Huawei: friend or foe of the Philippines?

Posted by JoeAm on February 1, 2019 · 48 Comments 

By JoeAm Due credit to regular contributor NHerrera for raising this issue and providing graphic exhibits and some references used herein. To set the scene for this discussion, we have to recognize that hard battle lines are shaping up globally with democracies facing off against autocratic states China and Russia. Several of those democracies have … Continue reading →

Category China, Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, Technology/Internet, USA/Americans

Poor distribution of wealth is the root of all hardship

Posted by JoeAm on January 30, 2019 · 175 Comments 

By JoeAm Regular contributor Micha ardently believes that the poor distribution of wealth in both the United States and Philippines is at the heart of the problems both nations are facing: rise of the populists, autocratic leaders, discontent of the middle class, breakdown of business ethics, and failure of capitalism and democracy. Although Micha and … Continue reading →

Category Economy, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, Technology/Internet

Developing new disciplines to deal with modern ways

Posted by JoeAm on January 28, 2019 · 49 Comments 

By JoeAm Our way of living is very different than the way people lived just 20 years ago. Regular contributor Edgar Lores recently provided a nice snapshot of what is going on: Increasing complexity. E.g. not only computers but also newfangled gadgets and ideas. The speed of change. E.g. Moore’s Law. The increased dimensions of … Continue reading →

Category Culture and Arts, Laws and Ethics, Technology/Internet

Adopt technocracy to reach competence, not federalism to spread incompetence

Posted by JoeAm on January 11, 2019 · 244 Comments 

By JoeAm A recent blog article on electricity by Chemrock raised the point that government services are only as good as the people managing them. Readers debated privatization versus government ownership of electrical and other utility services but there could be no resolution because the deal killer always is the poor managers who run things … Continue reading →

Category Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, Technology/Internet

Vantage points

Posted by JoeAm on December 17, 2018 · 62 Comments 

By JoeAm Vantage points are the problem, and they are the opportunity. This arose the other day during a debate here in the blog discussion forum. I argued that: “One’s vantage point defines what one sees. It may not be ignorance.” I made this top-of-mind remark in response to a reader’s observation that some view … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Education, Technology/Internet