Social responsibility and godless capitalism

My only daughter, Michelle, who arrived from a vacation in the US recently gave me Anna Quindlen’s bestselling book titled A Short Guide to a Happy Life. In her dedication, Michelle wrote: "When I read this book, I knew I had to get you a copy – life is indeed made of moments, some painful, others joyous. But to really live, ‘it’s the journey, not the destination that matters,’ the author writes – thank you for being a big part of my moments, for teaching me, through the journey."

Of course I was touched by the gift and her words. Sometimes, when children have spread their wings, a mother can feel useless. But the journey she was referring to can be rough as rough can be. After finishing the book, I was surprised to remember the words which still ring with such clarity in my mind: That you must never turn your head away from injustice. And that can be a tough journey. Do not stop believing you can make a difference. Make that journey and never mind where it brings you. Why is it that when I think of injustice, the politics of power inevitably comes to mind? Every single day we witness the politics of power in action. You see politicians fight for what they say is their mandate from God – political power and more political power sanctified by a pastoral pat of encouragement. These politicians don’t care about the journey at all; it has been the destination of immense power that matters, and matters at all costs.

I remember what my late father said – the best legacy a parent can leave his child is an excellent education, not money or wealth because they can disappear in a flash, but the education you have acquired stays with you until you die. Corollary to this, I have heard it said that if we educate the world’s people, we would have peace. Modern history has proven, however, that education alone is not enough. In 1939, the Germans were among the most educated people in the world. Students flocked to the Third Reich for greater learning. Yet the Nazis who ruled Germany ultimately not only destroyed themselves but very nearly destroyed the civilization of Europe.

No – education does not develop your character until it merges with integrity and wisdom.

Yes – the future of our country will be affected by our education, our wealth and our technology. But our survival as a free society will be determined by our integrity, our wisdom and our character. Yes, indeed, character. Material possessions rust away, wear away or depreciate. Character alone will never tarnish. Whether on the bed in a hospital room, alone in a prison cell, on the floor of Congress, or in the sanctimonious corridors of power, there is no body of professional expertise and no anthology of case studies that can supplant the force of character. It is who you really are, not what you write about yourself in your autobiography, or narrate to your biographer as your retirement tolls that will decide who you really are. For in the final analysis, it is your moral compass that counts far more than the possession of great political power or the direct dominion exercised over the vast wealth earned even legitimately.

Remember one of the heroes of the Korean War, General William Dean who was captured by the communists, taken to an isolated prison camp and told that he had only a few minutes to write a letter to his family before his execution. "Tell our son, Bill," he wrote to his wife, "the word is integrity." He did not say "wealth" or "power" or "courage" even, he said the word is "integrity." And now, after many years, Quindlen quotes from a postcard her father had sent her a year before her book was published: "If you win the rat race, you’re still a rat."

Yes, it is in many ways a mean, mean world. But we can say that our world has changed; most likely it has, because in the midst of that meanness, buried deep within the caves of injustice, there was this throbbing of the human spirit, the determination by millions of Filipinos that wrong is something to overcome, not to tolerate. These citizens many of them now, in fact, are aware that their respective life’s journeys have to be equated with that terrific responsibility toward human life. A life of social responsibility is not a burden to be reluctantly shouldered. It is an invitation to enjoy life. A journey of capital excess and vapid materialism needs immediate redirection, and one can find oneself all the happier.

One of my oldest friends, Atty. Enrique "Spanky" Perez whose life in telecom is a success story, gave me just last Christmas a very compelling book authored by Fr. Ruben M. Tanseco, S.J. titled Political Spirituality. I have teased Spanky throughout the time we were colleagues in telecommunications (he, in the private sector, specifically the giant company whose dominance we were committed to diminish to rational levels; and me, in the government sector) that he has been my spiritual adviser, referring to him after all this time as "Fr. Perez." He apparently has taken my spirituality as a lifetime quest and gave me this book. Some lines from the chapter titled "The Imperative of Justice" leave a real sting: "Godless Capitalism is just as evil as godless Communism. Almighty God is the sole owner and creator of the universe, of our land and its resources. We are but God’s stewards, administrators, caretakers. And our mission in life is to respond to carry out God’s supreme law of Love and Justice. Especially toward the materially poor, in an equitable way, so that no sector – no family in fact – will have too much, and no sector or family will have too little."

Fr. Tanseco refers to the provisions of the Philippine Constitution on social justice and human rights where Congress is mandated to give the highest priority to the enactment of measures that protect and enhance the right of all the people to human dignity, reduce social, economic and political inequalities, and remove cultural inequities by equitably diffusing wealth and political power for the common good. "To this end, the State shall regulate the acquisition, ownership, use and disposition of property and its increments."

This is a very serious provision. Have we missed this mandate? Enabling legislation is necessary on all fronts of this provision, and sincere executive action. Fr. Tanseco ends this chapter by saying: "We call on our business tycoons, taipans and landowners to really listen to the voice of God within each one of them and surrender to His law of compassion and justice toward the poor. Be God’s stewards and stop being Godless capitalists before it is too late."

I cannot help but quote his ending paragraph which is the story of the bird of prey: "Once in the depths of winter, a bird of prey was scouring the frozen landscape for food. On a large ice flow in the river, the bird saw the remains of a deer left behind by hunters. The bird swooped down and began to feast. So consumed by what it was consuming, the bird ignored the sound of thundering water that was becoming increasingly louder by the moment. In a matter of seconds the ice flow was just about to go crushing over the river’s falls. The bird immediately flapped its wings to escape, but its claws had frozen into the icy remains and the bird was trapped, powerless to escape."

I also cannot forget that day when one young politician told me close to three years ago, "Secretary Lichauco, your challenge is to be our conscience. I will serve my country, I promise you, with every fiber of my being and every drop of my blood." Great words from such a determined and idealistic man! Where is this young man now? Firmly ensconced in his own world of graft and, because of his connections with some of the most influential people, nobody seems to be able to touch him. How sad for such a young life.

I know for certain, however, that we the citizens, young and old alike, no matter what the odds are and no matter how impossible it seems, must keep the drumbeat of legitimate activism alive, to rouse those who have become too comfortable for the struggle, and to reinvigorate those too tired to fight.

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Thank you for all the e-mails you sent me through jtl@info.com.ph.