Idolatry: The Roots of the Duterte Phenomenon

Posted by edgar lores on July 9, 2018 · 186 Comments 

By Edgar Lores “Idolatry is really not good for anyone. Not even the idols.” — John Bach Introduction We have speculated a great deal about the possible causes of the Philippine cultural malaise. We know that a social disease complex, like an individual one, has many causes. A human disease can be physical or mental. … Continue reading →

Category Culture and Arts, Education, Family/Parenting/Children, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Is anti-Filipino racism rising?

Posted by JoeAm on July 2, 2018 · 74 Comments 

By JoeAm I’ve recently noticed a peculiar consistency of some commentary in my social media discussion threads that I find troubling. The rise of President Duterte is being attributed to a historical weakness among Filipinos to care for themselves. Old racial quotes from Americans describing Filipinos as lazy and unable to govern themselves are among … Continue reading →

Category China, Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts

Social ethics: how to end Filipino self punishment

Posted by JoeAm on June 27, 2018 · 84 Comments 

By JoeAm This is the third article in a series about what we think about how we think. I remember a course in high school, a subset of physics, that was entitled “statics”. It was required for anyone planning to become an engineer. The discipline was to measure forces on various structures, bridges, for instance. … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Education, Family/Parenting/Children

“Brains, ability, character, and drive”

Posted by JoeAm on June 22, 2018 · 111 Comments 

By JoeAm In my last article, I wrote that the Philippine’s average IQ is lower than its Asian neighbors. I wondered if the nation is smart enough to figure out how to get smarter. Here is a check-list of possible reasons why the Philippines lags behind other Asian states in average IQ: Nutrition (brains and … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Education, Family/Parenting/Children, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, Technology/Internet

Are we smart enough to survive?

Posted by JoeAm on June 20, 2018 · 87 Comments 

By JoeAm Okay, my friends, we have botched earth big time. You and me and our kind, the two-legged homo sapiens who arrogantly brag about our superiority to other animals. The cockroaches will outlive us, the rats, the snakes, the octopi and sea monsters deep in the Mariana Trench just the other side of Benham … Continue reading →

Category Culture and Arts, Ecology/Global Warming, Education, Family/Parenting/Children