Tag: lee kuan yew

The growing void in the Filipino psyche where substance could have thrived

October 7, 2015 Add 38 Comments

“The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections.” — The History of Freedom in Antiquity, 1877 THE TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY Alexis de Tocqueville coined the term: “tyranny of the majority”, and Lord Acton,…

Civics, Culture, Development, Education, Government, Politics, Society

Superficiality vs. Substance: From The Eyes Of Singaporeans

September 12, 2015 Grimwald 17 Comments

Let me tell you a conversation I once had with my Singaporean friends. After all, we all like to believe that the Philippines can one day become as prosperous as Singapore. Both Ilda and Benign0 have already said their pieces about Singapore, so this is mine, or rather, what my Singaporean friends have to say….

Culture, Development, Government, Media, Politics, Society

Why potentially beneficial foreign ideas and influence have not worked in the Philippines

August 17, 2015January 17, 2016 FallenAngel 49 Comments

While writing “The hollowness and hypocrisy with which Filipinos regard foreign entities” (henceforth known as Hollowness) almost two months ago, it seems I had completely overlooked one striking manner in which they show such: When the Philippines is compared with another country in any category (response to typhoons is such an example), Filipinos are quick…

Culture, Development, Government, Politics, Society

3 things holding the Philippines back from becoming another Singapore

August 14, 2015November 23, 2021 Ilda 299 Comments

As Singapore celebrated its 50th year of independence, one cannot help but reflect on what could have been for our own country, the Philippines. After all, Singapore and the Philippines started as equals back in the 1960s. Records even suggests that the Philippines was the most developed country in the region during that time due…

Development, Featured, Government, Politics, Society

Singapore at 50: the country the Philippines could only hope to be

August 11, 2015 benign0 60 Comments

The late great Singapore Elder Leader Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) wrote about the obvious in his 2000 book From Third World to First… A precondition for an honest government is that candidates must not need large sums of money to get elected, or it must trigger off the cycle of corruption. Having spent a lot…

Development, Government, Politics, Society

The Philippines’ “Me First” attitude results in a backward society

July 21, 2015July 21, 2015 benign0 27 Comments

Ako Muna (“Me First!”) mentality. It’s one of those renowned Filipino character traits. You see it in the way Filipinos drive — how they find no issue in rudely squeezing into your lane; no thank you wave for inconvenience caused. When queuing for your turn at a McDonald’s you have to be vigilant, lest some…

Culture, Development, Society

Misrepresented Filipino character: A Look at Historical Figures

June 1, 2015 Grimwald 13 Comments

A lot of people reacted quite negatively to Fallen Angel’s latest article as well as Marcial Bonifacio’s first article. Their critics claim that they have written things that are overwhelmingly negative and are putting the spirits of Filipinos down. People who only briefly looked through the articles without ever understanding the spirit of them have…

Culture, Development, Economy, Education, Environment, Government, Lifestyle, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Renaming of the NLEX to Cory Aquino Expressway: Adding insult to national injury

May 11, 2015May 27, 2018 benign0 53 Comments

Yesterday’s world-changing breaking news was that Philippine Congress gave the green light to renaming the North Luzon Exrpessway (NLEX) the “President Corazon C. Aquino Expressway” (CAEX)… “If favorably passed into law, it will constantly remind us of the noble deeds of the late President especially for the poor, and inspire our people to emulate her…

Development, Government, Politics, Society