Year: 2015

The new Gwei Lo: China’s preposterous ‘nine-dotted line’ South China Sea claim

July 5, 2015July 5, 2015 Virtual Vigilante 15 Comments

Gwei (鬼) means “ghost”. A lo (佬) is a regular guy, a chap or a bloke. The term is a reference to skin color, as white skin is associated with ghosts. The term is sometimes translated into English as foreign devil. The term arose in the 16th century when European sailors appeared in southern China as they were associated with barbarians. Historically, Chinese people had the…

Government, Politics

Critical thinking can save the Philippines

July 4, 2015 Ilda 35 Comments

University of the Philippines (UP) Professor Gerry Lanuza recently caused an uproar on social media when he was accused of attacking UP summa cum laude biology graduate Tiffany Uy on his Facebook post as being merely a “puppy of her parents” after she was lauded for achieving the highest weighted grade average obtained in the…

Culture, Development, Education, Society

The Philippines is an idiocracy, not a democracy: Happy Independence Day!

July 3, 2015 benign0 31 Comments

What?? Good-versus-evil again?? Is this the only way Filipinos will ever regard their elections? It’s no wonder then that the Philippines never gets anywhere. There is no roadmap forward. It’s always just a “fight” of some sort where the “winner” is seen to be continuing a struggle against an imaginary “tyrant” still lurking in the…

Culture, Politics, Society

Pinoy Culture and a Nation Gone Mad

July 3, 2015 Grimwald 23 Comments

“Insanity is repeating the same action while expecting a different result.” ~Albert Einstein During my days as a student nurse, I was once forced to work at a mental hospital somewhere in Manila. For the sake of privacy, I’ll hide the identities of the personnel involved, including mine of course. Anyway, one of the clients…

Culture, Development, Education, Government, Media, Politics, Society

“Natural” Talents and Pinoy Pride

July 3, 2015July 3, 2015 ChinoF 20 Comments

I recently realized one thing about Filipino belief in Pinoy Pride. It is likely based on the idea of natural talents. Notice that Pinoy Pridists highlight Filipino “talents,” and imply that talent is always inborn. Also, notice what Yellow propagandist Edwin Lacierda said one time: that “The Filipino has an innate advantage when it comes…

Culture

The Binay Debacle: Another Pathetic Attempt at Public Sympathy

July 2, 2015 Grimwald 9 Comments

“If you have to look along the shaft of an arrow from the wrong end, if a man has you entirely at his mercy, then hope like hell that man is an evil man. Because the evil like power, power over people, and they want to see you in fear. They want you to know…

Culture, Media, Politics, Society

Everyone is fighting the Binay versus Aquino war except Binay and Aquino

July 2, 2015 benign0 3 Comments

Shhh… we shouldn’t criticise Vice President Jejomar Binay because he’s got the goods on us. Perhaps this is what’s in the minds of the Philippines’ leaders, even as Netizens and ordinary folk alike, many of whom are rabid fans of President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III, mount a “full-court press” to slam Binay on social…

Government, Politics

Philippine VP Jejomar Binay arguing with the police: What is wrong with this scene?

July 1, 2015July 1, 2015 benign0 15 Comments

There is something fundamentally wrong about an argument between a police officer and the Vice President of the Philippines. It’s bad form. But it is a familiar and normal sight to Filipinos now who have been encouraged since the early 1980s to see policemen as someone to distrust and defy. So quite funny, indeed, how…

Civics, Culture, Government, Society