IT SOUNDS like a conspiracy theory—the Reproductive Health (RH) bill harking back to a secret United States (US) government document seeking to preserve American domination and exploit poor countries.
A declassified report, which details the agenda behind US population policies, reveals Washington’s powerful hand in convincing countries to implement birth control.
Henry Kissinger, former US national security adviser, wanted to curb the population of 13 least developing countries (LDCs)—the Philippines included—in his 1974 National Security Study Memorandum 200: “Implications of Worldwide Population Growth for US Security and Oversees Interests.” The “Kissinger Report” saw “overpopulation” in these nations as a threat to US security.
According to the report, population increase in LDCs would be troublesome to US national security as it poses civil unrest and political instability in nations which have high potential for economic growth.
Unrest would block the flow of resources from LDCs to the US, the report said.
Kissinger said population control programs should legalize abortion, indoctrinate children, and impose sterilization. Countries should be offered financial incentives. But aid should be withheld if LDCs do not adopt population control measures, the report said.
“The US economy will require large and increasing amounts of minerals from abroad, especially from less developed countries. That fact gives the US enhanced interest in the political, economic, and social stability of the supplying countries,” the report stated.
Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina said that once the RH bill is passed, foreigners stand to benefit immensely.
“As you know, the biggest pharmaceutical companies are in the US, so they will be the one to benefit from the sale of pills, condoms, and the like,” he said.
Fernando Pedrosa, Department of Social Sciences chairperson, said there is an unseen hand behind RH bill, and foreign lobbyists are using the local legislators to advance their cause.
Pedrosa said the Americans are taking advantage of their power to get the upper hand in the “battle for resources.”
But former Akbayan representative Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel said RH proponents do not share the same “imperialistic” principles of the Kissinger Report.
“In fact, there are many RH advocates that reject the Kissinger Report. [Americans] are dictating to us how many we may or may not have. That is not for them to say,” Baraquel said.
Divina said he was curious as to how a “bold and massive” lobby such as the RH bill could get huge funding.
“It needs billions of pesos for them to sell their ideas to the public. Let’s just say there is an orchestrated effort to push for this RH bill,” he said.
Pro-Life Philippines member and former Varsitarian editor Andrew Bonifacio said traces of the Kissinger Report in the RH bill are hard to ignore.
“The language of the two is practically the same,” he said. With reports from Marnee A. Gamboa
Care to explain why China (with one child policy) along with Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand (all of which has population management program) are consuming more resources than ever before in their economic history? It has emerged as a new world power along with India, Russia and brazil. In fact China is set to overtake US as the biggest consumer of energy and mineral in the world? Whereas the Philippines (with our big population and non-existent population management) consumes less than the said countries basing on GDP and GDP per capita? (GDP=investment+consumption of government+private individuals-net export) Alas is the Kissinger report a big fat failure of US imperialism?