Considering the various proposals to put up gigantic letters all over Taal Volcano it comes across as a bit scary that even a simple warning sign fails the simplest standards of quality...
The oh-so-noble journalists are at it again, this time, with Duterte’s Hitler comment. I am no Duterte fanatic. I criticize him more scathingly than anyone when his mouth is out of line. But this time, Duterte really didn’t say anything wrong. The real culprits behind the fuss over his Hitler comment are Karen Lema and Manuel Mogato, two Filipino reporters of the Reuters news agency, who wrote this article: “ Philippines’ Duterte likens himself to Hitler, wants to kill millions of drug addicts ”. Lema and Mogato are Filipinos. There’s no way they could have misunderstood what Duterte really meant in his speech. I watched the video and this is what the President said: “Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. There are 3 million drug addicts. I’d be happy to slaughter them. At least, if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have ….. my victims, all criminals, to finish a problem of my country, and save the next generation.” (See for yourself here . The Hitler part is at 14:40....
Not since Marcos have we as a people been so polarized. As far as our hearts and minds are concerned it's like we're in the edge of a civil war. We are forced to take a hard look at ourselves and what we value. Because of this, we are fighting friends in coffee houses, on the telephone, and on Facebook. We are a people whose lives have been upended. We don't know what to do to get things done right and right away. We lash out. We insult our leaders trying to get them to do a lot more than to pose for photo ops – of giving out relief goods on a one-by-one basis. We cry desperately for demonstrable government response – we get almost next to nothing. It is increasingly apparent that local media goes hand in hand with self-servicing MalacaƱang press releases which are more concerned with their showbiz image than confronting, accepting and dealing with the problem. What our leaders tell us is contradicted by the reports from international commentators who are understandably...
Dear Nathania Chua: My professor in "Global Poverty, Local Solutions" did field work in poverty stricken areas in the Philippines. During our first day, when I introduced myself as a Filipino, he told me this immediately: "One of the major problems in your country is that the elite in your country is so full of themselves." The Ateneo de Manila University is one of the schools where the elite are educated. I noticed that you are an Assistant Instructor there. I fear for the future of our country with you as the teacher of our future elite. What a horrifying future for our motherland! So when I worry about how hard it is for the laylayan in our lipunan to advance in our society, I'll always think of you and imagine how you have connived in perpetuating a system that constantly rewards matapobres. A University that doesn't see any problem with a DOJ Secretary fncking her subordinate, her married subordinate, is a university doomed to produce the sam...
Participants in new social media including online forums reveal a lot about themselves with the way they behave online. Some fool themselves into thinking that disrespectful behavior towards others is acceptable because they think that everything they do online is just an act or part of the game anyway. Unfortunately, what they think is just an "act" is actually the real them.
There are people who behave online as if they have been repressed all their lives; with the Internet giving them freedom for the first time. But instead of using their newfound "freedom" to communicate effectively, they use it to wreak havoc in small communities they are members of with their bad behavior.
Online anonymity can exacerbate brutish behavior the way drinking alcohol can. It can serve as a catalyst for those who are already predisposed to behaving like a buffoon. Typing away words from the safety of your armchair can give you a false sense of security and make you feel untouc...
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