I'm Talking Scorched Earth

I write a second post in two days today because of the sheer idiocy of some people. Please read this article to see what I am talking about. In her feature article entitled, "No Winnie, Filipinos who go overseas are not traitors", Dr. Joy Marcaida attempts to rebuff Winnie Monsod's lecture to her students that leaving the country is traitorous, but only accomplishes to show that she did not understand at all what Prof. Monsod was talking about. Details after the jump.

Dr. Marcaida seems to be confusing Prof. Monsod's lecture as a lecture regarding all overseas Filipinos, when in fact, she was addressing UP students whose tuition fees are partially or fully paid for by taxpayer money. When your education is funded by the state, and you take that education and leave for another country for the money, then yes, you can rightfully be called an ingrate.

Dr. Marcaida states,

Filipinos overseas are self-exiles. We chose to leave our homeland when this became intellectually, politically, financially, artistically or philosophically limiting or oppressive. We are drawn to another country because of the vitality of its intellectual, scientific or artistic scene, its support and tolerance for innovation, progress and intellectual energy, and by its high regard for the immigrant who brings in new talent and skill, allowing him or her the freedom to achieve success, find his or her identity and express his or her ideas. Self-actualization in another land is not a crime. 

Oh, that's just peachy keen now isn't it? She cites the vitality of the intellectual, scientific, and artistic scene in other countries. How is that supposed to improve in the Philippines when all of our people who could contribute to the intellectual, scientific, or artistic scene take their talents to South Beach other countries?

Finally, Dr. Marcaida asks,

How is it a betrayal of the Filipino people for a Filipino in another country to be recognized and applauded for the good that he does on a global scale? 

How am I a traitor when the dollars I earn here translate into businesses and consumer confidence and local spending by the family and people I still support back home? How is it that I am a fool when I have wrought only respect and admiration and love in this country for a Filipino? 

If you are a UP educated doctor, I could not give rat's ass about the money you give back or the respect and admiration you get the country. I care about your skills as a doctor, being used to treat the sick people of other counties when back home up to 7 out of 10 people die untreated from a lack of quality doctors. Isn't it such a glaring disparity that for a country that churns out as many nurses and doctors as we do, we have a shortage of healthcare workers? Does that make any sense at all?

Everyone is looking for success, and as is usual, it's apparently every man for himself.