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
Monday, March 24, 2003
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God help us all
While US-Iraq war is at Day 6, we have just gone through our 6th day of interesting discussions on using statistics for gender-responsive policy analysis and advocacy. I feel a certain weird feeling staring at the monitors in the UN building watching a blow-by-blow account of the war. What a coincidence. I am watching the events inside the UN building. Reflecting on the events leading to this war, there are two main points I wish to put forward: (1) the war characterizes the kind of democratic process the US has at the moment, and related to this, (2) the outcome of this war is not so much whether or not US and its allies win, but whether or not Weapons of Mass Destructions (WMDs) will be found.
Democracy is all about influencing policies from outside. If non-state actors are having a hard time doing that, then we need to reflect on the level of substantive and procedural democracy we have. The past and current demonstrations against the war implies a certain inadequacy of the process which was undertaken by the Bush Administration in establishing the rationale for going to war. One doubts whether there was genuine public consultation. One doubts whether the inadequacy of consultation was deliberate.
But the main issue arising from this issue if inadequate debate or consultation is more exciting. What if US and its allies do not find any WMDs - the rationale for going to war? What does it imply to the kind of decision-making process in US?
More than the fear of Saddam's use of WMDs (if, indeed, there are), if US and its allies don't find any WMD, God help us all.
posted by Allan at 6:26 PM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Monday, March 10, 2003
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Workshop on Using Statistics for Gender-Responsive Policy Analysis and Advocacy (17-26 March 2003, UN Conference Centre, Bangkok, Thailand)
I'll be leaving on the 26th (Sunday) for a meeting among economists/policy analysts, gender experts and statisticians. Each country will be represented by a team composed of one economist/policy analyst, one gender expert and one statistician. Each team is supposed to prepare and submit a country paper on the 15th of March (even before reaching UN Bangkok). We are currently preparing our paper, which will focus on the contractualization of labor and its implications on women workers in the Philippines. No earth-shaking paper is necessary because the main focus of the meeting is to improve the capacities of countries to utilize statistics for gender-responsive policy analysis and advocacy. And the paper is just that --- a sample policy analysis using gender statistics. I will post updates on the Bangkok meeting as soon as I get there.
posted by Allan at 9:36 PM (GMT+8)
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SOUNDING BOARD
Monday, March 03, 2003
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Deployment of US troops in Sulu for military execises: defend-then-attack semantics?
Amidst growing objections to the deployment of US troops in Sulu, Malacanang is hellbent on how to mask the deployment into semantics so as not to contradict the prohibition stated in the Philippine Constitution.
The problem is, even if the government restricts the US troops' action to military exercises, the troops may defend themselves when fired upon. It would be suicide not to grant them authority to do that. Given the perfect timing that this military exercises will take place, there is a good chance that US troops may 'defend' themselves. Some sectors are concerned that the defensive tactic may be used to justify involvement of US troops in combat. The defend-then-attack is a viable method for 'defenders' who have better weapons and superior tactical system (Alexander, B., How Wars Are Won: The 13 Rules of War from Ancient Greece to the War on Terror 2002.).
This deployment issue is further heated by President Arroyo's 90-day deadline to crush the Abu Sayyaf. This is nothing new. Arroyo's Medium Term Philippine Development Plan targets the annihilation of Abu Sayyaf by 2003. Strategic Forecasting, a US think-tank said that this deadline is ill-advised (only this one?) because it may invite insurgents (of course they did not categorically used that word) to launch new attacks on weak areas, i.e., areas deprived of military presence due to the intensified attack on Abu Sayyaf. Sure. And this, ladies and gentlemen provides more justification for US intervention. So what's new? Didn't another US think-tank recommend warming up the Philippine soil for US troops in case these troops are needed for an immediate US intervention in Taiwan? Coincidence?
And what if the hype on the Abu Sayyaf deadline is Arroyo's tactic to divert the real intention - to strike hard on MILF? Holding one place, striking another? Nah. She's not that smart, is she?
posted by Allan at 11:01 AM (GMT+8)
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Intensity 4 earthquake hits Metro Manila and Central Luzon
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the the earthquake struck at 1:57 a.m.. The epicenter was at 11 kms northeast of Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.
This was an hour after I finally fell asleep. I was still feeling the effects of whiskey up in my head whenever I lie down. So I played Warcraft III until 1:00 am. Jana Proudmore died in the hands of Grom Hellscream's orcs and I wasn't able to help her! Mission failed. Blame it on the headache. I was in dreamland when the quake happened. Good.
The first major earthquake I experienced was the 16 July 1990 earthquake. I just came from my class that time. I was carrying my 1 year old cousin in my arms when I felt the ground shaking. All I was able to say was, ''Wag ka umiyak baby, wag ka matakot. Aaalis tayo dito. ('Don't cry baby, don't be scared. We're getting out of here'.) Then the quake subsided, only to give way to strong aftershocks. I learned that the quake was intensity 7.8 on the scale. It was scary, and I sure don't want to repeat that exprerience. The little boy I was carrying was lucky because he wasn't fully aware of what's happening. I was lucky this early morning I didn't feel anything. Thanks to the headache. Thanks to the whiskey.
posted by Allan at 7:40 AM (GMT+8)
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