Topics

1

Your Thoughts Exactly / Is democracy a sham in Pinas?

« on: December 08, 2011, 02:27:11 AM »

My  replies in four paragraphs are lifted verbatim from one of my political sites, Is Democracy a Sham in Pinas?

It's a cynical fantasy for Filipinos to think that getting rid of family political dynasties and so-called oligarchs will end. The moral sense of purpose is not the same in practice. The Filipinos cannot moan and groan and tell every tim, dick and hairy  to hate them. The oligarchs  are the powerbase, albeit a minority, but because of the  Filipinos' lack of determination to put the right people in government, the disappointment is clear to see.

The inflexibility that many have has a lot to do with their own confusion of the kind of reforms and changes they aren't even sure they know would help. Filipinos are basically good and intelligent, however, it is their lack of direction, perception and dynamism---the quiet discretion to make things happen---and convert them into nuggets of wisdom, not spite.

Political maturity comes with a mature society. There is nothing worse than banging their heads on the wall and shout, "Changes! Reforms!"The Filipinos must change first before anything else can happen. Blaming the oligarchs all the time isn't the answer, long-term. The ordinary Filipinos make up the majority but many just don't know how to make use of that power. The power is staring them in the face: the ballot box.

On Oligarchs:  It works both ways. If the ordinary Filipinos keep allowing it to happen, by voting for the same family members, then this will never stop.  The power of the ballot , or the lack of it,  has to do with the growing number of political family dynasties. The people must take responsibility for this sad state of affairs.  On the other hand, this is something that will continue  not just in the Philippines but in all countries of the world--rich and poor. The Filipinos also make a sham of the electoral process by kowtowing  to the manipulators and smooth words of the traditional political family dynasties.

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Lounge / Lisbon, Portugal, My birthday week

« on: November 05, 2011, 06:03:48 PM »

It wasn't planned at all. One day, while having breakfast, I mentioned to my husband about how I quite enjoyed driving in England and Scotland because of the motorways. I must admit to some immodesty when I say that I am actually a very good driver, whether it's city-driving or  motorway-driving. My husband has stopped driving for a good ten years after making a decision not to renew his driving licence in the UK. Anyway, when I mentioned it to him that I fancied driving to Lisbon instead of flying, he said nothing and showed no emotion, being his typical British response. The truth of the matter is, a week before that Lisbon decision, I was already checking the internet for cheap hotels in Geneva. To my horror, even in the autumn, hotels were fully booked and very expensive! Sure, cheap flights abound and this is where Easyjet comes in. I checked and there were flights selling for less than £30/per person. I then began checking the flight dates to some cheaper hotels---the sad thing was, the cheap flight dates and hotel bookings didn't coincide! Let's say, three days in a hotel and the cheap flights allowed for five days' before departure, or vice versa, hence, my dilemma. When I mentioned it to my husband, he seemed rather pleased! Why? We were in the UK for over a month and he was still recuperating from his holidays. Here I was making another journey, which to him, was unacceptable. Still, I persevered.

Anyway, back to my Lisbon plans. Portugal is a country bordering Spain. I know Portugal well since back in the 80's we'd go there by car and Algarve would be the place to spend a nice holiday. In fact, going to Portugal was cheap in those days aside from the fact that one can buy vintage wines cheaply. In one of our travels there, the car broke down and had to be towed all the way to Lisbon. I must admit to some trepidation whenmy husband and I got in that towing truck from the Algarve to Lisbon for two reasons: the trek was dangerous. In those days, Portugal wasn't a member of the European Union so their road network was very poor and decrepid. The lorry driver was nice but didn't speak a word of English so we had to make do with sign language for six hours! Still, when we got to Lisbon, we were pleasantly surprised at how vibrant the city was.

Fast forward to 19th October>>> the drive to Portugal was seamless. There was no ferry to cross the other side of the river. The bridge that was built to link Spain and Portugal soon after these two countries joined the EU was very well built and planned for long-term use. It was a great feeling to be crossing into another country without borders, without customs without the presence of police.

But, as one would expect, driving has its disadvantages, too, especially when a navigator, i.e., your passenger leaves it too late to tell the driver which way to turn! Anyway, we got to Faro--the first stop to Algarve (this is the equivalent of Spain's Costa del Sol,  a cluster of resort towns, where millions of European tourists flock each year). I missed my turning to main Faro and drove the backstreets and suburbs before reaching Faro proper, an ancient fishing town which is now prosperous. We looked for a  hotel and found a familiar name. When I asked the reception if it was the same hotel but with an old edifice, she said yes, but they had to demolish the old building since it was already crumbling. This was the same hotel we stayed 28 years ago and I had fond memories of it because of its ambience. One could smell ancient history! Anyway, we booked for two nights and quite enjoyed the Old Town, a sedentary, crumbling, cobbled area where one can enjoy sipping a nice hot cup of tea or coffee. (Unedited, Part 2 follows)

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Lounge / Strictly Filipina: the embodiment of who we are

« on: April 23, 2011, 07:39:55 PM »

This new Facebook website, "Strictly Filipina: the embodiment of who we are",  was opened two weeks ago. Those  women who are on fb and would like to join can simply go to the Open Group Page and join the discussion there. This is the first kind in the history of Facebook, to have a website that deals with Filipino women--past and present--since we try to post Filipina icons of the past to remind everyone that there are and were indeed, many Filipino women who had/have achieved great things, from science, to medicine, engineering, revolutionary activities, education, fashion, architecture(?) and many more. The forum members in the future, can choose their male guest, one at a time, so we can hear/listen to what he has to say on the different posts that the members publish. No one is obliged to confess about their private lives--hahahah, but to just say it like it is. So, those ladies here who are also on facebook, you are all welcome to join Strictly Filipina Open Group page and enjoy the witty comments and intelligence while at the same time, have fun. If you want a nitty-gritty discussion, or a big laugh, you can have both. It is a very interesting and educational page, and it's Strictly for Filipina Women! See you there!

Oh, another thing, there's no such thing as Strictly British; Strictly Thai; Strictly Chinese. This page claims to be the first!

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Lounge / Part 1- Stroke: Please don't leave it too late

« on: March 13, 2011, 11:43:40 PM »

It was on the 22nd February 2011 that my husband suddenly scared the hell out of me. I was, in fact, about to post my quote here when I heard my husband coughing. Nope. Not the kind of cough we normally know or  hear. It was a strange, spluttering, incomprehensible sound. He was taking a nap when I heard him cough. I asked while still typing out something here. But, the sound just didn't seem right. This winter, we were both proud to announce that for the first time in ten years, none of us caught a cold and cough or flu. A feat  since each winter has  always been  a trip to the local health centre for a jab. The National Health Service here is excellent. They send out letters before winter  and inform the citizens when they are due for their winter jab. Anyway, back to my husband. I got up, leaving my typing for the time being, and found my husband slumped, with his red face beaming and his eyes lucid, he had difficulty breathing. After a long hard cough, his breathing came back. When he looked up, his lips drooped to one side. I was horrified. This is it. I told myself. I asked him a few questions but he was not responding. I told him that he was having a stroke. I sat him up since he was in one of those big reclining armchairs that he loved so much to use while taking a siesta. He seemed helpless and seeing his lips droop to one side was a moment of intense worry. When he came to, I rang up the local health centre for the ambulance to come. They came aafter twenty minutes: one doctor and two paramedics. They asked me many questions--all in Spanish, since none of them spoke English and my husband to this day doesn't speak a word of Spanish. Anyway, they gave him a melting tablet and took blood samples. They were very competent and asked me a few more mundane questions before taking him to the hospital. (unedited)

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Lounge / Religion: Filipino Style

« on: February 01, 2011, 06:06:59 PM »

Part 1
Today, I came across a photograph of this new president, standing between  two men also  in Barong Tagalog, praying, with eyes closed and arms raised. President Noynoy Aquino is a remarkable man in many ways: in seven months' time, his biggest achievement--so far--was buying two very expensive cars. Porsche and Lexus are luxury cars that even middle class Europeans would think twice about buying. Not this new prez. He bought it using his Bosses' money--("Kayo ang mga Boss ko" his slogan in the last elections) without consultation. It was a spur of the moment thing, I'd imagine. When news of the porsche came to light, his advisers and fans denied it vehemently. Bit by bit, stories emerged that it was second hand; then third hand; then .....ah, well, you know what I'm getting at. A week later, horror of horrors, President Aquino went on another shopping spree. This time, he bought himself an armoured vehicle called Lexus. Lexus cars are common in Marbella, my hometown. But then again, my town is filthy rich where there is zero poverty; where there is no slum; where there is no...need I go on? OK. Fine. He got his wish and this second luxury car, Lexus is now in his hands. His Bosses paid for it of course, but without consulting them!  Again, his advisers and fans denied it. When truth came out, he did, in fact, buy himself a Lexus. Imagine, two luxury cars in a span of twelve working days, in seven months in office. Wow. Of course his Bosses are angry and asking the same boring question: Why, Mr President, why?

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Tech Support / new topic ??

« on: January 24, 2011, 06:39:54 PM »

I tried to click "preview" thinking I could go back to it as I thought it was the equivalent of "save to drafts"--I was wrong since my article disappeared. I changed my mind about putting it under "Quotable(?) Quotes, instead, put it under "New Topic"--how can a forum member save his/her work if the "Save to Draft" does not exist? Is it possible to add this new application so members do not lose their posts? I may have lost around 10 articles over a one-year period since I don't make drafts before posting, hahaha. I just couldn't be bothered making a separate draft first before publishing it. My fault!! Thank  you for reading this. Hope it helps solve my problem.

7

Lounge / Filipino Journalists And Their Childish Take On Constructive Criticism

« on: January 14, 2011, 03:09:13 AM »

Part 1 -  ::)Indeed. What a laugh, if not for the seriousness of the matter. I will not hesitate to mention a particular journalist. She is Inday Espina-Varona, who was my fb friend for a couple of months. Today, I visited her page since her status was about the new car of the new prez. It started well but as usual, the discussion digressed. Before I knew it, she took me off her list of fb friends. Why? First of all, she was not clear what she was talking about. Journalists there, it seems, are on a huge ego-trip that if one non-journalist person asks them something "deep" they are unable to cope!! No exaggeration. They are so used to being praised--all for the wrong reasons, of course. They are also happy to see nice comforting words heaped on them, secure  in the knowledge that their facebook friends would sing their praises. Well, I was asking questions, and this woman just wasn't used to being asked the nitty-gritty questions. >:(As the discussion went on, many of her friends joined in and made the discussion rather interesting. I must say that it was rare to see her page with a decent discussion and having given her the challenge to discuss the issue of Philippine politics would have triggered inspiration on her part. But, no. She took it negatively, became sarcastic and childish and when I checked afterwards, I couldn't find her on facebook. This is the sort of journalists that should not be journalists in the real sense of the word. Somehow, they do not have the grit that British and Spanish journalists possess. If anything, the majority of Filipino journalists are childish, unprofessional, subjective,narrow-minded, and rather obsessed with their own personal charm as if it was the highest form of accolade just  to be a journalist.

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Lounge / The Practical View

« on: December 23, 2010, 04:07:12 PM »

Somehow, no one in government, least of all,  the Department of Education understand  why the cycle of poverty continues to be a talking point. Haven't they realised that it is because they insist on sending everybody to the academic world, and making families spend their hard-earned cash, that poverty exists? Over here, vocational courses are celebrated and respected. Hence, poverty is hardly felt. Those plumbers, electricians, car mechanics, computer repairmen or tecnicos,  as we call them in Spain, those builders who can tile, repair, do small jobs repairing or doing plumbing jobs and replacing bathroom tiles, bathroom units, or installing kitchen units are making good and quick money. I think, skills should be encouraged to lessen poverty. Too much academic knowledge is not solving poverty at all. For as long as people can read and write, but equipped with skills I just mentioned, then that should be it!

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Your Thoughts Exactly / Trust

« on: July 24, 2010, 03:56:50 PM »

Trust. When people talk about trust, they don't really mean it. Trust is reserved for people who can be trusted--not branded about like some kind of product. Trust is personal. It can't be announced like some kind of personal badge. The thing is, when too much talk is about trust, I try not to trust that person. When that person says he/she is honest, believe me, that person is not. To keep talking about trust makes it sound cheap. Trust is a virtue. Something that a human being possesses. There's no need to keep reminding people who you are--or if you can be trusted or not. People can see through people. Simple. "Trust me" phrase/sentence is a syndrome wanting to be acknowledged; to be liked; to be in touch with those  who are also clamouring for the same acknowledgement. When people are emotionally insecure, they touch on the theme time and time again to re-assure themselves that it's OK.
This is my first and last time to write or even touch on this theme. It is not a personal badge to be branded about.

...and that's my point, exactly.

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Lounge / A Warning to Wall Street and Greed

« on: July 16, 2010, 04:59:52 PM »

Nothing beats greed than greedier people. Whatever warning is thrown at Wall Street, it will not be heeded. Greed is human nature; cheating is human nature; lying is human nature;conceit is human nature; deceit is human nature. For as long as these negative traits/attributes are practiced by people who think they can lord over the world of finance, a warning or two would simply fall on deaf ears. Why is it that white collar crime is romanticised and admired? Throw them in jail and treat them like financial terrorists. The UN must get involved in formulating such a policy on how to inflict equal pain to those involved in colossal financial fraud worldwide. These executives must be told that they can't carry on with deceit and fraud while the rest of the world suffer at their hands. The idea that just because they are wearing expensive suits and talk posh doesn't mean that they should be trusted. On the contrary, these are the very people who are more than willing to take a gamble on other people's investments worldwide and treat the same like their own goody shop. Bernie Made-Off, for forty-odd years, did just that and many more should join him. One can't imagine the con tricks that these people at Wall Street concoct to suit their financial whim at the cost of the world's economic growth and welfare, not to mention well-being.

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Lounge / Al Gore and Climate Change

« on: July 07, 2010, 05:17:47 PM »

This is my response to the ongoing topic on the Climategate Scandal at the BBC 4, The Today Programme which I posted today. As usual, I have retained the original wording of my comments.

Copenhagen was a disaster because the majority didn't have a clue what to believe. The many lies and data provided were shining examples of deception. To carry on the way they did only emphasised their own incapability to see the bigger picture. When scientists are prone to exaggeration, lies and conceit, did they really expect to get things done?  Where is Al Gore now? So far, this guy hasn't said anything about the BP oil disaster. He has kept quiet all throughout, when in fact, he traveled the world pontificating and giving hollow speeches, pointing his finger at everyone's face to believe him and in him. This man is one big fraud! He has made himself immensely filthy rich, at the expense of those who were starry-eyed listening to some worthless data. No, I never bothered watching, "The Inconvenient Truth" either. Al Gore is one big inconvenience. Who knows? He may have concocted the title of that film in-between bedsheets with his film producer, now his proper girl friend.

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Lounge / Insularity

« on: July 02, 2010, 05:55:41 PM »

Insularity breeds more corrupt practices, more misunderstanding, more ignorance, above all, more polarisation. Internationalism is the way forward in the 21st century, without losing the Filipino identity. (sadly, I will continue this new topic at a later date)

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Your Thoughts Exactly / Afghanistan: The Longest, Hopeless Invasion

« on: June 28, 2010, 07:44:12 PM »

This essay began as a thread that I originally started on June 26, 2010 on Facebook, based on my comments as posted on BBC 4’s The Today Programme. I decided to put it into essay form here for others interested to know what’s going on in one of the poorest, most inhumane countries the world has ever seen in recent memory. The essay retains the original wording of my comments on the BBC 4 Programme, which can be found on the BBC4 Radio page on Facebook.—Hill Roberts

Five years is a hell of a long time to get out of Afghanistan. It's not a proper war the Brits and Americans are fighting for; rather, a culture and a deep misunderstanding and ignorance about the country's culture and thinking. This country has always been tribal, insular, with deep-seated beliefs no Western mind will ever understand. Forcing these people to think like the West is like forcing forceps into their bodies. It is the West's quest to insist on their own passion for "democratic principles" that will always remain putrid and unwanted by the Afghanis. Resistance has grown twenty-fold for the very reason that the West's presence was forced upon them... and why should they?
 
Who are they to do it? There are equally worse countries doing the same, inhumane things to their citizens—Somalia, Yemen, the Middle East, Burma, etc., yet, the meddling into Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq pale in comparison. We know why, don't we? Burma, thank goodness, is one stubborn country not to give in to the US and the UK. OK, it's human rights record is pathetic, to say the least, but by not allowing the West to meddle in its affairs, problems are localized and no spread of so-called revolutionaries have been formed. Too bad the CIA has failed in its attempts to meddle and plant their own self- proclaimed democratic new leaders (wide grin). Shame they managed to do it in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines. Haven't you noticed that each time the US meddles, trouble brews and worsens? Does the US really expect Afghanistan to change when all throughout the centuries, they've always been insular?

Barbaric or not, it's how they want it to be—the West just can't barge in and impose their so-called "democratic principles". So, why force it on them? The US/UK have their own backyard to clean and clear, too. They should start there. Look at the billions of dollars and pounds spent on a country that has no wish to adopt their "democratic principles." The Russians tried it for twelve long years, to no avail. No one will ever succeed in Afghanistan. No one, not in a million years!
 
Above all, look at the needless deaths of young soldiers—and for what?? For what?

Indeed, it may be very frustrating to see Afghanistan that way, but there's no one who can do it than the Afghanis themselves. The West are just wasting their time, money and effort—a futile exercise in the 21st century. Time to rethink their policies as well as their mindset re eastern culture.
 
I don't think it's a question of victory. This is where the problem lies; that word is, in itself, a subscribed arrogance. Just what kind of victory do we expect from this when this war has nothing to do with Western values? This war has all to do with protecting the West's interests, so let's not be fooled into believing that they care about those ordinary Afghanis. If they do care about people and their rights, we only need to look at India's catastrophic Bhopal accident, where, to this day, those poor people haven't received a penny. Why on earth do they have to be in Afghanistan when securing the individual's country's borders is a better answer than a stupid invasion? This inexplicable invasion for the good of "democratic principles" is one big rubbish heap! Are the Western countries really there because of democracy and to impose it on them? For starters, democracy is an idealism that would need to be updated in the 21st century. Like it or not, democracy is a bad idea—it is corrupt, time-consuming, pretentious, arrogant.
 
Democracy, for me, is a misnomer. Look at India—boasting to be the world's biggest democracy. Oh, really? 650 million with no proper toilets and houses? Why?
Democracy would need countless people to approve a single economic project, and politicians waste their time signing/making legislations—better not to have elected political officials. Things move on an awful lot quicker. China, Singapore, Vietnam come to mind. Let's not pretend that democratic countries do not have torture chambers. Whatever we say, no one, but no one, can solve Afghanistan's problems, ills, and the way they treat their women. Frustrating to the core but that's the way it is in that country: the more the West meddle, the worse reaction there will be from them—it’s as simple as that—and it has nothing to do with anything, just bloody human nature passed through each Afghani generation, and never to change, ever! As for their women, the majority close ranks with their men for fear of reprisals—and for fearing fear itself. They, too, have helped encouraged their men to be what they are, or what they have become, since they allowed these narrow-minded folks to control them. It is control and obedience they impose.
 
As for victory, there are no victors in this—only victims on both sides. I'd say "subscribed arrogance" because this is what the Western governments employ, pretending to be something else. The long view would be OK, if governments worldwide update, and I emphasize the word "update"—their  policies and rethink how to deal with countries dissimilar to their own. Somehow, their policies are so 19th century!
 
"Subscribed arrogance" is what they employ and have been employing to justify their reasons for invading Iraq, Afghanistan, and other poorer countries. Result? Needless death, billions of dollars and pounds wasted, and they are nowhere near their planned agenda and rhetorical hummings.
 
Will they ever learn? I doubt it. They want to rule the world, that's why—with tragic, tragic results.

(Note: Union Carbide supposedly settled with $500 million—but the money hardly went to the victims of that horrendous accident in Bhopal, India.)

14

Lounge / Finger-pointing

« on: June 22, 2010, 04:08:48 PM »

Finger-pointing: another humankind's scourge. Is this a rotten gesture? This "blame them", "don't blame us" attitude and vice versa? Even in families, there's too much of this moral sermon/self-righteous analytical high ground, rebuking each other when things go wrong. It is indeed very trying to be implicated in this assumption at the moment when it matters, almost mind-blowing even to get away from this natural awe and wonder.  On the other hand, to spend a tenth or more of this tendency could also open up a can of worms when these matters of fairness and the practical impact become, in themselves, routine. Working through all of that becomes much harder to eliminate, where definition of "fair" and  whether holding a certain group together to gang up on you, would be the big instant test. In particular, real problems will start to unravel if we can't hold out to argue, in a most blatant way, who is right, who is wrong and who is indifferent. This finger-pointing squeezes us into a wall more than judgement day itself, as far as getting to the final tape is concerned.  One way or another, blaming each other and not sharing the blame, let alone, pin the blame on them and not on you, would be a vindication of seeing the bigger picture, albeit with closed eyes and confusion. To own up to guilt would be tantmount to giving access to an unwelcoming jail minus the wardens ordering you to strip and checking for wires inside  your gums. In which case, would it better to assimilate blame and just consider defense mechanism  a good weapon to beat the hell out of those who keep pinning the blame on you? Hmm, I dread the outcome myself.  

15

Lounge / Truth: Do we know what it is?

« on: June 16, 2010, 05:14:05 PM »

Truth. What exactly is truth? What do we believe is the truth? Nowadays, truth is relative. The intent to serve it on a silver platter just wouldn't wash. Why? Because it all depends if that person is popular or not--that's the bait--and only when folks believe it to be the truth despite wanting to hang their heads in shame by not telling the whole truth. Confused? Don't be. Over the centuries, world historians have always lied, made up myths and turned them into sordid, sorry facts, which they themselves, have had difficulty expounding. Even if we'd like to know the interpretation of truth, per se, we'd still be in a quandary where competition to get to the truth, or to tell the truth becomes a byword for more half-truths. 90% of Filipino journalists have no time to tell the truth to their readers; their own interpretation is good enough for the likes of us. At least,that's their belief, even if they don't get to the bottom of the truth, they still have it in their minds that they are, in fact, telling the truth, or have already told the truth, only that we were too slow to get the drift, or too smart to tell them off that they're liars, too. When journalists become corrupted, which is easy to see especially during, before and after the elections in the Philippines, who'd the people want to believe? Truth becomes a one big lie when sullied with countless interpretations by journalists. These are the very people who throw away those chances to help counter the ill effects of bad doses of negative publicity. Who can blame them? These journalists  allow themselves to wallow in their own set of puzzling motives. What right do these people have to write lies about people they don't like, and convince us that they are telling the truth?