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The Anti-Development State: The Political Economy of Permanent Crisis in the Philippines
This book examines how the political system of the Phillippines remains dominated by a competitive elite who oppose any significant attempts to address the country's huge social inequalities. The way out, he argues, is through the wholesale overhaul of the system of governance, leading to a new development strategy based on more, not less, state intervention, the domestic market as the driver of growth, and working together with other countries in the South.
360 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 29, 2017
actually a pretty decent exposition of the structural roots of the "permanent crisis" the Philippines is in
April 21, 2012
The authors explain the Philippines' perceived failure to develop with a critique of neo-liberal economic and trade policies, in particular under Fidel Ramos. Specific topics covered in the book include agricultural land reforms (which failed repeatedly because of landlord resistance), privatisation and corruption. The chapters of the book are convincing, well researched and well written.
But I don't think neo-liberalism is sufficient to explain the country's development challenges. Other important problems are not addressed: the weakness of bureaucracy and the dominance of political dynasties (only briefly covered in the chapter on agricultural reforms). Anyway, this is still a very good book and I do recommend it.
But I don't think neo-liberalism is sufficient to explain the country's development challenges. Other important problems are not addressed: the weakness of bureaucracy and the dominance of political dynasties (only briefly covered in the chapter on agricultural reforms). Anyway, this is still a very good book and I do recommend it.
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June 6, 2013This book offers much enlightenment on the crisis the country faces today. A must-read for those who wish to understand the Philippine political and economic landscape. I must warn, though, that the way the arguments were presented is very convincing that the readers risk getting a biased opinion. I suggest that the readers must also explore similar books after reading this in order to get a more balanced view.
January 31, 2022
The Antidevelopment State: The Political Economy of Permanent Crisis in the Philippines (2009), by Walden Bello, Herbert Docena, Marissa de Guzman, and Marylou Malig blames the elite and the West for hijacking development in the Philippines.
***
The Antidevelopment State attempts to explain why the Philippines remain poor, despite its abundance of natural resources, post-World War 2 economic headstart, and its strong civil society. Put simply, the book blames two forces: neoliberalism, and the narrow interests of the elite.
The role of neoliberalism in keeping Filipinos poor is best illustrated by how our national budget is mostly spent on paying international debt. Marcos, Aquino, Ramos, Estrada, and Arroyo all succumbed to pressure from the United States, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund to keep the Philippines a "model debtor," at the expense of investing in development. Jeffrey Sachs' "The End of Poverty" also pointed to debt servicing as one of the major forces keeping poor countries poor. The indiscriminate debts incurred by Duterte become more ominous in this light.
The role of the elite in keeping us poor is best illustrated by the failure of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Corazon Aquino failed us. She basically had a blank slate to change the trajectory of Philippine history in 1986, but she succumbed to the wishes of her haciendero family. It didn't help that her successors merely kept the status quo.
This book is not an easy read, especially the chapters heavy on how financial systems are manipulated to benefit the West and the elite. This book is also a depressing read, because it shows how many opportunities to prosper we have missed, and how difficult it will be for us to claw our way back.
A takeaway for the upcoming elections in May 2022: what do our presidentiables think about the policies of the World Bank and the IMF? What does he/she think of CARP, of suspending international debt servicing, of strengthening our ties with our ASEAN and G20 neighbors? These are questions that we have to ask our candidates. These are also issues that we have to understand, because far more than vulgar corruption, the interests of the West and the elite have done most to keep Filipinos poor.
***
The Antidevelopment State attempts to explain why the Philippines remain poor, despite its abundance of natural resources, post-World War 2 economic headstart, and its strong civil society. Put simply, the book blames two forces: neoliberalism, and the narrow interests of the elite.
The role of neoliberalism in keeping Filipinos poor is best illustrated by how our national budget is mostly spent on paying international debt. Marcos, Aquino, Ramos, Estrada, and Arroyo all succumbed to pressure from the United States, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund to keep the Philippines a "model debtor," at the expense of investing in development. Jeffrey Sachs' "The End of Poverty" also pointed to debt servicing as one of the major forces keeping poor countries poor. The indiscriminate debts incurred by Duterte become more ominous in this light.
The role of the elite in keeping us poor is best illustrated by the failure of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Corazon Aquino failed us. She basically had a blank slate to change the trajectory of Philippine history in 1986, but she succumbed to the wishes of her haciendero family. It didn't help that her successors merely kept the status quo.
This book is not an easy read, especially the chapters heavy on how financial systems are manipulated to benefit the West and the elite. This book is also a depressing read, because it shows how many opportunities to prosper we have missed, and how difficult it will be for us to claw our way back.
A takeaway for the upcoming elections in May 2022: what do our presidentiables think about the policies of the World Bank and the IMF? What does he/she think of CARP, of suspending international debt servicing, of strengthening our ties with our ASEAN and G20 neighbors? These are questions that we have to ask our candidates. These are also issues that we have to understand, because far more than vulgar corruption, the interests of the West and the elite have done most to keep Filipinos poor.
May 22, 2017
"While there are many good reasons to be proud of being Filipino, there remain deplorable realities happening in our society. Poverty, violence and politics, among others, continue to taint our nation and identity. Many have grown tired of the failed promises of elected officials saying they will make the country great. Some of us have even already given up, saying “wala nang pag-asa ang Pilipinas” with heavy sighs and downcast fists. We blame corruption, we blame our kababayans for their lack of discipline. But as hopeless as it may seem, losing hope is not an option. We should never stop looking for a way out of this national impasse." Continue reading our post here.
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Please note: We don't use ratings but for this purpose, we tag books with three stars by default.
Would like to be a reviewer/contributor to Bookbed? Sign up here!
We also accept review requests. More info here.
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November 4, 2012happy to be part of the writing team!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews