keep
Trump
as
president
is
to
admit
that
Russians
have
the
ability
to
influence
and
determine
American
politics;
THEN
that
would
be
the
end
of
the
sovereignty
of
USA,
don't
you
think?
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
GOODBYE, SUPERMAN... WHAT?
To
keep
Trump
as
president
is
to
admit
that
Russians
have
the
ability
to
influence
and
determine
American
politics;
THEN
that
would
be
the
end
of
the
sovereignty
of
USA,
don't
you
think?
keep
Trump
as
president
is
to
admit
that
Russians
have
the
ability
to
influence
and
determine
American
politics;
THEN
that
would
be
the
end
of
the
sovereignty
of
USA,
don't
you
think?
BEING A CITIZEN
The word Filipino comes from the name of King Philip II who ruled during the time of the invasion of Spain of Asia, the waters of our land, the time of competing with Portugal over which countries could be colonised.
Along the same line, American originated from the name of Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer, chief negotiator of Spain in the 16th century. I will not go into detail as to how American was derived from him as there are many sources in the internet about that.
Now, apropos the issues surrounding the election of a president under the influence of a foreign country, it occurred to me that Americans maybe having a conflicting view of what is being an American.
With so many commercial products being touted as American, like hamburger and chicken empires as well as cars and types of music, I must say that it could be very difficult instilling in anyone, politically, what would constitute as a truly ethical American political decision. Commercially, it would seem easy to label things as American, but when it comes to issues, what would we say are truly American responses or American standpoints?
It is difficult is it not? In the political arena, the most dominant are the two parties and an ordinary citizen would be either of the two. That much could be said of what is American. However with regard to the differences in terms of standpoints, I think we could run into problems. I met some Americans in 1991 who did not want to exercise their right to vote because they said, there was not much difference between the two. Then they asked me why I wa so interested in their politics at that time? My answer was the usual thing -- when America sneezes, we catch the cold, and some would even reply, influenza.
What do these things signify? I think there is too much belief in the word "objective," in the western world. People are more apt to say that you cannot have one standpoint, that one has to be objective, meaning to say look at the problem from both sides of the coin.
With the advent of hyper media, I think that looking in has become an understatement. People are drawn to conclusions by the overpowering glamour, the captivating glitter of media, so much so that it becomes too difficult to see who is lying and who is telling the truth, who is being honest and sincere and who is just trying to be attractive.
I think that the presidential aspirant has woven an aura of legitimacy around his persona because of his use of the media, so much so that not many people do not want to put him in a questionable light.
Just listen to the Voice of America news report over the radio. The VOA is a "United States government-funded multimedia news source and the official external broadcasting institution of the United States." (Wikipedia). I listen to it every 7 am here in the Philippines and it is concentrated on reporting about Trump, as if he has already been installed. Everything he says is reported. Meanwhile, as to what is happening to the opposition backed by the 2.7 million voters who we will soon know if vindicated or not, is not reported at all.
The VOA in other words is trying to project a face of stability, that the transition from Obama to Trump will be done soon and everything reported is in preparation for the take-over.
So Folks, do you see why it is so difficult to say what is being "American?"
We would like to think that to be an American is to have multi-diverse views of politics, not only socio-culturally and economically. We, from the Third World, must be able to draw our own conclusions from a varied array of facts and ideas. But the way media is isolating us from the real score abroad, the harder it is really to present a solid, ethical opinion of what politics should be.
I think cleansing of the airwaves and everything else has to be done if only to make everyone on this planet be a good citizen, a law-abiding citizen, a humane citizen, an ethical citizen, a citizen who will not sell his or her country to a foreign power. Being an American though, I know is being meticulous, perspicacious and careful when giving his/her stamp of approval to anything. I hope that is also done by the Electoral College members, faithful or faithless, who will choose the next president of the United States.. Deciding on the future of their country, it is imperative that they feel the pulse of the people.
Along the same line, American originated from the name of Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer, chief negotiator of Spain in the 16th century. I will not go into detail as to how American was derived from him as there are many sources in the internet about that.
Now, apropos the issues surrounding the election of a president under the influence of a foreign country, it occurred to me that Americans maybe having a conflicting view of what is being an American.
With so many commercial products being touted as American, like hamburger and chicken empires as well as cars and types of music, I must say that it could be very difficult instilling in anyone, politically, what would constitute as a truly ethical American political decision. Commercially, it would seem easy to label things as American, but when it comes to issues, what would we say are truly American responses or American standpoints?
It is difficult is it not? In the political arena, the most dominant are the two parties and an ordinary citizen would be either of the two. That much could be said of what is American. However with regard to the differences in terms of standpoints, I think we could run into problems. I met some Americans in 1991 who did not want to exercise their right to vote because they said, there was not much difference between the two. Then they asked me why I wa so interested in their politics at that time? My answer was the usual thing -- when America sneezes, we catch the cold, and some would even reply, influenza.
What do these things signify? I think there is too much belief in the word "objective," in the western world. People are more apt to say that you cannot have one standpoint, that one has to be objective, meaning to say look at the problem from both sides of the coin.
With the advent of hyper media, I think that looking in has become an understatement. People are drawn to conclusions by the overpowering glamour, the captivating glitter of media, so much so that it becomes too difficult to see who is lying and who is telling the truth, who is being honest and sincere and who is just trying to be attractive.
I think that the presidential aspirant has woven an aura of legitimacy around his persona because of his use of the media, so much so that not many people do not want to put him in a questionable light.
Just listen to the Voice of America news report over the radio. The VOA is a "United States government-funded multimedia news source and the official external broadcasting institution of the United States." (Wikipedia). I listen to it every 7 am here in the Philippines and it is concentrated on reporting about Trump, as if he has already been installed. Everything he says is reported. Meanwhile, as to what is happening to the opposition backed by the 2.7 million voters who we will soon know if vindicated or not, is not reported at all.
The VOA in other words is trying to project a face of stability, that the transition from Obama to Trump will be done soon and everything reported is in preparation for the take-over.
So Folks, do you see why it is so difficult to say what is being "American?"
We would like to think that to be an American is to have multi-diverse views of politics, not only socio-culturally and economically. We, from the Third World, must be able to draw our own conclusions from a varied array of facts and ideas. But the way media is isolating us from the real score abroad, the harder it is really to present a solid, ethical opinion of what politics should be.
I think cleansing of the airwaves and everything else has to be done if only to make everyone on this planet be a good citizen, a law-abiding citizen, a humane citizen, an ethical citizen, a citizen who will not sell his or her country to a foreign power. Being an American though, I know is being meticulous, perspicacious and careful when giving his/her stamp of approval to anything. I hope that is also done by the Electoral College members, faithful or faithless, who will choose the next president of the United States.. Deciding on the future of their country, it is imperative that they feel the pulse of the people.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
WHAT IS TREASON?
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's nation or sovereign.
TREASONOUS VICTORY
THE VOTER: DISENFRANCHISED. FREEDOM TO VOTE MURDERED.
Now it can be told: the victory of the presidential aspirant needs to be questioned.
How extensive was Russian interference in the US Elections?
Extent should not be considered to have been merely verbal but must include the technological aspects of influencing the ballots, the summary of the votes in the machines.
Treasonous - the situation is highly treasonous because the elections are supposed to be an exercise of the people of their power to choose their leader/s but then a foreign power has inserted itself in the process.
In other words, the people's right, the people's power to vote has been denigrated, brought down to great indignities. The interference is like a bomb in the ballot box that blasts down all the people's efforts to have a clear and actual view of their destiny, of charting their life under a leader/s that they prefer to guide them through.
The implications of foreign interference is the height of dirty world politics that should be investigated, brought out in to the open for all the countries in the world to know and denounce as a killer of people's voluntary spirit to shape their own life.
Friday, December 9, 2016
NO FEAR WHEN TALKING OF CHANGE
Terms like "President-elect," or "losing the election" in reference to Hillary, as well as talks about 2020 US Presidential elections leave me really cold and palpitating. I don't understand it at all. I get my US news most of the time and I am shocked at these terms that are being used. Worse, because those terms are being used, the brazenness of validating an artificial result of the elections becomes rather comical. What? That is happening in the US of A?
President-elect is not a correct term; rather it should be President elected by electors as there has not been a neat assessment of the genuiness of the ballots for him.
"Losing the election" is neither a correct term because the label lost and won, are questionable, until the Electoral College has met this December.
And more than that, Hillary lost the electoral votes but not the popular votes. So which is more important, significant, valid in terms of knowing the people's will, and an accurate way of creating political democratic history?
No, I do not believe that vote-thieving candidates should be allowed to go scot free. The US has all the necessary tools, technologies and most highly literate and scholarly people to determine the veracity received by the candidates. It is high time that it transcends sentimentalism over the fact that their ancestors created the electoral college which has (5 times) been found to be flawed; rise up and create election history that will correct errors of real counting of the people's votes.
With regard to the news, I am totally shocked also by the way the above terms are used that are distortions of history.
I have always believed that history is a very important subject that should be in the hearts and minds of the people. The loss of Al Gore to Bush is one big lesson. Hillary's should be corrected soon.
Now in the Philippines, Marcos was so entrenched that even Reagan supported him. Hence, when we launched the feminist movement we knew that we were up against not only local but also foreign patriarchs who dictated how women should think, speak and act. Yet, we supported Cory, the widow because she was the most sincere candidate at that time who could challenge Marcos. And no matter how dirty Marcos conducted his campaigns, calling women as only meant for the bedroom, we strongly went out of our way to defend, support and give her enough defenses to counter all macho words against her.
What else did we do? We worked for the boycott of all the products of the Marcos cronies. That really brought the toll on him.
People also joined marches carrying their self-made posters tacking them on residential fences. They also wrote graffitti in the streets to show their support of her. At the height of the rough response of Marcos, June Keithley was running a radio program which nobody knew from where it was being aired..
In other words, the moves of the Filipino people were spontaneous and creative, suited to our resources.
I was with an American news media covering the elections of 86, but after Marcos declared that he had won, all my foreign news colleagues left. That was their normal reaction -- they had probably thought it was just another election.
That is the big problem -- they did not have the feel of the pulse of the people.
After my stint, I went straight in front of Channel 4, now Channel 2 and joined the rallyists. I spoke at the rally saying that that broadcast station was stolen by Marcos from the Lopezes and handed it over to the Benedictos.
On February 25, 1986, I was with my urban poor women's organization friends peopling EDSA.
Were we afraid? No because we had the numbers. Marcos was already isolated from the people.
I guess fear has no room when you know that the future as a continuation of the present will not bring change at all. Besides, Marcos ceased to be a feared official. We had seen his weaknesses -- for women, for wealth, and great inability to curb the excesses of Imelda. His powers slowly got eroded in our consciousness and so we had just seen him as a pure macho
I am talking too bravely. Folks, you might say. But I do so because I am sick and tired of authoritarian regimes. My son died in Singapore in 2014 and the government there has his classified information and does not want to reveal it to the interpol agent that I had requested to retrieve it for me. Hindi raw siya kamag-anak. No way would I go to that authoritarian country after what had happened to my son. The interpol man said that his death could have something to do with my writings as my son had told me in December 2013 to quit writing. When I asked him who had told him that, he clammed up. Then he gave me this laptop, which he told me would be his last expensive gift for me. Maybe he was threatened if I did not stop writing.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE:
Claiming one's space in government is not so difficult if one has the backing of the people.
Hillary gathered 2.7 million votes over the aspiring president. That could easily turn into a big crowd that can sit at Central Park, or Wilshire Boulevard, or in front of the White House.
What are the activities worthwhile doing there: reciting poems, singing, conducting puppetshows, big puppets, choral renditions that inspire the faith, satirical stand-up comedies.
Reciting these success quotes would seal one's faith in a positive outcome:
.
1. Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. -Francis of Assisi
2. Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. -Booker T. Washington
3. The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work. -Harry Golden
4. Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing. -Abraham Lincoln
5. Success is 99 percent failure. -Soichiro Honda
6. Turn your wounds into wisdom. -Oprah Winfrey
7. Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. - William Feather
8. There's a bit of magic in everything, and some loss to even things out. -Lou Reed
9. There is no education like adversity. -Disraeli
10. I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. -Jimmy Dean
11. Believe you can and you're halfway there. -Theodore Roosevelt
12. Seize every opportunity along the way, for how sad it would be if the road you chose became the road not taken. -Robert Brault
13. I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.' -Muhammad Ali
14. If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. -Milton Berle
15. Your big opportunity may be right where you are now. -Napoleon Hill
16. Everyone here has the sense that right now is one of those moments when we are influencing the future. -Steve Jobs
17. The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
18. Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along. -Hugh Allen
19. Opportunities do not come with their values stamped upon them. -Maltbie Babcock
from: http://www.inc.com/larry-kim/19-short-inspirational-quotes-for-overcoming-adversity.html
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
NEEDED: GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING OF DEMOCRACY
politics & government A democracy is a country in which power is held by elected representatives.
This century is testing our own definition and practice of democracy in our countries.
Not many groups of people hold the same view of democracy. Others think, that because they have ascended into power then they can ride roughshod on other people's rights.
Others are more circumspect, always believing that the people's welfare is paramount, not any party, not any friend or gang mate, not any blood relation.
It is difficult to stand by democratic principles indeed, especially when you are working for one who does not believe in it.
Maybe the new UN head can start off his term by defining democracy and making all countries accountable to its proper definition and practice.
We must look at UN as the final arbiter of conflicts in the world. And that requires a strong leader who values the role of the organization and who believes that a strong UN is a strong democratic world.
Painting: Durchgehender Strich by Wassily Kandinsky
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