President Aquino rises as reason collapses
Analysis and Opinion
By Joe America
President Noynoy Aquino and US President Barack Obama are rising icons of virtue as the intelligent world collapses in a dirtstream of nonsense and shitwork. Both men ran well-reasoned, principled governments later torn down by corrupt lying gamers. Obama got Trump, Aquino got Duterte and his droppings, most recently observed by the stink of a Supreme Court bound by the rule of impunity, not law, and a Senate President who has no observable patriotic bones, from the chair in which I watch him operate. Well, the Senate is clowns, isn’t it? Populists and pretenders, gamers and thugs. Gone are the intellectuals and deep-rooted patriots..
The problem is that social media nonsense has overwhelmed our moral standards. Even religions have lost their sense and compassion. They promote politics and favor, ugliness for sure. Jesus is another icon of virtue rising as the foundations of his good works sink in a stinky green sludge of people believing they are a better God than He was.
Social media has led them to believe their beliefs are profound and correct. I throw up my hands in horror as the esteemed intellectual Justice Leonen assumes the same mantra of arrogant infallibility as Harry Roque, as he makes stuff up to serve someone other than the everyday Filipino. Leonen is Little Harry to me now, his elaborate brain having gotten bogged down in an errant belief that it is better than ours, and can promote fictions as truth.
AI promises to order knowledge neatly whilst creating none of the stuff, new. Great for students and writers. But a dumbing down of poets, songwriters, and humorists like Mark Twain who write from some place where the soul rises majestically within us to shape the intellect. Humor, tragedy, irony, and inspiration are subjugated to the absurdity of dry perfect order.
Well, I’ve always been a sucker for feelings and can’t find them in AI.
Nor can I find much sense to the Senate or Supreme Court who have wiped trust off the face of the planet and defeated the purpose of government, which is to PROMOTE community, not ruin it.
Oddly, I trust President Marcos more than a lot of people who read this blog who are trapped in their hate for the father. Raissa Robles dropped off my reading list years ago, her transference of hate for the father so relentless when assigned to the son that I couldn’t stand to read it anymore.
I can’t relate to hate so thick that reason can’t get through.
My goal is to remain the poet in a world descending into the ugly slush of concocted and coddled beliefs.
Noynoy Aquino, Barack Obama, and Jesus Christ did not live in vain in my mind. And soul.
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Cover photo from Rappler article “World honors Aquino legacy, mourns passing of ‘great friend’”.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
In 2016
Partly because if Irineo who gave the good side of Duterte and you Kow congratulating him on day 1, I too had hopes for Duterte only to lose trust in him in just a few days.
Marcos had to grow on.me before, I just said no one can be as worse as Dutete he exceeded my low expectations.
But Aquino and Obama are a class on their own. Par excellence bar none.
Well, we can hope for the best until we realize it isn’t happening. Indeed, Aquino and Obama were patriotic presidents. The foolishness coming out of the US is truly incredible, and I imagine the same will happen in the Philippines if the voters go for a second Duterte.
I think, PNoy is being knocked off his pedestal and the person given the onerous task, and willingly accepted – is mayhap justice leonen. so correct me if I am wrong if I say that leonen is the last remaining justice of the supreme court appointed by the late president noy.
leonen used to be dependable but being ponente of the court’s infamous backburning of sara’s impeachment, leonen’s credibility is summat tarnished and with it president noy’s too. by association.
I don’t link Aquino to Leonen’s decent into crass politics. No one could have foreseen that in his earlier works. I’m sure Aquino would be as stunned as the rest of us.
forewarned is forearmed, I wont make leonen to be PNoy’s legacy, for like sereno, leonen is to be marked down, but unlike sereno, leonen is playing ball. he wont denounce PNoy, he’ll just let his action speaks louder than words.
Being consistently inconsistent, I have decided to comment on this now and not on the weekend. There are so many aspects to the present collapse of reason.
1) one might think that the printing press brought reason to us immediately. But one of the most infamous products of the printing press was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malleus_Maleficarum which was one of many guides to hunt witches published in that era. BTW pamphlets published by both Catholic and Protestant factions in the religious conflicts following the Reformation and leading up to the 30 years war in Germany are still in the cultural memory of Germany. “Lying like printed” aka “Lügen wie gedruckt” is still a phrase in German language to this day.
I think (Joey can fill in as usual) that proper journalistic standards as in Fleet Street took some time to develop. Even the greatest work of John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, was a retort to Patriarcha, a justification for absolutist rule. Think of them as bloggers quarreling.
Good newspapers give proper perspective to things. Why perspective is important I will write about in the next item.
2) We are psychologically and emotionally Neolithic. The simpler parts of our brain are wired to react to perceived threats. The more visual and up close media are the more they are triggered.
There was this German movie September 5 about the Munich Olympic massacre in 1972 showing how the ABC news team was in a dillemma about whether to broadcast certain aspects of the crisis or not. Fast forward to ME getting worked up on Twitter about a shooter incident in the Munich Olympic Mall and Olympic Village in July 2016. Of course my Filipino followers on FB (had my own page to my blog then) as well as Twitter were interested in what was happening as today local news goes global way to quickly. PERSPECTIVE GETS LOST.
First of all, that “unintended self-experiment” of me Tweeting all night until the 3 a.m. presscon by the Bavarian State Police and their excellent social media spokesperson (who was made into the Bavarian Ministry of Health spokesperson during Covid times for being so damn good) showed me the dillema of a) reporting accurately and b) reining my emotions in that field reporters have. Most of us are NOT qualified to be reporters and commenters.
Second, our Neolithic brain gets triggered into a flood of flight or fight responses when it sees too many bad things happening. There are stats saying the world is actually SAFER now than it ever was but if one hangs out on X too much and gets a bad feed, one might think it’s worse. Those who believe some X feeds might believe “Eurabia” over here is real as certain political groups put a magnifying glass on certain incidents. We who are on the ground her know better that the picture is far more varied. I guess for drugs in the Philippines the picture is similar.
Unfortunately, not all of us have the education (which I fortunately have had) or the emotional intelligence (which I had to develop, with my participating in THIS BLOG a major factor) to turn on our logic and keep our emotions in check when the ragebait comes through social media.
3) Before I went OA on Twitter in July 2016, I found myself seeing Duterte as promising in 2015. Fortunately I researched on my doubts about him and found out that a) he wasn’t a kind of “Dark Knight” figure like in the movie and b) Mar Roxas and Leila De Lima were actually doing proper work to improve the PNP and the justice system respectively. So I wasn’t on a horse and struck by lightning, going from Saul to Paul, I just realized at some point the false narratives.
Convincing a lot of my Pisay 1982 batchmates was a nearly impossible job, still. Even the late Doc Iggy who was mentioned here and was a highly intelligent man was hardcore DDS. Many went by the Pinoy principle that sticking to one’s guns even if wrong is a form of strength.
Now the tables have turned and many won’t see how Senators Aquino and Pangilinan are a) voting with Risa Hontiveros on important matters such as transparency and b) are making sure through education and agriculture that there will still be voters left for liberalism in the future, not just totally unschooled and hungry people who will eat the political equivalent of pagpag just because it is the straw they cling to.
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OK, managed to channel my passion on this without going overboard. Ten years of TSOH have been worth it in learning how to deal with the flood that overwhelms both brain and heart in these insane days.
Thanks, Irineo. TSOH has been a stabilizer for me as well, and for many who contribute, I’m sure. It is hard to be out of tune in an orchestra that strives to play sense. It is also easier for us to recognize those in the outside world who are not capable of striving for sense because doing so would go against their interests.
I am also thankful of tsoh; here, I am allowed to heckle and be heckled, word count rarely an issue, sanity not always necessary, but good manners go a long way. though I dont use sirs and madams in my sentences, but grovel, grovel, my use of lower caps should be tell enough of my respect to all.
Shades of e. e. cummings, “Cummings wrote approximately 2,900 poems. He is often regarded as one of the most important American poets of the 20th century. He is associated with modernist free-form poetry, and much of his work uses idiosyncratic syntax and lower-case spellings for poetic expression.”
I do Twain, you do Cummings. lol
hmmm. i agree.
e.e. cummings (Edward Estlin Cummings, 1894–1962) was an American poet, painter, essayist, and playwright best known for his avant-garde style and unconventional use of syntax, grammar, and typography. He broke many poetic norms, famously using lowercase letters (even for his name, though this was more stylistic than legal), odd punctuation, and visual layout to enhance meaning and emotion. Key Characteristics of His Work:
Lowercase letters: Often eschewed capitalization, especially with “I” and even his own name.
Inventive punctuation & spacing: Used these not just for grammar, but for rhythm and visual effect.
Themes: Love, nature, individuality, nonconformity, and anti-authoritarianism.
Romantic & lyrical tone: Despite his experimental form, many poems are deeply emotional or romantic.
Visual poetry: Some of his poems function almost like visual art on the page.
Famous Poems:
“i carry your heart with me(i carry it in” — a tender love poem.
“in Just-” — celebrates spring with playful spacing and sounds.
“anyone lived in a pretty how town” — explores life, anonymity, and cycles.
“somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond” — a delicate meditation on love and vulnerability.
A Short Sample:
“i carry your heart with me(i carry it in”
He is considered one of the most important American poets of the 20th century and influenced countless writers and artists who followed.
Would you like to explore a specific poem, theme, or influence of e.e. cummings?
Journalism standards are a relatively new innovation. In the US journalism standards associations became prominent after the Yellow Journalism era (around 1910) while in the UK this did not happen until the mid-1930s though tabloid journalism is still common in the UK even now.
Yellow journalism and tabloids attracted that was educated *just enough* (elementary level reading). It’s not a coincidence that compulsory education in the US started after the Civil War (1865 onwards), and that the first generation that was educated enough to read tabloids were old enough by the 1890s.
Investigative journalism evolved from the “crusader journalists” (anti-corruption reporters).
At least in the US, the ongoing right-wing attack on education started in the 1970s under Nixon, which likely contributed to the lowering of reading comprehension and critical thinking. People who do not have critical thinking are easier to control, of course.
Fracturing human networks while reducing capacity for thinking pushes the society back to the early Industrial Age where people were but cogs in a machine.
Some have likened a culture of instant gratification, made worse by social media, as being like overconsumption of sugar, but to my mind it is more like transforming society into a giant opium den. In the days of opium dens, people mindlessly consumed substances which triggered their pleasure centers, coming back for more as the sensation was reduced with each hit. When they had to leave the opium den, they walked around like mindless zombies. How similar is that to today when people walk around mindlessly with their cellphones watching videos on social media? Their mental capacity has been reduced to the point where they can only function in short memes as they can no longer read. If it was a more critical time for good government intervention, it is now.
of course, they can read! how else are they supposed to read texts and send some, read podcasts, malign others and give nasty feedbacks bordering on libel that make people swear off X or file defamation and cyber libel? you must have seen how fast their fingers glide across the keyboard, they are almost animated to the point of being aliens and animals and no longer humans.
to compete, you just have to beat them at their own games, they have their own world and own lingo and when they give you that gen z stare, that can be summat disheartening. freezes you instantly. can be quite uncomfortable to the un-initiated.
the same people who used to put off their oldies for being off the planet are now at the receiving end, that is how the world turns. generational.
I heard oldies complain that in 60s and 70s, singers like patsy cline et al, sing and deliver without much ado like bolts of lightning, or of singers dangling from hooks in the ceiling, their clothes conservative. not like jlo’s that leave very little to the imagination, or that of beyonce’s. well, singing these days is also about high entertainment and giant screens and selling the most tickets with attendances ranging close to half a million in just one concert. resulting in singers being billionaires now. pandora is out of the box. the best government can do is ensure taxes are paid even from gambling dens!
Well yes eventually young idealists become cranky old curmudgeons. Every generation has complained about the succeeding generations, a tale as old as time.
Still, I think older generations (of which I am now part of with two generations coming after me) have nuggets of wisdom here and there that the young ones should pay heed to. There is inherent wisdom, though sometimes in rough form, in having actual experience. The young ones can gain some imparted experience from listening to that despite their lack of worldly experience.
My greatest worry is that many of the current younger generation are looking to failed experiments like communism, fascism and authoritarianism. Take for example communism which was inspired by the Paris Commune, a failed experiment that lasted weeks, then the failed Communards were expanded into an entire ideology that wrought much suffering across the world far longer than 20th century fascism ever did. Those who look to simple answers for complicated questions are obviously not thinking deeply enough about the known consequences. Every young person thinks they know best, and that they are superhumans that will be invulnerable to the downsides.
I’m of the belief that while we can celebrate the goodness of our heroes, we must also examine their flaws lest they become sainted figures. When we follow saints we lose a bit of our own agency, depending instead of the wellspring of goodness from these man-made saints, rather than looking inward into our own capacity for common goodness.
As I’m thrust firmly into middle age, I’ve started to come to the slow realization that my entire generation was placed within a manufactured reality of technocratic design. Looking back there were some loud whispers of pushback against technocratic tendencies, personified in the Philippines by Aquino and in the US by Obama. Both were establishment figures whose followers pinned their anti-establishment hopes upon. Both did much good, sure, but ultimately did not have the courage to go beyond the confines of the technocratic system of government that by their time had already been firmly entrenched for the better part of 2 decades despite wielding immense majorities in their respective congresses.
Social media has often been blamed for the fracturing of human connection but that fracturing had already commenced long before — social media only sped up that process and made it more apparent.
In times past, human connection was based on proximity and real relationships: Affiliation with a church or mosque, membership in a social club or group, through school classmate networks and childhood friends, and most of all from the most basic unit of human connection of one’s family.
But what has happened in the last 40 odd years? Human connections have been broken up as people are forced by economic necessity to sometimes migrate far from their human networks for work. People no longer work for an employer for decades on end, losing a sense of stability in their lives. As people age, certainly it becomes much harder to develop new human networks especially if they are required to migrate again. All fall victim to “efficiency gaps,” being reduced to numbers of a spreadsheet, to be replaced at will of the present employer with no regard to the employed’s wellbeing. Humans fundamentally need guidance from those who they respect or trust. Humans need some semblance of stability in their lives. Humans want to feel dignified even if one’s job is a laborer. Not every person is capable of pushing out recklessly in order to grab what one wants in life.
I recall the early rise of social media, with sites like SixDegrees, Friendster, MySpace, to the then-nascent Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. All had lofty goals at the outset — these services were to help humans re-connect to their humanness in the new digital world. See, even when deprived of meaningful human connection, humans do not lose their craving for that physical, *real* connection. Driving by ad-supported models the social media networks that did survive to become today’s behemoths, snuffing out newer social networks along the way, started offering an unreality catering to our worst fears from real human networks — popularity seeking, bullying behavior, wanton lying. All the while, algorithms were tweaked to tell humans exactly what they wanted to hear. In effect the algorithm became the replacement friend; a constant yes-man supporting worst tendencies.
The lack of roots in an attended church or mosque does not mean humans lose their need for some form of spirituality. Organized religion that reminds us of our better halves is instead replaced by irreverent nihilism, by small cults taking advantage the the empty yearning in human souls to become megachurch preachers ordained by God because the preacher said so. Religion became replaced by boastful charlatan politicians who became new gods, or by new belief systems like the explosion of New Age pseudo-religions and conspiracy theories.
A lot of American GenX and Filipino GenX Martial Law survivors who have some hazy childhood recollection of a time when human connection still existed, yet could not put a finger on their own ill-feeling caused by the lost of human connection went for Obama and Aquino in droves. In having lost their human connections that they remembered in only echoic form, they pinned all their hopes of system change upon Obama and Aquino. Is it right to place all the blame on Obama and Aquino? Certainly not as that would be unfair; these two men were only expressions of a system that already exhibited major cracks yet was somehow still standing. But if I may proffer a critique, Obama and Aquino for all the good they did, did not go far enough to reinforce the crumbling edifice of democracy when business interests that had gotten used to technocratic min-maxing of efficiencies held threats over their heads. We Americans and Filipinos are paying for that miscalculation now.
The more I examine the issues at hand, the more convinced I become of the central problem of modern society is that human connection has been severed. When people are more connected, views moderate, minor differences are respected, people try to *work together* in order to achieve something greater than themselves. How many generations past going back to the dawn of human history where the individual was forgotten, but the collective effort of the society remains alive through megastructures, culture, ethics, and history? All we have are our human connections, and we must strive to go back to creating new connective threads rather than a technocratic culture of severance where nothing matters aside from increasing efficiencies.
Just two short reactions as I have to start my working day soon:
1) The thing about loss of connection reminds me of an American book called “Bowling Alone” from 2000 based on an essay of the same name from 1995.
2) this imaginary friend thing reminds me of the Simpsons episode about the “Lucy Liu bot” who tells men what they want to hear and destroys civilization by eliminating all drive, as the admiration everyone gets is low effort.
(Karl’s original avatar was Bart Simpson, BTW)
Hmm.. a lot of what you wrote about Obama and Aquino might apply to Merkel as well, though I have to give that more thought in detail.
Yes, Merkel certainly can be described as technocratic in policy. I also happen to think Merkel’s leadership as overall good, but she mishandled government policy where it mattered — maintaining a cohesive German (not necessarily ethnic German) identity. I was very surprised by the rise of the AfD, but then again not so surprised. Hollande in France made similar mistakes in hindsight, and I’m not really that impressed with Macron.
The human disconnect issue has gotten so bad that nowadays young people don’t even go out anymore, or when they do they stare at their cellphones. By the time I was through with college I already had a number of girlfriends, and many friends. Human networks are essential to one’s working life as well in order to gain access to new opportunities. GenZ solved that issue I guess, by not working at all and just being tambays. Here in the US American GenZs are so socially awkward and afraid of social interaction when their hands are not “held” that they just simply don’t work, learn to drive, order delivery on apps rather than going to a food place. It’s not that much different in the Philippines…
americans should be nice to their own gen z’s for in 10yrs time, and with boomers dying, gen z’s will be taking over the economy and much anything else. I think, american can be in pretty good hands, seen how younger entrepreneurs are marketing blackrock, raking in untold profits and creating more wealth for themselves and their investors. look at nvidia, atlassian, etc. they are mostly gen r’s, daring and decisive and expanding their reach and clout exponentially. pity about farquar and cannon-brookes of atlassian, their disconnect or falling out with each other may have damaged atlassian. being humans, they have their own foibles and hubris, that I hope, wont severely affect the very successful cyber company they created together.
there are maybe tambays and layabout visible on the streets, but there are equally also very savvy players who are in high corporate offices, fast on their feet, faster on their minds and quick to see and make use of opportunity, keen to upstage any opposition and working hardest to conquer any opposition and keep them out. they are also frightfully up to date with cutting edge technology, for they are the ones powering and making them. and they are so lax in the way they dressed, grungy in jeans and t-shirts and shoes without sox. sometimes, I wonder if they take shower at all. but once they start talking, nah, some are quite introverted and talk less. but when they do talk, it is like talking to one from other galaxy! hard to decipher, harder to understand too, they have their own language understandable to fellow druids, haha.
I very much doubt GenZ will do that, as Millennials are in the process of the largest generational wealth transfer of all time from our Boomer parents. That’s besides the wealth Millennials built on their own. We Millennials know how to work within an adversarial system, having faced multiple financial calamities at critical points in our lives. Millennials invented the modern hustle, while GenZ are still asking allowance from their parents well into their late 20s.
I am not proving you wrong, joey dearest, just defensive of gen z. see link pls.
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2024/04/26/gen-z-is-getting-rich-fast-heres-how-to-win-us-over/
I get it KB, after all you’re the one who often looks to the best in others. I don’t have as much patience hehe.
Specifically for American GenZ, not many own homes unless they happen to have a decent job AND live in a US state where real estate costs less (i.e. “red states” where they get less services for their tax dollars). I also was struck by the self-promoting nature of that author’s opinion piece (he’s a marketing consultant that I’ve never heard of). I prefer a bit more on hard numbers (note most GenZ are the children of GenX):
https://fortune.com/2025/03/28/millennials-richest-generation-on-record-great-wealth-transfer-from-baby-boomers/
Not sure I’d trust a population that can’t even say “hello” when the phone call connects, or stare passively as their communication style. I have rarely had luck hiring GenZ people… one even brought his mother to the interview one time… They are quite loud online though, devoting enormous amounts of energy into their luxury beliefs (I will write on this later), undermining candidates that actually want to do 99% of what they loudly espouse for, yet don’t vote at all or vote for the wrong people in the end.
I think Merkel put too much emphasis on continuity and stability while not trying to solve the fundamental issues of the last 3 decades over here:
1) East Germany was only slowly brought up to the living standard of the West. It now is pretty close but too many were left behind and they resent that.
2) The integration of Eastern Europe into the modern EU was VERY necessary but not sold well by the EU’s technocratic elites.
3) finally, the refugee crisis that started in 2015 (with Munich train station scenes of them being welcomed) was underestimated from the beginning.
4) the de-industrialization of Germany has been a slow process but its reality is creeping in now. A few champions like BMW can’t turn the tide alone.
5) that new media have brought cultural changes especially to youth was also a creeping process. So all of this is like the frog slowly cooked in water.
It was simply too much for the man on the street IN TOTAL. There is less of a human disconnect here as the cities are mostly built around public transport, there are neighborhood grocery stores (mandatory closing hours keep them viable against big malls, even as most are franchise chains now) and gated communities are still kind of taboo so people tend to run into each other more.
Still a lot happened that is difficult for those NOT as cosmopolitan as we are to fully comprehend while the elites stayed too detached IMO for too long.
That last paragraph is a doozy and makes a lot of sense as we witness how being connected on social media severs the human connection. There is always more anyone can do if given hindsight, so Aquino and Obama have to be granted some leeway for living in the present and being susceptible to the deep state forces that limited their vision and ability to “act bigger”.
I wouldn’t say it was so much a “deep state” that hindered Obama and Aquino as their expansionary visions were greatly constrained by fear of other, often unelected forces.
A professional bureaucracy usually strives to do right by the constitution and the laws as they likely need to serve the people through different partisan leadership that may change in the next election which I think provides a moderating force. This is different from a system of partisan political patronage to fill positions with likely unqualified individuals. Rather the true “deep state” are business and special interest lobbyists who exert pressure on the elected government.
In a technocratic form of governance business interests hold immense sway because people are reduced down to numbers and figures on an accounting balance sheet. Excuses are made to sacrifice the wellbeing of some citizens, rationalizing such sacrifices as for the greater good — a cold calculation. But what then when multiple groups of people are sacrificed with their still existent needs unmet? Eventually all the groups of tossed aside people will reach critical mass. Then the business interests will change the rules in order to retain their influence, e.g. capture of the Supreme Courts in the US and the Philippines.
I think Obama and Aquino actually navigated the technocratic system quite well in favor of the citizens. But their fundamental mistake was that the laws and projects they initiated were wrapped in too many layers in order to work within the technocratic system, ultimately obfuscating their efforts; the fruiting of their labors took too long. What was done was not enough, and it was not what the day called for which was fundamental system change going back closer to the stated ideals of the nation that children learn about in civics and history class. A lot of Obama and Aquino voters (especially GenX in both the US and the Philippines) went full MAGA or full DDS after they felt betrayed.
When someone came along, let’s say Biden, who tried to fix the system by creating fundamental change, the technocratic “deep state” knocked him out. And I have a feeling that the Philippine version of the technocratic “deep state” aka dynasties and business interests are trying to knock out Marcos Jr. presently. What I think we need is going back to the principles of FDR. Simple to understand policies that anyone can understand. And the simplest policy of all is to make sure as many people as possible have access to a dignified life where they feel like their personal effort generates personal rewards.
Right. That’s the deep state that prevented Aquino and Obama from becoming ideal presidents, and from successfully passing the torch to decent successors. They respected others and were weakened by doing so.
Yes while both did good overall, in a big way both Aquino and Obama dropped the ball when they actually held immense power at the time because for so many decades there was an elite consensus of the idea that business knows best even in areas of the public good. Now, democratically minded leaders have even less power comparatively. There’s a saying that power doesn’t exist unless one uses it. We all should be fighting with the tools of the current “war,” rather than cling to the norms of the past that have already been broken with one hand tied behind the back. It’s hard to rebuild something better in the middle of a war so to speak; the chance to rebuild and reimagine lies at the end of the war. Right now the only thing that matters is winning the war for democracy.
There will always be the elites, far left, far right, too many moon shots, apathy and lots of obervations made by you. Middle ground, coexistense, damage control might make things better.
Would love to have you share your expanded views as well.
I am getting lazy and also starting to use AI a lot instead of writing things in my own words, but this summary of how Germany combats political extremism by Google Gemini is excellent (even if this isn’t Karl’s view, just how Germany does):
“Germany employs a comprehensive and multi-pronged approach to combat radicalism and extremism, which it considers a significant threat to its “free democratic basic order.” This strategy includes a combination of intelligence-gathering, law enforcement measures, and a strong emphasis on prevention and civic education.
Key Pillars of the German Strategy
Constitutional Framework: The German Basic Law (Grundgesetz) establishes a “militant democracy,” meaning the state is empowered to actively defend itself against those who seek to undermine its core values. This is the foundation for all other measures. Key values protected include human dignity, freedom of opinion, and the right to free and fair elections.
Intelligence and Surveillance:
Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV): Germany’s domestic intelligence agency is a key component. The BfV, along with its state-level counterparts, is responsible for gathering and analyzing information on extremist efforts. They act as an “early warning system” to identify individuals and groups that pose a threat to the state’s basic structure.
Classification of Organizations: The BfV classifies groups as “extremist” or “suspected extremist” based on their actions and rhetoric. This classification allows for surveillance and can lead to further legal action.
Law Enforcement and Legal Measures:
Criminal Law: Germany has specific laws against politically motivated violence, hate speech, and the formation of terrorist organizations. Crimes like murder, bodily harm, and incitement to hatred are punished under general criminal statutes, but with enhanced penalties if they are politically motivated.
Bans on Associations: The Federal Ministry of the Interior has the power to ban and dissolve extremist organizations, both right-wing and Islamist.
Disarmament: The government has taken steps to tighten weapons legislation, making it easier to revoke a weapons permit from individuals who are members of an organization under surveillance by the BfV.
Financial Investigations: Authorities are intensifying efforts to cut off funding sources for extremist networks by increasing financial investigations and raising awareness among banks.
Combating Online Extremism: The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is working to counter online hate speech by expanding its reporting units and seeking to have extremist content removed from the internet.
Prevention and Deradicalization:
Federal Programs: Germany supports numerous federal programs, such as “Live Democracy!” (Demokratie leben!), that fund projects for preventing extremism and promoting democratic values. These programs support local partnerships, civil society organizations, and educational initiatives.
Political Education: The Federal Agency for Civic Education (BpB) plays a crucial role in preventing extremism by providing educational resources and programs to strengthen democratic behavior and civic engagement.
Deradicalization Support: The government also supports counseling networks and projects aimed at helping individuals exit extremist milieus. For example, specific counseling centers have been established for family members of young people at risk of radicalization, including those drawn to Islamist extremism.
Public Service and Military:
Removing Enemies of the Constitution: There are legal mechanisms to remove individuals with extremist views from the public service, including judges, soldiers, and civil servants. Recent reforms have been introduced to speed up these disciplinary procedures.
Military Counter-Intelligence Service (MAD): The German armed forces have their own service to combat extremism within their ranks through preventive and reactive measures.”
I could add to this that the BfV was essentially McCarthyist in the 1950s, the Adenauer era when a mix of modernizers/liberals and “recycled Nazis” ruled West Germany, so any institution is just as good as the society/people than run it.
There is also the “Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz”, something which would be the horror of American First Amendment advocates but a German word Mark Twain would love for its length, the “Network enforcement law” that mandates all social media providers to take down obvious violations of libel, calumny and hate speech laws within a certain amount of time. It did give jobs to bachelor’s degree holders who in Germany face similar issues as SHS grads in the Philippines, companies simply prefer qualifications they already know. Bachelor’s degrees were created in Germany when the Bologna process aligned Western educational systems or at least European ones. Without that law the AfD would have had it far easier to spread fake news or distort narratives about for instance refugees committing crimes here. Without the good foundation of anti-extremism here, the Weimar relapse might have happened earlier even if it is pretty close as of now.
“Removing enemies of the constitution.” That would be a fun job.
I must admit the German example on building strong legal guardrails for democracy is admirable. Germany is informed by the dark period under the National Socialists, and while the US may have insisted a bit, it was the German people who were courageously determined not to repeat past mistakes. Interestingly the National Socialists took early inspiration from the segregationist policies and Jim Crow regime of the American South, with organizations like the German American Bund cross-pollinating the worst ideas across the Atlantic.
Those segregationist policies and Jim Crow state regimes existed in the first place because the Union didn’t come down harder on the South after the Civil War and complete the Reconstruction. Traitors were given blanket amnesty and federal troops were pulled out. While yes, the senior Confederate leaders were banned from politics, younger Confederates were not. One can say that Americans have a forgiving attitude, or one can also say that when Lincoln was assassinated subsequent Union leaders didn’t have the moral courage to follow through.
A lot of American politics and civil society is built upon gentlemanly norms rather than being written into law. The US Founding Fathers assumed that those who pursued politics would be enlightened men who while may having differences of how to accomplish the ideals of the founding documents, would consider politics to be a higher calling similar to becoming ministers of a civil religion. The last decade has shown that things haven’t worked out if only one only depends on ideals and norms. There also need to be laws, and punitive accountability for when flouts the law.
The constitutional and legal systems in the Philippines is somewhat an approximation of the US systems the former took inspiration from. There are also still leftover influences from the Spanish, whether written or not. I guess the Fourth Republic demolishing the Third Republic which was founded upon inspiration from those American ideals caused the framers of the 1987 Constitution to write more things down into law. But laws left unenforced are no laws at all. When law becomes merely a suggestion for goody-two-shoes, while so many others skirt the same laws, well it’s a no brainer why a logical person would not follow the laws.
For Karl:
https://www.twz.com/sea/navy-unmasks-its-vision-for-fleet-of-uncrewed-modular-surface-attack-craft
Aside from focusing on drones, rocket artillery and missiles, this is the next thing the Philippines needs to focus on for defense. The post-Cold War USN has focused on high-end capabilities which naturally costs more and buys the navy less ships. This might work out for a relatively peaceful world to take care of 2-3 medium-sized conflicts but in a two-theatre major war naval assets would quickly be spread thin. Losing a few high-value may be catastrophic, as was the calculation of the IJN behind the attack on Pearl Harbor to take out the bulk of the USN’s pre-WWII battleship fleet.
Americans certainly love high-end toys, but there is a pragmatic streak as well. When the USN Pacific Fleet lost almost all her battleships in Pearl Harbor, aircraft carriers emerged to become the new weapon of choice in the Pacific Theatre. Not all of those aircraft carriers were “fleet carriers” (akin to today’s super carriers). Many were light carriers, with the bulk of the carrier fleet being relatively cheap “escort” or “jeep carriers” created from commercial hulls. In the Battle of Leyte Gulf which crippled the IJN for good, out of 18 USN carriers, 8 were fleet carriers, 9 were light carriers, 18 were escort carriers, with the number of attack aircraft carried by the combined escort carriers exceeding those carried by fleet and light carriers combined. Vice Admiral Sprague’s famous Task Force 77 that sunk the IJN Combined Fleet was comprised largely of escort carriers and a handful of light destroyer escorts for submarine screening.
Guided missiles are today’s equivalent of WWII manned naval attack aircraft. If the USN is moving to counter the PLAN’s quantitative (note, not *qualitative*) “advantage” in number of rapidly built traditional ship hulls by doing a modern day equivalent of WWII escort carriers, the Philippines should also take note. Whoever came up with the idea of sticking containerized missile systems on commercial hulls are definitely taking lessons from the past.
The Philippines should have AFP people in Ukraine learning everything about modern combat.
Certainly that would be the smart thing to do. I’m just continually amazed by how the Ukrainians are innovating against a numerically superior invader. I toured Crimea and Odessa in late 2013 just months before the initial 2014 invasion. I was in Eastern Europe with the Redemptorist Order doing some religious charity work when the full invasion started and had the opportunity to help out in Poland and Ukraine. The true resilience of the Ukrainian people is nothing less than amazing; they have utter contempt for breaches of their sovereignty against all odds.
Fascinating interview with Deborah Fairlamb who is an American venture capitalist seeding defense micro-startups across Ukraine:
https://www.twz.com/news-features/critical-weapons-development-lessons-from-ukraine-are-not-being-learned-by-the-west
I also recall a video game I played over a decade ago, Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012), the storyline of which had a lot of input from a clique of Pentagon planners who are usually dismissed by the defense-industrial complex. The game predicted a future distributed war of global terrorism initiated by oligarchs, where legacy weapon systems are destroyed early in the war by cheap drones and cyber warfare. All seems especially prescient now.
https://blog.usni.org/posts/2023/12/21/annoucement
Oops, last link got broken:
https://blog.usni.org/posts/2021/04/22/call-of-duty-a-prediction-of-future-wars
A most interesting read, thanks. My son is skilled at all variety of computer games and could pilot drone air- and sea-craft with ease. I think he’s working on his hacking skills, too, so the scenario could work either direction. Heck, the Philippines could invade China’s wartime computers.
about piloting a drone, the skill is much needed in ukraine and apparently young ukrainians are quite adept at it. I once read that a wounded azov fighter was the last remaining soldier alive while his comprades were all dead. a drone dropped him an e bike weighting 40kgs, where he would just have to propel himself to the nearest ukrainian station kilometers away. he was hemmed in by russians but managed to escaped. what makes the drone rescue difficult was that drone operators have to factor in the weather forecast, wind condition, and the time of day. several decoy drones were sent as vanguard, the 1st drone carrying he e bike was shot down by the russians, the 2nd drone malfunctioned, and the 3rd drone succeeded.
The command center must not be stationary, satellite tech makes them search and destroy targets.
North Koreans are in Ukraine, but only special forces, I guess we could send a few battle tested ones.
our armed forces have been in training and drilled in war game. but sent to actual battlefield like in ukraine where casualties are not just a probability but highly likely, I dont know.
I remember mamasapano and with american superior air support, our armed personnel on the ground should have been successful but not really, they got the terrorist marwan though. 44 saf, (special armed forces?) lost their lives. there were conflicting reports that when melee broke out, soldiers apparently lost their bearing, were disoriented and run in all direction. hard to figure who was shooting who and to make matter worse, some blew their cover by texting their families and revealing their whereabouts. and that made them sitting ducks to the enemy.
Thanks for reminding me of the danger of the unknown waters, if you will.
The purpose would not be to fight, but to learn. Ukraine and the Philippines are allies.
We could do that.
The important lesson from Ukraine is pragmatism. Making do with what is on hand. And of course better tactics than a numerically superior enemy.
some countries like germany sent their modern weaponry to ukraine to be tested on the realities of the battlefield. it was reported that the latest german made tanks failed the test, looked pretty awesome and tough, but didnt maneuver well on rough terrain, slow and the transmission was awkward. tumaob pa nga raw ‘yong iba. handled like quad bikes that flipped and have problem with balance.
Yes a lot of weaponry was untested during the Cold War. Now here’s the interesting part is most of the Western weapon systems after “Nixon goes to China” have been tailored to blunting the Soviet assault across the Ukrainian plain. Well some of it apparently doesn’t work that well. So new tactics need to be made.
Unfortunately most spare parts of Russian weapons are American or European.
Again a lazy response from me coming from Google Gemini:
“Based on available information, the performance of German-made tanks in Ukraine has been a mixed and debated topic. The Leopard 2, in particular, has not been the “game-changer” some hoped it would be, and reports have highlighted a number of challenges.
Here’s a breakdown of the key issues and perspectives:
Challenges and Criticisms:
Vulnerability to Modern Threats: Both the Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks have shown vulnerability to modern anti-tank weapons, particularly drones and guided missiles. Drones, being relatively inexpensive, can be used for “top attack” where tank armor is typically weakest.
Maintenance and Repair Difficulties: Ukrainian forces have reported significant problems with the complexity of maintaining and repairing the Leopard tanks, especially the more advanced Leopard 2 models. This includes a lack of spare parts and the need for specialized technicians, which can lead to tanks being sidelined for extended periods. The Leopard 1, being an older design, has also faced issues, with some being rejected by Ukraine due to “serious faults.”
Tactical and Strategic Issues: Some analysts and military observers have suggested that the tanks’ performance has been hampered by how they’ve been used in combat. There are claims that they were initially deployed in a way that left them exposed to enemy attacks.
Positive Aspects and Counterarguments:
Crew Survivability: A significant point in the tanks’ favor is the high rate of crew survivability. Even when Leopard 2 tanks have been hit and damaged, the crews have often been able to escape, which is a major advantage over older Soviet-era tanks used by both sides.
Superior to Russian Counterparts: Despite their challenges, the Leopard 2 is generally considered superior to the Russian tanks it faces in terms of fire-control, optics, and mobility.
Context of Modern Warfare: The difficulties faced by German tanks are not unique. Other Western-supplied tanks, such as the British Challenger 2 and American Abrams, have also encountered similar issues. The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted a broader shift in military strategy, where tanks are increasingly challenged by asymmetric threats like drones, and where factors like sustainability and ease of maintenance are becoming more critical.
In summary, while German tanks have not been a “failure” in the sense of being completely ineffective, they have not lived up to the high expectations that were placed on them. Their performance has underscored the changing nature of modern warfare, where complex and expensive tanks face new and potent threats, and where logistical and maintenance challenges can be as critical as firepower and armor.”
I don’t really keep that up to date on front developments BTW as THAT war front is too close for comfort. I wonder how “our” Helsing AI drones have done there.
That German stuff is often too complex to maintain is just as much of an issue as the 90s Siemens mobile phones being excellent but low on ease of use. Hey even some FILIPINOS used Siemens phones back then though, so not THAT bad even as Siemens is not a player anymore there nor in microchips. Because Filipinos hate anything not easy, they are after all the originators of sachet “culture”.The SAP software I am specialized in isn’t intuitive to use and is complex to maintain, but it has provided me a job for nearly 3 decades now and is used by multinationals.
My working style is actually a weird mix of Pinoy talyer pragmatism and German thoroughness. Though I would say that Eastern European pragmatism and inventiveness (Romania having the fastest Internet worldwide due to networks at neighborhood level plugged together, the deserved reputations of “Polish mechanics” in Germany for decades, that of Hungarian dental technicians, how Romania was ahead of everyone in EDM when Roton Music put together its park of equipment in the noughties – yeah every bedroom beat producer has better equipment today but that isn’t comparable, Czech engineering of Skoda which helped VW a lot in the 1990s and delayed its issues IMO etc.) beats Filipino ingenuity which is good but didn’t invent Flores-scent lamps by KILOMETERS. Ukrainian defense stuff nowadays is next level anyhow.
yeah, europe’s latest experience of war may have been during the serbian bosnian war that may have provide opportunity for nato member nations to test their weapons.
these days, we dont only need trained soldiers drilled in warfare but maybe also top class scientists who can readily addressed multiple biothreats which can be more devastating to the population, poisoning the air we breathe, the water we drink, surfaces we touch, etc. covid was devastating, similarly there maybe other lethal viruses being cultured to be release on demand.
IIRC the last war zone use of German Leopard tanks was the licensed Turkish manufactured version they used in Syria. German naval units have been active in the Red Sea and have trained with US carrier groups. Don’t know the rest in detail.
apparently the leopard tanks are quite vulnerable in combat. were not ready for IED, improvised explosive devices, and easy target for suicide drones as ukrainians found out.
anyhow, americans recently tested their ground penetrating bombs recently dropped in iran’s nuclear facilities just this year 2025, and will make them bombs even more devastating now that they know for certain how far from the ground the bombs can actually go.
based on the AI summary I posted above, the Leopard is still one of the world’s best tanks, it’s just that war has changed very quickly once more. Joey would know better, but it could be that tanks are not as useful anymore as before.
Just posting the AI summary of how the Helsing AI drone worked, manufactured by a German startup. This looks more like the current state of the art:
“Helsing, a German defense technology company, has been actively involved in providing AI-powered drones to Ukraine. These drones have been developed to address specific challenges faced on the battlefield, particularly in an environment with heavy electronic warfare.
Here’s a summary of their performance and key features:
Key Features and Capabilities:
Electronic Warfare Resilience: Helsing’s drones, including the HF-1 and the newer HX-2 models, are designed to be resilient against Russian jamming and electronic warfare. They use AI and a downward-facing camera to navigate by matching terrain features with stored maps, allowing them to operate effectively even when GPS signals are jammed.
Autonomous Targeting: The drones have an advanced AI system that allows them to track targets automatically during the final approach. This means that even if radio contact with the operator is lost, the drone can still hit its intended target.
Swarm Capabilities: The drones can be integrated with Helsing’s “Altra” software, which allows a single operator to coordinate multiple drones in a swarm attack. This capability enables more efficient and coordinated strikes against dispersed targets.
Cost-Effectiveness and Mass Production: Helsing has emphasized the affordability and scalability of its drones. The HX-2, for example, was designed for high-volume production to provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional munitions. The company is also establishing “Resilience Factories” across Europe to facilitate decentralized mass production.
Combat Performance: Videos and reports from the battlefield show these drones successfully destroying both stationary and moving Russian vehicles. Ukraine has contracted Helsing for large numbers of these drones, indicating their effectiveness.
Models Deployed:
HF-1: This was an earlier model that was used by Ukrainian forces. The HX-2 was developed based on lessons learned from the use of the HF-1, with improvements like a different wing design for better maneuverability.
HX-2: This is the newer, more advanced model. It is an electric-powered, X-wing precision strike drone with an operational range of up to 100 kilometers. It can carry various types of ammunition, including anti-tank munitions, and has a top speed of around 220 km/h.
In essence, Helsing’s AI drones have performed well in Ukraine by providing advanced, cost-effective, and resilient capabilities that are particularly valuable in a contested electronic warfare environment.”
While I have a bias towards the Abrams tank, all European tanks are quite excellent, with the Leopard series being one of the best. I consider the Leopard to be a more balanced tank, while the Leclerc focuses on mobility and the Challenger on survivability. Of course all NATO tanks are much more survivable and of better quality than Eastern Bloc equipment.
Possibly the reason why the donated modern NATO tanks didn’t fare so well in Ukraine is because NATO doctrine assumes employment of land, air, sea assets within a combined arms strategy. Without one or more of the elements, combined arms doesn’t work and soldiers need to start improvising.
The Bradley which was derided for decades (there was even a parody movie, “Pentagon Wars” made with the Bradley as the subject of the military-industrial complex) turned out to be the perfect armored vehicle for modern warfare where mobility is of utmost importance. While the Bradley isn’t as armored as Russian the BMP/BTR series, the Bradley is much faster. While the Bradley doesn’t have some of the higher caliber cannons certainly BMP variants carry, the 25mm autocannon fires at a higher rate and can switch ammo types on the fly. While the Bradley can’t carry a platoon of troops like older APCs can, with its speed the Bradley can quickly insert drone or assault squads then provide supporting fire. There are countless videos I’ve seen of Ukrainian Bradley crews taking on Russian tanks, and winning.
I would say though that most of the prognostications of “tanks are dead,” “attack helicopters are dead,” “attack aircraft are dead,” are based on the Russians having terrible tactics and strategy. Russia still depends on massed attacks with no regard for the Russian soldier’s lifetime on the battlefield. He who out-innovates both in tactics and equipment has an edge over superior enemies.
Tank warfare is not outdated, but it is evolving rapidly and its traditional dominance is being challenged by modern threats. Here’s a clear breakdown:
✅ Why Tanks Still Matter
⚠️ Why Some Say They’re Outdated
🔄 How Tank Warfare Is Adapting
🧠 Bottom Line
Tank warfare is not obsolete, but traditional tank doctrines are. Modern warfare requires tanks to operate in combined, tech-integrated roles, not as independent spearheads. The future may see fewer but more capable, better protected, and more networked armored systems.
If you’d like, I can compare specific tanks or show how different countries are evolving their armored strategies.
I think there is more to it than that. How to position drone boats for best attack success. Production issues on drone manufacturing. Firing pins. How to stage aerial drone attacks. Defense weapons from mines to javelins. All kinds of details.
I’m not disagreeing with you Joe. I think we said the same thing but in different words. Shifting to drones and mobility can be seen as developing tactics for what is at hand. Using the same platforms in lieu of traditional (expensive) high end systems can be seen as pragmatism. It’s simply amazing that a country without a navy is able to knock out the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Of course there are certain areas these new weapons and tactics can’t fight against, e.g. massive scale ballistic and cruise missile bombardment, which is where donated Western weapons make a big difference. In a potential attack by PRC, the Philippines wouldn’t be fighting alone, and can focus on using cheaper lower end systems with better tactics while having American assistance for the high end stuff. I find it interesting that Taiwan has sent military observers to learn from the Ukrainians, while the Philippines has yet to do the same. I hope that changes.
hasnt pentagon said that china is likely to invade taiwan in 2yrs! hence maybe the urgency with taiwan sending its armed personnel to observe and watch and learn from the ukrainians all about the nuances of modern warfare, maybe including emergency exit routes in case taiwanese opt to leave taiwan for other countries just when bomb start falling. emergency shelters for those that stayed behind, how best to feed the populace in times of war, and the stockpiling of arms and ammunition and depots to keep them, etc.
we have no such warning received, apparently we are not in immediate danger of being invaded, even though were are summat in heightened alert due to china’s close proximity and blatant breach of our eez.
Hehe from your statement I guess the Philippines by now is about as reliable as the typical Pinoy security guard who will allegedly run if there is real shooting. The era of the Fighting Filipinos and those who won the Battle of Yultong would be past.
The fighting spirit of any human is situational, so my guess is that if the situation were right, Filipinos would fight as tenaciously as they work, when situationally inspired to do so. We had this huge junk tree in our yard that had become a typhoon hazard. Trunk about a meter thick, height of maybe 4 stories. A dozen huge thick limbs. It was down in less than a day, limbs cleaned and stacked. The only tool a machete. When I was that fellow’s age (mid-thirties), I’da had trouble getting three limbs down. So change the situation, then judge the capacity to fight, my perspective. Also, if you earned what a security guard makes, would you put your life on the line?
Security guards are ushers with a gun. Or information counters without the counter. lol They also aren’t issued flak vests.
Sorry, no offense intended to sikyos, it was more like kb’s comment sounded like “only Taiwan might be under attack, not the Philippines”.
THAT Sounded a bit like a mainland China apologist argument at first read after midnight, as in “let’s just let our neighbors get attacked, we’ll be OK.”
When the Empire of Japan entered WWII, the reasons were 1.) a state which lacked the oil and critical industrial resources of the time, 2.) where a prideful, nationalistic resentful state which saw herself as deserving of the resources, indeed the territory of others, 3.) sought to take what she thought was hers by right with force.
The Belt and Road has echoes of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. The PRC is unlucky to “spawn” in a large territory bereft of resources necessary for modern industry, saddled with a national narrative that others should submit to her divine mandate, therefore in the mind of Chinese nationalists no other state has the right to exist, and all resources belong to the PRC.
I keep telling Filipino friends that the US was born in a fortunate geographical location, rich in needed resources and self sufficient. There is no existential need for the US to defend the Philippines (or anyone else at all for that matter). The US being willing to constantly stick her neck out for others when they won’t even fight for themselves is based on an ideal of freedom (including the freedom of movement and trade), not one based on imperialism.
Yes, I have mentioned this before that I see Belt and Road / Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
Just like wumao Filipinos today are similar to KALIBAPI (more suited types including Benigno Aquino Sr., yes, Ninoy’s father, which is why I refuse to see Marcos Jr. only as HIS father) and the more radical Makapili under former Aguinaldo chief of staff (before Luna) Ricarte and their anti-Western rhetoric is similar to the pro-Japanese Filipino rhetoric of “Asia for Asians” during WW2.
The mindset of some Filipinos that doesn’t care if others might suffer (which can extend to other countries just like kb’s statement seemed to, or neighbors with respect to tokhang) has a German term BTW, it is the St. Florian principle. Praying to the patron saint of firefighters, St. Florian, that he spares one’s own house from fire with zero consideration for the houses of others.
Certainly wumao Filipinos might just be super Mao-pilled, as that strain of Filipino far leftism often is. A bit of a naive view lacking historical awareness of the next neighborhood over which is now much closer due to modern seagoing ships.
What’s interesting, and points to a lack of historical and cultural understanding by even many Filipino thinkers, is *WHY* the Empire of Japan thought she had a Mandate of Heaven by which they were destined to own all of Asia. Hint: the revanchist imperial Japanese copied the theory from the revanchist imperial Han Chinese who have been claiming a Mandate of Heaven since the original Han kingdom. Just like the Russian Empire saw itself as the “Third Rome,” inheriting all the rights of the OG Rome and the Second Rome (Constantinople), or the Nazis seeing themselves as the Third Reich (Holy Roman Empire -> German Empire -> Third Reich).
I do feel worried that regular Filipinos overestimate the importance of the Philippines physically to the US. Unlike the lead up to Pearl Harbor, the US now has access to bases in South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, along with US island territories. Being allowed to access bases on the Philippines would be a nice to have, but the entire US strategy until recently did not account for basing out of the Philippines. The defense arrangement though mutually beneficial is much more in the benefit of the Philippines. Good thing Marcos Jr. chose a capable defense secretary and CSAFP.
Yes, thanks. I appreciate the point now. Thanks.
Here is my not so lazy chatgpt output.
Your summary presents a key insight into the security landscape in the Philippines. Here’s a refined version to enhance clarity and structure, while preserving your main points:
Security Guards as Force Multipliers in the Philippines
In the Philippines, security guards significantly outnumber personnel in both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). This disparity has led to their increasing utilization as force multipliers in the national security framework.
Local governments, such as in Calamba City, have launched initiatives that maximize the presence and role of security guards in maintaining peace and order. These guards often serve as first responders or support units in emergencies and routine patrols.
The national government also supports community-based security efforts, actively encouraging the formation and engagement of community watch groups and anti-crime task forces. These collaborative efforts between private security, law enforcement, and the community aim to strengthen grassroots-level security, especially in areas with limited state presence.
Let me know if you’d like this expanded into a full commentary or policy brief with statistics, case studies, or comparative insights from other countries.
Private security guards in Germany are usually unarmed as not everyone gets a license to use firearms here, and those who have to use firearms have mandatory shooting range training – this is something I was told by someone in that business over a decade ago.
There are also municipal security forces from the Bureau of Public Order of the City of Munich since quite a while now. They are un-firearmed but have stab proof vests and truncheons, patrolling the Munich central station. Of course they have walkie-talkies to get the armed colleagues from the cops just in case, but this is (still) a society used to most people NOT bearing arms.
The really rich in the Philippines of course have another breed of security based on my unreliable sources, often former military types who have been in combat. I could also imagine former SAF in that role.
I meant the usual mall sikyo with my comment, who are as Joe wrote ushers with guns for display.
Vitaly the obnoxious vlogger got sued by one he heavily dissed.
Thanks General
Re: Aircraft carriers
We should look at how Thailand and Brazil sucked at having one. Ship recyclers from Turkey, India and where else found too toxic for their comfort so Brazil just sunk it near shore.
What we need are Multi purpose modular marine platforms for temporary bases, we can use old rigs and old ships.
Again with the precision missiles coming from the opposite end of the world and still hitting their mark, we need domain awareness.
One of the major weaknesses of the Philippines defense establishment is adoption with gusto of Pentagon buzzwords without a Pentagon-sized budget that can absorb failed projects, so little pushes forward in the end. A return to practicality and pragmatic planning that fits within the budget can have greater chance to translate into tangible results.
Let us see if we can even grasp full spectrum dominance.
For practical purposes, why buy subs when we can use naval mines Houthi style.
It is scary as he’ll snd sh@#
but if we can deploy and undeploy them quickly then all is well
IMHO going for full spectrum dominance will only increase feelings of discouragement in the end. The Philippines just doesn’t have the budget or experience to do it at the moment.
What the Philippines can do is to focus on the strengths: existing manpower, doing the basics, and having allies unlike PRC who can help plug in the gaps.
But yes, spending budget on high end stuff like subs is a bit silly. USVs might also cost too much but here the Philippines has an advantage of having many commercial seafarers who can be leveraged into let’s say a fleet based on commercial hulls with bolt on containerized missiles. I imagine the US would happily help subsidize or even “leave” these weapon systems in the Philippines as has been done already with the Typhons.
For example the US has immense stocks of Sparrow and older Sidewinder missiles that are being repurposed into containerized point defense. Seemingly useless stocks like Hydra unguided rockets can now have cheap seeker attachments. PRC is making a huge mistake I think by going for the veneer of high end systems. WWII was won by the US industrial base being able to pump out immense quantity of “good enough” stuff, combined with pragmatic tactics. And of course the ingenuity and grit of for example the guerrilla defenders who held the line until MacArthur came back.
Conversely, Nokor, Russia made use of old tech during this Ukrsane war.
and the Philippines found good use for the BRP Sierra Madre, one of the most creative ways to utilize a very old ship. So it always depends.
Even the pinoy tree huggers do not want to call Sierra Madre an envirionmental hazard like some “hecklers” would want to put it.
Even if that was tongue in cheek and the following is not new and stating the obvious, our PMA was patterned after West Point and the War colleges, generally our academic system is patterned after western systems.
We catchup of jargon a lot even former cadets who left the academy in their first year speaks weird.
This will be fast tracked by the internet.
Going back to FSD.
Full Spectrum Dominance (FSD): The Realist Version
Definition in Realist Terms:
From a realist perspective in international relations, Full Spectrum Dominance (FSD) refers to a state’s strategic capability to achieve and maintain superiority across all domains of warfare—land, sea, air, space, cyber, and information—so that no adversary can challenge its freedom of action at any level.
It’s not just about overwhelming military superiority, but the ability to shape, deter, compel, and control outcomes across the global battlespace, both in war and peace. Realists view FSD as a rational pursuit of hegemony in an anarchic international system where power is the primary currency of survival and influence. Key Features of FSD in the Realist Lens: 1. Power Maximization
2. Deterrence Through Overmatch
3. Control of the Commons
4. Force Projection and Intervention Readiness
5. Technological Superiority
6. Information Dominance
Examples of FSD in Practice (Realist Interpretation)
Criticisms and Limits (Still from a Realist Perspective)
Conclusion:
In realist terms, Full Spectrum Dominance is the ultimate expression of power politics. It is not an idealistic aspiration but a cold, calculated strategy to secure strategic autonomy, deter threats, and shape the global order. However, it is costly, provocative, and inherently unstable in a multipolar world, leading to constant cycles of balancing, arms races, and shifting alliances.
Would you like a version that contrasts the realist view with liberal or constructivist takes?
I love jargon like any other technical person, but jargon does get abused by manager types who overplay jargon to cover up real capability deficits.
The history of human conflict boils down to: “Can I hit him before he hits me?,” “How can I avoid getting hit, if he comes for me?” and “If I can’t avoid getting hit, how can I maximize my survival so I can hit him back?” These are applicable even in close quarters combat.
As the maxim goes, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” Not to downplay the value of preparation, but what often wins conflicts violent or not is an emphasis on the ability to improvise faster.
As Mike Tyson said
Plan all you want until you get hit in the face.
loosely paraphrased.
OT: https://x.com/iMPACTPH2019/status/1951137067729297815
“BAM PUSHES URGENT REFORMS IN EDUCATION SECTOR IN MAIDEN PRIVILEGE SPEECH
Sen. Bam Aquino, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, called for sweeping education reforms during his privilege speech on Wednesday, July 30, as he assumed his role as co-chair of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
Citing a “critical moment” for Philippine education, Aquino urged lawmakers to prioritize funding and legislative action to address key issues highlighted in the EDCOM report.
Among the urgent concerns he outlined were child malnutrition, classroom shortages, poor internet connectivity, lack of textbooks, inadequate teacher support, widening learning gaps, and the low employability of senior high school graduates.
Aquino pushed for the passage of several bills, including the Classroom Building Acceleration Program Act, Angat Sweldo para sa Guro Act, and the E-Textbook Para sa Lahat Act.
He also expressed support for increasing the education budget to at least 4% of GDP, aligning with global standards.
‘Hope is alive and well,’ Aquino said, calling on all sectors to work together to address what he described as a national education crisis.”
good! bam shares the same goals with deped sec angara. it would be very good indeed if bam and sec angara tour once in a while to check and see how well those goals are being bankrolled and implemented, see if projects are truly off and running and satisfactorily completed. not just half baked promises that died in infancy. as well, coa will ensure funds are spent and not diverted to ghost projects and politicians pockets. by now, coa is smart enough to know all the excuses why projects are dragging so very slow. and will not fall for it, all the time, every time, weather permitting.
I think the committee is in good hands. Gatchalian saw many things, but too many distractions, multi tasks failed to move things.
Education, Agriculture and Disaster management are three topics to keep a bit of a watch on in the coming years. The drama around Philippine politics is something best ignored, the results will indeed finally count.
Subsidizing rivce, letting the nfa import rice is a good move.
Let k to twelve be sorted out and follow best practices if general education subjects should be kept in college.
The move to send assidtance to earth quake or storm hit SEA neighbors is a good move.
On civil defense, we must partner with Taiwan. Best practices and case studies abound.
on topic: https://x.com/kikopangilinan/status/1951447467763105868
“You cannot be right with the law, if you are wrong with the facts. We can argue about the law but not about the facts
A MR plus Oral Arguments is the remedy to correct the misappreciation of the most basic facts.
With all due respect, your Honors.”
a video of a statement by Justice Carpio is in the Tweet as well.
Erap wanted to get rid of hoodlums in robes only he turned out to be surrounded by hoodlums in his inner circle.
I hope BBM succeeds in his reforms and for continuity, I hope Martin Romualdez and Sandro are up to the task.
Not endorsing them, but if they turn out to be a cut above the rest then after Risa Hontiveros, Pangilinan, Bam they might be on my list.
I was mistaken about Camille Villar and Aby Binay a few months ago but they can still make good if they choose to.
@Joey
When Pnoy died
He got eulogized by fan and no fan alike as not perfect, but…..
Nobody is and was perfect. We can count the ways or not but if we count perfection it would always be zero and not a Ten.
Oh please don’t get me wrong here. I greatly admire PNoy and think (to me) he is easily the best president since the Third Republic days, even eclipsing his mother the former president who renewed the vows of the republic.
I never met PNoy, but he did strike me as someone who took in his critics (constructive or otherwise) with appreciation, considering the criticisms even if he didn’t ultimately shift his view. I admire people who can take in criticism with grace. I have found that being able to face criticism and explain one’s views are marks of thoughtful maturity.
Too often I feel that Filipinos take any criticism as a pure attack that requires aggressive pushback even if the position being criticized is obviously wrong. How much more then do nuances in a position or a criticism get lost? Constructive criticism can also come from a place of love and respect. Being able to evaluate and consider such criticisms is the main way how humans learn.
I guess a lot of Filipinos don’t see ANY criticism as constructive, and in fact there are those who couch attacks in what seems like constructive criticism, for instance Grace Poe when she turned against PNoy in run up to her candidacy in 2016.
You mentioned the idea of words used to diminish gahum the way political rivals do – or raise gahum the way political supporters (or inuman barkada) do.
In Filipino, the wording and tone “with all due respect” doesn’t exist. In fact the language itself is barely useful for factual discussions as there always is a personal context. English is used to speak factually by Filipinos quite often.
What makes communication with Filipinos EXTREMELY difficult at times is that there is a way things are said in English by some when even “with all due respect” is clearly without respect. I never would trust Harry Roque on that for instance.
And of course those who accept criticism might be seen as weak.
I was in that place when I was a leader of an overseas Filipino youth organization and most I led had a “masa” mindset. It can lead to the hyenas coming for the kill against a wounded lion. Happened to PNoy at the end as well.
Too often inuman sessions start as bouts of boasting and descend into shouting matches “away.” Growing up among gangs, gangsters and wannabe gangsters also did this (more often the latter). Even those who initially seemed to have superior positions (whiter skin, money, power, etc.) seem to be knocked down by “good friends” with negative compliments. I recall Joe’s story about how his neighbor got the nerve to come over with a gun. That also happened to me before, and it never happened again.
Language-wise, I was initially struck how Tagalog and Cebuano seemed limited to “you,” “I,” and where “they/them” is more vague. You’re right I noticed a lot of conversations having a personal context, or the opposite interlocutor slowly making the conversation about themselves, their opinions, their feelings even if personalizing the subject has nothing to do with the topic on hand. There’s a lot of “I heard about this,” which may have some truth or not (probably not).
I guess that’s why Filipinos tend to keep their circles small, where relationships built on personal favors are more strongly bound because each has something to lose. Certainly that felt foreign to me as in the US we Americans are used to taking an acquaintance or even a stranger’s word for it at face value, giving implicit trust until trust is broken.
But I mean, there are pluses and minuses to any culture I suppose. I’ve found random Filipinos to been exceedingly helpful at times, even if the help was predicated on me having to exchange a favor however small. Well, when in Rome…
https://x.com/AttyMatula/status/1951871138252091421
“I agree with Sen Kiko.
With all due respect to Justice Leonen and the honorable justices of the Supreme Court, there was no prior impeachment initiated.
The first three complaints? They were never referred to the Committee on Justice. They simply floated—unacted upon—and were ultimately overtaken by the fourth complaint, which neatly absorbed their issues and, more importantly, was endorsed by more than one-third of the House. That’s the ignition switch under Article XI, Section 3(4) of the Constitution. No bar, no block, no ‘please come back next year.’
The Supreme Court actually got this right before. In Francisco v. House of Representatives (G.R. No. 160261, Nov. 10, 2003), the Court held that impeachment is ‘initiated’ only upon referral to the Committee on Justice. Justice Leonen, with respect, missed that mark this time—there was no such referral in the first three. So why are we counting ghost complaints? We don’t count shadows as people—so why treat non-referrals like valid impeachments?
Given this factual fumble and jurisprudential stretch, a Motion for Reconsideration (MR) isn’t just warranted—it’s imperative. And while we’re at it, bring on the oral argument. This isn’t just about legal nuance—it’s about constitutional fidelity and the public’s right to demand accountability.”
So this is about when impeachment is initiated. A fratboy is only initiated once he has been hazed? Wouldn’t know as I was never a fratboy nor a bad boy only a fatboy and even a baboy.
Joke lang. I am not a legal expert, just bringing this as a public service to TSOH.
https://x.com/AttyMatula/status/1951867251587703077
“I support a motion for reconsideration.
I still like Justice Leonen—brilliant, thoughtful, and not afraid to speak truth to power. That’s why I could hardly believe he authored the recent ponencia tossing the impeachment complaint. With all due respect, I have a dissenting opinion—and no, it’s not just emotional; it’s constitutional.
The recent Leonen’s decision dismissing Sara’s impeachment leaned heavily on the one-year bar rule. But let’s be clear: no prior impeachment was initiated. The first three complaints weren’t even acted upon—they were overtaken by the fourth, which validly absorbed the earlier issues and, more importantly, was endorsed by more than one-third of the House. That’s the legal ignition switch. No bar, no block, no “try again next year.”
As the Court itself said in Francisco v. House of Representatives (G.R. No. 160261, Nov. 10, 2003), impeachment is ‘initiated’ only when the complaint is referred to the Committee on Justice. That didn’t happen with the first three. So why are we counting ghost complaints?
Worse, this decision seems to do exactly what the Court warned against in Gutierrez v. House Committee on Justice (G.R. No. 193459, Feb. 15, 2011): using procedure to strangle the process of accountability. That’s not just bad law—it’s bad faith.
I do agree with Justice Leonen on one thing: the Supreme Court is not immune from public scrutiny. It is not infallible. In fact, this decision is Exhibit A.
And let’s not forget what the Constitution says—loud and clear:
‘In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.’
— Article XI, Section 3(4), 1987 Constitution
Once one-third signs on, the ball isn’t in the SC’s court anymore—it’s in the Senate’s. That’s the process. Anything less is not a rule of law—it’s a rule of evasion.”
And once more, Irineo’s court of tagay will deliberate. It has already been established that initiated means properly paddled like in a fraternity, as after all democracy is liberty, equality and fraternity. Now when is a resolution considered filed?
Was the resolution placed in a proper filing cabinet? Can it be considered filed even with an envelope and a documentary stamp as well as authenticated signatures? Again, this is a satire disclaimer. Not satyrs. It could be some Filipino senators qualify as such.
🤣😂🤣🏆🍻