Anatomy of a dust-up

By Joe America Reasons readers get angry The social media debate is a hostile debate, in the main. Here are reasons why this is so: Readers confuse opinions with facts and try to argue against them. This invariably leads to ad hominem insults because opinions don’t change much. They are opinions. Readers don’t respect those … Continue reading →

Filed under China, Crime/Corruption, Economy, Philippine Government

The President’s authority over the PNP is not a Constitutional mandate

By Joe America President Duterte is running his war on drugs as a violent bloodletting. But the killing of thousands of Filipinos without investigation or trial may finally be bothering legislators. They are going to hold hearings. Or maybe they are just playing the popular winds for self advantage. They get a stage upon which … Continue reading →

Filed under Crime/Corruption, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government

Did China send the Shabu to remind us who owns the West Philippine Sea?

By Andrew Lim Is Philippine foreign policy under “regulatory capture” by China? For alert observers of the political scene, it is a puzzling, if not head-scratching event: P6.4 billion worth of shabu made its way to Philippine shores via the Bureau of Customs last May 2017, and there’s hardly any reaction from the President. For … Continue reading →

Filed under China, Crime/Corruption, Foreign Affairs and Defense, Philippine Government

Philippine laws are a snake’s nest

By Joe America In a recent article, I looked for quick and easy ways to fix Manila. This one looks at the hopeless snake’s nest that is Philippine laws. I can’t see a quick fix. Solution is keyed to the quality of legislators elected and voters are not thinking so well these days. Philippine laws, … Continue reading →

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

Journalists writing about “resilience” are soft

By Joe America Filipinos are so used to being downtrodden that they turn “survival” into a positive trait. I notice all the time that when people are beaten down, but persist, journalists praise them for being “resilient”. The latest case is in Marawi. Residents, many of whom have died or suffered from illness, starvation, and … Continue reading →

Filed under Blogging/Journalism, Citizenship/Patriotism, Philippine Government