The Much Needed Surprise to Survive!

The Much Needed Surprise to Survive!

By Erick San Juan





A week from now, President Benigno Aquino III will deliver his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the 15th Congress as it formally begins its session on July 26,2010. The 15th Congress, particularly, the Senate has a big task ahead, which is to decide on the fate of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which was not tackled during the last 14th Congress.



Methinks that the VFA issue should be taken up immediately as what our good Senator, Miriam Santiago did when she reminded President Noy to be firm on his stand for the abrogation of the said agreement. Why do we have to prioritize this agreement among other issues that confronts the Philippine Congress? I don’t want to be an alarmist but we have to be sure that we are not entering another war due to the laxity and naivety of our leaders. Why do I say this?



A few days ago, the 83-year old former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, gave his warning of a possible nuclear war. Mr. Castro writes his columns called “Reflections” for Cuba's state-run media and there he wrote his predictions that a nuclear war will soon break out between the US and Iran. This tension between the two countries has been building up since the US accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons (which Iran had repeatedly denied and claimed that they are actually developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes) that threatens US security and the rest of the world. The United Nations resolution for a fourth round of sanctions, voted in by the Security Council last month, calls for the inspection of vessels suspected of carrying materials, setting the stage for military incidents at sea between Iran and the US Navy, has aggravated the situation that might lead to a nuclear war.



Few days ago, an article also appeared on the internet that: “A former senior advisor to President Bill Clinton says that the only thing which can rescue Barack Obama's increasingly tenuous grip on power as his approval figures continue to plunge is a terror attack on the scale of Oklahoma City or 9/11. Another startling reminder that such events only ever serve to benefit those in authority.



Buried in a Financial Times article is about Pres. Barack Obama's "growing credibility crisis" and fears on behalf of Democrats that they could lose not only the White House but also the Senate to Republicans. Robert Shapiro makes it clear that Obama is relying on an October surprise in the form of a terror attack to rescue his presidency. Shapiro is clearly communicating the necessity for a terror attack to be launched in order to give Obama the opportunity to unite the country around his agenda in the name of fighting terrorists, just as President George Bush Jr. did in the aftermath of 9/11, when his approval ratings shot up from around 50% to well above 80%.” (Paul Joseph Watson, Propaganda Matrix, July 14, 2010).



The predicate has been laid, the much needed “surprise” will alter the confluence of events towards a global conflict. As Fidel Castro put it - "The empire (United States) is at the point of committing a terrible error that nobody can stop. It advances inexorably toward a sinister fate.”



As an observer of events unfolding here and abroad, I am writing this to inform and warn our leaders and the public as to what is happening and might happen that can guide us for future decisions. There is so much to do and crucial decisions to make as an American ally, but let us hope and pray that our leaders will have the divine guidance so as not to drag the whole nation to a war that nobody wants.