Friday, May 20, 2011

The RH Debate

The Ant has been preoccupied lately with various commitments and issues worth tackling with that continue to pile up. One of which is the overhyped RH bill, the proposed law which adds more bars and weight between the already divided policies of the Church and the State.. the questions being asked were 1. Are you going to support the passage of the proposed law or not?,  2. Does the bill really pose a serious threat to the morality of the Filipino family?, and 3. Is there really a need for an exclamatory point "for or against" RH bill?


I am a Catholic but, honestly I see no reason to vehemently oppose the passing of such law. There is no cause for alarm, but again, that's just for me.. what i don't understand is why  are there groups whose heaven and earth in their support or opposition. So let's dig this up..

sample: an honest commentary from a Jesuit Priest, printed in a newspaper, and reblogged by hundred of pro-RH writers...

Commentary: ‘For he is our peace’ (Eph. 2:14)
By John J. Carroll, S.J.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: May 04, 2011

AS I watched Christ’s faithful gather symbolically in the Upper Room on Holy Thursday, around Calvary’s cross on Good Friday, and at the empty tomb on Easter Sunday, a wave of joy flowed over me. Swept up like a chip of wood on the surface of a boiling wave by the power of the community singing, I recalled the unity in faith and hope of the millions who gathered 25 years ago at Edsa. But still there was an undercurrent of sadness, sadness due to the realization that the official Church no longer stands with a united people but with one part of a nation divided; and that the struggle is carried on, no longer in the respectful manner of the crowds at Edsa, but in an atmosphere of personal animosity and demonizing.
The sadness is made deeper by the sense that in the debate over the RH bill, the Church seems to have backed itself into a no-win situation. If the bill passes over the total opposition of the hierarchy, there will be gloating in some quarters and a sense of “Who’s afraid of the big bad Church?” If it is defeated by the opposition of the Church, I fear a powerful backlash at the Church’s “interference in politics” and “reliance on political power rather than moral suasion”—the beginnings of an anti-clericalism such as has overwhelmed formerly Catholic bastions such as Spain and Ireland.
With all due respect for the position of the Philippine bishops, I do not see that total opposition to the bill necessary, once one gets past the polemics. First of all, the bill does not legalize contraceptives; they are already legal and may be purchased in any drugstore. What the bill proposes to do—rightly or wrongly—is to subsidize the cost of contraception as well as natural family planning to the poor. Neither does the bill legalize abortion; on the contrary it reaffirms the constitutional prohibition. It is highly probable in fact that if contraceptives become more available to the poor, the scandalous number of illegal abortions performed annually will be dramatically reduced.
On the tricky scientific question whether the IUD and some contraceptive pills may prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum in the mother’s womb and so destroy a human life, the current draft of the bill passes the responsibility to the Food and Drug Administration, which should ban any such “contraceptives” from drugstores throughout the country.
On the matter of sex education in the schools, the same draft allows parents to “opt out” for their children, i.e. to have them exempted from such classes. This is an improvement, although it would seem better to allow religious schools to develop their own programs. It may be still possible to negotiate for this. There is a graded set of modules on sex and population education already available, prepared by teachers of Catholic schools under the leadership of the Office of Population Studies Foundation of the University of San Carlos, and bearing the imprimatur of Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
Other improvements may still be possible. One might be to strengthen the “conscience clauses” protecting health workers and teachers whose religious values conflict with certain aspects of the bill. Another could be representation of religious bodies on an oversight committee to make sure that freedom of conscience is fully respected in the field.
A sticking point for many is that the bill would subsidize the distribution of contraceptives to the poor. The Catholic Church, while recognizing the fundamental moral difference between contraception and abortion, still insists that the former is wrong. It debases the most sacred act which a husband and wife can perform: cooperation with the Creator in bringing into existence a new human person destined for eternity with God. Here it would seem more consistent for the Church to initiate a vigorous program of family life and natural family planning education for its people, helping them to form their consciences and make responsible decisions on this matter, rather than trying by political means to keep them away from “temptation.”
Which brings up what to me seems to be the most important issue here, namely, the family and family values. The charge is made that the RH bill will destroy the Filipino family. On the basis of more than 25 years of pastoral and social work in Payatas, and some seven years sponsoring natural family planning programs, I can say that the family is already at great risk—and not because of contraceptives.
While the dedication of many young people—our scholars and former scholars—to helping their families, and the sacrifices that they are willing to make, are sometimes overwhelming, these are often one-parent families abandoned by the fathers who have gone on to father second and even third families. Or no-parent families abandoned by both father and mother and being raised by grandparents. Moreover, one main reason why only some 20 percent of the women who take our seminars on natural family planning actually practice it is precisely the unwillingness of the husbands to cooperate.
Our family-life seminars seem to be much appreciated. If only the effort and resources being now invested in opposition to the RH bill were being used for serious family-life education and family support services, there might be little reason to oppose the bill. And our Holy Week services might be true celebrations of unity, mutual respect and love.

Now, i have yet to research on some beautiful arguments of the ANTIs... Meanwhile, let's take a breather by studying these cartoons..


Thursday, March 31, 2011

Tasting the Teeth of China Anti-Drug Policy

Would China yield to the calls of Philippine Government to commute the sentence or grant a reprieve, at least, to three Filipino drug mules on the death row? The Chinese answered "NO WAY!"

The Philippines mourned the death of 3 Filipino Drug mules.

Yesterday, three Filipino overseas contract workers (OFWs) were executed in China following their conviction of drug trafficking charges. China cannot just ease up its policy on prohibited drugs, even for the sake of nurturing its harmonious relationship with the Philippine Government. With this, the Chinese government has shown once again its sincerity to level off drug trafficking and perhaps, free this part of Asia from dangerous drugs use. China displayed no less than the claws of long-time Maoist struggle against drug abuse and illegal drug trafficking.

Questions on the Philippine government's action regarding the issue pile up. Condemnation on the Chinese merciless policy was seen on the streets and heard in every Filipino household. The real big question then would be: Comes the highest form of prayer the Aquino government should  file before the Chinese government, was there any chance for the three convicts to come out of the death chamber alive?

Guessing through based on history, based on China's relentless struggle against drug addiction since the  British-American introduction to the country of the Opium, the favorite answer would be in the negative. China is the real "no mercy" killer of drug criminals.

No world government has ever succeeded in persuading China from slowing down on its persistence to impose draconian strategy against illegal drug sale, manufacture, smuggle, possession or abuse. For the Chinese, the tradition of mass execution of convicts of drug crimes has to continue until the world would see no more drug dealers or users.

China would never mellow down against drugs, and that's for sure. It has in fact the fiercest law against drug criminals that the possession of a minute-50 grams of Heroin is punishable by death. How much more for the 6kgs of Heroin that Elizabeth Batain and the 4 kgs that Sally Ordinario and Ramon Credo  each carried with them through their travel to China?
These hair-raising volume of illegal drugs were caught in their possession and they had no other strong reasons why these items were in their bags except for the denial that they knew nothing of the bag contents and the alibi that somebody had just asked them to tag the items along their trip. And that should be weak because every drug mule caught  and charged had used the same line of defenses, and the Chinese are not stupid people at all, same that the three convicts were not stupid either not to detect some hefty volume of hot stuff hiding in their luggages.

And several other questions should follow: Who asked them to carry the tainted luggage? Were they real close with the supposed trader to take the latter's excess baggage with them? If you were in this situation where a stranger asks you to carry something across borders, would you easily yield to such simple request, without expecting something just as to compensate your sweat? 

I'm not saying that these people were not innocent, but they must have shown enough reasons why shouldn't they be convicted and hanged? And in this case, they failed to convince the Chinese of their innocence. Hence, there could be no other way out but through the execution chamber.

Comes June 26 (UN's International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking), expect another Filipino mule who may be rested in the lethal injection chamber, for this is the date when China has traditionally executed and sentenced convicted drug traffickers to illustrate its resolve in fighting the scourge.
Every June 26, China marks UN's International Day against Drug Abuse with mass execution of drug convicts and burning of confiscated illegal drug items.
Now, take and try the delectable bait of drug trade to China and taste the teeth of China Anti-Drug Policy.

Monday, March 21, 2011

K+12 program: a business-minded shift in education system

Malacañan Palace declared that by October 5 this year, the Department of Education is going to be laying out its plan to remodel the current basic education system and adopt the so-called “K+12 Program” or “Kindergarten plus Twelve-year Basic Education,” thereby adding two more years of study particularly in the high school level before the students be eligible to enroll in undergraduate studies. The K-12 Program is not a novel education scheme, the United States, Canada, Australia and several others have already been using this. The declaration received a wide array of criticisms and parents or even teachers are quite skeptical with the idea.

It must be remembered that this program was one of the flagships of the P-Noy Campaign. Aquino had advocated the addition of two more years to basic education to keep up with global standards, to make even high school graduates employable, and to enable students to have more time to choose which careers best suit their abilities, among other reasons. The current administration believes that it would somehow answer the problem of degrading quality of our basic education. By adding two more years in high school, the student is expected to gain more knowledge that will prepare him in pursuing further studies, or he may already be eligible to find a career in public or private service and/or compete with other jobseekers worldwide.


This could be a very ambitious and bold step for the government. And with the current setup and resources of most of our schools, the country is not just there yet. The UNESCO has surveyed in 2008 the following education index for the Philippines:
Teacher to student ratio                            1:35
Enrollment rate, primary level                      92%
Enrolment rate, secondary                         52.6%
Enrolment, tertiary                                   28.8%
Completion rate, primary                            97%
Schools connected to the internet                2%
Education spending 
       (%of total gov’t. expenditure)            17.8%

The teacher to student ratio is quite impressive, however, we still cannot discount the fact that this is a national figure, and we cannot overlook the disparity of enrolment in NCR, or in Luzon, or in some part of Mindanao, or in urban areas compared to rural places. Batanes, for example, posted a notable 1:11 rate—the most remarkable teacher –pupil ratio in elementary schools for SY 2009-2010, whereas in Basilan the number was 1:64—the lowest teacher-pupil ratio in the country.  

Other figures show that 92 % of children eligible to enter elementary education are enrolled but only 97% of them graduates from primary education. And of this 97% of elementary graduates, only 52.6% are pursuing secondary education. More than half of them decide to stop going to school due to a number of factors which are mostly economic. And the sad part of the story was that, only 17.8% of the total government spending is allotted to education, most of it goes to military, infrastructure, and debt service.

With the introduction of K-12 sans the provision of additional resources to schools, the enrolment rate in secondary and tertiary education is anticipated to descend a little more. None completion of studies, all of us know and as research shows, sadly results to a very low employment prospect for an individual.

Philippine classrooms are usually crowded.

Parents are suspicious. Teachers are wary. Of course! Is there a reason not to be? Adding two more years to basic education means adding two more years of burden to them, especially with respect to finances. Senator Ed Angara, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, argued, "Essentially this is basic education, and this is free.” He likewise defended the plan, saying that it wasn't "anti-poor." "In the end, it's going to help the poor because the poor gets its fighting chance in quality education. The worst thing to do to the poor is to deprive them of health and education," he added.

But is this really free? Yes, if we speak of tuition fees. But does going to school concern only tuition fees? No. There are a lot more pressing burdens that one student faces. Uniforms, daily “baon,” school materials, transportation costs, voluntary contributions, miscellaneous fees, and other incidental expenses.  Two years! Two years more before you can actually get yourself going.  Two years more before you can start looking for a job, before you can decide whether to pursue further studies or be employed, two years before you can actually help your parents provide for the daily bread.

A typical classroom sight in urban areas.
Quality education is not just obtained by lengthening your stay in school, or should I say, the more time you spend in campus does not always result to better learning. I have a few schoolmates then who completed their undergraduate programs for about 8 to 9 years, but that did not make them any different, or maybe exceptional, from those who made them within the regular four years, neither did the extra time spent in school     made them relatively employable than the others. One thing is sure, however, quality sometimes, but not always, results from quantity. Yes, the number of years in school maybe a factor here, but what we need to pay more attention to is the provision of the most basic things a school should have. The more classrooms, teachers, teaching materials or books, you provide, the greater the chance of students to learn more. In other words, the government should rather be concerned on providing the most basic necessities that pupils, teachers, or schools need than in imposing additional burden to parents and students. 

This is how a classroom in one part of Mindanao looks. The government should focus more on making the venue for learning a little more conducive.
On the lighter side, I do not wish to undermine the wisdom of the Aquino administration. They may be right, but they could always be wrong. I just wonder how the additional years are going to be. Would it be just additional ordinary academic curriculum or is it going to be some kind of technical-vocational stuff? I would absolutely buy the idea if the additional years of study would be of tech-voc nature, where graduates are to be given certificates of completion or mastery of the field of tech-voc specializations they should opt to pursue. Surely, this will help the graduate be globally competitive. College education won’t anymore be a necessity for many, because high school graduates would now be equipped with necessary skills and training that make them naturally attractive to employers worldwide. And before this tech-voc curriculum can be realized, the government should first consider filling the classrooms with the necessary materials, equipments and personnel complement. But certainly, this would result to a greater shift in budget priorities for the government as a whole.

On the other hand, if this won't be the case (the tech-voc scheme), no way can a high school grad compete with other job seekers, even locally. The Civil Service Commission may lower the qualification standards for some government positions, thus leveling a little bit the playing field for both HS and college grads. However, the selection process, whether in public service or private, never accepts the least qualified from among the list of qualified candidates for the job. It is absurd to say that you, as employer for instance, would choose a high school graduate to be your accounting clerk over a graduate of BS Accountancy. It is not enough, and it won't be enough that HS grad under the K+12 program is equipped with the necessary qualifications in order to compete globally, for placement agencies almost always look for higher credentials. Ordinary college grads cannot even land a descent job, more so that a possible K+12 HS grad could, in this case.

It may be argued that, with the K+12 program, the student is never discouraged to pursue further studies. That's definitely right. But the problem is still there, K+12 adds up to current financial weight carried by Filipino families. Two years more in school equals to two years less in employment chances. And, with the K+12, can the government guarantee that our people won't anymore be regarded as second-class graduates outside the country, especially in the US? No.

So, why the government has to rush this up? Let me touch the most interesting part of the story behind this program. Apparently, with the current Secretary of Education steering it all, the move does not always come without a buzz. Bro. Armin Luistro, DepEd Secretary, it must be noted, is the former school director of De LaSalle University—one of the most expensive private schools in the country. After the Aquino term, he is always expected to return to LaSalle campus as its administrator. And he is the one who is making a stir in the project, creating some kind of a cloud on the purity of the intention of the government to alleviate educational standards.

Ostensibly, private schools are not much that fee-regulated, not like that of state-operated academies, so that they could impose matriculation fees as high as they want to. However, competition amongst them is getting stiffer. More so, state schools are getting excellent accreditation ratings thereby attracting more enrollees than the privates. This means that the private school business is getting tough. School owners cannot just maximize their profits by imposing higher tuition fees—or else students would suddenly jump “over the bakod” to public schools, nevertheless, they can always dig up for more by lengthening a student’s stay in the campus, but not while the other schools are offering shorter school year-terms. So, why not nationalize the lengthening of the curriculum? This way, when all of the schools, public or private, follow the same system—the longer one, of course, no one will ever care jumping to another campus, when what you get from where you left off, is what you can also get from other target campuses. Nice move, right?

Private schools have already succeeded in maximizing profits in tertiary education. Now, they are trying to impose the same adventurism to lower levels of learning. Haven’t you noticed why most of private institutes, nowadays, are offering trimester school-year terms? Why not? If you’ve noticed, this does not make the length of degree completion any shorter. A four-year degree would still be a four-year degree, for the number of hours allotted for each course, as set by the Commission on Higher Education, cannot be prejudiced. Increasing the number of terms per school year, does not increase the level of knowledge a student obtains in school. It increases, however, the amount of expenses a parent spent for his student. Tuition fees may not be of great concern, but in collection of miscellaneous fees is where the schools are taxing the students and their parents.

Yes. Private school business is a very good business, profitable that is, and better when profits are especially commissioned by the government.

_________________________
Read more... Adding Years or Tears?

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Digging the North African-Middle East Conflict

"I am a fighter, a revolutionary from tents ... I will die as a martyr at the end. Muammar Gaddafi is the leader of the revolution, I am not a president to step down ... This is my country. Muammar is not a president to leave his post."
Libyan Leader Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi
These were the strong words of Libyan revolutionary leader Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi dismissing calls for his ouster, after a series of demonstrations calling for his resignation broke out in Tripoli following protests over corruption, inflation, unemployment, human rights violation, police brutality and other forms of harassment. Days later, Libya has turned havoc. Armed rebel protesters occupied and took control of the southern cities of Libya. Actual arm battles are now taking place in major cities of Benghazi and Tripoli, the country’s capital.

“We will fight and beat them (protesters),” said Muammar al-Gaddafi vehemently. “A life without dignity is meaningless nor live without the green flag is also meaningless… America is not the international police of the world.” Muammar al-Gaddafi insinuating that the United States has had a hand over the widespread protests in the region, further referring to their long time alliance with the White House and the betrayal made by the US government to their cause to topple the Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin-Laden.
Egyptians rejoiced following the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.
In barely over two or three months, the once seemingly-peaceful Arab countries of North Africa turned suddenly into a wide frontier of chaos and unrest. Violent and nonviolent resistance, demonstrations and self-immolations, and arm skirmishes filled these oil-laden oases of North Africa and part of the Middle East.

Self-immolation. Mohamed Bouazizi set
him self on fire. This act enraged the 

Tunisians and started the massive street
protests leading to the ouster of President 
Zine Ben Ali.
The revolutionary wave of demonstrations started just December of last year in Libya’s neighbor, Tunisia. The demonstrations were said to be precipitated by high unemployment, food inflation, corruption, a lack of freedom of speech and other political freedom and poor living conditions. The protests, which have resulted in scores of deaths and injuries—most of which were the result of action by police and security forces against demonstrators, were sparked by the self-immolation of a certain Mohamed Bouazizi in December and led instantly to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali days later, when he officially resigned after fleeing to Saudi Arabia, ending 23 long years in power. Bouazizi, was a Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire in protest of the confiscation of his wares and the harassment and humiliation that was allegedly inflicted on him by a municipal official and her aides.

The success of Tunisian protests, dubbed as the Jasmine Revolution, inspired similar actions throughout the Arab world, including several men who emulated Bouazizi's act, in an attempt to bring an end to autocratic governments; the Egyptian revolution began after the events in Tunisia and also led to the ousting of Egypt's longtime president Hosni Mubarak; Around the same time, Jordan’s King Abdullah named a new prime minister and the president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, announced that he would not seek another term in office in 2013, after what would then be 35 years of rule.

During the ongoing uprising against Libyan strongman Gadaffi , Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir announced he would not seek re-election in 2015. Despite Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announcing he would not seek re-election in 2014, increasingly violent demonstrations urging him to resign have mounted; furthermore, protests have also taken place in Algeria, Bahrain, Pakistan, Mauritania, and elsewhere in the wider North Africa and Middle East.
North Africa and Middle East countries rising against the leaders. (Countries presently disturbed by massive demonstrations are lightly-shaded)
Then we asked, what happened? Did the Arab rulers not able to see this happening? Did the protests come with spontaneity? I believe and many other political analysts believe that through centuries the Arabs have not developed a trait such as to rise civilly against their well-respected rulers unless there have been constant prodding and stimulations clandestinely manipulated by outside forces. And who else have the power to orchestrate such extensive, devious manoeuvre? The Libyan ruler could be correct in his observations. They (with the US) may have, indeed, been into a pact caused to bring down the assumed world villain in the person of Osama Bin-Laden. But such concord may bear the US’ scheme to penetrate the country, his government and later sow the seeds of insurgence against the internationally-acclaimed leader of the Libyan Revolution.

Indeed, Gaddafi has a right to point his fingers at the Superpower. For who else could do more? It must be remembered that at the twilight of the Iraq invasion by US forces and its allies, the US government, speaking thru its former National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, promised to clean the Middle East and provide a greater economic-friendly landscape much less a supposed US-controlled economic climate in the region.
Sec. Condoleezza Rice
"Today, along with many allies, we are helping the people of Iraq and Afghanistan to build free societies. And we are working with the people of the Middle East to spread the blessings of liberty and democracy as the alternatives to instability, hatred, and terror. This work is hard and dangerous, yet it is worthy of our effort and our sacrifice. The defeat of terror and the success of freedom in those nations will serve the interests of our Nation and inspire hope and encourage reform throughout the greater Middle East."
These were the exact words of Dr. Rice speaking before the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. Unconsciously, Secretary Rice had slipped a hint on a Top Secret Middle East agenda of the US government. The analysis of Gaddafi would, perhaps, not be far from the truth, for US policy has always been trenchant deep into national policies of several natural-resource-rich states. No further proof could be acquired to cement the conclusions of Gaddafi and other geo-political analysts, but the events of the past would not deny the fact that the US has polished the art of backdoor assault by taking part in local insurgencies, impregnating would-be oppositions with half-truthful information which they could use against their governments, and perhaps, financing and rewarding opposition leaders in their cause against the sitting government.

This has always been in the US agenda since the failed invasion of Iraq in 1991. Have we already forgotten the successes of the Colour Revolutions in Mid-East Europe? The movements which had used nonviolent resistance as a potent arm against their governments. The movements which cracked the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, formerly USSR) and other Balkan states in early 2000’s. These movements had been successful in Serbia (especially the Bulldozer Revolution of 2000), in Georgia's Rose Revolution (2003), in Ukraine's Orange Revolution (2004), in Lebanon's Cedar Revolution and (though more violent than the previous ones) in Kyrgyzstan's Tulip Revolution (2005), in Kuwait's Blue Revolution (2005), in Iraq's Purple Revolution (2005), in Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution (1989), in Iran's Green Revolution (2009-2010) . Each time massive street protests followed disputed elections or request of fair elections and led to the resignation or overthrow of leaders considered by their opponents to be authoritarian.
Otpor Logo

The nonviolent actions in Serbia which led to the ouster of deposed President Slobodan Milosevic could somehow be attributed to some US vicious plot to overthrow the Socialist regime. The silent uprising dubbed as the “Bulldozer Revolution” was led by a league of student protesters who gathered themselves into a movement called OTPOR. The group was said to have been guided by the theories on nonviolent actions of Gene Sharp of the University of Massachusetts Darmouth.

At the aftermath of the October 2000 victory, information started to appear during this time about substantial outside help, both in funds and logistics, to Serbia which Otpor received leading up to the revolution. A group of activists made one trip to Budapest in neighboring Hungary in June 2000 to attend a lecture by retired US Army Col. Robert Helvey, a colleague of Sharp, who was later portrayed as the "creator" of Otpor, although the movement had already reached its peak when the lecture took place. Otpor was also a recipient of substantial funds from U.S. government affiliated organizations such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), International Republican Institute (IRI) , and US Agency for International Development (USAID)

In a November 2000 article from the New York Times Magazine, American journalist Roger Cohen talked to various officials from the above organizations about the extent of American assistance received by Otpor. Paul B. McCarthy from the Washington-based NED stated that Otpor received the majority of US$3 million spent by NED in Serbia from September 1998 until October 2000. At the same time, McCarthy himself held a series of meetings with Otpor's leaders in Podgorica, as well as Szeged and Budapest.
The US government offering a huge reward for the capture of 
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and the top official of
his regime showed only how much  the US had been egg-
ing and intruding into Serbia's national policy. 

Just how much of the US$25 million, appropriated in the year 2000 by USAID, for the purposes of bringing down Milošević, went to Otpor is not clear. Donald L. Pressley, the assistant administrator at USAID said that several hundred thousand dollars were given to Otpor directly for "demonstration-support material, like T-shirts and stickers". Otpor leaders intimated they also received a lot of covert aid—a subject on which there was no comment in Washington. Albert Cevallos of the USIP has written a paper about how his organisation supported Otpor.

Daniel Calingaert, an official with IRI, said Otpor received some of the US$1.8 million his institute spent in the country throughout 2000. He also said he met Otpor leaders "seven to ten times" in Montenegro (then Yugoslavia), and Hungary, beginning in October 1999. These events undoubtedly showed some US involvement in the overthrow of the Socialist Government of Milosevic.

Georgia’s Rose Revolution which led to the forced resignation of President Edward Shevardnadze in November 2003 was undermined by the youth movement called KMARA (Enough!). As expected, the US had a hot hand over the movement offering and extending financial support and key trainings through the Freedom House, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USAID, National Democratic Institute, European Union, National Endowment for Democracy, International Republican Institute, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, USAID—all are US funded and organized agencies, although a huge part of the financial support also came from Hungarian-American billionaire financier George Soros.
The Rose Revolution of Georgia.
The same thing happened during Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. Many analysts believed the Orange Revolution was built on a pattern first developed in the ousting of Slobodan Milošević in Serbia four years earlier, and continuing with the Rose Revolution in Georgia. Each of these victories, though apparently spontaneous, was the result of extensive grassroots campaigning and coalition-building among the opposition. Each included election victories followed up by public demonstrations, after attempts by the incumbent to hold onto power through electoral fraud.
Ukraine's Orange Revolution.
Each of these social movements included extensive work by student activists. Otpor in Serbia, Kmara in Georgia, in Ukraine the movement has worked under the succinct slogan PORA ("It's Time"). Activists in each of these movements were funded and trained in tactics of political organization and nonviolent resistance by a coalition of Western pollsters and professional consultants funded by a range of Western government and non-government agencies. And these include the U.S. State Department and USAID along with the NED, IRI and the Freedom House. Again, writings on nonviolent struggles by Gene Sharp formed the strategic basis of the student campaigns.

The Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan.
Same is to be said of the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan. The youth group named Kelkel, which was patterned to and had some close connections with Otpor, Kmara and Pora, has also been in the forefront of the ouster of President Askar Akayev and his government in 2005.

Apparently, the US government has been all over Europe and now permeating throughout Africa and Asia. Do we need to argue about Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and other Asian conflicts, in terms of US’ involvement? The US is deceptively towering over the whole world by slowly pervading into each country’s national policies. The US government knew that it can never win the world by itself much less win an armed conflict like that of Vietnam War and the Gulf War, but it can somehow build a new world order under its direction by creating and funding revolutions in volatile states, or in making some governments unstable and thus becoming susceptible to insurgencies.

Maybe Gaddafi was right. He continue to cling onto Libya for after all the supposed winners of the revolutions, if he steps down, would not be the Libyans but the US and its anti-democratic and imperialist economic policies. And North Africa and Middle East, in its volatile condition, are an easy prey to the sharp talons of the American Bald Eagle embodying a very greedy inhumane international agenda.
And what makes the US so intrusive? It may be the natural resources, natural wealth, oil. For always, oil is gold. Gold is power. Power is luxury.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Filipinos..*make me puke*

i just received a forwarded message from a co-worker and found it quite disturbing but, at the same time, amusing. it sadly depicted how hell are we Pinoys to the lives of some miserable american idiots. :( the mail purportedly came from a certain Art Bell, a talk radio host who has two shows that he broadcasts from his home in Nevada USA, and which are also being rebroadcasted by 400 stations across the country...

read the mail and find your heart beats faster..caution: the letter is offensive! so keep cool! chill!!

As we've all come to notice, in the past few decades, Filipinos have begun to infest the United States like some sort of disease. Their extensive involvement in the U.S. Armed Forces is proof of the trashy kind of qualities all Filipinos tend to exhibit on a regular basis. You can see this clearly by studying the attitudes and cultural Icons of most Filipino Americans.

Origins of Pinoys/Pinays:

Are they really Asian? Well we've come to accept the fact the Filipinos come from a part of the world known as South East Asia . But the term ' Asia ' is used in the wrong way. You may notice that contemporary Filipino Americans try very hard to associate ate themselves with groups that we know as Asian. I cannot count the number of times I have seen a ' Third World ' Filipino try to connect themselves to the Chinese or Japanese people. There is no connection and here's why. The Philippines is a Third World country. Nothing respectable has EVER been created by Filipino people during our entire human history. Young Filipino men in America have become obsessed with 'import racing'. They have an enormously perverted affection for Japanese cars. It's a common phenomenon. In their minds, these Filipinos somehow believe that they are Asian and that it somehow connects them to Japanese people and Japanese cars. They often take credit for the ingenuity of Japanese people and say how it's an 'Asian thing'. This term...'Asian thing' derived directly from African American slang 'blackthang' . 'It's a black thang.' 'It's an Asian thang.' You can see the connection. It's even funnier that, in Japan , Filipinos are heavily discriminated against. The only Filipinos that can live successfully in Japan are the Filipino prostitutes. But that's the case for most Filipino people no matter where they live in the world. Now we've come down to this fact...and it is a fact.

Nothing in Filipino Culture can be seen as Asian. They have no architectural, artistic, or cultural influence which is in ANY way, Asian. Thinking of the great countries in Asia such as Japan , Korea , and China there is no way you can possibly connect the Philippine Islands. This assault by Filipino Americans to connect themselves with the great peoples of North East Asia is foul and disgusting. Try visiting a young Filipino's web site too. You'll see something called the 'Asian IRC Ring'. It has to do with the chatrooms. The most horrible thing about this is that these TRASHY people are trying to associate themselves with Asia again!! People in Asia don't act like, this at all. What we are seeing here is the natural Filipino in it's element with full access to technology and this is how they act! You will consistently see this behavior over and over again.

Another interesting thing is that these 'third world' people also frequent RC chatrooms such as #Chinese # Japan and #Asian. They must believe that they are some how related racially or culturally to North Asians. But it's completely WRONG! There might have been some distant contact With China and even less with Japan during World War II, but these people are actually more closely related to African Americans and Mexican Americans.

Do the parents of these young Filipinos know what's going on? Would they accept this? I believe that they would and do. This is the natural 'Trash' element in Filipinos manifesting itself. Nothing good has ever come from Philippines and I don't believe anything good ever will.

Recognizing your Roots (A Message to Filipinos)

To all filipino people:
Please recognize your ROOTS! You come from the Third World ! You country is a disgusting and filthy place. Most people there live in poverty! Your culture has MUCH MORE SPANISH influence than chinese, and absolutely no JAPANESE influence whatsoever. People in Japan and China , do not act like you. They do not constantly talk about sex and they have a MUCH HIGHER level of RESPECT for each other. There is NO WAY that you can connect yourself to Asia other than location. Your culture and technological advancement does not even come CLOSE to What Chinese, people have done in the past and what Japanese and Korean people are doing now! Everything you do is distinctly filipino. You cannot take credit for Japanese cars, video games, or Hentai! It's not an 'asian thing' it's, an 'American thing'. You have no concept of culture...no concept of asian ideas or asian philosophy! Can you demonstrate how you use Confucianism or Taoism in you everyday life?? You can't. And you will NEVER be able to. I understand that you are trying to create an identity for yourselves as young people... but it is NOT related to Asia .

Your Identity is Filipino. That's all you are. Just Filipino. Think about what that means....

Sincerely,
Art

on the other hand, here's a point-by-point response to Mr. Bell's (or does he deserve of the prefix Mr. at all?) idiotic mail:


I find this funny, he is right in some ways where we, as Filipinos dont actually have an 'Identity'. I think this is due to the confusion of our mixed races from Hispanic, Chinese, American and Malay origins. I see it in malls, imagine young generations wearing ski caps and ski goggles in a tropical country, baggy low rise pants like that of African Americans living in th e Bronx of New York, not to mention endless whitening products being sold at department stores and drug stores. But his ignorance also blinds him from the other truth. That while we may glorify Anime shows and Japanese Internet gaming, he is not aware that a nameless Filipino may be responsible for some technical aspects of some Japanese software. He is not aware of our contribution to the the society in general .Technological advancements that may have aided post war navigations and landing on the moon. That the antibiotic Erythromycin was discovered by Dr. Abelardo Aguilar from Iloilo creating the brand 'Ilosone'. Thomas Edison may have discovered the electric light bulb and the fluorescent lighting was thought up by Nikola Tesla. But the fluorescent lamp we use today was invented by Agapito Flores (a Cebuano named Benigno Flores of Bantayan Island , according to the Philippine Daily inquirer), a Filipino scientist. Americans helped then-Philippine leader Ramon Magsaysay to develo p it for worldwide commerce.
That the personal physician of former U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton is Eleanor 'Connie' Concepcion Mariano, a Filipina doctor who was the youngest captain in the US Navy. A Filipino writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese. Or that a Filipino genius was responsible for the near hiatus in the PENTAGON and White HOuse nearly infiltrating their closely guarded secrets with the 'ILOVEYOU' bug. Nuisance maybe, but still one heck of a 'beautiful mind'...not to be underestimated. The list goes on and on, but who cares right? Certainly not Mr. Art Bell...Boy, I'm not surprised. Perhaps Art Bell does not know that although we consider ourselves ASIAN because we are strategically located in the Southeast asian region of which our nearest neighbors are Malays, ASIA does not mean only Chinese and Japanese race of people. Then maybe it is his connotation that 'Asia' meant only our economically successful, paler brothers and he considers Malays such as Thais, Malaysians, Indonesians, and ourselves as a ' Third World ' race. Then it is 'his' ignonimity that would make a civilized person of whatever race puke. Imagine literally connecting Chinese, Koreans and Japanese to the Philippine Islands which is archipelagos away from the countries he has mentioned. I also wonder where he got the impression that we aspire to be Japanese(??? ) Hispanics maybe but not the Japanese. But even Hispanics today do not mind sharing their 'surnames' to their Asian brothers who they have colonized for 3 centuries.

Another sad reality that although most Filipinos working overseas are domestic helpers and prostitutes, who does he think educates the toddlers of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Tokyo? Parents of these countries rarely have time spent with their children, leaving them to their Filipino nannies. And with regards to prostitution. Filipinos are not the only ones working as one. I HARDLY SEE FILIPINOS STARRING IN PORN MOVIES. THERE MIGHT BE A FEW FILIPINOS WE HAVEN'T SEEN , BUT MOST ARE FROM MR. ART BELL'S RACE.

He also mentioned that we have no concept of culture..no concept of asian ideas or asian philosophy. How can we demonstrate Confucianism or Taoism in a Christian nation? IS HE INFORMED THAT THE PHILIPPINES IS THE ONLY PREDOMINANTLY CHRISTIAN/CATHOLIC NATION IN ASIA ?! YOU HAVE TO USE COMMON SENSE IN A LOT OF THINGS SOMETIMES...

We do not need to create an identity for ourselves. We are who we are. Our identity stems from the anonymity we live in this world. How we contribute silent ly towards the progress of the world and not just one country. Although the Filipino blood may be tainted with malice, corruption, poverty and prostitution, it is not a perfect race... But so are the others. Maybe Mr. Art Bell needs to think about this. WE MAY NOT BE PERFECT MR. BELL BUT AT LEAST WE STILL HAVE VALUES. FOR ONE THING WE DONT PUT OUR AGING PARENTS IN NURSING HOMES BECAUSE 'THEY'RE SIMPLY OLD AND WORTHLESS'. WE DONT HAVE AS MUCH NUMBERS OF SINGLE MOTHERS WHO GET PREGNANT IN THEIR VERY EARLY TEENS AND EVENTUALLY BECOME PARASITES OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR YEARS AND YEARS. YES...WE CAME TO YOUR COUNTRY TO WORK, TO EARN DECENT MONEY (HALF OF WHICH BY THE WAY GOES TO TAXES BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY SOCIAL PARASITES FROM YOUR RACE).AND BY THE WAY, MOST EDUCATED PEOPLE THAT I WORK WITH DONT COME FROM YOUR RACE... THEY'RE ACTUALLY IMMIGRANTS TOO. AND THOSE EDUCATED ONES DO NOT ACT LIKE YOU DO, PERHAPS BECAUSE THEY'VE REALLY BEEN WELL EDUCATED..AFTER ALL THAT'S SAID... WHO IS THE IGNORANT ONCE AGAIN?! -

____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __
So, be proud, you are a Filipino,... and not like
Mr. Art Bell.

to really find out what kind of creature Mr. Bell is, i immediately googled for his bio, and found this...
The Philippine Daily Inquirer printed a letter found on a web page purportedly from Bell that made derogatory statements about Filipinos. This letter was subsequently demonstrated to be a hateful hoax perpetrated upon Bell, who in fact had a publicly loving relationship with his Filipina wife, and who often spoke openly about his admiration for the Filipino people on his radio show. Subsequently, the Philippine Daily Inquirer printed a retraction and apologized for printing the statement upon their verification of the hoax. This fraudulent act upon Bell still periodically results in serious threats to Bell when this scurrilous material surfaces from time to time

Monday, February 28, 2011

womb to the tomb

this is the first time i ever heard this rendition. i've been googling for some catch-phrase that may aptly describe this page, but unfortunately, i haven't found any (tsktsk. it's really kinda hard to find a fit-all term for a blogspot that is not even categorized)...

...and upon typing the page title-"House of Pain," surprisingly, i bumped into a band named the same as my page. uh.uh..i did not copy their band's name! i never heard of this gang before. in fact, never did i imagine that a group like 'em has existed. they're into rap music, and am no follower of such kind of brand, although i really appreciate the way Eminem and our local Francism elevate the genre into an exquisitely fine line of music.. but anyways, i want you guys to take a test of their sounds. like it or leave it. From the House of Pain, an unreleased single, Womb to the Tomb. listen to this...

Sunday, February 27, 2011

House of Pain

Politics. Law. World Order.
Country and Urban Life. Attitude. Culture.
Family. Friends. Environment.
Sounds. Light. Aesthetics.
House of Pain absorbs all these.
House of Pain picks up every pieces.
What goes in, never comes out without a single bruise.
What comes around, never goes around without a pain in the ass!

House of Pain kicks ass!
House of Pain gaols bad brass!
It may cuddle progressive movements,
but may also defend reactionary forces.
House of Pain stood strong and sturdy.
Hurricanes come no match with its strength.
With its fairly-baked pillars and bricks,
termites may lose their teeth and roaches lose their breath.

Red Army Ants defend the House,
with the colony backing them up.
The ants run the household.
The House feel safe and secured.
The ants raise the flag of unity and freedom.
The House firmly stood its ground.
Both are ready from the attack of those intruders who come with nothing but a pinch of salt.
House of Pain is now at peace.
Peace. Peace. and Peace.
This is the chant the House used to cantillate, everytime the Sun rises and the rain showers its roofdeck.

Peace! Let there be peace!
Let us all listen to the House!

the day i started blogging...


i have always dreamed of being a writer, a poet, a journalist, an artist, a musician, a lawyer, a soldier, and a magician. i have always believed that when you dream of something, someday somehow, that dream would finally come true. dreams doesn't have to remain as dreams. dreams have to come out of the mind and start taking small strides to reality.
today, the dream of being a writer has to take a first step. it maybe of late but, at least, the feet have already started moving.
i found it exhilarating to finally found my fingers doin' what i wanted to do most. writing does not only make my mind a bit sharp, more importantly, it makes me feel so so good. i, now, understand why there are people who continue to post their stories on the web, even if nobody seem to throw interest on them. some are up for money, some for popularity, but most go to express their feelings, their ideas, their dreams, their inner selves.

to anyone who maybe following this blog, never do i promise anything exciting because this contains mostly of what i feel, what i say, what i hear and what i understand of the world around me. please feel free to comment..