The worst oligarchy?
The classic definition of an oligarchy is a government “ruled by the few.” It is a self-regulating elite…
ECQ: Use it wisely this time
Nobody likes it. Nobody wants it. Nobody can accurately quantify its effectiveness, but NCR plus is essentially in…
Cancel the Olympics?
Charles Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin, better known as Pierre de Coubertin, graduated with a degree in…
Protests? Kill the Internet
George Orwell wrote in his book 1984, published in 1949: “Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the…
Now is the time to save the world
There are about 7.9 billion people on earth today. We know that the world produces enough food to…
Close the borders
The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic…
Covid-19 infects freedom and rights
Italian diplomat Niccolò Machiavelli wrote in his treatise The Prince, “Whether It Is Better to Be Loved Than Feared.” “It…
Will help ever come?
The Philippines is prone to tropical storms due to its geographical location. The country hosts an average of 10 typhoons a year.…
Do they care?
President Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act—more popularly known as Bayanihan 2—in September…
The ultimate oligarchy
The largest and most powerful international oligarchy met over the weekend. How large and powerful is this cabal?…
The OFW voting bloc
Meet Angela Marie. Her friends call her “Amie.” She is 32 years old and comes from the Calabarzon…
Populism is not democracy?
The Populares (Latin for “favoring the people”) were a political faction in the late Roman Republic who favored…
Twitter to the rescue
Prior to the eruption in January 2020, the crater of Taal volcano—Volcano Island—looked like a mysterious jungle scene…
Not as bad as you think
Global surveys during the past few months have shown a consistent trend. People think the Covid-19 pandemic situation…
Lockdowns are not the answer
There’s a man who has great responsibility for the primary global response to the Covid-19 pandemic. His name…
Covid post-traumatic stress
Post-traumatic stress (PTS)—not to be confused with the more serious and potentially longer lasting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—is something…
Covid: The politics
‘A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths are a statistic.” Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the anecdotal…
The US is weakening
IT seems like there are those that are geopolitically caught in—or maybe wish for—the good old days when…
Why PHL is not like Vietnam
All of us are different. Some are fun to be with. Someone else walks into a room like…
Will Biden bash Beijing?
United States foreign policy under the Obama/Biden administration could be characterized as ranging from impotent to counterproductive to…
The Myanmar problem
US President Theodore Roosevelt wrote in a letter in 1900, “I have always been fond of the West…
Will Biden bash Beijing?
United States foreign policy under the Obama/Biden administration could be characterized as ranging from impotent to counterproductive to…
The Myanmar problem
US President Theodore Roosevelt wrote in a letter in 1900, “I have always been fond of the West…
Why ECQ was inevitable
The headline reads that the Philippines has gone “full circle” with the current ECQ. That is not completely…
Covid: How we failed
While receiving little mention in the local press, the world has been experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases…
Covid-19: 14 months later
‘The world is faced with another SARS-like coronavirus that has the potential to spread rapidly around the globe.…
Covid: Don’t be too fat
Common sense should lead you to think that if you are unhealthy and you then contract a potentially…
Do you own a refrigerator?
The next time you hear people complain about “capitalism,” ask them if they own or have access to…
The press/media: Just fooling itself
IF you are in denial, you can never move forward and improve. The trust and credibility of the…
Hong Kong denies bail for government critic Jimmy Lai
HONG KONG—A Hong Kong court on Tuesday denied bail for government critic and newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai who…
Battle of the giants: India vs. Twitter
A little background: The Indian Agriculture Acts of 2020, often referred to as the Farm Bills, are three…
Myanmar: ‘Military coup’ or ‘Protecting the State’?
‘Coup d’état: The removal and seizure of a government and its powers. The overthrow or alteration of an…
Looking backward and looking forward
Last week we closed the financial books on 2020 and it was not a pretty picture. Of course,…
The Metro Manila Subway Project
The London Underground began operation in 1863, making it the world’s oldest metro subway system. It is as…
