Shifting to Parliamentary System Is not a Pre-Requisite to Economic Liberalization

Posted by BongV on Sep 8, 2013 

I initially thought of calling this piece”The Myth of so-called “Advantages” of Parliamentary Systems – Or Why I Do Not See the Need to Change to Parliamentary Systems and decided to go straight to the jugular. I am often asked why have I not supported a 3 point agenda that bundles federalism, parliamentarism and economic liberalization.

This reminds me of the Vietnam war – when policy makers were pursuing a military solution to a political problem. Here’s the gist – Federalism and parliamentarism are political solutions to an economic problem. When you have an economic problem – you need an economic solution, not a political one. Both solutions remind me of a square peg in a round hole.

The Road to Damascus

More recently, an assertion was floated that changing to parliamentary system will reduce the pork barrel – complete with all the bells and whistles of how parliamentary systems work. OK fine, so it’s got all this presumably *good stuff*.

At its basic level, a system can be viewed as a series of “black boxes” called input-process-output and a feedback loop.

In coming to terms on whether I should support the need to shift to parliamentarism and federalism, I had to look at the outcomes in terms of the impact on individual property – jobs, taxes, and government spending.

Now, some folks look at other outcomes – like the human development index. When one looks at the HDI only, it appears that the parliamentary countries have the upper hand. But I had other questions on the HDI itself because the UN being a body of state actors – has its own agenda as well – to increase public spending on the UN’s pet cause – education and health care.

Which brings to my mind, the impact of government spending on services – whether discretionary – or non-discretionary – can best be shown in Singapore’s health care industry and Chile’s social security system. Minimal government spending and greater individual choices makes a huge difference. Obviously such an approach will not be favored by statists.

So, as not to limit myself at looking at the HDI dimension only – and come up with a conclusion based on one dimension alone I had to satisfy my so-called “game changers” – the “dimensions” called jobs, taxes, and government spending – so as to have a “multi-dimensional” evaluation of the outcomes.

Some folks have a tendency to get lost in the process and lose sight of the outcomes. I on the other hand, start with the outcomes in sight. When the outcomes look good, then there is something right about the process. When the outcomes don’t look good – then the process leaves much to be desired and one has to reconsider the actions to be taken.

After all, what’s the point in allocating time, resources, and attention to an activity that does not yield any substantiated positive outcomes at all?

I used the 2013 data from Heritage.org and the list of countries by form of government and joined the data together so I can sort the data from largest to smallest then identify which forms of government dominate the “multi-dimensional” rankings.

Having said that, allow me to present what I have found.

Joblessness and Form of Government

The list shows that parliamentary systems dominate the list countries of high joblessness.

Tax burden and Form of Government

The list shows that parliamentary systems dominate the list of countries with a high tax burden.

Government Spending and Form of Government

The list shows that parliamentary systems dominate the list of countries with a high government spending.

Pork Barrel is an instance of government spending.

So while it is true that Parliamentary systems may eliminate pork barrel system – what’s not being said is that the the money is simply realigned to non-discretionary government spending. You, the individual will steal be coerced to part away with your income to support frivolous government spending.

Thus after looking at the “multiple dimensions” of human development index, jobs, taxes, and public spending – to state that parliamentary system as “superior” certainly begs the question – superior in terms of what? And whether the terms used to define “superior” is relevant to the question of individual liberty and prosperity and the pursuit of personal happiness.

Having seen the outcomes, I now had to look at the so-called “Advantages” and raise questions if these are really “advantages”

Advantage: Legislation Passes Easily

Is it really an advantage when the laws being passed easily are welfare laws and laws that increase government spending -at taxpayers expense?

Advantage: Easy to Remove the Executive

Is it really an advantage when an austere executive is easily removed if he does not acquiesce to more welfare spending?

Advantage: Power Spread Out

So what if it is spread out – what’s important is how the power is used – when it’s used for faster passing of laws that increase taxes – I am not having any of it.

A Eureka Moment

After raising this questions and looking at the outcomes, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot support the move to have a federal parliamentary option for the reason that (in my view) the outcomes of parliamentary systems do not support the assertion that they are “superior”. Superior in what exactly? If you mean by the speed at which taxes are raised, spending is raised, and joblessness proliferates – that’s not superior when you are on a race to put a hole in your head.

Therefore, my focus is to get the economic liberalization agenda going without having to dip into the resource-heavy horse trading that comes with political processes.

Pushing for a federal parliamentary system (with unsubstantiated claims of superiority – except via arm twisting) only serves to distract from the core issue of opening the economy so people have jobs and are able to get out of poverty.

Epilogue

Remember this – Tyranny – whether by one (a president) or many (a parliamentary party) in power is still tyranny.

Changing the form of government from driven by one to driven by many is not the answer – the answer is LESS GOVERNMENT (whether the system is presidential, parliamentary, monarchial, one party state) – not more.

The Filipino Voter and the Perpetual Blue Skies of the Yellow Brain

Posted by BongV on Oct 29, 2012 

If you have been watching the run-up to the Philippines 2013 elections, you will notice that the same family names are running for office. It’s like watching North Korea replicated in mini-fiefdoms all over the Philippines.

Aquino angry at Arroyo? Big deal. As Erap would say , “weather weather lang yan”. It wasn’t long ago that Loi Estrada was Senator – together with Jinggoy Estrada.

The yellow pot calls the green kettle black

So Arroyo had P488 billion in her 9 year term? That’s nothing, Aquino’s 2013 pork barrel is already at P317B. Add to that his 2012 pork barrel of P161B, and his 2011 pork barrel of 68B. How much does that add up to? Lemme call up my Grade 5 math teacher and have him add P317B + P 161B + P68b , waddya know that’s PhP 546B in three years.

And Neri Colmenares was saying Gloria was greedy because Arroyo had P488B during her nine year term. It would be interesting to hear what she has to say about Aquino’s pork barrel of P546B in three years? Generous? 

As above so below

At the local level, it gets more gangnam este.. gangster.. este warlord style.

For instance, go to any local government unit – and you will notice that the Governor or Mayor would be the father, or daughter, or wife. The Vice Governor or Vice-Mayor would be the father, daughter, or son – depending on the term limits. The congressman would be a cousin, or still the father, daughter or son. Then the councilors would be cousins of the third degree of consanguinity. The positions will be passed between father, son, daughter, the unholy ghost and what not. The barangay captains and their kagawads will also claim sanguine affinity.

It’s so surreal to see so many Kim Jong Ils, Stalin mini-mes – pigging out on COA-exempt funds – legal plunder in broad daylight while sending petty thieves to the gallows. Ika nga, magnanakaw, galit sa kapwa magnanakaw.

Outraged at Ampatuan’s impunity? Really? The outrage was that Ampatuan pulled it off wholesale? But how about the retail massacres that go on for decades? An ice pick to the chest, motorcycle riding gunmen, SUV’s thrown into ravines, shallow graves that would make Pol Pot and Idi Amin envious.

The voters of Sisyphus

But the bigger question really is – why do voters keep on voting for these folks who obviously have done nothing but waste taxpayers money? Is it the inertia of impunity?

In Greek mythology Sisyphus, was a king punished by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this action forever.

The word “sisyphean” means “endless and unavailing, as labor or a task”.

The Pinoy voters are a wily lot – they are after all – the “kings” of the trapos. Showered with accolades like “Kayo ang boss ko”, “mula sa masa, para sa masa” – they go about cavorting like kings.

Like Sisyphus the pinoy voters pig out on the “free lunch” paid for by the COA-exempt allottments. The occasional dinner at pricey restaurants, the free lechon during the fiesta, the overnight stay at luxurious hotels, the free plane tickets, maybe even the purchase of panties and jewelry – all paid for on tap – by the representation and travel allowance – or some exoticly named fund – which will never be audited by the COA.

Of course, when tax time comes – the pinoy voters shell out an arm and a leg for the sin taxes, the property tax, the cedulas, the sales taxes, the government fees and charges. And so they roll back to the bottom of the mountain, breaking their backs so that the gods of Mt Makiling and Mt Apo will shower them with more “free goodies”.

The Poverty of the Pinoy Mind Manifests Itself

The poverty of the Pinoy mind is best expressed by the Filipino’s average national IQ of 86 – which is classified as dull normal intelligence or borderline mental retardation. The pinoy “masa” expect new results in voting for the same old dynasties – expecting prosperity from the same old thieves.

Will the next generation of Pinoy voters be able to break the chains of their poverty-ridden forefathers? By the looks of it – NO.

A recent paper published by Cornell University researchers showed that growing up poor isn’t just hard on kids – it might also be bad for their brains. The achievement gap between well-off children and poor children isn’t only affected by lack of education, lack of nutrition – but may also literally wears down their brains thus posing a biological barrier to learning.

On a wider social scale , the implication of the policies which underlie the uninclusive Philippine economy’s 7% unemployment, 22% underemployment, widening of hunger from 15 million to 16 million Filipinos – might affect cognitive development and brain changes.

Who is Protecting Who?

As the political dynasties at the national and local level sink deeper roots into the tax coffers, the national IQ of the Philippines might just move from the borderline mental retardation of 86 to truly retarded.

Which then sets the stage for the paternalism of the dynasties to become the “protector” of the masses. Big brother, big sister, big lolo, father of the city, father of the country, mother of the country, mother of the province – and what have you. As if governance was one big household.

The poverty-stricken brains wouldn’t know that they are the ones who are actually protecting the plunderers – and in the end are the source of their own misery.

The Pinoy voters are heirs of Sisyphus forever doomed to give praise and taxes to Kim Jong Il, and totally happy about it like Homer Simpson.

As Adam Smith quipt a long time ago, in a galaxy far away – “The real tragedy of the poor is the poverty of their aspirations”

Are Philippine Schools Force Feeding Socialism and Marxism to Our Children?

Posted by BongV on Dec 9, 2014 

I can understand public school educators brainwashing their students to become dependent on the government for free lunch.

However, I didn’t realize how far gone into the collectivist rabbit hole the Philippine educational system finds itself in, until I learned that a private school such as the Ateneo de Davao, shoves Marxism and nationalism into the throats of students.

In one instance, my college freshman son approached me that he was a bit upset about their teacher drip feeding Marxism in their Sociology class. The teacher he said was promoting hatred of the rich and the victim mentality of the poor. He further said that nearly all his classmates where scholars – and he was among the few whose education was paid for by a parent.

My quick reply was that their teacher should not be promoting hatred of the wealthy, and instead motivate the children to learn how to become wealthy themselves. After all, if you imbibe an attitude of hatred towards wealth – you in effect mire yourself in poverty because you will hate the mere thought of becoming wealthy! If you hate the wealthy – then you will hate the wealthy version of you – and that ensures you will NEVER become wealthy. But then, what good is poverty really?

Being wealthy allows you to do the things you want – you become independent and empower yourself to do whatever you want – to travel, to have a comfortable life, to help yourself – and even help the poor by providing them with jobs and scholarships!

As a parent, I advised my son that the goal of education (as far as am concerned) is to nurture critical thinking- and not just to swallow what the teacher says.

At that point, I introduced him to a book by French economist Bastiat called “The Law” and a youtube playlist of video clips from Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman’s – Economics 101. I also advised him to debate the teacher in a respectful manner but without compromising his beliefs.

The second instance was when my daughter, a high school sophomore, reached out to me and said she was piqued at their English class project which was built around the theme – “How good nationalism is”.

Frankly, in my time, the teacher would have instead left it to the student to determine whether nationalism is good or not. The student will do the research and provide pros and cons of nationalism. What the teacher will do is to evaluate how well written the piece is.

Nudging students towards nationalism, in my view, miseducates the students to perpetuate a greatly flawed concept because history has shown that there is NOTHING GOOD ABOUT NATIONALISM.

As pointed out by George Orwell:

“All nationalists have the power of not seeing resemblances between similar sets of facts. A British Tory will defend self-determination in Europe and oppose it in India with no feeling of inconsistency. Actions are held to be good or bad, not on their own merits, but according to who does them, and there is almost no kind of outrage — torture, the use of hostages, forced labour, mass deportations, imprisonment without trial, forgery, assassination, the bombing of civilians — which does not change its moral colour when it is committed by “our” side.

The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them” – George Orwell

In our daily lives, economic nationalism has not done us any good too.

What good has a Filipino only telecom market done for us? Nothing but high phone bills for slow and dropped calls from PLDT and Glove.

What good has a Filipino only media market done for us? Nothing but moronic variety shows, tacky soap operas, and knock offs of foreign artists. Why the hell should we be limited to watching Ai-Ai de las Alas doing a cover of Lady Gaga? Why settle for a horrorific copycat when you can have the real deal instead?

What good has a Filipino only electric power market done for us? Nothing but high electric bills for chronic power outages – year in and year out.

What good has a Filipino only infrastructure market done for us? Nothing but bloated government budgets awarded to Filipino cronies, decrepit substandard infrastructure, and overtaxed Philippine citizens!

If anything at all, nationalism is a GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO to the economy!

My daughter also narrated a time when her classmates – Ateneans at that! – were saying buy Filipino items only. I am glad that my hija pointed out that people buy goods for their perceived values such as durability and wearability – not just because it was made in the Philippines.

Think about it – you work your ass out, you spend it on cheap Pinoy shoes that conk out after a couple of months. In contrast, you can get a more expensive Clarks shoes that will last you for YEARS! When you add up all that money spent on replacing the cheapo shoes – it will be bigger than the amount you spent on your longer lasting “expensive” shoes.

I am sure there are lots more stories to tell.

***

But here’s the point to my fellow parents – be engaged in your child’s education because everything the school teaches is not necessarily correct. After all, Philippine schools are stuffed with teachers who only became teachers as a LAST RESORT.

Or as the saying goes, those who can’t do, teach. People who are able to do something well can do that thing for a living, while people who are not able to do anything that well make a living by teaching.

Now don’t get me wrong – as there are really AWESOME teachers. These are the teachers who can inspire students to think for themselves, and motivate them to reach their full potential. But these teachers are a rarity in the Philippines – more so today than yesterday.

Teachers can only do so much, and parents have to pick up the ball if they don’t want their children to end up as LOSERS feeling entitled to a government subsidy like Pantawid Pamilya.

Teach your children to become WINNERS by showing them the ropes on what it takes to win – hard work, working smart, perseverance, sacrifice, passion, discipline – not government.

The Wood Gatherer

Carmen Pedrosa

The Wood Gatherer post from Susanita Tesiorna -Vice President for TUCP Informal Sector

Somewhere along the way, I've noticed these people sitting under the shade of the tree with their fire woods tightly tied beside them gathered from a distance of about three-kilometre.

Striking at the back of my mind while passing by, are these thoughts: they are too old and yet they are carrying those woods ? Don't they have children? Aren't they old enough to do that work?

I was already in my home when I decided to get back to catch them up for a little conversation - maybe anything under the sun.

When I arrived to where they are sitting to comfy themselves, I said "hi!" and they responded with a resounding "hi" too! I was smiling while approaching them, telling them my name and my purpose why I want to see them. And they are so eager to sharing a little of what they have, but I wanna have a conversation mind to mind. I wanna have a silent conversation with them to know what is flowing from within. And here I go, I started asking them few details about their identity.

Lolo Rigarido Olarte is 78 years old, he has six children and all are married already. He is the only man in this group of wood gatherers. His wife passed away when there children were young, that is why his children are not able to finish the full education because Lolo Rigarido's income from gathering woods is not enough to suffice their foods much more if he will send them to school. Lolo finished grade 1 and knows how to write his name that was taught by the Americans during the WWII. He recalls those times that they kept fleeing from one place to another in order to keep themselves safe from the Japanese.

Next is Lola Gloria Dela Cruz, 77, and has eight children. All her children got married early because of poverty. For them, marrying early is the only option to get out from poverty. To alleviate from the condition that for them is just like hell. Everyday is a penitence. Simply because they don't have anything on the table and they are a big family. Most of her children finished at least second grade in the primary system of education. Her husband passed away a long time ago, and all the obligations left to her. She knows no more work aside from gathering woods and doing the laundry. Lola can recognize simple words but cannot comprehend what does it mean. She used to call her children to read it for her and translate what does it mean. There even times that they are reading a news written in English, she let her children translate it for her but it was translated differently.

The last one, is the cheerful Paciencia [sic] Olarte she doesn't know her exact age. She was telling me that her mother told her that she was born during the height of famine and El Niño and the harvest of cassava was vast during that time. She finished grade 2 but she cannot read and write. According to her, no one was there to teach her when she was younger. That is why, she too, cannot teach her seven children.

I asked them two questions and here we go:

What was your ambition before?

Lola Gloria: My ambition was to have my family on my own. I was not thinking what it looks like when it comes to responsibilities and obligations. My parents were not serious in sending me to school because according to them, when I get married it is my husband that will feed me and my role only is to raise my children, that's all. I didn't know that at the end I will endure all these things. I was really thinking that when I get married then I have lesser obligations and responsibilities in life. When my husband died, it was like the whole of heaven fell on me. I have no other option but to replace my husband's responsibility. And because I do not know anything that can help us put foods on the table then we ended up like this. I was really upset, and if I can just bring back time then I will ensure my life would not end up like this said Lola Gloria.

Lolo Rigarido: When I was younger, my dream was simple to finish study and to have enough money, however, it didn't came true. I was a victim of war. And my second ambition was to help my children finish their own education, but again, I failed. My children ended up like me and just waiting for the subsidy from the government. We hope to earn a lot, work in an air-conditioned environment holding only pen and paper unlike right now I am holding my old-unsharpened bolo stated Lolo Rigarido with teary eyes.

Lola Paciencia: She has a very simple ambition and that is not to get hungry. I asked her, why you don't want to get hungry? She answered me this way, because I am tired of being hungry. I've been hungry all my life (in terms of foods, education and values).

I was really put into silence when she said that, it seems that her heart is shouting out loud, that, hey! I'm tired being poor! I hope she can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

The three of them has its own life stories to tell, but they ended up on the same fate. Different ambitions, but ended up on the same fate. Different lives, ended up on the same situation. Different personalities but the same kind of living. Do they still have hope?

They still want to tell me a lot, however, the sun is so high, they should keep going.

As one, they told me, "never be like us who have simple dreams yet unwoven and we're not thinking of what is the consequences of our actions. We were thinking that having a family is our only way to get out of poverty because we have husbands that will take care of us. But no, you should champion life on your own. Finish your education and someday if you want to have a family, make sure, they will never be like you, make them better than you".

I thanked them for the time they have spared to me and they are telling me with their smiles that, 'oh, after that you show us our pictures! We might be artists after then!'

I answered them, we will see!

Before we depart ways, Lolo Rigarido give me some words. If you get married someday, make sure you can feed them very well!

I retorted, if I get married! Hehehe

Then they started carrying up their woods and place it on top of their heads and started walking. I can see their backs, it was full of agony. Full of hopes. Full of dreams but they still keep on keeping on. I thought my problem was the biggest in the entire universe, but when I heard their stories, it made me think that my problem is only an ounce of what they have. I'm still rising like the sun and them, they are now on their way to sitting down. I still have a lot of strengths and time to pursue my dreams but for them it is already too late because even they will exert a lot of effort it is already too late. Their only ambition for now atleast they will never go hungry. A simple dream for us but for them that is next to impossibility.

I hope you can learn something from this story, send to me your thoughts through janvieamido@gmail.com. 

Thank you so much and hoping to seeing you on my next article. God bless. ‪#‎MyStory‬ ‪#‎TheWoodGatherer‬‪#‎StoriesOnPoverty‬ ‪#‎GreatStoriesFromSimplePeople‬

IN MEMORIAM

It's now too late to repent or regret but such a tragic incident could have had been prevented and many lives could have been spared from the unfortunate killing of young and brave men. My most profound sympathy and condolence to the families and loved ones of the victims. May they rest in peace.

If Spain and the U.S., in spite of their superiority in men and arms, never succeeded to integrate the Muslim population of Mindanao during their occupation, how could it be possible for the Philippines to win against them? Eventually, there will always be tension and conflict between the separatists and the authorities until they obtain their independence.

Just look at the case of Sabah, which should have been part of the Philippines as a heritage of the Sultan of Sulu but through the wish of the Sabahans chose to join the Malaysian Federation in 1963 instead of the Philippines. In the course of its history, it has never known any internal conflicts ever since except in 2013 when Sultan Kiram III staged a standoff to make a claim on Sabah that only ended tragically to the death of a number of his followers and the locals.

Taking into account that there had never been any massacre in Sabah, why not grant the Muslims of Bangsamoro the right to self-government so that unnecessary killings in the future would cease completely?

"The 2013 Lahad Datu standoff was a military conflict standoff that started on 11 February 2013 and ended on 24 March 2013, it arose after 235 militants, some of whom were armed, arrived by boats in Lahad Datu, Sabah, Malaysia from Simunul island, Tawi-Tawi in the southern Philippines on 11 February 2013. The group, calling themselves the "Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo", was sent by Jamalul Kiram III, one of the claimants to the throne of the Sultanate of Sulu. Kiram stated that their objective was to assert the unresolved territorial claim of the Philippines to eastern Sabah (the former North Borneo). Malaysian security forces surrounded the village of Tanduo in Lahad Datu where the group had gathered and after several weeks of negotiations and broken deadlines for the intruders to withdraw, security forces moved in and routed the Sulu militants." Wikipedia

15 Signs You’re With A Good Man

James Michael Sama / September 28, 2014

When it comes to dating and relationships, I often find myself wondering how certain people end up with others. Wondering why they don’t walk away if they don’t get what they deserve and hoping that they truly appreciate their teammate if they are getting what they deserve.

I think a big part of the problem blurring this line is that many people aren’t even quite sure what a healthy relationship looks like these days or how a ‘good man’ (or woman) should act towards their partner. To help clarify, I have put together this list of how a good man should act while in a relationship.

A good man never lets you forget how much he loves you.

I cannot tell you how many conversations I have had with women who tell me that there is no affection in their relationship. The man in their life does not make them feel loved, wanted, or appreciated. This is a profoundly important piece of the puzzle – a good man will always remind you how much you mean to him.

I understand men can be less communicative or affectionate than women are, but this does not excuse the severe lack of effort put forth by our generation. If someone truly loves you, you will know it and feel it. If they don’t, you’ll be wondering all the time if they do.

A good man always supports you.

Regardless of whether you want to go back to school after 20 years to get your Master’s degree, start a singing career, or stay at home to raise a family, a good man will always support you and what you want out of your life. He will never discourage you or make you feel as though you can’t do what you set out to do. He will be beside you every step of the way, cheering on your victories and comforting you during your defeats.

A good man will inspire you.

This goes one step beyond supporting you, which can be more passive. To inspire someone takes effort both in how one lives their own life as well as encourages others to live theirs. A good man’s drive and ambition will rub off on you as he pursues his own passions.

A good man will work to gain your trust.

A good man will want you to be comfortable and confident in your relationship. The very cornerstone of this is being able to trust someone, and he will realize that. Without trust there is no foundation for love or respect.

He will understand that trust is not just handed over to someone – it has to be earned, and then it has to be kept.

A good man will always make you feel beautiful.

He will understand that making you feel beautiful does not just mean saying the words to you. It will mean truly making you feel beautiful. In the way he looks at you, touches you, and treats you. He will notice details when you put effort into your appearance and remind you how attractive he still finds you even when you don’t.

A good man will understand that whether you are in your sweatpants on the couch or in your evening gown heading to a gala, when you love someone for who they truly are, everything about them becomes beautiful.

A good man will make you feel safe.

I have always said that I believe one of the best compliments a woman can give a man is telling him that she feels safe around him. Regardless of how attracted she is to you or how funny she thinks you are or how much money you have – if a woman cannot sleep soundly by your side at night, none of it matters.

A good man does the little things.

Do you need a prescription filled but have to stay late at work? Did you mention an art exhibit coming to town and he made plans to take you to see it? Regardless of how small certain things seem, he will understand they are really the big things that matter most.

A good man never crosses the line.

It is natural to have disagreements and even arguments in a relationship – but there is no reason to make things personal, become insulting, and never, ever to become abusive. A good man will remain calm and stay on the topic at hand.

A good man is always trying to improve himself.

Whether it be learning new things, developing a new skill set, reading a new book or watching a documentary – a good man who prides himself on continuous self improvement will always be intellectually challenging you and keeping your attention. He will be doing these things for himself, but the added benefit will be the positive impact it has on your relationship.

A good man understands actions speak louder than words.

Having the right man in your life will make you understand that people who make promises do not deserve your respect. People who keep promises deserve your respect, and he will be one of them.

A good man will open up to you.

It can be difficult for some men to express their emotions, fears, and even inner-most desires – but having the right woman in our life often helps to open those doors. A good man, while understanding of course some things are to be kept private, will not hide things from you or bottle up his feelings knowing it will cause tension and frustration.

A good man will always be honest with you.

When building a foundation for a happy, healthy relationship, a good man will understand that honesty is always the best policy.

A good man will make you feel comfortable being honest.

Comfort in a relationship (the good kind, not the kind that makes you stop trying) comes from the ability to be open and honest with your partner – and the ability to do this comes from knowing you will never be judged. A good man will encourage you to open up and share your feelings with him. There should never be any fear of him flying off the handle or overreacting if you share something with him.

This means being able to be the most genuine, uncensored version of yourself around him.

A good man will never be abusive.

Perhaps the most important point of all. Whether it be mentally, emotionally, or physically, a good man will never even think about being abusive towards you or harmful in any way. If this happens to you – please have the courage and respect for yourself in order to talk to someone or walk away immediately. No good person would ever act like this and it will not get better on its own.

A good man will stand by you no matter what.

When a man commits his love and his time to a woman, there are no stipulations or circumstances required. There will be good times and there will be not-so-good times. There will be challenges and unexpected situations that arise. But he will stay by your side and be your teammate through it all.

Of course, there is an asterisk on this. This does not mean you can disrespect him, lie, or cheat. It does not mean you can betray his trust and expect him to stick around because he promised to commit to you. This point is about things the two of you go through together and him having the integrity needed to not walk away when times get hard.

Any man can be by your side on the sunny days. The real test of character is whether or not he will hold the umbrella over you during the stormy days.

And ladies, if the man you are with puts in the effort to be this person for you, please let him know how much you appreciate him. No matter how kind a person is, there is no emptier feeling than giving your heart to someone who you feel takes it for granted.

The 44 SAF troopers died heroes, but their deaths were all in vain

February 1, 2015

by benign0

A lot of people are telling me that the tipping point has finally come — that a critical mass of Filipinos are finally seeing Philippine President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III for who he really is: the president who should not have been elected. Readers who have followed and read Get Real Post and participated in its lively online discussions from the beginning, know that we’ve called it years before. President BS Aquino is not fit to lead the Filipino people.

I used to say with a wry smile that Filipinos deserve President BS Aquino. I can’t say, however, that Filipinos deserve to die because of him.

Bodies of massacred Special Action Force troopers arrive at Villamor Air Base.

That, of course, is not to say that Filipinos don’t routinely die preventable deaths under the watch of previous presidents. Indeed, equally appalling tragedies have happened in the past under the watch of better presidents. Yet, no lessons have been learned. Rickety overloaded passenger ships still ply the waters in between the Philippines 7,000+ islands. Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos still live under the shadow of avalanches and flash floods waiting to happen. Manila’s squatter colonies are vast fire traps. Drivers of Philippine cities’ fleets of public buses and jeepneys are ill-trained, often drug-crazed homicidal maniacs. The list of killer stuff left unaddressed due to incompetence more than a lack of resources is long.

And to be fair, I have also long asserted that Philippine presidents really don’t matter to begin with — because much of what plagues the Philippines overall has more to do with the character of the Filipino than with the governance quality of any one ruling president.

So what then is so different about 44 Special Action Force (SAF) police officers massacred by the terrorist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)? After all, Aquino apologists assert, they are combatants who willingly put their lives on the line unlike the innocent civilian victims of state neglect.

But that is precisely why the deaths of the SAF 44 are special and why President BS Aquino is particularly accountable for this tragedy. BS Aquino is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the ultimate civilian boss of the Philippine National Police (PNP). The men and women of the armed services are under the direct control of the President. Their lives are at the president’s disposal.

So, really, whether President BS Aquino was aware or unaware of the circumstances of the deployment of SAF troops into “MILF territory” is beside the point. The fact staring him in the face is that, fairly or unfairly, he isseen to be responsible for the operation. It’s politics, not any sense of what is “fair”, that is at work here. BS Aquino should be familiar with this circumstance. It was this argument that he and his henchmen used to justify the underhanded and dishonest way they mounted the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012.

Unfortunately for President BS Aquino, he is not a statesmen. Real statesmen are able to face bad PR situations head-on and come out winners. Aquino, on the other hand, squandered many opportunities to appease the public in the aftermath of the SAF 44 massacre. He waited several days after the news broke to face the cameras and address the public. When he did, he focused mainly on washing every bit of responsibility over the failure off his hands. He failed to condemn the elements of the MILF responsible for the atrocity. And the sheer lack of eloquence and pikon demeanour he exhibited over the brief period he spoke to Filipinos made even his admirers cringe.

And then he failed to show up at Villamor Air Base when the bodies of the fallen arrived, deciding instead to attend a relatively inconsequential event in Laguna that day.

We’d like to think the deaths of the 44 SAF troopers meant something — that their deaths will not have all been in vain. Sadly, we will have to face the truth that their deaths were utterly senseless. Nowadays, the MILF leadership happens to be in bed with the Philippine government thanks to President BS Aquino’s pet project, the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) being reviewed in Philippine Congress. In that sense, they were really not killed by the “enemy”, but by rogue “friendly fire”. They were killed by people they were not out to stop or were intending to fight.

For that matter, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Filipino soldiers and police officers who fought these Islamic terrorists could be said to have all been in vain. The enemy was not beaten. Though they died serving their country as heroically as Jose Rizal did, they did not really change anything.

So President BS Aquino can hang out with the families of the dead for however long the media finds all that newsworthy. He can even hang as many medals and hand out as many plaques to grieving spouses as he wants. The fact is, when he gets back to his office, the president will likely continue to treat the MILF like the “partner” he says they are in this so-called “peace process” and work through his final year-and-a-bit as president to get his administration’s “legacy” squared away.

Meanwhile, 44 fine young fighting men are dead. In time, they will join their other dead comrades in the dustbin of history; casualties of the agendas of the crooks the people they serve routinely elect to be their leaders and representatives.

[Photo courtesy, @MisterBanatero on Twitter.]