Fireworks for the New Year

Posted by JoeAm on December 28, 2015 · 296 Comments 

It is always good to start the new year with a bang, as Manila knows so well. Manila can do fireworks. So let’s put some important issues on the table, cerebral fireworks. Mind benders. To get the discussion rolling, we should look at some issues that we may not yet have found consensus on or, … Continue reading →

Category China, Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Humor/Satire, Philippine Politics, USA/Americans

China’s stealth invasion of the Philippines

Posted by JoeAm on December 3, 2015 · 212 Comments 

China is the muscular underachiever out to prove a point, behavior we would normally associate with a teen-ager, but China has been around awhile. Indeed, China displays symptoms of emotional duress born of centuries of playing second fiddle to smaller, stronger nations. Her leaders portray racial difference as racial superiority in order to get even, to compensate, … Continue reading →

Category China, Citizenship/Patriotism, Economy, Foreign Affairs and Defense, USA/Americans

A tale of two photos

Posted by JoeAm on November 19, 2015 · 92 Comments 

Category China, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Philippine Government, USA/Americans

“Change for the sake of change” is not what the Philippines needs

Posted by JoeAm on November 12, 2015 · 214 Comments 

Political candidates prosper by differentiating themselves from opponents, and doing so in a way that suggests they are bold and progressive, able to solve problems by doing things differently than they are done today. This leads to the unfortunate situation we see today in the Philippines that three candidates for President are running against Mar Roxas … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Economy, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Philippine Government, Philippine Politics

Can we kindly lose this “minimum credible defense” mentality?

Posted by JoeAm on October 1, 2015 · 354 Comments 

I admire those who achieve a Level 5 state of leadership, an intense dedication to achievement based on a foundation of humility. The concept was taught to us by Society of Honor member LCpl_X during a recent blog. Be modest but drive, drive, drive to succeed. Frankly, I suggest we get the military to step up to … Continue reading →

Category China, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Philippine Government