EDITORIAL - No artisty in whining

Declaring open skies in the aviation industry and allowing foreign artists to perform in the Philippines differ only in what is being allowed. But they are essentially the same thing -- permitting non-Filipino entities the right to do business and earn money in the Philippines.

 But while the Aquino government is about to make open skies a policy, some local artists are not as enthusiastic about the continued performance of foreign artists on Philippine soil. If at all, they want these foreign performances regulated.

But regulated for what? In what they can sing or do on stage? On how long they can perform? Or by regulation the local artists mean limiting the number of artists the country can allow to perform locally.

Our guess is it is the latter. Local artists want to limit the number of performances by foreign artists in the country. But why? The only reason we can think of is that local artists are threatened by the kind of business the foreign artists are raking in.

But is it the fault of the foreign artists? Maybe the real problem that local artists ought to address is the fact that foreign artists tend to do better than the locals because they may be better artists and performers.

 In such a case, it is not the fault of the foreign artists but the locals. If they want to pack in the crowds, they have got to have the goods. If they can't hack it, sorry na lang. But fans, whether Filipinos or not, will always seek to get their money's worth in entertainment.

On the other hand, the local artists who are complaining are some of the very same ones who never get barred whenever they perform in other countries. How would they feel if these other countries catch on and start demanding that Filipino performances abroad get regulated.

The trouble with some Filipinos is that they want their share of fame and fortune served them on a silver platter. They do not want to work for their bread just like all the others in whatever endeavor.

We have some of the best and greatest artists performing in different world stages but instead of getting shooed away, they get rave revues and are being encouraged and emulated. Local artists must learn to see merit in positive thinking.