themselves to the General Will and a higher body of human

political organization, the State. The action of the government in turn must coincide always with the

General Will and I guess, healthcare is something that is part of the General will.

At the bottom of it all, the film raises yet again the issue of institutionalized inequality which is

openly visible to a giant of an institution as healthcare. The film Sicko should serve as an awakening for

governments to reflect upon their policies.