miniZibaldone

Sun.Star Cebu's  Carvajal: "Presidential" AS THE saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. That is basically what post-modern sociology means when it defines man/woman as a “social construct,” a  product of the society he/she was born into. It remains true that man/woman is a rational being. But how this being behaves in ground zero, like how irrational he gets over some issues, is programmed into him  by the social milieu. Free will would be what sociology refers to as “agency” or the ability to get out of the conventional mould and become your own man or woman.  Thus, a nation’s establishment protects the system that affords it so much power, wealth and privilege by promoting a culture of submission to, dependence on and  acceptance of the existing social order. Through this dominating culture, it subconsciously “constructs” society’s children into submissive, accepting and  unquestioning members of their society’s way of doing things and of gi...

Sun.Star Cebu's  Carvajal: "How long?" WITH the onset of heavy rains, we can declare victory over a long and nasty drought. But the remarkable thing is we survived it in spite of the absence of pro-activeness in our political leaders. We survived it by pure luck or, as the bishops might want to claim, by God’s answer to their oratio imperata. Local officials did nothing but declare a state of emergency (which causes no water to spring from the ground) and distribute free water containers. But how crazy is it to give people water-containers when there simply is no water to put in them?  Yet, previous to this drought, they had a water summit. People were glad then to hear that, in addition to declaring a state of emergency and distributing water-containers, they will build water impounding systems and reservoirs. But the rains came and water impounding systems were nowhere to be found. Hence, the last drought was even worse (for water) than the previous one they had a su...

Philippine Star  "A borderless war" As of yesterday, 14 people had died in the airport attack and 20 in the Metro train.  The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has claimed responsibility for the worst terrorist attack in the city that hosts the headquarters of the European Union.  The attack is just the latest warning about the borderless war that ISIS is waging, if not directly then through adherents inspired by its gospel of hate.  In the Philippines, security officials have downplayed reports of local extremists pledging to support ISIS. The group is said to be trying to gain a solid foothold in the Philippines. This shouldn’t prove too hard, considering that the country is already home to several of Southeast Asia’s extremist troublemakers: the Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah Islamiyah, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and other rogue elements of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front.   [full text] Manila Bu...