Tag: james fallows

A better Philippines under President Miriam Defensor-Santiago

October 13, 2015 benign0 41 Comments

She may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Miriam Defensor-Santiago (MDS) is definitely not like all the rest of them. And, suddenly, just like that, there is a viable standout above the three uninspiring, undifferentiated, pwede-na-yan presidential candidates. With Santiago in the race, there will be a political debate. The sad none-of-the-above choices now…

Politics

Spanish Writer Draws Fire for Exposing “Filipino Mindset”

November 26, 2014November 26, 2014 ChinoF 37 Comments

In a classic moment of anger after being told “you have a pimple on your face,” Filipinos again cried foul against an article of a Spanish researcher living in the Philippines. Jorge Mojarro, whose article was published in Interaksyon (his being called “spaniard” in the article seems to reflect the antiquated thinking in our society)…

Culture

Filipinos need to end their love affair with mediocrity and ‘pwede na yan’ mentality

July 9, 2014August 4, 2014 Ilda 118 Comments

My views are not very popular with Filipinos. I guess it’s partly my fault because I like posting topics that some might consider taboo and boring. But it’s not like I discuss religion or make fun of other people’s religious beliefs. Granted, I like talking about Philippine politics and society in general but I really…

Civics, Culture, Development, Economy, Featured, Government, Lifestyle, Media, Politics, Society

Much of Philippine history was motivated by Filipinos’ kneejerk butthurt reactions

March 24, 2014March 24, 2014 benign0 24 Comments

I’ve come to realise that much of Philippine history was really all about a monumental effort to counter centuries of butthurt. The Philippine “revolution” of 1898 was an epic reaction to 400 years of butthurt in the hands of Spain. The arbitrary re-defining of the 4th of July, 1946 from “Philippine Independence Day” to “Philippine-American…

Culture, Development, Politics, Society

Does Get Real Philippines vilify Filipinos and their culture?

May 30, 2013July 30, 2018 benign0 20 Comments

This has remained the single most consistent question directed at the owners and contributors to GetRealPhilippines.com and its network of affiliated sites (which we shall, for the sake of efficiency, henceforth in this article simply refer to as “GRP”). This has always been a topic embraced by GRP and we will, for the umpteenth time…

Civics, Culture, Development, Society

Why the Philippines Failed? A Developmental Perspective

April 18, 2013April 18, 2013 Richard Javad Heydarian 38 Comments

In his seminal book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905), Max Weber, widely known as the father of modern sociology, provided (arguably among the first and most compelling) arguments on the relationship (or correlation) between â€˜cultureâ€™ and â€˜economic productivityâ€™. As an established economic analyst, Weber was interested in understanding why protestant nations…

Culture, Development, Society

Senator Miriam Santiago is just what the doctor ordered for the prosecution

February 28, 2012October 8, 2013 Ilda 280 Comments

I know what the Philippines needs. We need more people like Senator Miriam Santiago. We need more people like her who won’t think twice about saying the truth. Senator Santiago doesn’t care about what other people think of her because she has the balls to tell them outright when they are being stupid. And the…

Civics, Culture, Government, Society

President Noynoy Aquino’s Second State of the Nation Address (SONA)

June 24, 2011February 10, 2019 Ilda 67 Comments

President Noynoy Aquino (PNoy) will be giving his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) soon. Like his first SONA, his speech will most likely be full of motherhood statements similar to all the previous speeches he had delivered since he announced his plans to run for the Presidency in 2009. There is very little…

Culture, Development, Economy, Government, Politics, Society