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Thursday, June 23, 2005
Editorial: Matter of attitude
A feature story circulated in the Internet contains points relevant to the prevailing condition of the country and strikes deep at the heart of what ails the current generation of Filipinos, particularly their leaders.
The article highlights what makes rich nation rich, and what makes poor countries poor.
The source of the feature story is not known, but where it came from and who wrote it may not be as important and significant as the challenging thought it conveys.
The clear and stinging message that it brings for all of us who live in this archipelago at the moment should be received with and open mind and a willing and accepting heart.
Indeed, the difference between well-developed nations and the underdeveloped or developing ones cannot really be a matter of age, so claims the writer of the article.
“This can be shown by countries like India and Egypt that are more than 2000 years old and are poor. On the other hand, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which 150 years ago were inexpressive, today are developed countries and are rich.”
Neither does the difference between the rich and the poor countries a matter of available natural resources.
“Japan has a limited territory, 80 percent mountainous, inadequate for agriculture and cattle raising, but it is the second world economy.
The country is like an immense floating factory, importing raw materials from the whole world and exporting manufactured products.
“Another example is Switzerland, which does not plant cocoa but has the best chocolate of the world. In its little territory, they raise animals and plant the soil during four months per year. Not enough, they produce dairy products of the best quality.
“It is a small country that transmits an image of security, order and labor, which made it the world’s strong safe. Executives from rich countries who communicate with their counterparts in poor countries show that there is no significant intellectual difference…
“What is the difference then? The difference is the attitude of the people, framed along the years by the education and the culture. On analyzing the behavior of the people in rich and developed countries, we find the great majority follow the following principles in their lives:
“One, ethics as a basic principle. Two, integrity. Three, responsibility. Four, respect to the laws and rules. Five, respect to the rights of other citizens. Six, work loving. Seven, strive for saving and investment. Eight, will of super action. Nine, punctuality.
“In poor countries, only a minority follows these basic principles in their daily life. We are not poor because we lack natural resources or because nature was cruel to us. We are poor because we lack attitude.”
(June 23, 2005 issue)
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