By the time I was about eleven or so I was already wondering why our aspirations as a nation did not go beyond exporting rice and pineapples while Hong Kong and Singapore were already exporting the nice toys that my friends and I played with. Why oh why too, I often asked myself, could we not find even a few meters’ smooth surface to ride our skateboards within a walkable radius of our home, yet on TV, the average American could roll his skateboard down the smooth paving of the average American street from his home to his school? This became specially important after the authorities in my school banned riding skateboards and roller skates on the smooth concrete of our corridors.
By the time I was a hi-school freshman, the Philippines was already pretty much a write-off for me. But I didn’t know it yet. I hadn’t crystallised and compartmentalised that notion in my mind at the time. That “realism” just lay at the back of my mind as a nebulous unarticulated blob of yeah whatever stuff that I deferred thinking about to when I grew up. It was while in this frame of mind that I coasted through the 1986 Edsa “Revolution”.
I quickly snapped out of the subsequent euphoria that the newly-empowered ABS-CBN Network helped propagate and sustain after the 1986 “revolution”. By college I was already dismissing bozos like Joey Ayala as primitivist fools and University Student Council campus figures like David Celdran (who often came to the College of Engineering with his bullhorn to dish out his inane ideology) as over-educated and misguided windbags. As a college student in UP I was as apathetic to “politics” as any other sleep-deprived engineering student was.
So to answer esteemed commentor Conyo‘s query (which actually inspired this blog post) in a recent insightful comment…
Benign0,
Tibak ka pala dati? This post [i.e. Remembering the 1986 Edsa "revolution"] gives me a lot of insight into your journey to Get Real Philippines.
It is interesting to see how different people become REALISTS. For you, was it a gradual disillusionment with the “revolution” and the Aquino government? Or was it a sudden revelation or epiphany that the majority of Pinoys are just a bunch of God-damned hypocrites?
I am quite different. You see, during my days at UP, I never ever went to a single rally (zilch). I placed Tibaks in the same category as Born Again Christian Cults. And I hated that PI 100 course (Rizal brainwashing 101) with a passion since I failed to see how studying Rizal can make me wealthy, although I managed to get a 1.75 grade by giving the bullcrap answers my super Tibak professor wanted to hear.
Why am I such a contrarian? I don’t know. I figured out that the Catholic Faith and all Christianity was bullcrap at such an early age. The same goes for most of my formal education–useless, pointless.
Now, as I sit on the sidelines, I am baffled why I keep on coming back to this website when I am supposed to not care.
See you at Starbucks
… I’ll begin by saying that, for me, politics and being “socially aware”, as self-described tibaks (a term that I googled and found to mean “activist”) like to call the state of being “one of them”, is just a thin conceptual layer that surrounds the core of my “getrealism”.
Perhaps, Mr. Conyo, we are the same in the sense that our interest in the matter is what draws us to sites like AntiPinoy.com — because it is not really politics that we tackle here in excellent forums like ours, but the underlying dysfunction that is spun right into the very threads that go into weaving the very fabric of Filipino society. Whilst “experts” writing for other more typical “politically-oriented” blogs see politics as some sort of “solution” to our chronic inability to advance socially and prosper economically, we tend to see the nature of Filipino politics as just a reflection of that dark underbelly of the Filipino psyche that people who inhabit “polite” society prefer to pretend does not exist. Having this as a common starting point for our regard for Philippine politics is what I would consider to be what makes us “realists” in the sense of how you use the term and differentiates our thinking from the rest.
The obsession with political solutions that underpins the mediocrity of the national “debate” I believe stems from the notion that ordinary Filipinos are more of victims of political circumstances and less of contributors to the degeneracy of Philippine politics. Therefore rather than mount the soul searching and reflection that may lead us down a path of enlightenment and, eventually, the formulation of real solutions, we instead choose to be mere spectators and passively take in the spectacle of political circuses that go on and on decade after decade.
In our utter lack of capacity for reflection lies the source of our ability to tolerate the rule of equally unreflective politicians (people who reflect their unreflective constituency). Because we are unreflective, we consistently fail to see the value in the sort of knowledge that requires a bit of reflection to absorb. This is the sort of knowledge that the writers of AntiPinoy.com and others in our network of Certified GetRealist blogs aspire to bring into the mainstream. We aim to provide a viable alternative to the horsemanure that Mainstream Philippine Media has made big bucks disseminating in our society.
And that is the reason why smart people keep coming back to AntiPinoy.com.
BE A PART OF ANTIPINOY! Follow us on Twitter to stay on top of the news www.twitter.com/antipinoy. Add us on Facebook so you can comment on the headlines. Help spread the knowledge!
Comments
The picture of the general above is really disgusting to the eyes of the world as its a good poster for what’s really happening to the country. The syllogism is like
All officials are bonjings
Most Filipinos are overly hospitable
Therefore, they allow bonjings to lord over them
[Reply]
Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 25th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Sssssshhh ….. That bulay-og in the picture is goot in tae-kwan-do
[Reply]
J.B. Reply:
February 25th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
lol…I saw the same line of argument of the Ampatuans’ followers in YouTube…”don’t touch him or else “
[Reply]
ChinoF Reply:
February 25th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
The above picture also shows the big difference between honor and a delicacy of honor (kaartehan). Such generals above can’t claim to have honor, because they actually have none. Heck, I even admire more the American general who got drenched while playing MacArthur during the reenactment ceremony back in the 1990s.
[Reply]
They tried to make me go to rehab but I said, “No, no, no!”,
-Amy Winehouse
I am sort of addicted to AntiPinoy.com. All I think about is AntiPinoy. Even when I’m at work, when I’m driving, when I’m at the gym or when I’m in the pool, swimming! I can finally be myself here at AntiPinoy. I just want to live inside AntiPinoy! Thank goodness I have other activities and my family and friends who force me to stay away from the computer; otherwise, they might just have to put me in rehab
You guys don’t even know what it’s like to be a woman and be GetRealist at the same time. In most societies and especially ours, women are expected to just look pretty and keep their mouth shut. Every time I try and share my thoughts about what’s wrong with us, Filipinos in general just give me this weird look as if I’ve just inhaled something illegal. At AntiPinoy, I get the validation that I hardly get from the real world.
This site makes me feel alive! I know it might sound a bit exaggerated but all these years, we hardly got a chance to vent our spleen; to let out the frustration that we kept botted up inside about the dysfunction of our society. Some of us are even scared to admit or are in denial that there is something wrong with our behaviour but at least here, in this forum, we can finally discuss it without resorting to violence.
AntiPinoy.com is very entertaining for me. I sometimes feel like I am one of the hecklers in the Muppet Show and I have so much fun reading both the idiotic and intelligent comments here. When I need a laugh during a particularly low day, I just refer to one of Crazy Old Man’s or 
VN:F [1.9.3_1094] please wait... Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast) VN:F [1.9.3_1094] Rating: 0 (from 0 votes) 
VN:F [1.9.3_1094] please wait... Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast) VN:F [1.9.3_1094] Rating: 0 (from 0 votes) 
VA:F [1.9.3_1094] please wait... Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast) VA:F [1.9.3_1094] Rating: 0 (from 0 votes) 
VA:F [1.9.3_1094] please wait... Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast) VA:F [1.9.3_1094] Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)
You are right about our obsession with political solutions. That is the reason why I get bored with Filipino Voices. They are more into tsismis, actually.
It’s funny how Conyo inpires you too Benign0. He doesn’t say much but it just takes one or two sentences from him and I can actually interpret it into a couple of thousand words. His comment to you here gives me the impression that he needs a big hug. I kinda picture a lost puppy or someone looking for a reason to wake up in the morning. To survive in this crazy town Filipinos live in, sometimes you gotta dumb yourself down and appreciate the shallowness of the stuff around you. We all live in a yellow submarine
See you around!
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 12:06 am
Ilda,
Does this mean you will finally go out with me?
I’m still poor right now so Burger Machine lang ang kaya ko ha?
After that we can take a stroll at Luneta Park, HHWW.
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
ilda Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 4:55 am
You’re so funny!
[Reply]
ChinoF Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Burger Machine? Sosyal mo! Hanggang Angel’s Burger lang ako ngayon! Gipt! hehehehehehe
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Ilda,
Kung ayaw mo date kahit “hug” na lang, pwede ba?
We can meet at the lobby of your workplace. I will bring my guitar and sing, “Urong Sulong Ka” to make you feel guilty or perhaps “Mga Kababayan” just for laughs.
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
ilda Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
How about you play The Ballad of A Crazy Old Man for Jet Hernandez? LOL
Easy on the cynicism pill.
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Ilda,
Like I said before, I am very different.
I severely challenge the validity of my thoughts. Sometimes, when I say things, it is not me but rather a construct of me assuming the position was indeed taken.
But I am getting bored. My Indian friends are far more enlightening.
I’ll be dropping off this site for awhile.
See you in a year
Vana Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 1:22 am
Ilda,
I totally get what you’re saying. It’s hard to tell the people how much our country needs a change, especially when you don’t hold that much influence over them. I get those looks, too. Everyone’s just so proud to proclaim that they are Filipino when Pacquiao wins a match, but leaves the other important things to “Bahala na”.
I only found out about AntiPinoy this month, but it’s been very great!
[Reply]
I long find IT/internet a good vehicle in exposing and putting pressure (well, maybe in the days ahead I can’t predict when) on each people in the Philippines…
How about we design a game called below and give it for free worldwide? I was banking on the fact that GMA did more to reduce extra-judicial killings after being pressured by international press and agencies….
How about pressuring those seated in government what they are really doing in a popular PC, XBOX or PS3 games:
———————————————————-
Objective: Develop a Game to be called “Politico” subtitled “Grand Theft Philippines – San Larceny”. You may need to ask the Grand Theft Auto Playstation game developer to loan their game name for a profit share and in return you’ll get name and free ad exposure.
Game characters:
1. senators
2. congressmen
3. students
4. masses
5. activists
6. oligarchs
7. people on the hills
8. armed native
9. religious sector
10. etc.
Objectives:
1. To be come pres of phil
2. To prevent ala EDSA people power from happening
3. To hold on to your seat for life
Strategies
1. Work with government officials and workers to climb up the ladder
2. Fight your way up to survive
3. Survive assassination
4. Appease the activist
5. Beg bread overseas
6. Avoid mistakes committed by past politicos
Game money generation schemes
1. Exchange goods from overseas into locally produced brands
2. Collude with corrupt officials and judges to earn profit
3. Fool the masses about the state of the town, province or nation
…..
so on and so forth..
What do you think?
[Reply]
ChinoF Reply:
February 25th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
We can do that in Mafia Wars! lol
[Reply]
Iya Justimbaste Reply:
February 25th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Yeah someone can make an FB application for this.
[Reply]
BongV Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
That sounds like a nice game. It can be used to illustrate the nature of corruption in the Philippines.
[Reply]
Thanks. I don’t do games in FB as I spent productive times developing software application for other clients. I don’t even have times reviewing my post here for grammatical errors
The idea was borne out of Luther’s way of fighting the devil because he thinks Satan can’t stand mockery.
Let’s assume for a start that the Philippines government officials are collectively “Devil” so the best way to fight them is to mock them via Free-available games worldwide…mentioning down to the last detail. It’s not hard to gather data how the officials do their trade. Just talk to your relatives working in construction or visit DPWH or Customs…all their misdemeanour’s are in plain view.
I can’t tell whether we can make a dent but who knows, it may work?
[Reply]
Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 25th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Very goot J.B. I don’t spell check … I don’t grammar check … but I am so anal about the word count ….
People of my age has no patience reading longish kinda of commentaries ….. short, concise, direct to thepoint that is what the young people my age like to read …. elongated words are for old people who has no influence of where the country is going except corrupting …. the teens, tweens are the future …. the untainted …. the old people are already tainted ……
[Reply]
J.B. Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 12:52 am
Thanks pre…for whatever it is….
Btw, as an intro I’m more of a Jungian and Bruce Lee’an type of thinker…If safe to assume a leaning.
Carl Jung says that it’s not always the fault of a patient why a psychiatrist fails to treat him. It could also be true also that the therapist was in error.
To me there are just so much diggings what was wrong why we are a failure race using so many concepts applicable to advanced democratic societies…It could also be that our therapeutic techniques were wrong in the first place.
Or possibly there was no solution after all….
When I see people attacking pinoys they are rude, the opposite is also true that the one complaining is ignorant that a pinoy has psychological discovered a golden ego egg helpful for their survival wherever they are.
[Reply]
BongV Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
J.B. – am with you on this. you can use a Flash platform right? start off with a small episode – for example…
Juan applies for a business license – it can have many branches – http://www.doingbusiness.org/ExploreTopics/StartingBusiness/Details.aspx?economyid=153
For each procedure, you can have a routine where:
* pay off/bribe – you lose money, clerk makes money, government loses money, funds for services decrease
* do not pay bribe/increase efficiency, include incentive – you give up money, but you gain in services and more time, clerk makes money, government makes money
[Reply]
My road to get realism began when for some reason I ended up working one summer for a family friend who just bought a farm. His name was Tito Raoul. Since I had nothing to do that summer and he needed cheap labor, I enlisted as a farmhand along with another poor soul.
That mini-hacienda he acquired was not exactly Luisita. It was unusable unless we first removed all of the weeds, trees and junk that was left on the idle land by the previous owner. After each exhausting day digging roots, pulling weeds and loading the truck with junk to be dumped later on, me and my Tito Raoul will talk about politics and he would tell me how disgruntled he was about Filipinos. I would ask why and he would give examples in the news about other countries executing those who plundered them and in his exact words “eh ang mga Marcos nakabalik pa ng buhay”. It is interesting to note that like benign0, my Tito Raoul was a Tibak from UP. While we rode in his truck. he would also point out Filipinos we saw and how ridiculous they seemed. He would describe to us how the Pinoy men drink gin in the sari sari stores in the middle of the day and how they keep making kids when they don’t have means to support them.
Then my Tita Odette who who was a school teacher in Canada would relate to me events that disgust her about Filipinos like for example, there was a day in her school wherein people would make a presentation based on their heritage. So that day came and then the Indians, Scottish, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Russian etc students made great and colorful displays of their native dances complete with traditional costumes and music. When the Filipinos’ turn came, they all danced hi-hop wearing ghetto clothes. She was also a former activist in The Philippines along with my mom.
After listening to observations from Tito Raoul and Tita Odette, I began analyzing the behavior of the Pinoys and contrasted it with the other cultures I have observed during my travels. I then noticed glaring flaws in the culture of the Pinoys. Whenever you point out these flaws, Filipinos will give responses that defy logic. For example, when asked why they want to vote for people like Erap or FPJ, they will answer: “Kasi nasubukan na natin ang matatalino, kaya siguro ang kailangan naman natin yung hindi gaanong maalam”. Or when you ask them why they throw their food wrappers on the streets they will say “eh kasi kung di mo itatapon ito kung saan saan, walang trabaho ang metro aide”. The funniest so far came from a friend who needed a certificate from the Manila City Hall. He said he line was very long and he will take forever to get his certificate. Then someone offered him an “express” lane for 200 dollars so he went ahead and paid up to get his ahead of the rest. And that guy always condemns corruption of Villar. Isn’t that ironic? I could go on and on and on so just watch out for my articles to see what else.
I joined Pinoy Exchange back in 2000 and participated in some threads where Benign0 and Jose Rizal were. Then Jose Rizal emailed me in private saying he likes my views and writing so we started to exchange emails regularly. Then I got introduced by him to benign0 and the rest is history (that continues to unfold)…
[Reply]
rafterman Reply:
February 25th, 2010 at 9:13 pm
* 200 pesos was the bribe, not dollars…
[Reply]
POlitics is not a solution. IT IS a fraction of solution. The biggest solution is when Lee Kuan Yew gets to rule the PHilippines with an iron fist. Filipinos are democratically irresponsible due to irresponsible belief in religion.
[Reply]
J.B. Reply:
February 25th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
This is still a theory. Lee solution is only proven effective in one small city. Try to find a country in the world where they apply Lee’s principle and see if it works on a bigger scale.
Another dubious fact is Lees’ concept of progress is rich in wealth but leaving the populace very poor in contemporary human equality (based on pluralistic concept of society) that’s why there are still maids paid for less there where other advanced nations discourage the practice as it is demeaning to humans.
The armed revolutionaries in the Philippines demonstrated that an application of force will only exacerbate the archipelagic distribution of the provinces where its very hard if not impossible to check and balance if there are prevailing abuses of implementers.
In Carl Jung’s psychology, “people are too quick to get rid of external ancient gods but they seem to forget they yield to internal gods in them.” The extortion activities all over the country are graphic examples of Jung’s psychological assertion.
[Reply]
99.9999% of Fioipinos can change a goot president ….. 1% of 99.9999%, the idiyot peryodistas makes or breaks a goot president …….
[Reply]
I like that piktyur of the PMAyer … NAKAKHIYA … PERO NAKAKATAWA … NAKAKATUWA …. take a closer look … he looks like a crocodile …..
[Reply]
Benign0,
I am honored that you spent the time to reflect upon my comment. But, my fellow seeker of truth, the real treasure lies in asking “why” instead of “how.” Why does your thought process gravitate towards seeking the truth whereas the vast majority are easily content on accepting the everyday distractions of life? You could be enjoying the exciting Melbourne culinary scene instead of spending countless hours blogging to a very small audience. Why do I look into a beggar’s eyes through the tinted window of my air conditioned car when the rest of my relatives, who were raised pretty much the same way, will shoo him away? It is certainly not upbringing for my parents trained us with “situational apathy” as a very practical survival tool in this poor country of ours. Why are we not so easily enslaved by the emotional tactics that Tibaks and Born Again Christians often use? We seem to be immune to a viral passion that easily infects the average person.
Are we “wired” (genetic predisposition) to act and think in certain ways, as Warren Buffet strongly claims himself to be? Does a great singer truly choose to sing? Or is not really a choice? “To sing is like breathing air,” a famous singer once said. Does an Atheist really choose to go against a sacred belief system practiced by most of his friends and family while risking eternal damnation as well? If it was “easy” for me to swallow Christian bullcrap I really would since we pay a high price for going against convention.
Ah, but there is a flip side to this line of reasoning. If we are indeed wired to be Realists, then certain people are also wired to be emotional and brain dead. This means that we should not make fun of Abe for he was wired to be stupid (that would be like making fun of a retard). We should also be more understanding of Cocoy for he was wired to be an intolerant absolutist. And finally, we should be really really patient with my idol, Manolo, for he is trying to compensate for a great many insecurities resulting from conditions beyond his control.
So why do we keep on coming to this site? We are here because we are drawn here by inner forces beyond our control. We are here because we have no choice.
If it was really up to me I would choose to “tune out” all the suffering around us like most my relatives do. Not caring would be great. Ignorance is bliss. But I can’t seem to do it.
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
rafterman Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 12:17 am
=)
[Reply]
benign0 Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 5:39 am
I’ve got to agree with you to some extent on this one, Mr Conyo. From what I’ve observed, there indeed seems to be some kind of brain hardwiring in common with those who are somehow able to step out of the circle of flawed thinking.
But if the condition is in fact neurological, then that also implies a limit to the inherent ability of Pinoy society to collectively prosper and strengthen in nationhood.
I once defined poverty as a condition where the impoverished party continues entering into commitments that it is inherently unable to honour. The word “inherent” was a loaded term in that statement (in fact, and much to my surprise, no other than GabbyD picked that up). In the same way that singing is a talent and those who go on to become rock stars are those who are able to apply that talent well, perhaps acquiring wealth is a skill that comes naturally to some and simply escapes the best efforts of many. Scale that up further to the level of entire societies and perhaps it is possible that the Philippines and many 3rd World basketcases like it, fall under the latter too. Some societies are simply naturals. Others for their part are natural born failures. And to be fair, there really can’t be a world where everyone is a winner.
Creative people in different fields of endeavour see a pattern in a jumble of seemingly unrelated elements. For illustrators, these elements may be colours, lines, and shapes. For writers, it may be different observations, experiences, and concepts. For mathematicians, it may be a series of numbers and data points. And for brilliant entrepeneurs, it may be a diverse collection of little personal needs out of which he could sniff out a market.
My point is making money is as much a talent as making music and wondrous art. Some simply have it, and many simply don’t.
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Benign0,
So if we agree that the ability to Get Real or “face the facts,” as Jack Welch likes to say, is inherent, then let me ask you: Why do we care? Should we care? This was actually the second part of my inquiry that you failed or decided not to contemplate on. But, if you have the inclination to explore with me, you will see that this is the more interesting area of inquiry.
Why do you bother nagging Pinoys to Get Real?
Do you have a nostalgic loyalty to your country of birth? The typical Jolog argument says that we must serve our country of birth which nourished us. Really? Any well traveled person (such as you and I) could easily conclude from observation that our country of birth has shortchanged us, inhibited our potential, and stunted our personal growth by force feeding us archaic belief systems and self-limiting values. And we are supposed to be loyal for that? One of my relatives born and raised in a First World Country is doing work with lasers while another seeks medical cures through genetic manipulation. And what do I get for being a loyal Pinoy? What are my “opportunities” in this hell hole? I can’t even get reliable DSL service!
What is “country” anyway? Is it not an allegiance to an idea or a set of principles by a certain group of people spread over a certain geographical region so that, through their collective efforts, they may improve their quality of life? And if this alliance of people fails to achieve its purpose, does one not have the right to “opt out” and seek an alliance elsewhere (as many Pinoys have done) to pursue a better life? Or stated another way, should a former fed-up-with-the-bullsh!t Catholic, after converting to Buddhism, maintain a sense of loyalty to the Vatican because it was his Religion of Birth that nourished him? The whole country of birth argument is based on emotion. Once you tackle the argument with pure reason, the power of the emotional appeal is easily dispelled.
So do you blog out of a loyalty to your culture perhaps? What is culture anyway? Is it not the “software” that we use to drive the “hardware” that is our physical bodies? And if you can upgrade your software, one module at a time, to improve the effectiveness of your interaction with the environment and other people, would you not do it? So if a Realist Pinoy decides to “uninstall” Tagalog and replace this with English, does this not infinitely improve his ability to interface with the world? So let us stop this notion that culture is “sacred” and that it needs to be preserved. Culture is supposed to serve the individual not the other way around.
So do you blog out of a sense of altruism perhaps? Do you do it to serve a high moral or religious purpose? Well, my friend, if you want to serve humanity, you are not doing it very efficiently. Your efforts will be better served in helping Africa for the Misery Index there is much higher where people are dying by the thousands every day. Also, comparing the exchange rate and cost of living, you will get more bang for your buck sending it to Zimbabwe, Congo, or Somalia rather than the Philippines. (I donated to Haiti).
So tell me, teacher, why do you care? Why do you bother? Can’t you just enjoy life in Australia and go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef with Joe?
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
ChinoF Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
I think nagging Pinoys to Get Real is akin to stopping a promising engineer or artist from joining the lemmings from jumping off the cliff to their deaths.
See you as Seattle’s Beast.
[Reply]
BongV Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
The Oracle
* Everything that has a beginning has an end. I see the end coming. I see the darkness spreading. I see death… and you are all that stands in his way.
* He is you. Your opposite; your negative. The result of the equation trying to balance itself out.
He is you. Your opposite; your negative. The result of the equation trying to balance itself out.
****
Morpheus: The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you’re inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.
[Neo's eyes suddenly wander towards a woman in a red dress]
Morpheus: Were you listening to me, Neo? Or were you looking at the woman in the red dress?
Neo: I was…
Morpheus: [gestures with one hand] Look again.
[the woman in the red dress is now Agent Smith, pointing a gun at Neo's head; Neo ducks]
Morpheus: Freeze it.
[Everybody and everything besides Neo and Morpheus freezes in time]
Neo: This… this isn’t the Matrix?
Morpheus: No. It is another training program designed to teach you one thing: if you are not one of us, you are one of them.
Homer Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 1:53 am
Actually, I’m also wondering how far this site is expected to go.
Can the site sustain the momentum it’s gaining, especially after the elections are over?
Traffic is up, and more are (supposedly) enlightened. So what now? It won’t change the fact that the majority of people are still idiots.
What is expected of AP readers to actually influence “change”?
These are just some of the thoughts that enter my mind when I try to make sense on why I keep coming back here.
______________________________________________________________________________
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”
– Al Pacino (Godfather 3)
[Reply]
Kahlil Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 3:38 am
hello homer
personally, i take it as some form of education for myself. if i’d have my fill, i’ll move on. what i take from this site is my business and my responsibility. if i fail in applying what i’ve learned from this site, it’s no fault of anyone who’s written or commented on here. that’s my problem to solve. in the same vein, if AP’s readership falters after the election, then there must have been something wrong with it from the very beginning. you don’t even have to think about the readership in the first place. it’s their problem.
it’s a clarrion call: you’re expected to do something in your own way. i think you shouldn’t expect anything more than that from this website.
that’s how i see it.
Homer Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Hello Kahlil,
You should hear some of the other thoughts I failed to mention.
I agree…we are all responsible for our actions/decisions, and life goes on whether we are in or out of here…same way it goes on after the elections…so good point.
Nothing wrong too with wondering whether some positive form-of-action can actually be realized from all the reading and writing that’s taken place in here. Wouldn’t it be great if something like that happens? It would be foolish of me to expect anything from this site, so I only threw-in those questions in an act of spontaneity. I was just writing in-the-moment, sharing my thoughts. Could I have rephrased my questions? Maybe, but it’s too late now.
Kahlil Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
hey homer
“…I’m also wondering how far this site is expected to go.”
i actually asked that same question to myself last december when, after two months of reading (sat on my ass) most of the articles that have been written on here, i started to question the point of AP altogether. but then, this article came up…
http://antipinoy.com/the-buck-stops-with-us/
…and of course, i got more confused because i can be a bit dense sometimes
so i asked. check out bongV’s and benign0′s replies to my queries if you haven’t read it yet.
but perhaps there is something to expect from this site after all. you should expect more hard-hitting, thought provoking articles to come from these fine writers/thinkers. i know that’s why i keep coming back.
Conyo Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Homer,
Finally a REALIST!
You nailed it, dude.
At best, this site will AWAKEN, perhaps a hundred or thousand people “wired” to be independent thinkers. But you are right, so let me repeat what you said:
“It won’t change the fact that the majority of people are still idiots.”
The message of this site is beyond the comprehension of these idiots.
Having said that, I wish them the best of luck in their efforts.
See you at Starbucks
BongV Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 2:41 pm
homer, kahlil:
moving forward there’s a lot of stuff to do after the elections. the campaign to bring in better candidates does not end with the elections.
consider that currently – our politicians buy our voters. how come in other countries – voters “buy” their candidates? what can we do to bring about can grassroots-funded politics – similar to the PACs in the US.
we are also looking at tighter integration of AP and SNK – and introducing tagalog and english programs on tuesdays and thursdays. we would like to bring in callers from overseas – check out leadphil.blogspot.com – arnel and iya are our hosts.
we also want to bring in younger voices. kahlil – maybe you can be a film critic? or give a heads up on indie film gatherings. maybe consider doing a youtube playlist of pinoy indie movies?
or alternative business models that have shown profitability and sustainability – which can be applicable to subsistence farmers in the philippines – an online agricultural commodity exchange for farmers from aparri to jolo – as spinoffs.. anything’s possible
[Reply]
Kahlil Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
hey bongV
well there you go! hurray for great expectations indeed
BongV Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Agent Smith: Why, Mr. Anderson, why, why? Why do you do it? Why? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you’re fighting for something, for more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Could it be for love? Delusions, Mr. Anderson, vagaries of perception, temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the matrix itself, although, only a human mind could create something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson, you must know it by now, you cant win. It’s pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson, why, why do you persist?
Neo: Because I choose to
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Bong,
But why should I fight when I am already on top?
Why should I fight for idiots who refuse to listen?
Why should I fight for idiots who ridicule the real people who can help (people like you) while they defend people who keep them enslaved (people like Noynoy)?
And what are you fighting for? An idea or a people?
Is the United States of America a people? No. Is it a place? No. It is an Idea.
So what are you fighting for in the Philippines? An Idea? A people? Or a place?
Contemplate on this before you answer.
See you at Starbucks
BongV Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Conyo:
Isn’t it obvious that we are fighting for an idea – of what the Philippines should be.
J.B. Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 4:12 pm
>> But why should I fight when I am already on top?
Higher form of pleasure beckons.
>> Why should I fight for idiots who refuse to listen?
You can also think it differently that this is not a loss cause. That there are solutions left to try. After all, we’re alll humans too unwilling to bow down to things seemingly impossible to attain?
>> Why should I fight for idiots who ridicule the real people who can help (people like you) while they defend people who keep them enslaved (people like Noynoy)?
Like Achilles charging his men to the shores of Troy, we can chant, “Immortality awaits on the Philippine shore!”
Never before seen in the history of mankind that a particular race of people discovered a golden ego-egg and to bust if off and being among who take part, we’re given a fair chance of joining the throngs of people at a given era who managed to do a majestic act never tried in the annals of history of mankind.
Just a point addition to my suggestion of ““Grand Theft Philippines – San Larceny” game, there are actually 2 ways how people in society behave:
1. Enlightened
2. Conform or pressured
The first one seems to be next to impossible in the Philippine settings not just because Filipinos are downright dumb but the intellectual are also poor in aligning with contemporary psychology – that the reason why pinoys are difficult to teach is because the cognitive model is absent and a Pinoy wannabee thinker are indeed very poor in finding ways bridging the gap of leaning’s missing dimension.
So the only course of action left is to pressure them.
Can you imagine if we can reflect verbatim all the graft and corrupt interaction in a game such as
1. “Gov, wag mo munang ilipat yan si director, may project pa ako dyan”- Chinese businessman to a Governor
2. “Yan, la ba? barya lang yan” – common Custom’s vocabulary
The closest outcome I would think is not unlike what’s happening in Cebu issuance of drivers licences. Not long ago, a guy at the guy happily accepts P300 to get a iicence, no question asked. Today, paying P300 to get one requires digging deep into the labyrinth.
[Reply]
Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
How can Filipino be enlightened when I, 25-years-old, cannot even understand J.B.’s deep-worded postings? 35% of Flippinos are less than 18-years-old who doesn’t have patience to dig deep into dictionary much more google the meaning of each word J.B. has written.
To reach out the 25-years-old and under is to NOT write high-fallutin words. Make it short, concise and an UNDERSTAND OF PSYCHOLOGY OF MY CLIQUE.
Reach out and understand our psychology especially in the patient and understanding side.
Our on-line habits are goot only for Friendster where they speakengese our language.
[Reply]
Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
What J.B. is reaching out are 45-years and above and in the likes who finished the book War and Peace
[Reply]
Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Imagine if a presidentiable speak old-englischtzes, who would they have reached? Basing on the intelligence of the Philifinos ….. A PRESIDENTIABLE CAN ONLY REACH 80-YEARS-OLD AND DYING …
[Reply]
J.B. Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Renato, you have a point there. Ignoring psych, the game I was putting forward was for every young and old people of the world to play freely.
If most evils, done or spoken by our gov officials are replicated all over the world for them to see, don’t you think that they would remain in their ways?
For example, a local town mayor complained why she’s only getting 10% building project SOP instead of her 20% usual asking price said something like to the project manager,
“bakit 10% alng? lipstick ko nga imported.”
For ever utterance, the game will be updated with such.
[Reply]
BongV Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
JB,
If I may add – “Pinoy Monopoly” – show the monopolists and the mechanisms by which they exercise such monopoly. Then include a monopoly buster.. something…
[Reply]
J.B. Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
bongv, good add…the developer can freely change the game as long as it its goal is to broadcast worldwide every officials moe, for all the people of the world to see.
The good thing about internet is we can have “galamays” all over the place. So,” kung baga” a game between “galamays vs garapal” sort of thing.
[Reply]
My drug addict neighbor in the province whose mind addled by years of drug abuse voted for Salonga as Senator and no one else.
My point is even if those people who seems hardwired to think and act bad things can be overridden by prolong scholarship and purity of service.
This is one point why Gordon is unlikely to win not because people don’t appreciate him but because the people’s addled brain is not breached yet but scholarship threshold or massive service threshold. To them, like Kapatiran, will be lampooned heartlessly to “Johnny come lately” sort of candidates.
Many activist would complain why people didn’t buy their “kung walang kikilos, sino pa? Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?” partly because they didn’t invest in scholarship and purity of service. Worst, the people has grown a stereotypical image of them that they’re playing the “Game of Lie and Deception”. What that is I left it to every pinoy and their experience elucidates it to them.
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Sure. Pair a focused mentor with a motivated learner open to new concepts and anything is possible. Everything always works great in theory. But the reality is that the vast majority are idiots and they are not motivated and open to learning new ways while there are very few mentors left (most have left the country or just don’t give a damn any more).
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
“IT IS EASIER TO TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS THAN FILIPINO OLD TRICKS” – Renato Pacifico 2:26:2010
[Reply]
Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Lookit, Conyo. Filipinos have pre-existing conditions. Short and long term permanent memory loss.
Because outsourcing our government is beyond the patriotic minds of Flippards, FlipPinos line themselves before American Embassy in Manila to have their lives run by whites than stay here be patriotic and run by Flippards – Renato Pacifico 2:26:2010
[Reply]
Renato Pacifico Reply:
February 26th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
I allowed the white government to run my life once before then came out goot. Way way much better than RELIGIOUS PATRIOTIC FILIPINOS.
Tekit for eksampol. I was pulled over by EDSA cops. I told the cops “magdasal ako sa mga ginagawa n’yo na masama” .
Cops said: “Totoy, huwag na, heto ang lisensya mo”
Flippards, ALL OF THEM, has God on their speed dial.
LAV YA FLIPPARDS! LAV YA ALL! GOOT FOR MY FOREX!
[Reply]
J.B. Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Conyo,
You may think it that way based on your observation. But I can draw my conclusions too having travelled quite often to may parts of visayas and mindanao and literally “living’ with them. My observation is that voters are not plain dumb generally speaking. It’s just that they don’t have a “black and white” options to choose from.
[Reply]
Messrs Conyo and Homer
Like Khalil said, at the end of the day, all of us have a personal responsibility to take away any kind of lesson or imperative to act on said lesson from whatever new information we come across — be they be from blogs, newspapers, TV, or wherever.
I hope, though, that no one here misconstrues any of what is written here as license to be anti-everything. There is a clear line between being critical of a situation and being dismissive of it. Being critical results in creative solutions. In contrast being dismissive simply breeds anarchists.
Take Renato Pacifico, for example. He can go stomping his feet around blogs all he wants. Some ban him and some tolerate these kinds of morons. AntiPinoy.com chooses to tolerate his kind. But is there a point in debating with him? The answer to that is debatable of course just like everything else. The argument I put forth is quite simple (the following is a transcript of the messages I directed at Pacifico on the AP shoutbox):
One of the things Lee Kuan Yew implemented back when Singapore was still developing was to make it easier for ordinary Singaporeans to own their own homes. The thinking there is that if Singaporeans had a personal stake in their surroundings, they can be expected to do their individual part to be decent and civic-oriented citizens.
In contrast when people see themselves as not part of something (or for that matter anything) they become the sort of people who see themselves as entitled to piss on any public wall they happen to be walking by at the time Nature beckons them to empty their bladder.
The irony that escapes some morons (specially those who presume to criticise Pinoys in the one-dimensional look-at-me-i’m-an-anarchist way that they do) is that the behaviour they exhibit mirrors the same kind of pissing-on-public-property mentality they claim to loath.
Unfortunate, indeed. Being a “getrealist” it turns out is not as clear-cut as some people think it is.
There will always be a square that defines an outside region that beckons us to think over there. And even “getrealism” is defined by such a square. It may be a square bigger than conventional Pinoy thinking, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be a region that lies outside of that bigger square as well.
The challenge will always be about moving the fences that define the square we happen to be sitting within further outwards.
It’s simple, really™ — though not for the small-minded.
[Reply]
Ray Rodriguez Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Thats why maybe if Renato was given an opportunity to write even a limited amount of articles here using his Englitszches language, he may have a little bit of sense of ownership and watch what he posts and make sure he is speakingese goot.
[Reply]
ilda Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Personally, I don’t think his style is good for AntiPinoy’s image. We already have a hard time convincing people what we’re about. But that’s just my two cents. I don’t own this blogsite at the same time, I also don’t want to be associated with people like him.
[Reply]
Benign0,
So you say you are part of “something”?
What is that something?
Do you still hold allegiance over your country of birth?
Why? Again, read my RATIONAL arguments above on why you should NOT. And please try to disprove me.
Unlike Renato, I do care. I just need a reason to care. Please convince me.
Lee Kuan Yew? That’s all you got? I am disappointed. Do we really want to go there? Singapore’s trajectory is not a comparable model for the Philippines. Try Chile. Try Brazil.
C’mon teacher. I am way more talented than you think.
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
benign0 Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Mr Conyo,
Haven’t you heard? I’m Filipino. That makes me part of Pinoy society. But then the fact that there is a Pinoy society does not necessarily mean that said society stands for something. This brings us to your next question on whether or not I hold “allegiance” to my “country” of birth.
But before I go on, let me ask you first, in what sense do you use the term “allegiance”?
You asked BongV in a subsequent comment of yours:
But since you query me here about my “allegiance” to a “country”, the question then boomerangs back to you, in what context (country as an “idea”, country as “a people”, or country as a “place”) do you frame “allegiance”?
Btw, I’m a bit confused about your last couple of statements though. How can one “care” without having a reason to do so? As such, I’m not really sure what kind of “convincing” you need.
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Teacher,
You have failed.
I shall bother you no more.
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
BongV Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 12:37 am
It isn’t that the teacher has failed, rather the student is a student no more
[Reply]
Benign0,
This was for bong, but I find it so profound that I shall shoot it at you as well:
Benign0, what are you fighting for? An idea or a people?
Is the United States of America a people? No. Is it a place? No. It is an Idea.
So what are you fighting for in the Philippines? An Idea? A people? Or a place?
Contemplate on this before you answer.
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
benign0 Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
See my comment to your previous comment, sir. There are a few things you need to clarify about your original query.
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
Teacher,
You have failed.
I shall bother you no more.
Peace.
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
benign0 Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Suit yourself.
BongV Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
Conyo:
Let me put it this way – When Obama spoke about “the world as it is” and “the world as it should be.” , when he was articulating that too often, , we accept the distance between the two, and we settle for the world as it is — even when it doesn’t reflect our values and aspirations. To be reminded that we know what fairness and justice and opportunity look like. To urge our countryment to believe in themselves and to find the strength to strive for the world as it should be.
He was preaching to the choir, he wasn’t the first person to utter such words. We have uttered and lived those words one time or another, and perhaps still living it.
So what are we fighting for? The Philippines as it should be – Prosperous, Huge Middle Class, Politically Vibrant, Globally Integrated Economy.
To do that first we need to get rid of our weaknesses – to acknowledge our failures, to embrace it, because without the failure we wouldn’t have learned the lessons, another way of not doing things as Edison would put it.
Failure’s greatest gift is that it motivates us to try harder. To find new ways – To ask if we are asking the right question even? Failure only becomes failure when we give up and stop trying.
Come to think of it, between now and until the day we die – and that can be anytime – we have a choice – that in the choices that we make, we take control of our destiny, we create our own destiny based on the choices that we make today . So if we are to make choices – go for choices that bring out the best on us. Bring out the gold, let the dross go through the fire.
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Bong,
You fail to grasp the depth of my statement.
Why don’t you drive down to Miami–no flying to NY would be better–and then go to Chinatown or Times Square, sit down somewhere and see how so many different people of are united not by race, location, or religion but by an Idea that all men should be…..blah blah blah. You know it right?
Is the Philippines an Idea? Really? Let me borrow from bening0, What does the Philippines Stand for? What is this idea in the Philippines you are fighting for?
If it is not an idea? Is it a race? Then your efforts are limited upon racial lines which is remarkably self-limiting.
Is it a place? Check a historical atlas, maps change all the time.
If you still don’t get what the USA is all about, go ask BenK.
Please contemplate on this seriously.
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
BongV Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Conyo:
You have to go beyond the blah blah blah – and put a quantity and quality behind it.
What the Philippines Stands for is the Philippines as it is. For such question has been taken for granted. That such question is being raised bring out the fact that we don’t really know what the Filipino stands for – precisely because it is an artificial entity created by colonial edict. The reality is here we are at this juncture in history and obviously we are stuck with each other – all this various tribes and ethnocentric regional groupings that make up what is known as the Philippines. Now being fully aware of where the Filipino comes from, we have this unique opportunity to define what does the Filipino stand for. Apparently each generation defines “Filipino” in its own way.
Being on AntiPinoy is a declaration, an act of taking ownership of what the Filipino CAN BE by our generation in contrast to what the current FILIPINO is seen to be and what its stands for as seen by other generations. After all, it was OUR GENERATION that actually took to the streets and delivered the mortal blow that drove a dictator out, albeit it was built on the successes of prior generation’s sacrifices.
In my case, everything is geared towards -a Prosperous, Large Middle Class, Politically Vibrant, and Integrated with the Global Economy – that’s why you do your “that all men should be…..blah blah blah” –
You missed this the first time – don’t miss it this time around.
Conyo Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Bong,
The Philippines is a fairytale. It never existed as a true idea that binds a nation. We are not a common race and our land area was determined (mostly) by the Spanish conquest.
You call yourself an “AntiPinoy” whereas I call myself an “Individual who has the self evident right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
I respect your efforts but the time is not yet right. You are way ahead of your time dude.
I believe that self-improvement is the only practical endeavor at the moment. So I shall be dropping off for now (getting bored).
Good luck with YOUR fight.
See you at Starbucks
BongV Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Conyo:
The Philippines is a fairytale to you… inasmuch as the cellphone was Star Trek science fiction in 1960.
You and I are in agreement that it never existed as a true idea that binds a nation. That is exactly why nobody can answer – What does the Filipino stand for.
At this juncture of history.. as it is… “the Filipino” stands for nothing – an amorphous bog, hazy, formless, but in its formlessness – lies its form. Its nature is nothingness. In nothingness you find its nature
Will it remain that way forever? That is a question that every person who holds a Philippine passport or who used to hold a Philippine passport needs to answer or choose not to answer.
Where you see nothingness, I see opportunity.
ChinoF Reply:
February 27th, 2010 at 11:09 pm
My take, Conyo, is this: I believe we are fighting for what is right… and based on my 34 years of living experience, I realize they are truly right here in AP.
Of course, I know where you’re getting at. “People will still be idiots. You’ll fail. Give it up already.” Of course, people will still be idiots… but how are you sure we’ll fail? It’s only a chance. The future can never be perfectly predicted. That’s why we still fight here. No giving up. Besides, great successes can be achieved by blabbing and blabbing until someone listens and acts on what you’ve blabbed.
I’d say this is the right kind of hope rather than the false kind the Noynoyists have for their candidate.
See you as Seattle’s Beast.
[Reply]
Conyo Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Chino,
I only fight battles that can be won.
Right now, my advice to anyone, is to make themselves strong. if you want REALISM, it doesn’t get more REAL than that.
See you at Starbucks
[Reply]
BongV Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 12:19 am
Conyo,
AP is not here to change the world or the Philippines for that matter. Nor does it have any messianic complex.
It’s a blog where people write their truths and share their pieces of the puzzle, you can help elucidate, muddle, or scuttle the exercise. That’s just about it.
ilda Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 1:23 am
My theory is:
I think I know why Conyo is disillusioned. As an insider once, he probably knows a lot of political secrets we ordinary folks don’t know about. For him, we can come up with conspiracy theories all we want but at the end of the day, he knows the ugly truth about who really is wielding power behind all this craziness in the country. That’s why he keeps saying ‘Ignorance is bliss’. He probably doesn’t want us to know.
I could be wrong.
BongV Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 6:45 am
ildz:
the only thing I can think of when it comes to Conyo is… BURNOUT.
Well, so much for two bozos who don’t really add much value to the scheme of things. Sometimes there are excellent days like this that reveal clear differences between the men and the boys.
At the end of the day, we all do what we do (whether it be running triathlons, climbing Mt Everest, or — hey yeah — blogging about Pinoy dysfunction) because we get off on it. If doing something for our own personal pleasure yields the bonus of actually delivering an outcome that might one way or another have an impact on someone’s way of thinking or start a chain reaction of thinking that may unfold over a year (or a 100 years), then that’s a nice outcome. But as far as I’m concerned, i don’t hold my breath for bonuses like those much the same way as one doesn’t quit his day job just because he buys a lottery ticket.
Like solving a crossword puzzle is an intellectual challenge, so too for me is trying to figure out deep truths about the nature of Da Pinoy. Because at its most basic, the chronic failure of Pinoys to advance socially and progress economically is a puzzle.
And where there are puzzles, you will find smart people.
The motivation here is quite simple, really. It is curiosity. Are Pinoys a curious people? Well if you ask me, a people who could go through the last half century without even wondering at a deep enough level why they fail at every step cannot be seen to be curious enough to try new things.
[Reply]
Homer Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 2:08 am
I’ve missed quite a bit since my last post above.
BongV, good to hear your ideas for the site in the near future. I hope they become the proper baby steps that would lead into “something better”.
Benigs, I’m not the type to become a lemming or a blind follower to anyone in the blogosphere. However, I come here simply because I agree and believe in what you guys are “fighting” for, and that should be pretty obvious to many by now. I’m still trying to come to terms with why I keep coming back here, and the many comments that started from this morning is helping me understand it more. I ask questions from time to time for knowledge, because that’s what realists do……so I hope I’m not one of the two bozos you were referring to, because you’ll have to explain that to me..
[Reply]
BenK Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 2:46 am
You’re not an Anti-Pinoy, then. The Anti-Pinoy doesn’t know how to ask questions.
[Reply]
benign0 Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 2:57 am
No you’re not one of the two “bozos” I refer to Homer.
In fact you ask a lot of great questions, just like even Mr Conyo does although yours seems to stem from genuine curiosity.
[Reply]
Why do I climb the mountain?
Because it is there.
[Reply]
Homer Reply:
February 28th, 2010 at 2:36 am
…and it’s steep.
[Reply]
I agree formal education is rather pointless.
I hated the Rizal course back in college, and the textbook by Zaide was trash. He could have done excellent biographies of saints though.
[Reply]