Standing alone after VFA; what it takes

Posted by JoeAm on February 14, 2020 · 193 Comments 

By Joe America President Duterte has cancelled the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, to the surprise of the US and many other people. How can a nation facing off against China toss aside the most powerful military backstop in the world? Well, it’s easy if you aren’t really facing off against China. … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Education, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Why ‘panic’ is good policy to fight the coronavirus

Posted by JoeAm on February 3, 2020 · 190 Comments 

By Joe America The coronavirus is a nasty little bug. I think all the calls for “calm” circulating in social media are wrong. ‘Panic’ is a better policy. But I’ll twist the definition a little: Panic, noun, a highly emotionalized energy state in which the mind calculates all the ways one can get a nasty … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Education, Family/Parenting/Children, Philippine Government

Jose Rizal meets the Governor General; we learn Ibarra is a Yellow

Posted by JoeAm on January 31, 2020 · 63 Comments 

By Joe America Jose Rizal covered many of the topics we discus today because the Philippines hasn’t changed much in 125 years. I am reading Noli Me Tangere as translated by Leon Ma. Guerrero who, according to Manuel L. Quezon III, does the best job of highlighting the satirical qualities of Rizal’s writing while other … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Education

Making sense out of the nonsense that surrounds us

Posted by JoeAm on January 17, 2020 · 192 Comments 

by Joe America There is a lot of nonsense in the Philippines. From an ignorant Senate President weighing in on the science of seeding clouds above volcanic ash to thieves at sea being warmly welcomed by the Philippine Coast Guard, which is supposed to protect the nation from thieves at sea . . . there … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

The Duterte Administration’s main message: “Filipinos are unworthy”

Posted by JoeAm on January 14, 2020 · 53 Comments 

By Joe America Have you noticed how self-punishing the Philippines has become under President Duterte? He began his term on the back of a brutal drug war that postured the Philippines as drug-riddled and needing clean-up. No, the nation was a rising star. It’s drug problem was no worse than other nations. Today the Chinese … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Philippine Government