A COUPLE of weeks ago, I went to watch “Civil War”, a movie about a hypothetical modern civil war in the United States.
I came there expecting a lot of politics and explosion. I was satisfied by the latter, not so much with the former. I would give the movie 6 out of 10. It disappointed but overall, it was well-directed.
However, the movie did bring up an interesting thought that I have been thinking about for a long time. What would happen if America, or the West in general, were to be involved in a war, either civil, conventional or World War 3 levels?
How would Filipinos and Expat Filipinos react? Would they still dream of going or remaining there? Or would they change their plans?
These are loaded questions but they are still worth pondering, especially as the geopolitical situation heats up.
One of the reasons why people all over the world want to go to the West and America in particular, is because they want “a better life,” which is another way of saying that they are coming from a crappy country and want to go to a better place.
But what happens when that place you want to go to becomes dangerous? Where would those people go for their “better lives” now?
One of the interesting aspects of war and upheaval in general is that it changes priorities. In peace, the priority is wealth and acquisition; in war, safety and security.
In peace, people prioritize equality and well-being; in war, those who can fight and willing to fight are given importance.
Should the Western World find itself in war, and this wouldn’t be the first time it would happen, Filipinos should rethink their plans for “a better life.” The age of migration and mass travel are products of an age of peace and globalization. We are rapidly leaving that era.
“Civil War” is more than just a piece of fiction of a second American Civil War; it is also an artistic depiction of the death of the notion of “a better life.” As I’ve written previously, the West has not always been a place of peace and social welfare. That is a recent development, and one unlikely to last.
When it does, how many Filipinos are willing to stay there? I wonder./PN
