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Peace Plan: Addressing Terrorism in the Philippines

Terrorism, in its vaguest sense, refers to an act that sparks terror. As Mitchell (2012), described it, defining terrorism is just as hard as understanding it. Although there is not a universally accepted definition of terrorism, most explanations typically involve key criteria such as: violence, a psychological impact and fear, political goals, deliberate targeting of noncombatants, and unlawfulness or illegitimacy. Terrorism has been around since history has been recorded, from biblical citations to the pattern of political terror surrounding Julius Caesar. Currently, Terrorism poses as the biggest security threat to the stability of the world. Putting it in the Philippine context, the Philippines isn’t new to the concept of terrorism. Dating it back to the 1970s, the Philippines have had its own share of terrorist attacks.

In 1970s, during the Meeting De Avance of the Liberal Party, a bomb explosion took place in Plaza Miranda killing several people including a 5 year old child and a photographer for one of the news agencies covering the event. When people think of terrorism in the Philippines, their minds automatically drifts to Moro related insurgencies in the Southern part of the Philippines. Especially with the current crisis that is happening in Marawi right now, people would be very easy to associate terrorism with religion not knowing that terrorism isn’t limited to Islamic insurgencies. Politically motivated attacks such as those done by the NPAs are considered terrorism too. Terrorism knows no religion, identity, or ethnicity. In order for people to fully understand and craft a better and appropriate solution to the problem of terrorism, an in-depth understanding of terrorism, its definition, forms, and its manifestations.

Roots

Several academics and theorists have already theorized on what the root causes of terrorism are. Amongst the hypotheses that clarify the foundations of terrorism will be its connection on poverty and lack of civil liberties. In addition to this, links between poverty and lack of civil liberties have already been established by some prominent theories. To explain, if people lack certain opportunities that can help them improve and better their lives, they are more likely to resort to terrorism (czinkota, 2010) However, poverty and lack of civil liberties aren’t the only reasons why terrorism persists. Inaction and failure of the government to address certain problems that can worsen terrorism is also a factor that contributes to the persistence of terrorism. In short, people have more tendency to engage in terrorist attacks if they are impoverished, repressed, oppressed, and are neglected by the government.

Of course, these are not the only roots of terrorism. Other factors such as identity, religion, and ethnicity should also be taken into consideration. Since there is a diversity of identity in the Philippines, there is a high risk in fighting for identity supremacy. Also, since there is a huge number of population of Muslims in Muslim Mindanao, they are vulnerable to extremist ideology.

Manifestations

Cases of terrorism attacks are well-manifested in the Philippines. Southeast Asia has both secular and Islamic governments which some have been described as quite progressive, yet they have also battled elongated Muslim separatist groups (Helfstein 2009). The region has been subject to many terrorist attacks over the past decade, and with the stalling economic progress and questionable state capacity, there is the risk of the terrorist organisations dealt with incompetently. Motivations for the several active groups are varied. Some proclaim a desire to establish a regional if not a global caliphate, with other groups motivations can be characterised by grievances (Vaughn et al 2009). The ASG has several characteristics which suggest it is superficially Islamist and not truly committed to jihad nor the liberation of Muslims in the Philippines (Banlaoi 2010); they instead capitalise on the plight of marginalised Muslim minorities to bolster support from other Islamic communities from the region. Disregarding the legitimacy of their jihad, its utilisation still creates a wake throughout the region.

Solution

Southeast Asia is facing several challenges politically, economically, and security wise. The terrorist threat must be addressed from a global, regional, national and local level. Foreign powers should continue to enable governments to increase their counter terrorism capabilities without undermining the government itself. ASEAN nations must also cooperate to eliminate the terrorist black holes that are scattered throughout the archipelago. From a national perspective, the Philippines in particular, needs to address the issue of the attraction the ASG has on marginalised youth in the southern part of the state. Locally, the Philippine government should create local kidnapping prevention initiatives.

In solving and addressing the issue of terrorism, the most important actor is the government. It is in the government’s hands to minimize and eradicate security threats. The government must undertake the needed task of restructuring the bureaucracy, eliminating corruption, legislating and implementing anti-terrorism laws. The Philippines remains attractive to terrorist groups due to reasons that we are poor, thus making us vulnerable. Said problems could not be solved by a military solution but by a fundamental institution-building necessary to address the root causes in the long-term. The threats of Abu Sayyaf and Maute group still remain due to the continued presence in Southeast Asia of Al Qaeda’s independent cells networking with the ASG and MILF. Central Mindanao has become a refuge for outlaws and a breeding ground for new terror groups.

Of course this will not be made possible without the help of non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and civil society. In order to help the government in implementing stricter rules, we should be able to cooperate and engage ourselves in projects that will empower and eliminate security threats.

References

Banlaoi, R.C., (2008). ‘Al-Harakatul Al Islamiyyah: Essays on the Abu Sayyaf Group’, Philippine Institute for political Violence and Terrorism Research, Quezon City, Philippines.

Czinkota, M., Knight, G., Liesch, P., & Steen, J. (2010). Terrorism and international business: A research agenda. Journal of International Business Studies, 41(5), 826-843. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40731534

Mitchell, A (2012). Terrorism Defined. Retrieved from http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/terrorism-defined

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Kalilangan is a documentary about the current crisis in Marawi. 

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Film Analysis 09: Afghanistan: The Great Game

Afghanistan: The Great Game is a documentary that showed the history of Afghanistan in terms of war. Afghanistan, one of the most isolated and barren landscapes on earth, is a strange place for an empire or superpower to invade. But for three of the greatest powers the world has seen, it became an unlikely target, an enduring obsession and an unwinnable war. Rory Stewart explained how foreign interventions in Afghanistan. In episode 1, Stewart told the story of how the British intervened during the 19th century. When the British became obsessed that their rival, Russia is expanding and is in consideration for invading Afghanista, a period of paranoia called “The Great Game” started. In episode 2, Stewart told the story of the involvement of the Soviet and the United States in Afghanistan.

           In analyzing this documentary, the main theory that came to mind was Clausewitz rational theory on war. As evident in the way Britain wanted to make sure they had the hold of Afghanistan and the way Russia wanted to maximize its trade opportunities. The countries involve with Afghanistan acted in a way that justifies their behavior as rational. As some theories on war suggest, the interest of the state must come first. In addition to this, the Great Game perfectly exemplified multiple theories on war. One of this is the manifestation of nationalism in the theories of war. As mentioned by Greenfeld (2013) nationalism is an ideology that pushes a nation to be in accordance to the state.

           Applying this in the context of the Philippines, I can say that like Afghanistan, the Philippines is also trapped between superpowers who wanted to benefit from our resources. With the Unites States wanting to remain their political chokehold in our country, and China looking like our newest ally, the outcome of this only depends on the situation and our reaction to the current happenings. In the way things are going, it is only right to assume that we are pivoting to China and letting go of our alliance with the United States

 Greenfeld, L. (2013). How modern nationalism gave birth to terrorism. Retrieved from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/05/22/commentary/world-commentary/how-modern-nationalism-gave-birth-to-terrorism/#.WZDgSdKg_IU

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Film Analysis 08: Narcos

Narcos is a series dedicated to telling the story of the infamous Pablo Escobar. Pablo Escobar runs the drug cartel that produces and distributes cocaine. The series gives audience a glimpse onto the life of Pepe. In addition to that, the audience is drawn to the series through the POV of of Steve Murphy, an American DEA agent working in Colomia. The series depicts how Pablo Escobar became involved in the Cocaine trade in Colombia. With cocaine's growth into a drug of importance in the American market, one that accounts for a large flow of U.S. dollars to Colombia and escalating drug-related violence in the United States, the Americans send a task force from the DEA to Colombia to address the issue. Steve Murphy is tasked to cooperate with Colombian authorities to put an end to the flow of cocaine in United States. As Escobar;s empire grows, the amount of violence that transpired have also worsened.

           Narcos and the subject of drugs and political violence can be very well applied in the context of the Philippines. With the current administration’s campaign for war on drugs, the common denominator between Narcos and the Philippines is the presence of the drugs. In the case of the Philippines, drugs are the main root cause behind the crimes done by drug addicts. The prevalent narrative that drugs is behind al the worst crimes that are happening Is what drivespeople to support the war on drugs advocated by the current president. The difference between Narcos and the current situation of the Philippines is that in Narcos, political violence is mostly done by Pablo in effort  to strengthen his hold. In contrast to the Philippines where the violence is usually targeted to drug users and pushers.

           Psychosocial Theory on Terrorism (Vargas, 2011) can be applied to the case of Narcos. With Pablo Escobar’s means of maintaining his power, the theory can be applied as it was manifested throughout the series. In the case of the Philippines, how Duterte handles the drug problem in the pHilippines can be linked with the theory of Politica repression since the state is the one who sponsored the killings.. Personally, I am against the President’s campaign on war on drugs because I don’t see violence as an option in resolving it. The drug problem in the country is merely the tip of the iceberg. The true war that should be held is against the root cause of drugs: poverty and systemic oppression.

  Vargas, A. (2011). Applying Psychosocial Theories of Terrorism to the Radicalization Process: A Mapping of De La Corte's Seven Principles to Homegrown Radicals. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235206673_Applying_Psychosocial_Theories_of_Terrorism_to_the_Radicalization_Process_A_Mapping_of_De_La_Corte's_Seven_Principles_to_Homegrown_Radical

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Film Analysis 07: Septembers of Shiraz

Septembers of Shiraz is a film set in 1979 during the Iranian Revolution. The protagonist of the film, Isaac, was caught and tortured having been perceived as a loyal supporter of the previous administration. The movie tells the story of the physical and psychological trauma and torture that Isaac has experienced in the hands of his captors. Having been held as captive, his wife did everything to get information about him. With the help of other people, his wife planned to help him escape Iran. Met with difficulties, his wife had a hard time at first but were able to succeed in escaping him in the end.

           The film shows the use of political repression and torture. It is one of the many forms of political violence. In reality, cases like this have happened. To put it in the context of the Philippines, during the Marcos era, people were also caught and tortured. Through various general orders, Marcos effectively put the entire power of government under the rule of one man: his own. He was to lead the nation and direct the operation of the entire government. He ordered the armed forces to prevent or suppress any act of rebellion. Curfew hours were enforced, group assemblies were banned, privately-owned media facilities shuttered About 70,000 people were imprisoned and 34,000 tortured, according to Amnesty International, while 3,240 were killed from 1972 to 1981. During this dark chapter of Philippine history, thousands of people were subject to various forms of torture. Prisoners were electrocuted, beaten up, and strangled. They were burned with a flat iron or cigars. Water was poured down their throats, then forced out by beating. Women were stripped naked and raped, various objects forced into their genitals.

           The similarity of this film and the experience the country had in the hands of Marcos is striking. In here we were able to see the means and ends of political repression. According to Merriam-Webster (n.d.)) political repression refers to an action or process of exclusion from consciousness. With this, it is now up to the hands of the people and the institutions and several actors to maintain the current stability in the country and eliminate risks and security threats.

Merriam-Webster (n.d.). Political Repression. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repress

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Film Analysis 06: ISIS: Behind the Mask

ISIS: Behind the Mask is another documentary that tells the story and the life of a Belgian ISIS member Delefortrie. Delefortrie is a 28 year old man from Belgian who among any other youth, decided to join the terrorist group ISIS. Delefortrie converted to Islam. The title of the documentary Behind the Mask does not refer to the one man behind the mask, but rather the ideology that he is fighting for. The ideology that made him act the way he is and the ideology that drove him to go through such lengths. Delefortrie, like any other man was an altar boy. Growing up, he had a rough childhood. Having been addicted to drugs and alcoholism, he sought refuge in the teachings of Islam and committed himself to the religion. With fascination, he was recruited in ISIS and was sent to Syria. Now, he is back in Belgium to spread the ideology of ISIS in his hometows.

           The thing about terrorists is that because of their ideology, their moral compass and their ability to see through what is right and wrong is compromised. They do not acknowledge their actions because they believe it to be right. In the name of religion, belief, and ideology, they are driven to do unimaginable things for the sake of upholding their beliefs. Like what I mentioned in History of Isis, the theory of depersonalization Elliot in Sedman, 1970), is shown in this film. In ISIS, men who have suffered from discrimination and lack of opportunities in their hometown generally relied to ISIS as an alternative to seeking refuge. In ISIS, they not only find something worth fighting for. They also found people worth fighting with.

           Watching the interview of Delefortrie,I was confused. This man, who follow the same religion as me is saying and preaching things about my religion that I do not know and understand. I have known my religion as a religion of peace. My father who prays 5x a day and who probably has the Quran memorized like it’s the back of his mind has never uttered a word like what Delefortrie is saying. It sucks seeing how a man like himself has wasted his potential because of the twisted and extremist ideology he believes in. He doesn’t know and see what is wrong with their doings. It was sad kowing how he, and all the other youth that fell into the trap and brainwashing of ISIS, could’ve led their lives differently.

Sedman, G. (1970). Theories of Depersonalization: A Re-appraisal. The British Journal of Psychiatry Jul 1970, 117 (536) 1-14; DOI: 10.1192/bjp.117.536

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Film Analysis 05: History of ISIS

History of Isis is a documentary that tackles the story of the rise if ISIS. The story of ISIS began with Baghdadi and how he rose to power. With the extremist ideology of Islam as a superior religion, ISIS poses as one of the biggest security threats ever. In summary, the documentary talked about how a simple, petty, criminal was able to organize and create a terrorist group that have launched some of the biggest and most horrific attacks the world has ever seen. It started with Baghdadi wanting to please Bin Laden, the former leader of a well-known terrorist group Al Qaeda. Failing to achieve his main goal, he decided to create his own group with a more radical and violent group. Able to gain followers, he organized terrorist attacks which made him an instant target by the United States. With his newfound fame, he was not only more motivated, he was also able to recruit more to join his cause. The documentary tackled government’s respond to the looming security threat. As usual, the government failed to address the problem which led to the worsening of the issue.

           The theory that can be used in explaining what transpired is the theory of depersonalization (Elliot in Sedman, 1970), in which people are able to find comfort, solace, and refuge in a group. Faced with discrimination, poverty, and lack of civil liberties, people, most commonly the youth, join groups such as ISIS with hopes of finding refuge. This made ISIS more strong and coherent. Having been able to recruit people who share the same goals, ISIS continues to be bigger. Now terrorizing not only Iraq and Syria, but also the world. To date, there are hundreds of terrorist attacks happening all over the world that were done by ISIS.

           This just shows how powerful ideology is. With the belief in extremist and radical Islam, ISIS was able to grow and thrive by recruiting more people to join their fight to make the world an Islamic state ruled under the Shariah law. As a Muslim, when watching the documentary, my stomach kept churning. I was disgusted with what I’m seeing. I was raised in an Islamic household. My father is a devout Muslim. What I’m seeing in the documentary is not the Islam that I know and most certainly not the behavior of Muslims that I know.

Sedman, G. (1970). Theories of Depersonalization: A Re-appraisal. The British Journal of Psychiatry Jul 1970, 117 (536) 1-14; DOI: 10.1192/bjp.117.536.1

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Film Analysis 04: Worse Than War

Worse Than War is a documentary released in 2015 that was based from a book of the same name. The author of the book starred in the documentary. In a nutshell, the documentary explored the nature of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and large-scale mass murder. The documentary is not only limited to the Holocaust. In fact, the documentary mentioned other well-known cases of genocide and mass murders. Genocide is a word coined by Raphael Lemkin (1944) that refers to any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group (United Nations, n.d.). . What I liked about this film is the elaboration of genocide. Genocide is not a term that can be simplified and discussed under 5 minutes. In understanding genocide, one must be aware of the reasons and the context behind it. Fortunately, the author was able to elaborate the roots of genocide and its manifestations. He was able to go beyond Holocaust and explain how such horrific events transpired. As mentioned in the film, The leaders’ goals vary, depending on the time, place, and circumstances: Pol Pot wanted to radically transform Cambodian society; the Turkish leader Mehmed Talaat wanted to secure Turkey’s decaying empire; Adolf Hitler wanted to create a vast political empire ruled by the German master race; Colonel Theoniste Bagosora and his fellow Hutu leaders wanted to secure political power in Rwanda for the Hutu; and in the Balkans, Slobodan Milosevic wanted to permanently redraw the political map of the region” (Worse than war, 2010. This means that the intensity, impact, and cause of genocide from across countries and cases differ on the agenda behind it.

           This is supported by the theory of eliminationism which means the extermination, repression, and destruction of a group’s identity by preventing them to reproduce. Eliminationism as defined as belief that one's political opponents are "a cancer on the body politic that must be excised—either by separation from the public at large, through censorship or by outright extermination—in order to protect the purity of the nation (Oxford Dictionary, n.d.) As I have mentioned above, there are different reasons why genocide transpired. From its leader to those who have helped execute the mass murder, the reasons why people behaved the way they do differs. Another thing that was mentioned in the documentary was that in Bosnia, Muslims were killed by the Christians. This means that the film touched the subject of religion. Genocide knows no religion. Today, a group of Muslims is always associated to the image of terrorists, but we must realize that Christians can also initiate political violence. Lastly, it was also shown that Goldhagen was able to interview the former dictator and also the person who is responsible for the genocide in Guatemala, President José Efraín Ríos Montt. In which the star of the documentary raised the question on whether we can make future leaders to take up a different path or make different decisions.

           Personally, the documentary is very informative and enlightening. The documentary was able to mention and exhaust the different cases and root causes of genocide. It was also fascinating how he got to interview people who have had on hand experiences on genocide. Overall, it is a wonderful documentary that not only answers queries but also raises questions.

United Nations (n.d.). Definition of Genocide. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.html

 Oxford Dictionary. (n.d.). Eliminationism. Retrieved from ttps://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/eliminationism

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Film Analysis 03: Kinyarwanda

This beautiful film tells different stories that were all set during the time of crisis in Rwanda. In a place in complete and utter chaos, people killing other people, family betraying each other, and other unimaginable things that are happening, hope seems like a frail cause. This movie touched different subjects. From love, forgiveness, hope, freedom, the film beautifully executed the different sides to crisis. In relation to political violence. Kinyarwanda tells the viewers what it was like to live in a place where genocide is currently happening. As defined by the United Nation, genocide refers to any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group (United Nations, n.d.). In Rwanda, the fight for identity supremacy took the lives of over 800 thousand people The Hutus started killing people who are members of the Tutsi ethnicity. With the current situation in Rwanda, we are given a glimpse of how it was like to live during and after the horrific events transpired.

           In Kinyarwanda, we are introduced to two young lovers dating. Kinyarwanda is a gripping, suspenseful tale that also does a remarkable job of showing the humanity, the hopes, the humor, and the dreams of Rwandans. Political violence was very evident in the film. It was manifested in the way the Hutus hunted and killed the Tutsis. Aside from the topic of Genocide, the movie also touched the subject of religion and gave its audience a different perception from what they commonly know. In the film, the Muslim community, having not been the target of the Hutus, helped Tutsis to seek refuge in the mosque. This gives people a new perspective to see Muslims in a new light. Usually, Muslims are regarded as terrorists and as a hate group. Personally, as a Muslim, I liked this film because it was able to show people that what they think Islam is is not what it really is. Islam is a peaceful religion. It is vulnerable to extremist tendencies but its teachings are beautiful. Religion and political violence sometimes are causal related but other times it can help.

To further support my analysis of the film, I will use the Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1979) as the ground theory, wherein ethnic violence is rooted in emotional and. cognitive processes. Reasons such as “ancient hatreds” is isolated form the model. The social Identity theory discussed two themes. One is the ethnic institutionalization increases ethnic differentiation and that ethnic differentiation generated violence. Both of these existed in Rwanda. The institutionalization of the different ethnicities in the area where they were divided into three groups with separate identities only raised the fervor in their differences. With this, ethnic conflict arised resulting to one of the most horrible things that have happened: genocide.

 United Nations (n.d.). Definition of Genocide. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.html

Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. The social psychology of intergroup relations?, 33, 47.

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Film Analysis 02: AD Kingdom and Empire

Set after Jesus’ death, AD Kingdom and Empire tells the story of what happened after the death of Jesus and how his disciples faced persecution and hardship as they cope with the tragedy. In summary, the series starts with Jesus’ crucifixion and how his disciples faced their darkest hour. The next events that transpired tackled about Jesus’ disciples journey to spreading the holy word. Political violence was very evident in the film. It takes an interesting take on political violence since it dwells with religion and Christianity. More often than not, people assume Islam is the violent religion due to its linkage to terrorism and its tendency to extremism. In this series, it told the story of those who were under repression because of religion. From the start, with Jesus’ crucifixion, the audience can only hope for things to be better but as the series progressed, what happened was the opposite. It only got worse.

           This series tells us how violence, specifically political violence was already used long before. It was evident on the way the disciples and the followers were treated. With this, I will use the lens of Brubaker in analyzing the series. According to of Brubaker (2011), religious beliefs, practices, structures, and processes provide an important and distinctively rich matrix of violence-enabling modalities and mechanisms. Strong forms of religious exceptionalism are easily rejected; but the strongly generalizing counter-claim that there is nothing distinctive about religiously informed political conflict and violence is equally unsatisfactory. Religion can define reality, constitute communities, nurture powerful emotions, generate commitment, resocialize and reorganize the self, radically devalue the existing order, impose obligations, offer rewards and sanctions, furnish justifications, and intensify threats and dangers. It links cognitive definitions of ultimate reality with structures of feeling and obligation. In so doing it can authorize, legitimate, enable, and even require violent action in the face of urgent threats, profanations of sacred symbols, and extreme otherhood. There is, then, no intrinsic connection between religion and political violence. But religion does provide a potent assemblage of moral, ideological, and organizational resources that can, in certain contexts, inform, legitimate, or sustain violent conflict, just as they can inform, legitimate, or sustain the most admirable forms of moral and political engagement. The analytical challenge, for students of conflict and violence, is to specify the conditions and contexts in which particular religious practices, discourses, fields, organizations, and structures of sentiment can contribute to the production, reproduction, and transformation of political conflict and violence.

           With this, I can say that religion and political violence aren’t mutually exclusive. Just like how Islam is vulnerable to violence and extremist ideologies, Christianity isn’t an exception. Political repression and oppression don’t only exist when it comes to identity. Right now, with the world more diverse and separated more than ever, it is up to us to uphold the peace and stability without falling victims to political violence and religion.

 References

Brubaker, R. (2011). Religion and Nationalism: Four Approaches. Retrieved from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/brubaker/Publications/religion_and_nationalism_forthcoming.pdf

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Film Analysis 01: Game of Thrones

Considered as one of the most popular tv series, Game of Thrones changed the landscape of tv series with its innovation. Filled with unexpected twists, unlikeable character, captivating story, and a perfect reflection of politics, Game of Thrones is a game-changer in the industry. Game of Thrones is based from the best-seller series “The Song of Ice and Fire” authored by George R. R. Martin. Game of Thrones tells the story of nine powerful families who fight over the ruling of 7 kingdoms of Westeros. The Kingdom of the North ruled by House Stark of Winterfell, Kingdom of the Mountain and the Vale, ruled by House Arryn of the Eyrie, Kingdom of the Isles and the Rivers, ruled by Harren Hoare of Harrenhal, Kingdom of the Rock, ruled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock,  Kingdom of the Stormlands, ruled by House Durrandon of Storm’s End, Kingdom of the Reach, ruled by House Gardener of Highgarden and the Principality of Dorne, ruled by House Martell of Sunspear. (HBO, 2017) In a nutshell, it is indeed a fight on who gets to sit and rule. Game of Thrones perfectly exemplify how far people are willing to go for power. Aside from that, it also showed how power is manifested, used, and abused. One way of securing power is through violence. This critical commentary would touch on the subject of political violence and how it was used by the series. Political violence as shown in Game of Thrones doesn’t just refer to cheating and murder. This includes, rape, mass murder, and other unthinkable crimes.

           One thing notable about Game of Thrones is how they were able to portray politics realistically. Although some parts were exaggerated for the purpose of entertainment, the concepts are on point. The concepts of trust, power, betrayal, family were well shown and discussed in the film. The most striking character for me is Tyrion Lannister’s character. I love how he embodied the phrase “Knowledge is Power”. He was able to survive and climb up through the use of his wits. It is admirable because when people think about strategies, they think it is mostly through violent efforts. Tyrion proved that in politics, sometimes violence isn’t the only option.

           This critical commentary would touch on analyzing Game of Thrones using the theoretical lens of Clausewitz (Clausewitz, 1832) that an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfill our will. With his view, wars are considered rational and a limited instrument of national policy. Using this lens, we see that the wars that have broken out in the world of Game of Thrones are justified as the reasons behind them. Linking Game of Thrones in the context of the Philippines is not that hard considering that our country also suffers with the kind of politics in Game of Thrones. It is messy, bloody, and ran like a circus. Power can only do so much, at the end it all boils down to how we live our lives the right way.

References

Game of Thrones (2017). HBO. Retrieved from http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones

Clausewitz, C. V. (1832). On War. Retrieved from https://www.clausewitz.com/readings/OnWar1873/TOC.htmAD Kingdom and Empire

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Critical Commentary 1: Of All Readings

Political Violence

               In a world where violence prevails, an understanding of the current happenings that take place is a necessity. Ignorance and apathy can only make things worse. With this, an in-depth understanding of political violence is needed to free the world of bigotry, bias, judgment, and discrimination that can ultimately lead to bloodshed. Political violence is a broad and vague term with no definite meaning. It can mean violence that is politically motivated, and it can also mean indifference to structural conditions that oppress others. Political violence can be classified into different forms and type. The first being state vs. state, followed by state vs. society, society vs. state, and society vs. society. In this commentary, I would discuss my take on each type of political violence as theorized by experts who have long studied political violence.

               The first type of political violence to be discussed is state vs. state. This is a form of political violence that takes place in a macro level. Coups and wars are classified under a state vs. state type of political violence. Coup d’etat is defined as a sudden and violent overthrow of an existing government by a small group. Coups can result to a failed coup, no regime change, replacement of an incumbent dictatorship with another, or democratization. Coups are not guaranteed to be successful as it has a 50:50 chance of failing or success.

               The next type of political violence is society vs. state. Political repression and genocide are under this type of violence. Political repression is the use or threat of coercion in varying degrees applied by the government against opponents or potential opponents to weaken their resistance to the will of the authorities (Stohl and Lopez, 1984,7). State-sponsored political repression can worsen and result to state terrorism, genocide, politicide, or death of the target of repression. Political repression usually exists in dictatorships, totalitarian regimes and the like. As Belstran (1987) theorized, limited power of government, responsiveness of government to people, sharp class divisions, and healthy economy are factors in avoiding political repression.