When government is busy blowing smoke . . .
Blowing smoke . . .
By JoeAm
Lunacy simply defined is a departure from reality where reality is an accurate reading by our senses of our surroundings. If our emotional or intellectual capacities are damaged in any way, then our readings may be wrong and self-punishing. Instead of what “is”, we risk overlaying the real world with what enters our head. We are crazy, either a little bit or a lot.
Today, we see leaders around the world seeking to damage our emotional and intellectual capacities. They or their henchmen insist on redefining the reality we are supposed to observe. They deploy trolls and story-tellers (which they mislabel as spokesmen) and pressure media to report the reality they prefer. US President Trump does it with tweets. Philippine President Duterte does it with ad-lib sound bites during rambling, obscene speeches, and with trolls. Both employ storytellers in top government positions. In the Philippines, distinguished Filipinos like Panelo, Calida, Guevarra, Diokno, and others work diligently to pollute our understandings. Indeed, the two presidents expect every person in their respective cabinets to be storytellers, too. Loyal to a fault. To THE fault, that they will spin a tale rather than report candidly if the news is bad.
- What is the true state of the economy in the Philippines? We don’t know. We can’t know. The economists have laid a thick layer of smoke across the data.
- What happened to the P20 billion in drugs that slipped through Customs? We’ll likely never know. It is buried by Senator Gordon’s sweep of the subject under the rugs, the President’s impotent promises to rid the nation of drugs, investigations that go nowhere, and zero big-time drug lords jailed.
- What are 3 million Chinese mainlanders really doing in the Philippines? We may never know until the sell-out to China is a done deal. A couple hundred thousand are accounted for in BPO jobs, and the rest are just here somewhere. Everywhere.
Laws are passed without public vetting. That federalism constitution? Put together in secret with no chance for debate. When complaints arose, those complaining were criticized by the people who drafted it for not being informed.
That is the absurd reasoning that permeates our daily news fare.
How are people supposed to be informed if the process is secret? And if they ask, they are criticized? And all they get from spokespeople are bland “flag and motherhood” statements or outright lies and distortions?
The sponsors of federalism do not want people to question them. People might discover the gross flaws in this horridly thought out and totally unnecessary restructuring of government.
Revisionism in the Philippines does not just apply to history. It applies to the PRESENT as disinformation swamps information.
The media are complicit . . . they are weak investigators. Too many owners, editors, and writers are bound to political allegiances.
We cannot possibly know who to trust or what to believe.
How do we remain sane in a world gone lunatic?
I’ve developed a technique that helps a lot. It does not cut through all the bullshit flooding our senses, but it sure helps identify who who the players are. Who the people are who cannot be trusted to deal straight.
My starting point is to ask the simple question:
Who or what is he defending?
Because we are all out defending something.
I write this blog to defend truth, civility, candor, and knowledge. If you find those qualities harmful to your cause, you would of course try to diminish me and the blog.
Interestingly enough, not very many Filipinos try to do that. Because it would reveal who THEY really are.
Game-players.
Similarly, we reveal ourselves as comparatively sane if we can at least recognize the insane amongst us.
If anyone is defending “Build Build Build”, I know he is a player, because that is a marketing slogan, automatically falling into the category of “advocacy” rather than information and reasoning. It distracts from the ideal of investing in highest and best use. We can guess that construction money is pumped out lavishly as fodder for commissions. The “Build Build Build” slogan hides the debt load and current account deficit and instability that permeates Philippine governance.
If anyone defends teaming up with China, I know he is a player, too. China is the least trustworthy, forthright, and respectful nation around. You can judge a person’s character by the friends he keeps.
If anyone defends President Trump or President Duterte, I know he is a player because both are rabid liars and are actively engaged to undermine the institutions that hold our nation to the high road of dignity, honesty, fairness, and prosperity. You can judge a person’s character by the values he defends. You’d not be surprised that his defenders try to fill your mind with lies and truths and slanders that undermine truth.
If anyone defends the Constitution as our rulebook, then I trust them until I see a gaming of the rules taking place. . . . such as that done by the Supreme Court when they are followed politics rather than the Constitution to agree to Solicitor General Calida’s ouster plot against former Chief Justice Sereno. Then I trust them no more. I do trust those who voted in the dissent.
Some defend God and I trust them to deal honestly and compassionately . . . unless they belong to a church that distorts knowledge. Which I believe most organized religions are prone to do. Then I know there are limits to the individual’s latitude to reason.
It is not always easy identifying the primary motivation that is driving people to present information the way they do . . . either straight or distorted. I adapt the Japanese technique of building knowledge by “asking why five times”:
- What (or who) is he defending?
- Are you sure? What is he really defending?
- Is there something else that could be driving him?
- What is his self interest here?
- Am I missing something else here?
Once I have identified his primary interest . . . . AND IT IS NOT INTEGRITY . . . it is like hearing the last tumbler in a combination lock click into place, the door opens, and everything makes sense.
I confirm that I am reasonably sane and understand why others are game-playing.
Or one can take the reverse approach, a very simple method. Just ask:
- Is he or she representing Filipinos honorably?
So very few are.
They are the lunatics.
Sanity is taking care of one another well.
Work diligently not to let the crazy people pollute your thinking.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity. Using persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction, and lying, it attempts to destabilize the victim and delegitimize the victim’s belief.
Journalists at the New York Times Magazine, BBC and Teen Vogue, as well as psychologists Bryant Welch, Robert Feldman and Leah McElrath, have described some of the actions of Donald Trump during the 2016 US presidential election and his term as president as examples of gaslighting.[24][27][28][29][30] Ben Yagoda wrote in the Chronicle of Higher Education in January 2017, that the term gaslighting had become topical again as the result of Trump’s behavior, saying that Trump’s “habitual tendency to say “X”, and then, at some later date, indignantly declare, ‘I did not say “X”. In fact, I would never dream of saying “X”‘” had brought new notability to the term.[5] In 2018, Amanda Carpenter published Gaslighting America: Why We Love It When Trump Lies to Us tracing how the tactic started with Nixon, gained traction with Bill Clinton, and exploded under Trump.
There was once an editorial in a Filipino newspaper during Erap’s time, describing Erap as the kind of guy who, when caught in the act with a mistress, would tell her to get dressed, and after she left tell his wife “what woman”? This was an allegory about his corruption of course, not just women.
Lying by people in power isn’t new.. It’s been around forever. Even theBible is full of untruths.
Your points are good, but your failure to openly admit that bullshitting has been rife here since 16th century, and overtly with most Presidencies in Pilipinas, presents your cases as biased against Duterte, and pushing the yellow banners.
So a person searching for facts and truth is biased, and a person who does not care about bullshitting that has been going on since the 16th century is just a realist, to be admired?
Hmmmmm.
I see the problem is more severe than I thought.
Reminds me of a Marcos loyalist ex-girlfriend who told me “maturity is accepting that everybody lies”.
I decided to stay immature at least in hoping there is some truth out there..
Yes. Good that you have not succumbed to the ease of lunacy.
Dr. Gregory House md was your ex?
House was a loyalist?
LOL!
soooo true!
Wow, even the Bible is FULL of untruths? Can you cite at least three?
Here’s one.
At the macro level, there is a cohesiveness in the Bible. That is a pillar of truthfullness.
There are apparently quite a few mistakes or errors, many of which may be explained off by problems of linguistic interpretations and etymology of the times. However, I can’t find any that can measure up to what ‘untruth’ or ‘lies’, which are statements made with knowledge as to its falsehoods and possibly with bad intent.
I think the demand for perfection in the Bible is rather fruitless, although there are those who do take it literally. During my active church-going years, I attended a Baptist Church in the US. The minister was young and bright, skilled at taking meanings from the text, but he always referred to them as “stories”. I think he did not want to waste time defending the particulars and instead focused on what the lessons were that could help us today. I wish the Catholic Church taught moral lessons rather than rituals.
Demand for perfection indeed gets to the ludicrous levels sometimes. Empiricists, secularists, postmodernists all laugh at the Bible’s of pi=3.0 (in a description of Solomon’s temple). Who cares if today’s super computers using the y-cruncher model can compute pi to more than a million decimals. The Bible was simply using a rounded figure. Furthermore the unit of measure was cubits which is the the length of a persons arm. Your cubit and my cubit probably deviates by a mile.
“I wish the Catholic Church taught moral lessons rather than rituals.”
Absolutely agree. Philippines, being event rich, I would have loved that the Sunday after each high profile ethical and/or moral transgression, the Church puts it in a Biblical perspective and talk to the congregation. What better way to follow Jesus preaching via stories.
Exactly.
The cost of being a priest carrying Christ’s lessons & message:
“Absolutely agree. Philippines, being event rich, I would have loved that the Sunday after each high profile ethical and/or moral transgression, the Church puts it in a Biblical perspective and talk to the congregation. “
I’m usually agnostic, but when meeting folks like i7sharp (miss him) I turn mad atheist, but prefer pseudo epigraphy & inconsistencies to varying interpretation of cubits. As I said here before I do envy and have crazy respect for monks who live with less and less, that to me was the point of Jesus’ message, less = compassion.
but there’s a bit of Nietzsche too, in Luke 6:40 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+6&version=KJV 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. but the 1st commissioning of the 12 by Jesus is the key here, the only thing that matters really, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commissioning_of_the_Twelve_Apostles if your priest/pastor doesn’t get that you guys will be paying for fancy private jets and helicopters, big fancy churches with overheads… (God knows what else).
But to your point above, chemp, in the Middle East it wasn’t Sunday but every Friday, “each high profile ethical and/or moral transgression” was addressed in mosques and having riled up the Friday crowd, depending on who was in-charged, ie. the Israelis it’s tear gas; Egyptians bullets; Americans throw money; Saudis keep the clergy in line, etc. etc. From a crowd control perspective, i’d prefer a small Bible study situation w/ say 10 to 15 folks.
Preferably throughout the week, the more sessions the better. Better return too, I’m sure with 10 to 15 you’ll get pretty good discussions.
For Benedict of Nursia (b. 480 AD) the gematric (scriptural) 12 was the operative membership, like 12 apostles and a spiritual father seeking moral perfection. Uncannily close to USMC squad leader + 3 fire teams of 4. When the number is achieved it marks the time to start another 12 + 1. The Benedictines are still in operation up to this day.
“Benedict’s main achievement is his “Rule of Saint Benedict”, containing precepts for his monks. It is heavily influenced by the writings of John Cassian, and shows strong affinity with the Rule of the Master. But it also has a unique spirit of balance, moderation and reasonableness (ἐπιείκεια, epieíkeia), and this persuaded most religious communities founded throughout the Middle Ages to adopt it. As a result, his Rule became one of the most influential religious rules in Western Christendom.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_of_Nursia
More on Benedict of Nursia:
The Benedict Option:
“It has struck me in recent days, however, that the Benedict Option may be the only option. It may be the only option not because the surrounding culture is decadent and we want to protect our children. It is not the only option because we are fed up with the technological, fast-paced, shallow existence of twenty-first-century life. It is not the only option because we are disgusted by porn, shocked by war, and spooked by gender confused radicals who are on the warpath. It is not the only option because we think the worldlings are worldly beyond redemption.” — Dwight Longenecker
https://www.crisismagazine.com/2017/benedict-option-option
Ah, thanks sonny great read !!!
“Likewise the conservative Christian option today is to step back from the endless dialogue and debate and to focus on being consistent and authentically conservative. Within our families, our parishes, our schools and our workplace we will be committed to a way of obedience, stability and conversion of life, and our method will use the timeless tools of work, study and prayer.”
Don’t go big, go small. I think the next century will see this coming to play, we’ve over-extended ourselves in every sense of the word. Crystal grow then stop growing because they reach some sort of condition akin to homeostasis, same with people, I’m sure society too. the world.
We return to
p.s. — from our previous talk, I’ve been reading a lot about Carthusians, and actually met a former Carthusian now I guess a ronin of sort , but since he’s still technically a priest was assign by the bishop handling San Diego area to handle hospital ministry near the border.
Still have not visited Big Sur, sonny. Too busy.
sonny,
Have you seen this documentary? Very good.
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1. ”Work diligently not to let the crazy people pollute your thinking.”
2. That last sentence is a leaf from my book on secular humanism.
2.1. As I said in the last blog, “Secular humanism… expects that individuals must thoroughly examine ideas and isms by reason and not by faith.”
3. With all the smoke – the noise and confusion — surrounding us, it is easy to succumb to ill health. As we know, even secondhand smoke can be deleterious.
4. There are many ways of overcoming smoke. The cited Japanese iterative technique of asking 5 Why’s is one. This is not to be confused with the Five Ws and How technique which is used in information gathering and problem-solving.
4.1. The difficulty is in getting answers to the Why question in Five Ws and the nth Why in 5 Whys. For example, the answer to the second-level Why in Joe Am’s example – “What is he really defending?” – may be obscure and not readily apparent.
4.2. The tendency to inhale smoke is compounded by our natural and unquestioning reliance on authority. We tend to accept that something is true because a scientist (Einstein) said so. Or a philosopher (Plato or Nietzsche). Or a bayani (Rizal). Or the Bible (or any holy book).
4.3. In the latter, internal consistencies abound. For any verse, one can cite a counter-verse… or interpret it in different ways.
5. I have my own 5-Tier Model that I have previously presented on this website.
6. On the whole, I would say that technique is secondary to attitude, intention, and intuition (or gut feeling). The attitude is one of skepticism and open inquiry. The intention is to find out what the truth really is. The intuition is that the smell of the smoke is not right. Possibly, a rat?
*****
Skepticism, inquiry, and sense of smell or intuition. Three important tools to cut through the disinformation.
Fear for next election….
Voting Hilbay 0.4%
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1070908/poe-tops-pulse-asia-survey-on-2019-senate-hopefuls
How to blow smoke..
One of the commenters supporting Grace Poe in the above link is called Alea Roman, one of the many pro Poe trolls..
https://disqus.com/by/alearoman/
Downloaded her picture from the disqus and did reverse picture search—–
https://www.google.com/search?tbs=sbi:AMhZZitGSnqFFkAcE6C_168l40vmXNFlnjzszv4K_1hS1KFM9SqtWwyJvIAnQBb1MfsVoBoDYCoRI0mG2l2sVszmTvYVJbGynwDtHlj2TeHaLT6pM_1lcemu8PX-0iKl4xQ86QxePThPpOyOh82NWmy9ap-BmYdeZx51SzycmR0hvBYfC8TxwVsyxHUeJhQk1r34bY7ob6g54pyv7nB-7rVf5IY-Y1Jwm0cNKW_1gRXT4u6TRCk4ZGtAo4U241y-8AWg5wQ_18we_149URap_1qu-hbzolVydYd-HG9b5JK_1KT9fSq6PUBl3wZ-gC_13stZadW2HbuASp2EoiKc-fQNEVp52pYLtqOTY-5ofew
Good old Sasha Best of Sasha Best Massage, et al. Wonderful work, Sup. I’d imagine Poe is being advised by her idol in the world of research, Thinking Pinoy.
I am not contributing a cerebral idea or comment as others have done in Chemrock’s immediately previous blog on “Filipism” and the current one by Joe on “blowing smoke.” I just want to state my appreciation for the nice read of the two topics and the associated comments — two topics which like some before follow each other like glove in hand. My thanks to chemrock and Joe and the many cerebral comments.
Outside of the Philippine context, I note that such topics and discussion here is being done with variation worldwide.
In this regard and in a wider context, TSH commenters and readers may be interested in taking a look at Yuval Noah Harari’s August 2018 book, “21 Lessons in the 21st Century.” I have not finished reading the book yet [sent by a daughter as a New Year gift]. It seems to be an Addendum to his second book “Homo Deus” but focused on contemporary ideas already published or discussed, but which he selected as critically important — such as
– worldwide disillusionment;
– Big Data, AI and algorithms;
– disappearing traditional work;
– religion;
– immigration and culture;
– secularism;
– justice;
– post-truth and fake news;
– education; and lo and behold,
– meditation.
[Oops, he seemed to have missed the ecological issue of global warming.]
Harari’s new book has been gushed at by some and criticized by some. The latter because nothing essentially new was discussed. But I like it at the very least for the 21 Items he listed and discussed — a listing one can ponder in one’s own way, not limiting to what Harari has to say.
Thanks for that reference. Harari seems to have pulled it all together well.
Related note, I have recorded over 1,000 blocks on my Twitter account, recently created profiles with few tweets and followers. I think they are from “yellow” sponsors, in the main. It is amazing how similar the profiles are, some even using the same photo (one of a girl with a cat nose is repeated). So it looks like both sides of the political divide are issuing distortions.
Welcome. And thanks for that interesting note on the two sides distorting things. I suppose the obvious question to ask is who is the bigger distorter.
Right. Government has a huge budget. Marcos large. Everyone else, probably more modest.
Thanks for Harari’s new book, NH.
Similar in scope, but more personal, you already know I’m a big fan of this literary style.
Wiki: “It was originally written in 1938 by Napoleon Hill, but was said to be too controversial to be published during that time period. It was released by Sterling Publishing in June, 2011.
The book is an interview between Hill (Mr. Earthbound) and The Devil (Your Majesty). Hill attempts to uncover the secrets to freedom and success by evaluating the greatest obstacles that humans face in order to attain their personal goals in life.”
Yes. We are of an age where Napoleon Hill — of “Think and Grow Rich” fame — is a name one cannot miss.
Does anyone know the title of a book that Hill wrote whose basic idea was plaigiarised into the Law of Attraction? I read that some 40 years ago, can’t remember the title.
chempo,
I tried googling the phrase “amazon napoleon hill book containing law of attraction” and got one of the links titled as “Top 10 Law Of Attraction Books To Read For Inspiration.” One of the books (no. 8) is Napoleon Hills Think and Grow Rich. I understand that there are several versions of the book with different editors.
http://www.thelawofattraction.com/top-10-law-of-attraction-books/
Clicking the panel (in orange) saying paperback amazon.com brings you to the amazon page. The book marked or dated as 2014 is described as authored by Napoleon Hill and edited by Katherine Hurst. This edition probably contains the Law of Attraction item.
Note that the edition referred to is the Paperback format @ USD 54.07
I hope that helps.
The Secret , chemp.
I don’t like self-help books much, chemp, but yeah ‘the Secret’ having perused it in Barnes & Noble one time, is total crap.
That goes for Eckhart Tolle books too, all crap. Essentially regurgitated stuff, I’m surprised they don’t get dinged for plagiarism.
Dale Carnegie and Napoleon Hill are the only self-help authors you’ll need, everyone else is just copying.
This guy’s good too, http://www.erichuber.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/HowToGetWhatYouWant_Wattles.pdf
*******
NHerrera, thanks. I haven’t read the book but I was intrigued by your mention of Secularism. Just now, I skimmed over the section. Some quotes:
1. “The most important secular commitment is to the truth, which is based on observation and evidence rather than on mere faith. Seculars strive not to confuse truth with belief.”
2. “The other chief commitment of secular people is to compassion. Secular ethics relies not on obeying the edicts of this or that god, but rather on a deep appreciation of suffering.”
3. “The twin commitments to truth and compassion result also in a commitment to equality. Though opinions differ regarding questions of economic and political equality, secular people are fundamentally suspicious of all a priori hierarchies.”
4. “Finally, secular people cherish responsibility. They don’t believe in any higher power that takes care of the world, punishes the wicked, rewards the just, and protects us from famine, plague or war.”
I agree with all the above.
Harari goes on to discuss the shadow side of secularism. I am still trying to understand his take on human rights. He believes this is dogma and that humans do not “have a natural right to life or liberty.” He claims this is ignorance and “hardly protects us against consumerist excesses and technological utopias.”
*****
By definition then, would you consider secularists as atheists?
*******
Not necessarily. It depends on the secularist’s definition of god.
From the Harari statements, secularists do not believe in an interventionist god.
But a secularist can believe in Spinoza’s god (or Einstein’s god). This is a modified version of deism in which God may not be the creator of Nature but IS Nature.
*****
Edgar: “Spinoza’s god (or Einstein’s god)”
“If your God is dead, take mine” – bumper sticker in Germany, translation mine
*******
Nietzsche started it.
*****
But a priest in Quiapo warned Duterte that the Black Nazarene is real. Him, the Cebu Sto. Nino and the Lady of Penafrancia are the native Gods not even Duterte dares touch. So he does know bis place?
A buddy once told me that the real Santo Niño (from Magellan) is without legs, that they had to saw off his legs because he kept on disappearing and re-appearing in other houses or churches around Cebu,
after they cut off his legs, he stayed put.
I guess everyone in Cebu knows this, passed down from their parents or grandparents, I don’t care too much for magical thinking, but
my question to him was more along the lines of free-range parenting, ie. why not just let baby Jesus run around town what could happen to him, he is God forchrissakes? Which , my buddy replied, too much hassle, just cut his legs off.
And that pretty much encapsulates Christianity in the Philippines, miraculous yet bounded.
The cult of the Santo Nino (Holy Infant) was akin to the belief in the miracle of Sto Nino de Atocha. (quite interesting)
http://www.ninoatocha.com/history.html
Oh, that makes sense now, sonny!
So Magellan was wanderer himself, must’ve had affinity for the Santo Niño , which he gave in Cebu. I wonder if he had a room just full of saintly statues to gift to anyone important he came upon— if it was all Santo Niños or if there were other variety of statues.
I know they had boxes for of trinkets and mirrors to trade or gift to people they’d come across.
This is very interesting, sonny. Are you familiar with the jesus infancy gospels? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infancy_Gospel_of_Thomas it reads almost like a Marvel comic story, a child with superpowers.
sonny,
I’ve also come across another Santo Niño but one wrestling a dove or seagull. Which one is that? What is that called?
the Santo Niño in Cebu is supposed to be in a Navy uniform of a Spanish admiral, I guess same as what Magellan would’ve worn or his higher ups.
I’m curious now how many other Santo Niño images/statues there are.
LC, the devotions to the Santo Nino of Cebu and that of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague are the devotions I’m most familiar with. Their provenances (Cebu and Bohemia) seem to point to similar timelines for the devotions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_Jesus_of_Prague
In trying to find that Santo Niño wrestling a bird, I found one grasping a big fish, and this one,
both funny and sad at the same, though still relevant to the 2 recent blogs.
his left hand should be holding a gun. Santo Niño de Tokhang.
“By definition then, would you consider secularists as atheists?”
I dunno about the word ‘secularist’ , chemp , since as sonny has stated here before Catholic priests are divided in two camps, SECULAR and RELIGIOUS.
those who fall directly under the bishop; and those who fall under a group, ie. Franciscan, Augustinian, SJ’s, etc. etc.
I dunno why Catholics use this dichotomy since Secular generally means ‘worldly’, ‘temporal’, of this world, as oppose to Not of this World.
As to atheists and agnostics , they tend to do well in religious tests and tests about world religions, http://www.pewforum.org/2010/09/28/u-s-religious-knowledge-survey/
which I guess means they are more curious, hence more versed in discussions about religion, ergo more enlightened.
Though I understand secularist to mean folks of the time after God is Dead declaration and its logical result, Man is God (Harari’s title). but if you really think about it Buddhism is the process of becoming God (or part of or return to God).
So it goes back to the word secular’s original meaning, of this world and of this time. No hell , no heaven, no inter-dimensional stuff. Just here and now.
Those items on secularism is right in your area. Nicely selected quotes from Harari [pages 208-212 in the Hardcover I have] which I agree with as you do. Check too the Meditation Chapter; he subscribes to Vipassana.
*******
Ah, insight meditation. Thanks, I will.
*****
Joe, great read especially when read right after chemp’s blog.
Where chemp is missing the definition of the Truth (whether intended or not), your ‘Who or what is he defending? ultimately leads to your own clones or folks with same-same everything, no?
Just as chemp did not intend to consolidate Truth (I’m still unsure); I’m sure you are not intending to consolidate the word Integrity , right? Because if there was only one Truth, and those espousing it (whatever you deem it to be) , are those with your type Integrity (ie. of the same Truth), the world would not only be a pretty boring place, but more importantly dangerous.
Remember the Borg.
As I said before the friction is where the fun is found, if you only have one thing with nothing to bang it or strike it or grind it with, then what’s the point, no?
Again, that propaganda and influence that is being peddled is nothing new, maybe with the advent of the internet it seems everywhere, but the game of imposing your will on one or many, is as old as time , before anyone wrote books on it.
Think of all this as a life and death fight , Joe. DU30, his trolls, those you don’t agree with, etc. just punched you; your reaction shouldn’t be the 5 Why’s you’re already too late , you punch him, or slap him, back— figuratively, but sure literally too.
You’re fighting fire with water; which is fine. But sometimes you have to fight fire with fire when the situation is worst, ie. oil fire or forest fire, either by creating a bigger fire that will suck the oxygen out from the smaller one; or control burn surrounding area, get there first essentially. And the situation is worst, Joe.
edgar’s correct there is no one truth, there’s varieties of truths, which only happen to be truth themselves because people agree it is so.
But truth or seeking truth is not really the point here, sure when you’re relaxing in a bath or making sweet love to your woman, you can contemplate truth(s); but in the arena which you’ve described (and chemp), body politic that is the Philippines,
there is only one solution, one recourse, and that’s to imposing your own will on them in return. DU30 and his ilk are imposing their will on you (their truths, or lies, or whatever you wanna call it), you don’t have the luxury of over-thinking, psycho-analyzing this,
Fight fire with fire, this is no time for philosophizing. I have that luxury (all the stuff I wished for , less foot print in the Middle East, the Wall and/or immigration reform, Americans getting politically reawakened, etc. thanks to Trump I got all that); you guys in the Philippines don’t, well at least your party, or your ilk, so you’re on defense.
(p.s. — I know there’s no calls to action here, but I just wanted to make the point that essentially the clouds is not where the arena is, it’s on the ground, so adjust accordingly. )
(p.s.s. — but I also understand that in the end it’s just a blog, and we’re all here to basically philosophize to our hearts content, only thing missing is a Tanduay bottle with one glass, small rickety table, and a smelly street corner next to dirty open canal, I ‘ve always imagined all us in dirty wife beaters. We’re fancy digital tambays. 😉 )
Going back to the Nietzsche going crazy analogy, Joe.
Don’t throw yourself in place of the horse; throw yourself full-speed at the horse beater. Knock him out.
If that fails, we must find some magic.
Visayan women do this thing called lumay (i’d not hear of this in Manila), but basically they steep their used panties like tea in hot water, let it sit, then add juice or Coke to make the taste better, and offer it to the guy they want to marry (ie. control).
That’s why I never drank open beverages over there, always preferring nay demanding sealed drinks I opened myself.
Like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysistrata maybe the womenfolk of the Philippines can organize a mass lumay event to control their men towards less (to zero) impunity and envy. To read more. and make more money instead of just drinking everyday and night.
To be more suspicious of China and DU30.
Magic may just be the key, Ireneo 😉 .
But my own point here, Ireneo , is although I don’t much believe in magic, the mere possibility of a woman controlling my mind is enough to be wary. Can you imagine not being able to go thru the 5 Why’s analysis, “Marry me and take me to America!”, “To the land of big PX and nice hand bags!”. No thank you! lol!
This pretty much fits with the theme of the article — literally blowing smoke. I also think of the dozens of corporations betting on a very bland and uncharismatic Special Adviser whose first policies if winning the senatorial race is to create pro-corporate laws screwing the unprivileged.
If the gov’t sector there has been so bad, why not open it up to the private sector, i know i know, same families handle the private sector, robbing Peter to pay Paul, or better yet left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing,
But how about opening up to competition of businesses from around SE Asia then the world. Businesses from the rest of the Pacific Rim thus hedging China monopoly.