Tag: populism

Does the United States need to become more Scandinavian to be more egalitarian?

Posted on By benign0 51 Comments on Does the United States need to become more Scandinavian to be more egalitarian?
Does the United States need to become more Scandinavian to be more egalitarian?

I don’t necessarily subscribe to liberal views and populist rhetoric, but there is some truth in what United States Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) is pointing out — that America’s middle class is progressively being eroded, presumably by (1) advances in technology that progressively and intelligently automate work done by white collar workers, and (2)…

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Development, Economy, Government, Lifestyle, Politics, Society, Technology

Why the misfortunes of the rich are more important than the tragedies of the poor

Posted on By benign0 8 Comments on Why the misfortunes of the rich are more important than the tragedies of the poor
Why the misfortunes of the rich are more important than the tragedies of the poor

In case nobody’s gotten the hint yet, nobody really gives a relative rat’s about the plight of those boat people and the 72 factory workers killed in a slipper factory in Valenzuela. Scan the news and the feeds and you will find that the top stories are all about the rich. Binay’s and Pacquiao’s billions…

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Culture, Lifestyle, Media, Society

Why is it so exceedingly difficult for the Philippines to change for the better?

Posted on By benign0 28 Comments on Why is it so exceedingly difficult for the Philippines to change for the better?
Why is it so exceedingly difficult for the Philippines to change for the better?

Ultimately this is really the only question that really matters. There is no disputing the fact that the Philippines must change. The alternative? Well, that’s really up to Filipinos. If the Philippines does not change, it will continue along its current path. It would be a matter of being content with that course and the…

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Development, Economy, Lifestyle, Politics, Society

It is not poor people but rich people who have a BIG problem with poverty

Posted on By benign0 35 Comments on It is not poor people but rich people who have a BIG problem with poverty
It is not poor people but rich people who have a BIG problem with poverty

So according the the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), 2015 will be “The Year of the Poor”, a declaration which coincides with the arrival of Poper Francis earlier that year… “We as the Church of the Poor are called to renew our commitment to Christ’s mission and to always take the side of…

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Civics, Culture, Development, Economy, Lifestyle, Religion, Society

Top-notch command of the English language opens doors

Posted on By benign0 57 Comments on Top-notch command of the English language opens doors
Top-notch command of the English language opens doors

We’d like to believe that we deserve a society that treats people fairly regardless of how well they speak and write English and regardless of whether they speak it with a regional accent or not. We think, if we continue stomping our feet enough in a loud appeal to nationalist sentiment, that we could one…

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Culture, Education, Lifestyle, Society

Why is a $1bn deposit to the IMF such a big deal?

Posted on By benign0 21 Comments on Why is a $1bn deposit to the IMF such a big deal?
Why is a $1bn deposit to the IMF such a big deal?

Over the last several days, I’ve been getting snippets of news and information lately about a USD 1 billion loan extended by the Philippines to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The first I heard of it was in a “news” article that came across as a trumpeting of how the Philippines is now a “net…

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Economy, Government, Money Talks