The morality of self. Back to the caves.
Neanderthal man, Natural History Museum-London. Via jerusalemwatch.com
By Joe America
When we lived in caves, we thought better than we do now. We found knowledge useful as we chipped out new tools, we established rules to live by, men hunting, women having babies, tribes banding together. Well, okay, we’d occasionally throw virgins into the volcano to appease the powers greater than us. We hadn’t figured everything out in those days.
Today, though, we think we ourselves are the greatest power. We don’t care very much about knowledge. We’d rather thrust our views onto others. We know a lot, after all. We’ve set the Bible aside, such an inconvenience, those rules against killing and brutality. Having a conscience is such an impediment. We’ve set the Constitution aside, applying it more as a weapon to use against others while we free-form our own rules on the fly.
I say “we” intentionally. Thinking it is just “they” who have the problem shows the full extent of the problem. Denial.
I came to this realization as I watched the incredible scene of half of the American legislature making up reasons as to why it was alright for Trump to put national security at risk for personal gain. They are making things up. Each pro-Trump legislator is a morality unto himself. Whatever he or she thinks is in the nation’s best interest . . . even if it destroys what an oath means, or what democracy stands for.
The morality of self. Of me. On full display.
Well, the Philippines is full of that stuff, is it not? Ever since Aguinaldo, laws or allegiance haven’t meant much. It’s all about “me”.
Power is the greatest currency, not coins or compassion.
We all live by self-made rules to one extent or another. We arrive on social media with a chip on our shoulder and a need to impose our thinking on others. We don’t really concern ourselves with asking anyone for insight. We already have plenty of that, thank you.
By all evidence, Filipinos have completely set aside the Bible and changed religion to a set of rites. I fully expect virgins into volcanoes any day now.
The Constitution is a weapon for government, justice a meat cleaver not a scale. Agency heads are zombies, groping around in the dark for brains. Theirs for sure don’t work well. Incompetence and corruption rule the day. The President loves the stuff, along with the lies used to paper over the natural results. Trash, inept blundering, theft, and a nation that even natives are having a hard time understanding.
This ‘morality of self’ is destructive. It suffocates innovation and problem-solving. It gives us no anchor, no boat even. We are little better than plastic flotsam floating down the Pasig, making our way in a river of lies and manipulations. Yet we think we are hotshots because we can yell our opinions out to the caribao and crooks on the river bank.
Climate change is coming and we can’t even recognize Trump and Duterte for what they are. Backward. Destructive of values and value. Indecent.
Social media is partner threat to climate change. It is undermining our ability to need one another, respect one another, teach one another, and build moral values that help us thrive.
We have lost the gift of giving, of cherishing community values, of being awed by new information, of determination to be good citizens.
That last one is a killer. Citizens make a nation.
A bunch of selves do not.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
By “morality of self” you mean individualism?
Was it not individualism favors freedom of the citizens rather than the state’s authoritative control?
No, not individualism as Ayn Rand would have it, which is a conscious philosophy, but the descent into ignorance and self caused by our changing ways of interacting. Unconscious. Loss of moral anchors we formerly agreed to: faith based, Constitutional, ethical.
The blog mentioned that the current edition was triggered by what was observed as a head-scratching [that phrase, mine] US political scene.
I will say this: your blog picture of the Neanderthal man and reference to his thoughts in the circa in which he lived shows a non-too-handsome fellow but a logical man. Compare this with the good-looking Lindsey Graham with his logic-twisting, head-scratching statements, especially with reference to his historical statements about Trump.
Oh yes, I would love to go back to the caves [somehow this reminds me of dear friend edgar], less the practice of throwing virgins to the volcanoes.
The unselfish veneer of bayanihan is counterbalanced by the ako muna attitude and… yes, the Philippines is a very self-centered society. Filipinos love their self and their clan a lot and the country is the sum total of selves and clans that are in a constant state of rivalry
Nice one-paragraph summary. Natural disasters, sports victories and queens, even possibly wars are not enough to get what Hong Kong and Taiwan seem to have. It’s just not there.
And sadly those attitudes keep Filipinos from making progress even when they move to other countries because wherever they go they carry with them the ako muna and the clannish culture. Here in Italy Filipino immigrants just don’t seem to be able to form a cohesive group, it’s all banda uno at dos…
(Filipinos do tend to choose which reasons they form “… a cohesive group”)
https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-celebrates-a-filipino-christmas-tradition-at-the-vatican
The Simbang Gabi tradition in the Philippines dates back to the 17th century. Filipinos hang a star outside their homes, and attend early morning Masses on each of the nine days before Christmas.
“In recent decades, thanks to Filipino migrants, this devotion has crossed national borders and has arrived in many other countries. Simbang-Gabi has also been celebrated in the diocese of Rome for years, and today we celebrate it together here, in St. Peter’s Basilica,” Pope Francis said.
The pope told the Filipino community gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica that they are called to be “leaven” in their parish communities in Italy, and encouraged them to share their “cultural and spiritual wealth.”
There are over 167,000 Filipinos residing in Italy, according to the Italian Ministry of Labor.”
From my limited vantage point as husband of a Filipina I observe a lot of families tsismising about other families and that is very far from creating unity among Pinoys in this country.
Yes Filipinos here are very religious but religious tradition cannot be conflated with true spirituality. I see Filipinos here as very materialistic, alcohol abuse is very widespread, the crab mentality keeps Filipino sari-sari stores from succeeding, big social gatherings are very shallow and are centered around food rather than around creating meaningful friendships and relationships and the list could go on and on
the chinese have chinatowns in cities of the world, the italians have mafia – lol! it’s all about clans and families and what binds them together. we filipinos stick together, our culture and subculture and shared beliefs bind us together. though there are filipinos that lose their identities having assimilated well, maybe too well, with other cultures. they rose above the mold, or maybe lower, whichever is applicable, and are quite adept.
the higher filipinos are on the socioeconomic order, the more educated, the better they are, their behavior is more or less tempered by their status quo.
it’s those filipinos on the lower rung that gives filipinos a bad name. I’m stereotyping! lower class filipinos have less than favorable behavior. god bless them! they have a lot to learn.
dont like those shallow social gatherings of filipinos? dont suffer, show them what ticks and suggest anything worthwhile, just dont sit there and complain. have a go. if not, come and join in the fun, enjoy and let your hair down. it’s nice to be silly once in a while.
not your cup of tea? then excuse yourself nicely and leave. criticizing the host at the wrong time may lead to no more invitation in the future. be tactful.
Enjoy the moment and talk about it later.
If you did not like the food and company, if you are daring enough post your reaction on FB as a blind item.
Good lesson in sociology for me, k-bahay. 🙂
The full view of Simbang Gabi 15Dec 2019 at St Peter’s Basilica:
I mentioned damayan when we are in bayaniihan mode after a calamity, but when we are in misery needing company we infect others which is sort of damay-damay.
Self-interest or interest within your cave or much worse your own bubble, in a cave you can have company when you are miserable, but when you are in a bubble, you are on your own.
On Twitter I opined that all we need to have equality like the Nordic countries is to have homogeneity and low population in which JP said is hard due to our tribalism and religiosity.
The movie Antonio Luna has the main character saying Bayan Muna bago sarili or Nation first before self.
There is a party list called Bayan Muna spoofed to Bayad Muna by some critics of theirs.
We are good at saying we have values and morals you just don’t say that just to hypnotize yourself into believing you do, practice makes permanent.
If there are cafeteria Catholics where you choose what to believe in, I guess that is akin to morality of self. we choose to believe and not what to believe as long as the shoe fits. If it does not fit use a shoe horn, it might fit, but it is not yours.
EVENTS OF US PRESIDENT’S IMPEACHMENT INCLUDING THE HOUSE VOTES ARE RICH FOR GAME THEORISTS
That headline is written as a student of Game Theory [which I confess to be, poor student though I am]. If ever one is looking for a real-life laboratory with which to apply GT, events and data leading to the Impeachment provide a good example.
I realize that I am writing something away from the current blog’s morality of self theme to which people worldwide have evolved — and with which I agree. But I am referencing the academicians [Game Theorists included] who I believe are still evolving in rationality and logic.
Its not my intention to go beyond my above preamble and dive into GT gibberish but I just want to write the following if I were to premise my GT analysis:
1. The Democrats and Republicans I sincerely believe are on the average equally and inherently intelligent and rational but that is hampered in the case of the latter in their total subservience to the US President because of their virtual fear of a gun in their heads that is, their re-electability if they even utter a word not aligned with him. Therefore, the Strategy Space of the Republicans is less than that of the Democrats.
2. In GT, information, as in business and espionage, is very important and useful. Thus, compared to the Prisoner’s Dilemma situation where the two prisoners do not know each other’s decision — a case of simultaneous strategy making and decision-making; we have instead a sequential strategy and decision-making where almost immediately after an event or statement he dislikes happens, the President tweets. And thus, gives valuable information to the opposition to exploit.
The game of chicken being played by the US House Speaker and the Senate President is an interesting game.
This is related to my Item 2 above. The Senate President didn’t have to state publicly his making close coordination with the Whitehouse on the Senate Impeachment Trial. But oh no, he has to impress the Boss about how a good puppy he is. Goodness. Thus, the retort of the Speaker.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a game theorist without her realizing it.
The HOR impeached the corrupt Prez on party line votes; the Senate will acquit on Republican majority vote and the motherf*cker will use the persecution canard to oxygenate his reelection campaign.
This link is out really out of this TSoH outer space but may be, just may be a useful info read for thinkers and patriots commenters who analyzed the impact and worth of real (not fake) news.
.https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/cbsa-seized-enough-fentanyl-to-avert-nearly-20-million-overdoses-in-2-years/ar-BBY8EXU?ocid=spartanntp
PRES DONALD TRUMP IS IMPEACHED
One octogenarian who is definitely not for Pres Trump reacts with senile logic by metaphor like this: Pres Trump has been trumped by the US HoR when he was IMPEACHED on two counts of political rapes both of which REMAINED unconsummated to wit: “abuse of power and obstruction of Congress”
The first was rape by phone and by emissaries on victims that did not happen and where the alleged victims were unharmed; no torn hymen nor semen evidence from the intended victims had been established. The second, obstruction of Congress was rendered despicable by clueless Congress itself with (or by) its own UNOBSTRUCTED IMPEACHMENT of Pres. Trump. Here OBSTRUCTION is construed as a completed immovable wall that ceases forward action.
On the first case at bar, the alleged rapist appears to be a bumbling, bungling fool; on the second, the accuser is not any notch higher than the do-gooder alleged rapist. Remember the above musings is SENILE LOGIC BY METAPHOR and intends no slander or libel to any person or institution; postulating that rape is not a crime whose victims aren’t only men or women. Notions and ideas could be raped too by homos politicos.
But and however, if the acclaimed most powerful country among nations of the free world is TRULY SERIOUS AND STAINLESS on its WAR against corruption, there must be no partisan political eche bucheche which will undermine its many battles; its institutions like the Presidency MUST BRING IT ON, regardless.
However and finally, the truth will have spoken after the vote in the US SENATE and will be confirmed or disconfirmed by the forthcoming coming presidential election.
Please delete if unnecessary or irrelevant.
the above previous post
AS POETRY
PRES DONALD TRUMP IS IMPEACHED
One octogenarian who is
definitely not for Pres Trump
reacts with senile logic by metaphor like this:
Pres Trump has been trumped by the US HoR
when he was IMPEACHED on two counts
of political rapes to wit:
“abuse of power and obstruction of Congress”
both of which REMAINED unconsummated.
The first was rape by phone and by emissaries
on victims that did not happen and where
the alleged victims were unharmed;
no torn hymen nor semen evidence
from the intended victims
had been established.
The second, obstruction of Congress was rendered
despicable by clueless Congress itself with (or by)
its own UNOBSTRUCTED IMPEACHMENT of Pres. Trump.
Here OBSTRUCTION is construed as a completed
immovable wall that ceases forward action.
On the first case at bar, the alleged rapist appears
to be a bumbling, bungling fool; on the second,
the accuser is not any notch higher
than the do-gooder alleged rapist.
Remember the above musings is
SENILE LOGIC BY METAPHOR and intends
no slander or libel to any person or institution;
postulating that rape is not a crime whose victims
aren’t only men or women. Notions and ideas
could be raped too by homos politicos.
But and however, if the acclaimed most
powerful country among nations of the free world
is TRULY SERIOUS AND STAINLESS on
its WAR against corruption,
there must be no partisan political eche bucheche
which will undermine its many battles; its institutions
like the Presidency MUST BRING IT ON, regardless.
However, and finally, the truth will have spoken
after the vote in the US SENATE and will be confirmed
or disconfirmed by the forthcoming
presidential election. 0655191219.
“If the House does not communicate its impeachment to the Senate, it hasn’t actually impeached the president. If the articles are not transmitted, Trump could legitimately say that he wasn’t truly impeached at all,” Feldman wrote.
The sources told CBS News that the White House views Pelosi’s delay as “a Christmas gift.” They plan to use the delay to argue that the Democrats have so little faith in their own case for impeachment, they are too scared to trigger a trial they know they will lose. The two sources also say that the president, while “angry” about what he views as an unfair process, is actually in a “very good mood,” and feels confident he can win the messaging war via Twitter while lawmakers are back home for the holidays.”
The QUOTES above only purpose is an INVITE to Pres Trump’s TSoH protagonists and antagonists to read the entire LINK below where a Professor (who testified) wanting Trump to be impeached offered an objective opinion.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/newspolitics/white-house-considers-arguing-that-trump-wasnt-impeached/ar-BBYcQjJ?ocid=spartandhp
Whatever happened to the magnificent President’s threat to confront the two oligarchic families over MWSS franchise?
I know the spineless idiot will cave in at the first sign of pushback from the concessionaires as Manuel Pangilinan had recently and the news media, most or all of it are owned by oligarchic families, have imposed a news blackout on the matter.
It was all a negotiation after all.
All this threats of economic sabotage was a bluff.
So many investors involved including SSS.
IF Maynilad goes down,SSS goes down with it, and that means the present and future pensioners will be irate.(understatement)
The Vilars are allegedly after the rest of the countries water utilities and as expected, they are denying it.
Our mother loving president is one big joke.
“IF Maynilad goes down,SSS goes down with it…”
That’s bullshit. Maynilad is a profit seeking private company and its fortune could go north or south. The rationale for its existence is to capture what is considered a public domain of water distribution.
SSS is a pension system that must be administered publicly. It’s viability should and could not be tied to an investment in a private corporation.
The Duterte government succeeded in wiping out $2 billion in water company stock valuation. SSS was hurt, how badly, I don’t know. The total portfolio is 495 billion pesos (about @10 billion US). Duterte’s action had real consequences. The SSS fund is under long term stress, as is the US fund, with too many people needing money and not enough paying in. The only bullshit in the mix to me is the Duterte knee jerk decision.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-12/duterte-s-philippines-water-rant-causes-2-billion-hit-chart
https://www.bworldonline.com/sss-hires-fund-managers-for-p7b-in-investments/
@joeam
SSS has become a mafia organization run by unelected officials. Remember how it was used as a milking cow by Estrada’s mafia friends?
How much security does it actually provide for the retirees?
There should never have a separate pension system for private and government employees. SSS and GSIS should be merged so that its viability and liquidity could be guaranteed by the sovereign power of the national government.
Not much.
agree po ako with micha. no big time investors in their right mind would put all their eggs in one basket. maynilad and sss both have existed for quite a bit now and knew what sound economics practices are and unlike mum and dad investors, both can ‘wider’ storm surge, earthquake and meltdown. both are well padded, well protected and insured vs loss.
what’s 2billion to them? they just wiped out the 11billion paycheck our govt is supposed to pay them. ginawang pro bono, lol! if they can kiss 11billions goodbye without breaking a sweat, then 2billions is just chicken grits.
I can imagine maynilad and sss writing both their losses in their salns. mukhang may blessing in disquise, both would pay no tax. may negative income and would get rebates.
anyhow, I dont expect bosses, o ceo of both companies (maynilad and sss) to be have enormous christmas bonuses this time round, right? millions in bonuses for themselves while their clients are forced to swelt.
Unfortunately even if it BS, it is what it is.
I’m sorry about this, karlg, but I felt like singing, dont cry for me, argentina! and in their christmas stockings, I’ll place a lump of coal. that should make maynilad happy, fvr happy, gma happy! merry christmas. I’m the grinch that stole christmas, haha.
Hohoho
Karl is right, the mother loving president is one big joke.
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2019/12/21/1978661/endgame
Even one of the chief apologists of Arroyo is lamenting the knee jerk rant of Duterte.
This is the Stupidest rant of Duterte.
All our blue chippers will look elsewhere, all their convincing of investors to go here will be for naught.
Micha said that is how the markets work, correct and we suffer the consequences because the investors know how to cut their losses and if persist to be risks, good luck to us,
Confronting the two oligarchic families over the onerous terms of their concession would have been the most sensible and progressive act of the president.
What was stupid is that he did not actually made good on his threat to altogether cancel the contract. It’s one of those jetski-to-the-spratleys bullshitting again.
On the other hand, fear mongering over investor confidence is going a level up on Duterte’s bullsh*t.
Investor confidence can be hampered by a mere rumor.
To tell me otherwise is you know the word.
karl,
There are investors and there are investors.
If there’s an enterprising capitalist who will put up shop in Marikina making world class quality shoes, hires the skilled sapateros in the area and gives them fair wages – that’s the kind of investor we could all probably support and encourage because he is really into making something of value,
On the other hand, an investor who just moves his money around buying, for example, Maynilad corporate stocks hoping that share prices would go up is not actually being economically productive – he’s just making money off his money without contributing anything remotely tangible in the real economy.
That’s the kind of investor I don’t have much sympathies. If they lost money caused by the political turbulence coming from Duterte’s volatile rant, good for them – they should have known better.
Hot potato money, they come and go like the karma chameleon.
Thanks for continuing to let me understand where you are coming from.
negotiation is arreglo:
Arreglo Nacion Arreglado
Ah such dwende fantasy
Of liveable hellish heaven
Where night is for snoozing
Where day is for wheel-a-deal
Where yakking-yakking
Don’t stop socio- and
psychopathologies
Where everything or anything
By every which way
Crime is wiped clean or
Corrupt benevolence is extended
By ARREGLO.
Arreglo Nacion Arreglado
Ah such dwende fantasy
Of liveable hellish heaven
Where night is for snoozing
Where day is for wheel-a-deal
Where yakking-yakking
Don’t stop socio- and
psychopathologies
Where everything or anything
By every which way
Crime is wiped clean or
Corrupt benevolence is extended
By ARREGLO.
***** 044201219
Areglado.
Why couldn’t Manuel Pangilinan turn his business acumen to producing something of value like, oh I don’t know, maybe designer shoes or designer chairs or designer umbrellas?
Why does he desire instead to investing in public infrastructures and public utilities?
Because, ladies and gents, Manuel Pangilinan is not actually a legit businessman. He is not into competition. He prefers a captured consumer like that of PLDT and Maynilad. He is a rentier oligarch, a monopoly capitalist, a parasite feeding on the trough of public infrastructures.
People like him and the rigged economic system that he operates is the very reason why we have a stagnant economy characterized by widespread poverty while actual wealth gets siphoned off by the top 0.001%.
People like him and the rigged economic system that he operates is the very reason why we have a crude and crazy President in Malacanang right now.
as well, dirty cops, hellish and self serving politicians, public servants doing their public duties half heartedly, conniving lawyers, plunderers inc, all meet up and add to the brew. in him whose backyard is now home to earthquakes, a toxic environment surged and thrived they all did, happy in their miasma.
I’m grinch-ing tuloy that maybe a bigger and cleansing earthquake is needed, the son of god pastor had better not stop it, lol!
anyhow, nilindol ang bahay niyan. he has been warned.
In case you missed it, he is also building a hospital network.(Pangilinan)
I am not surprised.
Pangilinan has become the face of neoliberalism in the country – a concept, an ideology that has permeated the nooks and crannies of our society but is hardly understood.
Neoliberalism and the Global Order – Noam Chomsky
I have yet to read the Chomsky ebook(s) I downloaded when I first heard the name from you.
In 2020, I will do that.
I’ve heard about manny pangilinan’s hospital network, catering mostly for cash up patients. I remember a late top comedian being treated in one of his private hospitals, undergoing dialysis and was even scheduled for yet more operations even up to the comedian’s last dying days. apparently said comedian wanted to go home but doctors overruled the comedian’s last request. medical bill tallied high tuloy. then the comedian deteriorated and could not speak anymore and yet doctors still pushed for more treatment, bills piled up, treatment after treatment kahit prognosis was poor and recovery was nil.
when the comedian died and his family was presented the hefty medical bills, and maybe because of the not so very good publicity his treatment generated, manny pangilinan waved off the bills and thus saved reputation.
apparently, businessmen of all walks put value on trust and honesty kahit posthumously.
Congress employees get Php150,000 Christmas bonus…
https://www.topnewsphil.com/house-employees-get-p150000-bonus-each/
…so they can look the other way when their bosses get millions in under the table commissions.
Power of the purse at work.
their bosses po also get christmas bonuses on top of their under the table deals. lucrative life they’re all having.
FIRST: HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY; AND TO TSH CONTRIBUTORS/ READERS AND THEIR FAMILIES!
Here’s my immediate thoughts relative to the new blog article on “concepts and knowledge” in graphic form shown below.
There seem to be two types displayed not only by Filipinos but people in other countries, US included — with the behavior probably more acute hereabouts.
I wish we have more of TYPE 2.
[I don’t know if there is a quirk in my laptop: I can’t post a comment, so I am posting this in the previous blog on “morality of self.”]
Thanks for the conceptual Framework.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_framework
Merry Christmas
Happy 2020.
Happy Holiidays
Same to you and your family, karl — the mainstay of TSH!
I will never repeat my more than 8 weeks out of TSOH.
Even with the comment section closed, hopefully we can comment to the last open comment section like what we are doing now.
TSOH regulars and lurkers Seasons’ Greetings to all!
yay, greeting to all humans, beasts, and aliens and kindly stop your whinging, lol! the last few days of 2019 and I have lost weight. it was not because I’ve lost appetite, my apologies to the chef. just hard to eat food arranged like a work of art, I just stared at it, paid my bill and took a hike. I like the food I prepare, hodgepodge and messy with bits and pieces hanging out, and gulp! finger lickin’ gone.
behave! the emergency is not the best place to look for meaningful relationship. I hate to take calls from drunks complaining about their toenails. the emergency is not gossip line, it’s for life and death situations, so sod off!
ah, the silly season, is the one season I have to stay sober.
happy christmas to all, friends and enemies alike.
Could be if 911 is also a dating hot line.
Thanks Karl, Merry Christmas to All and to the Boss Chief JoeAm!
Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year to all, to JoeAm and Family.
To you and yours ISK, merry Christmas!
About computer access.
If the current batch of portable mini computers will be affordable to the masses as afforble as used smartphones then many will have access to the Internet.
I do not believe It stops at free FB, though it currently shapes the opinion of many, knowledge can still be attained by having more internet access.
The security issues of free wi fi must also be addressed, otherwise many will have empty bank accounts and stolen identities.
Maybe everyone is eager to impart their knowledge so instead of reporters just reporting, they Insert their unsolicited opinion.
Instead of the spokesperson just speak in or on behalf of his/her principal he/she speaks for himself.
Today’s having an opinion on almost everything under the sun is not healthy nor helpful sometimes.
Sometimes you say your best, when you say nothing at all.
Plus in today’s overprotective politically correct wannabe world, you have towatch your words or risk being sued or bashed.
nuggets of wisdom, thank you po, karlg.
Welcomem
I wish to JoeAm and all the readers of TSOH Merry Christmas and a joyful new year 2020!
Believe it or not; this blog is still an important ideological rampart against authoritarian encroachment in South East Asia.
Mabuhay!
MerryChristmas Joeam. We pray that you and your family are being spared the anger of Ursula.
Stay safe Joe!