Rich country, poor country, Conrado de Quiros

2 October 2001 2001

When you're a rich country, you're called God-fearing. When you're a poor country, you're called God-forsaken. When you're a rich country, you're called pious. When you're a poor country, you're called fanatical. When you're a rich country, you're called righteous. When you're a poor country, you're called devious. When you're a rich country, you're called by many titles. When you're a poor country, you're called by many names.

When you're a rich country, the death of one of your citizens is called news. When you're a poor country, the death of one of your citizens is called noose. When you're a rich country, the death of many of your citizens is called a tragedy. When you're a poor country, the death of many of your citizens is called a farce. When you're a rich country, the murder of many of your citizens is called a crime. When you're a poor country, the murder of many of your citizens is called a war. When you're a rich country, a deliberate attack on your men, women and children is called terrorism. When you're a poor country, a deliberate attack on your men, women and children is called population control.

When you're a rich country, your sobs are heard for a year. When you're a poor country, your tears are seen for a day. When you're a rich country, your dead are called heroes. When you're a poor country, your dead are called victims. When you're a rich country, you hold on to the memory of those who perished in the flames. When you're a poor country, you bury your dead, like Eleanor Rigby, along with their names. When you're a rich country, your dead have names. When you're a poor country, your dead have tags.

When you're a rich country, you are called to be resolute when you plan to strike back. When you're a poor country, you are called impetuous to even think to strike back. When you're a rich country, you are called wise to rattle the saber. When you're a poor country, you are called foolish to escalate the violence. When you're a rich country, you are called a general to roll the drums of war. When you're a poor country, you are called a rabble-rouser to sound a call to arms.

When you're a rich country, you wage a global war against terrorists. When you're a poor country, you drag the world in flames. When you're a rich country, you are called just. When you're a poor country, you are asked just what are you doing. When you're a rich country, you get the world to fly to your side. When you're a poor country, you get the world to fly off the handle. When you're a rich country, the world asks you when and how you mean to fight back. When you're a poor country, the world asks you why and who you mean to fight against.

When you're a rich country, your dead are innocent civilians. When you're a poor country, your dead are casualties of war. When you're a rich country, your dead harbored only goodwill toward men. When you're a poor country, your dead harbored only terrorists. When you're a rich country, you say that bombs are dumb and kill the good as well as the bad. When you're a poor country, you accept that bombs are smart and kill only their intended targets. When you're a rich country, the bodies under the rubble are unnatural baggage. When you're a poor country, the bodies lying on the sand are collateral damage.

When you're a rich country, the hundreds who wander in your streets are called homeless. When you're a poor country, the thousands who wander in your sands are called refugees. When you're a rich country, you eat in soup kitchens and build fires to keep off the wintry cold. When you're a poor country, you eat in mess halls and huddle with your kids to keep off the desert winds. When you're a rich country, homelessness is a cause for alarm. When you're a poor country, refugees are as natural as the dark of night.

When you're a rich country, not joining an international effort to fight global warming is called pursuing national interest. When you're a poor country,not joining an international effort to fight terrorism is called selfishness. When you're a rich country, ignoring international protocols on nuclear disarmament is called pragmatism. When you're a poor country, ignoring an international call to send a Stone Age country back to the Stone Age is called cynicism.

When you're a poor country, people who publish the lyrics of John Lennon's "Imagine in newspapers are Yoko Onos. When you're a poor country, people who imagine all the people living life in peace are yokels. When you're a rich country, patriotism is the heaven of minstrels. When you're a poor country, patriotism is the refuge of scoundrels. When you're a rich country, people who believe in fists are patriots. When you're a poor country, people who believe in words are idiots. When you're a rich country, people who believe in war are cool. When you're a poor country, people who believe in peace are fools.

When you're a rich country, you say only that right is might. When you're a poor country, you see only that might is right.

Conrado de Quiros
Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2 October 2001.

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