(Continued from Sept. 26, 2022)
CONGRESSPEOPLE pass laws that benefit their sponsors and patrons from the dynastic families. Their corporations get tax holidays and the lucrative government contracts are rigged to fall into their hands and those of their relatives and cronies. They control the wages and benefits of the poor workers. Their corporations benefit from inflation through government subsidies. This is systematic corruption where government officials benefit their patrons and themselves.
The corporations of the dynastic families form interlocking directorates with the banking and insurance industries and other corporations in finance, mining, food production, construction, and housing, besides others. These elites have a powerful monopoly on most products. They have the political power and connections to block outside investors, reducing or eliminating competition. Their domination of the political process and the economy cause capital flight and greater poverty for more Filipinos.
None of the Filipino super-rich has declared that they will share any of their massive wealth with the poor as US billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates have done. Buffett promised to give away all before he dies.
If they did and followed the example of Zacchaeus in the Gospel story, they could save millions from hunger and poverty. Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus of Nazareth passed by. Zacchaeus was a corrupt tax collector and traitor to his people as he was working for the Romans. He was an outcast sinner to the Jews. But Jesus called him down from the tree and had dinner with him. He repented, confessed his corruption and gave away half of his wealth to the poor, and repaid restitution four times what he stole (Luke 19: 1-10).
What a new world it would be for Filipinos if the billionaires did likewise and made the economy work for the benefit of the poor. They could eliminate poverty and change the lives of millions of Filipinos.
However, it seems they are not looking to meet Jesus of Nazareth, and avoid his challenge to repent at all costs. They are more like Dives (Mr. Rich) who lived in luxury but would not give the scraps that fell from his table to Lazarus dying at his gate. (Luke 16: 19 -31) Only the dogs showed care and compassion to Lazarus. Dives went to the fires of hell.
As of October 2021, one percent of families or households worldwide own 43 percent of all the wealth in the world. They are the filthy rich. On the other hand, the poor make up 50 percent of the eight billion people in the world and own only one percent of all the wealth in the entire world. That level of inequality is staggering, shocking, and disgusting.
There is no solution to this systematic unjust and unequal society other than repentance and spiritual renewal of the ruling elite, which is what Jesus of Nazareth called for, and as do reformers and true dedicated Filipinos. Look at what they do to them today and did to Jesus of Nazareth- imprisonment and execution. (preda.org)/PN
