Idealism versus pragmatics

By JoeAm I’ve long held the view that there is some idealized form of a more perfect Philippines. A lot of the articles and much of the discussion here has oriented around understanding “the way it is”, and then proposing the actions that are needed to get to a richer, healthier, more secure, and more … Continue reading →

Filed under Blogging/Journalism, Citizenship/Patriotism, Culture and Arts, Education, Philippine Politics

Why is the Philippines investing it oil? It’s old technology.

By JoeAm Oil is not technology, I suppose, but getting to it involves a lot of technology, especially if the wells are in deep seas. That means a lot of money is spent, too. The issue came to mind as I read a CNN report about a joint Philippine-Israeli agreement to explore the oceans west … Continue reading →

Filed under Ecology/Global Warming, Philippine Government, Technology/Internet

Philippine congressmen choose tyranny over democracy

By JoeAm One thing you will notice about Philippine politics is that the President is very good at creating enemies. Think of the enemies he battles every day: drug addicts, terrorists, human rights advocates, NPA, the Catholic Church, leaders of other nations who criticize him, students at universities and other citizens who criticize him, and … Continue reading →

Filed under Citizenship/Patriotism, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Emotionalism versus reason and discipline

By JoeAm One of the things that fascinates me is the emotionalism of humankind, versus our great strength that allows us to dominate other animals, our ability to undertake complex reasoning. I think the development of humankind during the last 100 years was toward more powerful reasoning and the application of enhanced powers for enrichment … Continue reading →

Filed under Culture and Arts, Education, Philippine Government

Global warming, the end game for humanity, and the Philippines

By JoeAm I wonder how many Filipinos consider that their children who are now in school will have to deal with drastic, life-threatening impacts of climate change before they are middle-aged. Storms will be horrifying. Not just typhoons, but freak events like raging floods or killer lightning storms. Droughts. Heat. And even man-made disasters like … Continue reading →

Filed under China, Ecology/Global Warming, Economy, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Philippine Government