SOUNDING BOARD is an outlet for opinions on good and crazy things going on at home (wherever I may be). All are welcome. You are not expected to bring anything except your common sense & sense of humor.
'If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get one million miles to the gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside.'
-Robert X. Cringely (from geek wisdom)
SOUNDING BOARD
Friday, January 17, 2003
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A critical affirmation of affirmative action
President George W. Bush called the University of Michigan's admissions policies as fundamentally flawed and resolved to challenge it before the Supreme Court. President Bush was particularly referring to the university's policies that award students a significant number of extra points based solely on their race and establish numerical targets for incoming minority students. Read the full text of his speech.
As this is one of the most contentious debates in international politics, it is necessary to define affirmative action and its implications.
Cahn (The Affirmative Action Debate. 1995. New York: Routledge, Inc., p. xi) defines affirmative action as “taking appropriate steps to eradicate the then widespread practices of racial, religious, and ethnic discrimination”. Newman (Affirmative Action and the Courts. In: F.A. Blanchard and F.J. Crosby, eds. Affirmative Action in Perspective. 1989. New York: Springer-Verlag., p. 32) makes specific reference to affirmative action as “… any race- or sex-conscious employment practices devised with the intention of redressing past racial or gender imbalances and injustices”. Taylor (Reverse Discrimination and Compensatory Justice. In: S.M. Cahn, ed. The Affirmative Action Debate. 1995. New York: Routledge, Inc., p. 9-14) characterizes these measures as reverse discrimination and compensatory justice “carried out by organized agencies of the central government representing the whole people”. The underlying assumption here is that societal injustice can only be corrected by societal compensation.
These definitions share important attributes, namely: (1) society has committed discrimination in the past against a particular group of population; (2) government has adopted an objective of eradicating discrimination; and (3) society needs to take appropriate steps to end discriminatory practices and correct the imbalances that resulted from past discrimination.
These “correction” processes done in the past decades necessitated governments to implement programs that favor a particular population group. This is done by implementing focused programs with targets or quota on skills training, school admissions, employment, military service and public service (Newman, J., 1989. Affirmative Action and the Courts. In: F.A. Blanchard and F.J. Crosby, eds. Affirmative Action in Perspective. 1989. New York: Springer-Verlag, p. 35-42). These are the outputs of affirmative action. Thus, for those directly favored by affirmative action programs, we would expect to see an overall increase over time in skills training, school admissions, and employment levels, among others. The experiences of the United States in past decades seem to be consistent with this expectation (Stephanopolous and Edley 1995).
In addition to the rationale presented above, what we should not neglect is the transitory nature of affirmative action programs. It is always necessary to have goals and timetables to correct imbalances, and reviewed periodically. However, one thing should be clear --- whether in the name of affirmative action or not, decisions to give benefits to unqualified over qualified individuals is unconstitutional.
posted by ChaoticGood at 2:45 PM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
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Understanding terrorism in the Philippines in the context of "soft power"
In "The Paradox of American Power: Why the World's Only Superpower Can't Go It Alone",Joseph S. Nye, Jr. presents a framework that emphasizes "soft power" rather than hard power. Hard power in US context is military and economic power, while soft power is the ability to co-opt rather than coerce. It rests on the ability to shape the political agenda by influencing the preferences of others. It influences the mindset of people, gain more support and hence legitimizes government actions. He places great importance on trust in government, and argues that soft power can be eroded if people lose confidence in institutions.
To illustrate this further, he explained how power is distributed through a pattern that resembles a complex three-dimensional chess game. On the top board, military power is unipolar. US is the only remaining superpower. On the middle board, economic power is multipolar, with US competing in the world market with Europe, Japan, China and the rest of the economic players. The bottom board is the most complicated. It is where power is dispersed. Non-state actors participate on the bottom board and actions generate cross-border effects. Nye argues that developing foreign policy, which do not consider all three boards, e.g., unilateralism, is inadequate and bound to fail.
Applying Nye’s analytical framework in a national context, there are three levels by which the Arroyo government’s intervention in the area of counter-terrorism must take note of: (1) military strategy; (2) poverty alleviation; and (3) targeted communications and advocacy. On the top board, government’s military power is largely unipolar. Government usually makes decisions on its own in terms of military campaigns. The middle board is the economic board, and in here, government must cooperate with partners within the government (central Bank with Finance, for example), in the private sector, as well as multinational corporations. The bottom chessboard is where government is only one among the many competitors. This is the area where non-state actors (NGOs, student organizations, media, etc.) dominate and where interest groups battle for the control of development agenda. This is also where much of advocacy of terrorists are done. Because government does not wield too much power in this area, terrorists can gain public support and recruit possible members to their cause. Those who recommend only military campaign and poverty alleviation are clearly missing the bottom board. This is where non-state actors are strong, and hence, government needs to collaborate with other non-state actors to undermine the appeal of terrorists.
Trust in government is important in strengthening soft power. At the bottom board, it becomes more and more important for government institutions to be trusted by the people for doing something good for the community – bringing hope back to their lives. One way to do this is to involve the marginalized groups in economic and political reforms to give them voice. Exposing them to various channels of information and education can strengthen their participation in the community. Government must intervene to bridge the alienation and polarization of marginalized sectors. Hernando De Soto explains in an interview that the Shining path terrorists in Peru was defeated by their Institute of Liberty and Democracy not on the battlefield, but ideologically. They opened up their legal system to people’s participation and their entrepreneurship.
Peru’s experience of trust-building and encouraging participation also shows the potential to bring poverty alleviation and military campaign a step closer to being more effective in addressing terrorism. Building trust in and interaction with government further legitimizes military campaigns and makes poverty alleviation efforts more effective in reducing terrorist recruitment. In turn, effective military campaigns make poverty alleviation, and targeted communications and advocacy possible in conflict-ridden areas. In addition, poverty alleviation, in itself, makes targeted communications and advocacy more credible. Thus, these three approaches are mutually reinforcing. As in the three-dimensional chess board, the effectiveness of one approach depends on the ability to play “all three boards”.
The Philippine government's counter-terrorism effort could not be divorced from the reforms in the armed forces. Strengthening the trust of the people in the military is crucial in reducing recruitment appeal by the Abu Sayyaf. Military abuse is one of the reasons fueling the Moro insurgency (Gloria, G. and Vitug, M., 2000. Under the Crescent Moon). Improvement of the image of the armed forces also plays a crucial role in trust building, and therefore, must be done side-by-side with counter-terrorism efforts. Otherwise, people’s distrust of the armed forces may very well facilitate terrorists’ efforts in "countering counter-terrorism".
posted by ChaoticGood at 12:54 PM (GMT+8)
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Current counter-terrorism "policy" of the Philippines
The United States Code, Title 22, Section 265f (d) defines terrorism as “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetuated against noncombatant targets by substantial groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience”. The US Department of State lists the Abu Sayyaf Group and Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army (CPP/NPA) as foreign terrorist organizations.
Malacañang, however, does not base its counter-terrorism operations on the US list. This is evident on how Malacañang treats Abu Sayyaf differently with the government’s two primary insurgent groups – the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army (CPP/NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The Abu Sayyaf is the only target of Malacañang’s counter-terrorism strategies. While CPP-NPA is also in White House’s list of foreign terrorist organizations, Malacañang seems to be treating the group as a local communist movement, and hence, does not totally close its doors on CPP-NPA with respect to a possible peace agreement. The peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA were discontinued in June 2002 due to the group’s assassination of two members of the House of Representatives. Despite this, Malacañang is still conducting back-channel negotiations with the rebels. Even with the recent move of Malacañang to request the European Union to brand the NPA as a terrorist organization, still, the objective is to bring the insurgents back to the negotiating table.
Just like the CPP/NPA, Malacañang intends to achieve peace with the MILF through dialogue, negotiations, redressing grievances and provision of resources to poor Muslim communities. The government’s policy also stresses that sovereignty and territorial integrity will never be compromised (MTPDP 2001). This means that a separate “Islamic state” is out of the question. MILF demands a separate territory where Koran will be followed and not a “man-made constitution” (Gloria, G. and Vitug, M., 2000. Under the Crescent Moon). Despite this, Malacañang’s current policy for MILF is summed up in Ms. Arroyo’s instruction to “keep the communication lines open”. This treatment is not accorded to Abu Sayyaf. In fact, even though Malacañang does not have an anti-terrorism policy, it has a clear policy with respect to the Abu Sayyaf Group: it targets to “annihilate Abu Sayyaf by 2003” (NEDA 2001).
posted by ChaoticGood at 10:58 AM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Saturday, January 11, 2003
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Terrorism in the Philippines: understanding the roots
The previous post highlights the need to look beyond poverty alleviation as THE solution to terrorism in the Philippines. This crucial perspective becomes more important when juxtaposed with the history of Abu Sayyaf.
The Abu Sayyaf Group operates in an environment marked with an Islamic insurgency that traces its roots from the guerrilla war for independence in 1970 – when the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was formed. The MNLF was founded around 1970, conducted a guerrilla war for independence. It once enjoyed support from Libya, Saudi Arabia, and nearby Malaysia. The MNLF originally demanded an independent Muslim state in the south, but over time, its goal shifted to autonomy within the Philippines. The MNLF reached a peace agreement with the Philippine government in 1996, which led to the establishment of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. A faction in MNLF rejected the peace agreement and was not satisfied with the creation of ARMM. They continuously push for the creation of a Mindanao Islamic Republic. This has lead to the creation of this splinter group – the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – which is more religiously oriented than MNLF and emphasizes the promotion of Islamic ideals (Chalk 2001; Gloria, G. and Vitug, M., 2000. Under the Crescent Moon).
The Abu Sayyaf was born in 1989 and is loosely organized along a cell structure. This group is a combination of dissidents from MNLF and those who had fought with the Afghan rebels against the Soviet Union (Niksch 2002). The Abu Sayyaf’s overall aim is to establish an independent and exclusive Islamic Theocratic State in Mindanao (S. S. Misra 2002). This group is totally different from MILF. The MILF merely wants independence while Abu Sayyaf espouses religious intolerance and killing of civilians (including women, children and elderly) especially non-Muslims. The majority of the group’s members are Muslim youths between 16 to 30 years old. Abu Sayyaf has also engaged in massive kidnapping-for-ransom activities, extortion and marijuana cultivation. Recently, these activities of the Abu Sayyaf have given a bad name to the Philippines across the globe.
The understanding of the distinctions discussed above is very crucial in defining the strategies of the government in dealing with Abu Sayyaf, MNLF and MILF. Whether or not the present government recognizes the extent of the differences mentioned is another matter.
SOUNDING BOARD
Thursday, January 09, 2003
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The key to tackling JI and terrorism as a whole
In a recent article entitled "Tackling Terror", TIME Asia stressed that collaboration among Asia's governments is crucial in winning the war against terror, with special slant on Jemaah Islamiah. It lies in common counterterrorism intelligence databases, exchange of personnel, transfer of expertise, joint operations, and sharing of experience. The article also draw attention to the need to tackle the roots of terrorism. Governments need to ensure that Muslim communities in their countries are not marginalized.
This focus on addressing marginalization (distinct from poverty per se) is the lacking ingredient the counter-terrorism strategy of the Philippines. Confronted by the series of terroristic activities of the Abu Sayyaf, Ms. Arroyo's words reveal how shallow she understands the situation.
“The fight against terrorism is intertwined with the fight against poverty. Terrorism is caused by evil. Evil can spread its ideology when people are poor” (San Francisco Chronicle, 25 November 2001).
However, there is a need to recognize interplay of other factors other than poverty. While it is undeniably important, addressing poverty is only a piece of the puzzle. In fact the arrest of 21 Singaporeans in August 2002 for terrorism-related activities allegedly under the Jemaah Islamiah further puts the poverty-terrorism link into question. The 21 detainees all earned decent wages and owned their houses. Specifically, 14 of them earned between S$ 1,500 and S$ 3,000 (1 Singapore $ roughly equals 30 pesos), with one of them earning more than S$ 5,000 per month (Straits Times, 27 September 2002). Employing poverty alleviation as a counterterrorism strategy in this case will not certainly make a dent. Peru's case also weakens the poverty-terrorism link. Peru was able to downplay the appeal of the Shining Path terrorist group. This was done not through military pressure or poverty alleviation but through interacting with the people and opening the legal system for people’s participation and entrepreneurship.
Addressing poverty is important, but, like military action, it is not enough. The experiences of Peru and Singapore serve as lessons for the Arroyo government to look at poverty alleviation only as one part of the important components of a counter-terrorism strategy. And if Ms. Arroyo would like to attain her ambitious short term target to eliminate Abu Sayyaf by 2003 and arrive at a long term solution to terrorism in the Philippines, she needs to look at the problem in a holistic manner.
posted by ChaoticGood at 7:57 PM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Wednesday, January 08, 2003
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China's aid to Burma: prospects for political and economic reforms
President Jiang Zemin of China says China will offer Burma US$200 million in preferential loans for economic development. He made the statement during a visit of the Burmese leader General Than Shwe to Beijing. Is this good or bad? Let's see.
China is Burma's closest ally since the military coup in 1988. This alliance has made China the biggest supplier of Burma's military hardware. China is also Burma's third largest trading partner, after Singapore and Thailand. This, however, does not take into account informal trade across their common border.
Burma relies heavily on China for its hardwre and trade because of its limited trade with other countries (especially western countries) owing to its poor human rights record, including the mass rape of women by military officials.
Is it merely coincidence that China also has poor human rights record? Nevertheless, as we see China rising on the economic horizon, it becomes more important to see this as a way to fast-track political and economic reform in Burma. A strong and globalized Chinese economy means less dependence on arms trade. No matter how bleak, there seems to be a diplomatic way out of this. It may be faster if only Burma has oil.
posted by ChaoticGood at 5:04 PM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Saturday, January 04, 2003
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Break from politics: some odd news
These young car thieves need more training - an even more basic one. The carnap could have worked well, except they forgot one thing: they don't know how to drive a stick shift. I guess they don't make them like they used to? I'm referring to the thieves, of course.
A commercial laundry staff washing hospital linens found a human foot on Friday. I could just imagine how surprised the staff was. Any claims from your patients, doc?
posted by ChaoticGood at 2:44 PM (GMT+8)
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“Government of national unity”: the implication of an inside-track reform
Right after her shocking declaration that she is not running for election in 2004, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has approved the formation of a "unity government" that includes all opposition parties as well as communist and Muslim separatist rebel groups, House Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr. said Thursday. The following day, Malacanang was quick to clarify that while President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is open to the idea of a unity government, she does not agree with the details expounded by Speaker de Venecia. The President said the government of national unity should be "program-oriented rather than people-centered".
The idea seems to be well-received generally by most sectors. However, whether it is the De Venecia (personality-based) or Arroyo formula (program-based, which Malacanang has not explained very well yet), Malacanang has not yet managed to go beyond the conceptual notion of a unity government. In principle, SOUNDING BOARD finds the idea laudable in terms of finding ways to widen access and participation of critical sectors. The big hurdle is how to do it, or whether the Arroyo government can ever work at all with that setup. And it is in this context that this issue of SOUNDING BOARD takes an opposing view.
The current discussions are only focusing on the tip of the iceberg. There is a deeper and more fundamental flaw in the thinking of government with respect to participation of different sectors. If we go deeper, we will quickly notice an implicit message behind the “unity government”: if you want reforms, join us. If you find nothing wrong with the previous statement, you are either Jose De Venecia, Jr., Gloria Arroyo or anyone from Malacanang.
Influencing policies from outside is the essence of democracy. This power is inherent in the people themselves. In the case of Philippine democracy, being able to influence policies was what the Filipino people fought for when they topple the Marcos dictatorship. It is what the people are continuously fighting for – the right, power and ability to have a say on the things that influence their lives. If the current government believes that a strong republic is best done by bringing all critical forces in the cabinet, the President should reconsider De Venecia’s proposal. It is wrong. Doing that highlights a major weakness of the government to let critical stakeholders effectively influence policies as members of civil society. Doing that implies that the current government’s idea of democratic governance is one where reforms emanate and focus within government. The country needs a more efficient and effective way of governance – one that does not necessarily require a “unity government” but one that is founded on people empowerment and trust.
Like “Plan 747”, the “unity government” is another strategy that carries the stamp of De Venecia – no wonder they both carry the same trait: hollow. If the system itself is the problem, the solution is definitely not to join it – reform it.
posted by ChaoticGood at 1:51 PM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Monday, December 30, 2002
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President Arroyo will not run for president in 2004: feigned retreat?
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines in a very unusual announcement, said on Monday she would not run in 2004 elections, citing the negative effects of political infighting in the country.
Arroyo was elected vice-president under president Joseph Estrada and took over the presidency in January 2001 when Mr. Estrada was ousted in a popular revolt backed by army generals and the influential Roman Catholic church, dubbed as EDSA II (a popular revolt also happened in 1986 when the dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted).
Ms. Arroyo foresees that the 2004 elections may be the most bitterly contested elections so far in Philippine history because of the deep political and social divisions Filipinos now have. Tell me something new.
Is this is a feigned retreat? One of the most unusual tactics in war is a feigned retreat. It seeks to draw enemies out of their defensive positions so that they can be defeated - appearing to withdraw, buying some time until the opponent lets down their defenses, or exposes a vulnerable position or, until some time that the retreating party has gained mass support.
The last implication - gaining mass support (through donations and projects for the masses without being interpreted as campaign tactic) - may well be effective for Ms. Arroyo for some time. But she will not completely fool her opponents and the not-so-gullible minority among the Filipinos.
The feigned retreat tactic in politics is quite unusual --- especially for a traditional politician like Ms. Arroyo.
posted by ChaoticGood at 9:00 AM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Sunday, December 29, 2002
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Filipinos are easy to spot on the beach
John MacLean's BBCnews.com feature on the extra holiday break imposed by the Philippine government to its working population says that the extra holiday is expected to boost domestic tourism. Boring. But his side comment on Filipino behavior is more interesting:
"Filipinos do sometimes go to the beach. They are easy to spot. They are the ones swimming with all their clothes on."
Quite sweeping and I'm not sure if Mr. McLean is trying to be ridiculous. But as I ponder upon it, his comment may have more than a glimmer of truth in it.
posted by ChaoticGood at 8:15 AM (GMT+8)
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Erap prepares team for 2004
Former President Joseph Estrada told the Inquirer in a phone interview Saturday that his Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) had been "reorganized," with his former campaign manager, Horacio "Boy" Morales, named as party president.
Erap's party would be renamed "pwersa" (force). Indeed, this party is a force to reckon with. With the action king Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) being eyed for president, and an election that is traditionally nothing more than a popularity contest, non-allied politicians have a valid reason to be concerned about.
The gullible majority who votes on popularity basis may again decide the outcome of the 2004 election. Erap's "pwersa" is banking on the CDE socioeconomic classes to once again delliver votes for them. If nothing much has changed on the level of maturity of these groups, then we may see Erap's "victory" once again through the votes of the gullible majority.
This has been the fate of Philippine politics in particular and the whole nation in general - our lives are constantly being decided by the gullible majority. How unfortunate, to say the least. No wonder the CDE socioeconomic classes are so popular to politicians at this time. We see gifts, donations and even policies for them. But what we do not see much is voters' education programs to facilitate better political involvement of everyone especially the CDE crowd. Asa pa 'ko.
posted by ChaoticGood at 7:46 AM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Saturday, December 28, 2002
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Iran stops stoning women adulterers - a first step in the right direction
A senior judiciary official in Iran has been quoted as saying Iran has abolished stoning as a form of capital punishment for women.
This is indeed a very welcome move. There are still a lot more room for reform if Iran really want to be a part of the modern world. But putting an end to stoning is a first step in the right direction.
NewScientist.com News Service reports that the Bahamas-based cloning company Clonaid claims that they were able to "give birth" to the world's first cloned baby on 26 December 2002. However, there has been no independent confirmation of the claim as of press time.
Just as I thought. All the talks on cloning ban may end up futile, especially that talks on cloning ban has been suspended for at least a year. So why not study the matter more rather than try to repress it? After all, technology - in all its forms - is a double edged sword, depending on who uses it and from which point of view you are looking at.
posted by ChaoticGood at 7:22 AM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Friday, December 27, 2002
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US probe corroborates rape reports in Burma. Now what?
Washington Post reports that a US State Department probe has corroborated reports earlier this year that Myanmar military officials have systematically raped ethnic minority women and girls, according to a declassified copy of the investigation report.
Nothing new. The world knows this already. What we are interested to know is this: now what? With US seem to be fighting 2 wars on the international front (Iraq and the North Korea - only if US can show the same resoluteness in its "war" with Iraq), it is undertable that less attention is being focused on this one. So while the world shakes in anticipation of an impending war with Iraq, and while the a diplomatic solution to the North Korean problem, the atrocities against women in Myanmar continues.
posted by ChaoticGood at 1:55 PM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Tuesday, December 24, 2002
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Rawhide Kid to come out of the closet
In February next year, Marvel Comics will be breaking barriers of traditional macho comics characters introducing the first homosexual cowboy - Rawhide Kid. Whether the public will pick this up for reading or not is of secondary importance. Integrating an alternative character into the comics industry is, in itself, a major breakthrough.
Stylish outfit, and smart and funny one-liners are what readers will notice from Rawhide kid. Indeed, this is a welcome move. But the more enlightened ones among us should read the material and see to it that Rawhide Kid doesn't become a showcase of stereotyped male homosexual behavior.
posted by ChaoticGood at 3:24 PM (GMT+8)
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First and last post on the Jimenez-Perez (non)issue and SOUNDING BOARD's holiday message
This post is about two things. First, I've been trying to restrain myself commenting on the Mark Jimenez-Nani Perez (non)issue. However, in the spirit of what people call Christmas, I think it's a good time to rant on this shit. Secondly, while everybody seems to be high on "being good for goodness' sake", today, a few hours before Christmas eve, I'll say a brief holiday message.
One of the few things I like in a less chaotic government setting (that doesn't include your usual romantic notion of democracy, excuse me) is the easier possibility of a media blockout. And *second* on my list is that stupid Jimenez-Perez issue that newspapers are gloating every single freakin' day. Amidst all the more important issues we face today, it's downright insulting that major newspapers chose to highlight the said issue. I'm just quite relieved that the stupidity of it all may be finally put to rest. Unless, of course, if Philippine media finds another news item to sensationalize. Enough of that.
One thing I wish for this Christmas (to speak in the season's language) is to speed things up a little bit and get this damn holiday season over so I can easily travel, shop and do just about anything with less hassle. My last name isn't Scrooge by the way. Anyway, for all of you who enjoy the holiday rush and find joy amidst all the bullshit the season brings, enjoy the holiday season, or what's left of it.
posted by ChaoticGood at 2:52 PM (GMT+8)
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