We cannot blame govt for everything

Well, government has its own faults and inadequacies. It has its own errors and miscalculations. Government officials have their negligence, ineptitude, and abuses.They have a lot to answer to the people. But we, the people, have our own responsibilities and duties as well. We have personal obligations and accountabilities. We have our own functions and deliverables. We cannot always point fingers at government for our problems and needs. We need to paddle our own canoes. We need to take care of ourselves. Our own survival and progress is not the government's responsibility. It is ours and we have no one else to blame.

We cannot blame the government for typhoons and tsunamis, and for deaths and damages due to disasters and calamities. We were part of humanity that ravaged the environment and Nature is hitting back at us. Our survival and the survival of our families are, first and foremost, our own primary responsibility. Government only provides information, coordination, in temporary rescue, reliefs and rehabilitation operations. But when the sun is up and the winds have stopped blowing, we have to take responsibilities for our own lives. We have to pick up the broken pieces and sweep the mud and the debris away, then rebuild and start all over again.

We can only blame the government if the officials are stealing relief goods or funds contributed by international organizations and NGOs. We can only blame these officials who allow illegal loggers to ravage our forests, damage our mountains with illegal mining operations, and pollute our waters. We can blame the corrupt, the inept, the irresponsible, and dishonest public servants for squandering tax money and pocketing public funds. But at the end of the day, we can only blame ourselves for electing these rascals and allowing these scoundrels to run our bureaucracies.

The bottom line is that we get the government that we deserve. We were the ones who chose them, or allowed them to be elected and appointed. We know their shenanigans but we do not lift a finger to expose them. We are all contented cows staying safe and sound in our comfort zones. And so, we cannot complain if we have government that cannot live up to our expectations. They are the white elephants or the black monsters that we created. We only have ourselves to blame. Come elections in 2016, let us all remember that our future depends on what we write on the ballots.

In the meanwhile, we should take care of ourselves. We should prepare for all kinds of tragedies, disasters and calamities.Fingerpointing only shows our own stupidity. We should assume responsibility for our own lives. Our survival is too vital a challenge as to be left in the hands of government.

josephusbjimenez@gmail.com

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