FAREWELL 2010, LET’S BE HOPEFUL FOR 2011!

Erle Frayne D. Argonza
December 2010

A happy, prosperous New Year to you all!

2010 is now ending, and so is the month of December. Each one of us has his/her wish list for the coming year, as well as farewell notes for 2010. If there is any ground where we can all meet, it is the ground of Hope: hopeful that things will be better for us personally, family-wise, collectively for the coming year.

I am very happy to note that the PulseAsia already did its survey of perceptions for the coming year, with the result ending on a very optimistic light. It showed overall that 89% of Filipinos are very hopeful for the coming year. This is all-too important a compass of our perceptions for 2011.

If there is any wish I have for you fellow global citizens, it is to know the Filipinos’ optimism for 2011. I am very much aware about the rough economic storms going on in the North, and the fiery hostilities in war-torn countries. Naturally, the peoples of the North and the war-torn countries will demonstrate perceptions of pessimism.

As a matter of fact, the peoples of Europe and the USA have shown a lower than 50% result in optimism surveys on a yearly basis. Even if their economies are doing well, there seems to be a subterfuge nihilism in the West in particular, as shown be the general pessimism of their peoples for the coming year.

There is surely a big challenge on the leaders of the West + Japan to keep on shoring up the optimism index of their peoples. Nothing is wrong with exuding optimism amid crises, so in case that the tide can be reversed yet, let us all be hopeful for 2011.

Another mood that we all perhaps must exhibit for 2011, arising from an exuberant optimism, is a state of happiness. “Don’t worry, be happy” says the old cliché from a song in the 80s.

In such a light, there is no mistake that we must learn from the peoples of countries who have exhibited high marks in the Happiness Index. This year’s happiness index is topped by Denmark, Switzerland, and contiguous countries, so let’s all look at how their peoples are able to exude happiness in a continent that has been burning economically.

Without further ado, we global citizens are urged to feel the contagion of that happiness. No matter what crisis we face as individuals and as groups, we should all find the courage to smile, laugh, and be merry.

For your inspirational pieces, let me dedicate to you the works of the late Dr. Jose Rizal, patriarch and national hero of the Philippines. Of indomitable courage, will, and genius, Dr. Rizal showed calmness and sobriety even when the most powerful of maelstroms struck him down via martyrdom in the hands of the Spanish Empire’s forces.

Rizal gave so much hope not only to Filipinos but also to other peoples who struggled to be freed from the yokes of their colonial oppressors. Up until these days patriots of developing countries read his works, while wealthy countries have built monuments for him. He is a man for all seasons, as well as a ‘guru of nationhood’.

That said, don’t forget to set your goals in clear and concise statements. Identify around three (3) core goals, scribble each one separately in a page of your 2011 diary or appointment book, and let them guide your actions for the entire year.


[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU WHO MADE ME TOP BLOGGER!

Prof. Erle Frayne D. Argonza
December 2010

Peace, love, and light to you!

I take this occasion to thank you all enthused readers and fellow writers for your high appreciation of my scribbles on society, wisdom, and self-development.

Before the year closes, I did a follow up tracking of end-users and discussants of my writings. I was surely gladdened by the huge addition of numbers of sites that did cite my writings and/or discourse on them. My social blogs continue to be esteemed among the world’s top sociology blogs, thus making my year end with a Big Bang of delight.

I wish to extend to you a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
For the coming year, may we all co-partner to build a global culture of cooperation and peace-building.

Special thanks to the following online news, magazines and portals for citing my notes as among the top blogs on cyberspace:

http://asiafinest.com
http://clpl-india.com
http://humanitariannews.org
http://newestnews.net
http://pul.se
http://sociology.alltop.com
http://thedailyreviewer.com
http://topcityblogs.com
http://www.nonprofit.org

For recognizing me as Finalist-Best Society, Politics & History Blog, special thanks to the Phiippine Blog Awards:

http://www.philippineblogawards.com.ph

Thanks too to the following sites that have cited, discussed and debated on various notes of mine about a diversity of topics and themes:

http://abazurkiem.ciekaweforum.info
http://acutemigraine.info
http://adamsmithlegacy.com
http://aksesoriswanita.com
http://aksibintang.com
http://alltop.com
http://artsandsciencesfilipiniana.blogspot.com
http://asean-society.org
http://au.kcegy.com/tag/asean
http://awakento1.org
http://azionianziani.wordpress.com
http://bedico.multiply.com
http://benjaminmangubat.multiply.com
http://belog.web.id
http://blissnbaguio.multiply.com
http://blog.coupledb.com
http://blog.searchaid.info
http://blog-yemek-tarifi.com
http://boardreader.com
http://bookmarkercenter.com/web/permohan
http://books.google.com
http://botd.wordpress.com
http://browser9.com/index.ph
http://cantbustme.com
http://castasiaforum.org
http://cc.bingj.com
http://cerita-17-dewasa.co.cc
http://cewek-cantik.com
http://conceptsinproduction.com
http://connect.in.com
http://csmotes.com
http://cuba.mx.am
http://culturalrelativism.blogspot.com
http://deepmarket.com
http://digg.com/users/renziebaluyut.history
http://dolores.pinoyexchange.com
http://domainsbyip.com
http://dprogram.net
http://duniabimbimdanbella.info
http://eastasiaforum.org
http://economicobjectivism.wordpress.com
http://eeeph.netbooks.ph
http://en.anoword.com
http://en.wasalive.com
http://er5uyt5.2y.net/robots_doing_a_job.html
http://esthernababan.blogspot.com
http://eternalgodliness.punt.com
http://ewss.ifrance.com
http://extrafastnews.co.cc
http://facegle.com
http://facetopics.com
http://feedraider.com
http://findaway.hk/university
http://forum.prisonplanet.com
http://forumpolis.com
http://fotoalbumshop.net
http://fototoday.net
http://franzranches.blogspot.com
http://fvdb.wordpress.com
http://garneringrightideas.com
http://gestaro-xe.cx
http://globalbalita.com
http://govguru.com/incapacitation
http://groups.google.com/group/k4FyALA4...
http://groups.google.it
http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/Patriots_of_the_Philippines
http://g4g.jp/m/22281
http://hubpages.com
http://humanityhealing.ning.com
http://hutnyk.wordpress.com
http://iamretromanila.multiply.com
http://intercotire.com
http://jeffmahonc.com
http://jk22.blogspot.com
http://josephparton.com
http://koha.nip.gov.ph
http://kotagidis.com/news
http://lanaodelsur.inetgiant.com.hp
http://leathernews.myip.org
http://lovingenergies.spruz.com
http://luciotanwatch.blogspot.com
http://makeasackboy.com
http://manila.newsbit.com
http://marketingkristin.ning.com
http://maryraab.wordpress.com
http://masroy.net
http://math-learn-direct-proven.mathlearndirect.com
http://mediaindonesia.co.cc
http://metalsinvestor.info
http://mixx.com
http://mmsnews.cz.cc
http://mountzion.ning.com
http://mr.wikiwix.com
http://nisim-tw.com
http://nonprofits.info
http://nuip.net
http://obatamandel.com
http://omgili.com
http://online-profitsnow.com
http://opitslinkfest.blogspot.com
http://origin-bx.businessweek.com
http://otomm.com
http://paper.li
http://peacocksandlilies.com
http://penditasuvarmabhuni.blogspot.com
http://petites-phrases.com
http://pipl.com
http://pirs08.webs.com
http://politekon.blogspot.com
http://pottersweal.wordpress.com
http://psychicdirectory.wallwack.com
http://pulitika2010.wordpress.com
http://responsible.ning.com
http://reut-blog.org
http://revspeech.proboards.com
http://r-domain.net
http://rizalls.lib.admu.edu.ph
http://sacet.ddns.pl
http://sanjhaa.com
http://sharethis.com
http://shopswissskydiver.net
http://shop.swissskydive.org
http://sixevent.com
http://skripsi-tesis.com
http://society.leapfish.com
http://surchur.com
http://tagadavao.wordpress.com
http://technology.kosmix.com/topic/Prex
http://tibak.freeserver.com
http://tipsoke.com
http://today.smashits.com
http://toketcewek.com
http://trendsbuzz.com
http://tweetmeme.com
http://twit.ch
http://vans3n.multiply.com
http://webpac.lib.nthu.ed.tw
http://webmarketools.com/info/mu-lemuria
http://wordsdomination.com
http://worldwidebusiness.ning.com
http://www.123people.com
http://www.96147.com
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com
http://www.aidworkers.net
http://www.angel.am/Etheric_plane
http://www.answerbag.co.uk
http://www.asean-society.net
http://www.asiafinest.com.br
http://www.ask.com
http://www.blogged.com
http://www.blogsope.net
http://www.buildhome.tizo.pl
http://www.carboncapturereport.org
http://www.cnn.com
http://www.davidicke.com
http://www.deepmarket.com
http://www.doodlesource.com
http://www.drunkduck.com
http://www.elib.gov.ph
http://www.familycommitment.org
http://www.finir.org
http://www.fiskedepan.se
http://www.friendly-shopper.com
http://www.galacticroundtable.com
http://www.godlikeproductions.com
http://www.go2web20.net
http://www.hcrefund.com
http://www.hot-mp3.com
http://www.icerocket.com
http://www.inetgiant.com.ph
http://www.iyou.me
http://www.jamesoo.com
http://www.kankermesothelioma.net
http://www.kiwihomepage.co.az
http://www.kosmix.com/topic/Arjuna
http://www.linkedin.com
http://www.longislandrealestatecentral.com
http://www.lovanre.net
http://www.lowongankerjajulis.com
http://www.mail-archive.com
http://www.mb.com.ph
http://www.mixx.com
http://www.mode.org
http://www.mylot.com
http://www.mynewsdigest.com
http://www.neatanswers.com
http://www.norocks.net/node/155206
http://www.nowcosm.com
http://www.onlineobchody.com
http://www.oqqi.com
http://www.pakspectator.com
http://www.peekyou.com
http://www.pep.ph
http://www.pointsdevente.com
http://www.politicaltaxes.com
http://www.provideo.shop.de
http://www.psychantenna.com
http://www.pubsub.com
http://www.rehabfromdrug.com
http://www.samepoint.com
http://www.seo-torque.com/3/philippines_alltop
http://www.seotriz.com/newestnews.net
http://www.spiritbond.com
http://www.rgb-mediat.fi
http://www.rssmicro.com
http://www.tapatt.net
http://www.theakan.com
http://www.the-az.com
http://www.thetemplepub.com
http://www.toluu.com
http://www.topix.com
http://www.tumbir.com/tagged/omniverse
http://www.tweetcepts.com
http://www.untitledarchive.com
http://www.upm.edu.ph/manilakule
http://www.usforcenews.info
http://www.wallcloud.net
http://www.wealthyauthority.com
http://www.westpalmferrari.com
http://www.wopular.com
http://www.wordloo.com/abscbn_news.html
http://www.wordsdeals.com
http://www.yasni.co.uk
http://www.yansi.co.uk/radha+soami
http://www.youtube.com/user/alvin19048
http://www.zitrend.com
http://www.zoominfo.com
http://www3.mbl.re1.yahoo.com
http://www3.mbl.sp1.yahoo.com
http://vd.finline.2y.net
http://vetrey.cw.cm
http://xa.ying.com/kq/groups/2206632
http://yasamkadin.com
http://yoga-experts.info
http://yunico.com
http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi
http://1farakav.wordpress.com/2010/10/05
http://3qareon.com/vb/maharlika-nation-topics

May the spirit of Christmas translate as more blessings to all the supportive individuals, groups, and internet sites for the coming 2011!

Mabuhay!

PROF. ARGONZA SURGES YET ON WORLD ALLTOP BLOGS!

A pleasant day and Happy Holidays to fellow global citizens!

Yuletide season is now at our doors, and the spirit of fellowship has been harboring glad tidings of good news as Prof. Erle Frayne Argonza, a social analyst and self-development guru from Manila, has been continuing to gain mileage in his magnanimous efforts to enlighten humanity about the current social and cosmic issues. To date, dozens of online newspapers and magazines across the globe have featured Prof. Argonza’s writings on their very own websites.

Another very warming development most recently was the conferment by the Philippine Blog Awards of FINALIST-BEST SOCIETY, POLITICS & HISTORY BLOG on Prof. Argonza’s Ikonoklast. Thus, Prof. Argonza is indubitably among the Philippines’ top bloggers today, buttressing the earlier recognitions of him as one of the world’s top sociology bloggers.

For your reads and exchange of notes about Prof. Argonza’s blogs, please visit:

SOCIAL WRITINGS:
Unladtau: http://unladtau.wordpress.com
Ikonoklast: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com

WISDOM WRITINGS:
BrightWorld: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com Cosmicbuhay: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com

ART & POETRY:
Artblog: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com
Argonzapoem: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com

Join now the growing numbers of global citizens who find Light in Prof. Argonza’s englightening blogs!


Argonza & Associates Consulting
December 2010



TOP BLOG SITES:

http://asiafinest.com
http://clpl-india.com
http://humanitariannews.org
http://newestnews.net
http://pul.se
http://sociology.alltop.com
http://thedailyreviewer.com
http://topcityblogs.com
http://www.nonprofit.org

CONFERRED ‘FINALIST-BEST SOCIETY, POLITICS & HISTORY BLOG’ ON PROF. ARGONZA’S IKONOKLAST:

http://www.philippineblogawards.com

CITED ARGONZA BLOGS FOR DIVERSE THEME DISCUSSIONS & ANNOTATIONS:

http://abazurkiem.ciekaweforum.info
http://acutemigraine.info
http://adamsmithlegacy.com
http://aksesoriswanita.com
http://aksibintang.com
http://alltop.com
http://artsandsciencesfilipiniana.blogspot.com
http://asean-society.org
http://au.kcegy.com/tag/asean
http://awakento1.org
http://azionianziani.wordpress.com
http://bedico.multiply.com
http://benjaminmangubat.multiply.com
http://belog.web.id
http://blissnbaguio.multiply.com
http://blog.coupledb.com
http://blog.searchaid.info
http://blog-yemek-tarifi.com
http://boardreader.com
http://bookmarkercenter.com/web/permohan
http://books.google.com
http://botd.wordpress.com
http://browser9.com/index.ph
http://cantbustme.com
http://castasiaforum.org
http://cc.bingj.com
http://cerita-17-dewasa.co.cc
http://cewek-cantik.com
http://conceptsinproduction.com
http://connect.in.com
http://csmotes.com
http://cuba.mx.am
http://culturalrelativism.blogspot.com
http://deepmarket.com
http://digg.com/users/renziebaluyut.history
http://dolores.pinoyexchange.com
http://domainsbyip.com
http://dprogram.net
http://duniabimbimdanbella.info
http://eastasiaforum.org
http://economicobjectivism.wordpress.com
http://eeeph.netbooks.ph
http://en.anoword.com
http://en.wasalive.com
http://er5uyt5.2y.net/robots_doing_a_job.html
http://esthernababan.blogspot.com
http://eternalgodliness.punt.com
http://ewss.ifrance.com
http://extrafastnews.co.cc
http://facegle.com
http://facetopics.com
http://feedraider.com
http://findaway.hk/university
http://forum.prisonplanet.com
http://forumpolis.com
http://fotoalbumshop.net
http://fototoday.net
http://franzranches.blogspot.com
http://fvdb.wordpress.com
http://garneringrightideas.com
http://gestaro-xe.cx
http://globalbalita.com
http://govguru.com/incapacitation
http://groups.google.com/group/k4FyALA4...
http://groups.google.it
http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/Patriots_of_the_Philippines
http://g4g.jp/m/22281
http://hubpages.com
http://humanityhealing.ning.com
http://hutnyk.wordpress.com
http://iamretromanila.multiply.com
http://intercotire.com
http://jeffmahonc.com
http://jk22.blogspot.com
http://josephparton.com
http://koha.nip.gov.ph
http://kotagidis.com/news
http://lanaodelsur.inetgiant.com.hp
http://leathernews.myip.org
http://lovingenergies.spruz.com
http://luciotanwatch.blogspot.com
http://makeasackboy.com
http://manila.newsbit.com
http://marketingkristin.ning.com
http://maryraab.wordpress.com
http://masroy.net
http://math-learn-direct-proven.mathlearndirect.com
http://mediaindonesia.co.cc
http://metalsinvestor.info
http://mixx.com
http://mmsnews.cz.cc
http://mountzion.ning.com
http://mr.wikiwix.com
http://nisim-tw.com
http://nonprofits.info
http://nuip.net
http://obatamandel.com
http://omgili.com
http://online-profitsnow.com
http://opitslinkfest.blogspot.com
http://origin-bx.businessweek.com
http://otomm.com
http://paper.li
http://peacocksandlilies.com
http://penditasuvarmabhuni.blogspot.com
http://petites-phrases.com
http://pipl.com
http://pirs08.webs.com
http://politekon.blogspot.com
http://pottersweal.wordpress.com
http://psychicdirectory.wallwack.com
http://pulitika2010.wordpress.com
http://responsible.ning.com
http://reut-blog.org
http://revspeech.proboards.com
http://r-domain.net
http://rizalls.lib.admu.edu.ph
http://sacet.ddns.pl
http://sanjhaa.com
http://sharethis.com
http://shopswissskydiver.net
http://shop.swissskydive.org
http://sixevent.com
http://skripsi-tesis.com
http://society.leapfish.com
http://surchur.com
http://tagadavao.wordpress.com
http://technology.kosmix.com/topic/Prex
http://tibak.freeserver.com
http://tipsoke.com
http://today.smashits.com
http://toketcewek.com
http://trendsbuzz.com
http://tweetmeme.com
http://twit.ch
http://vans3n.multiply.com
http://webpac.lib.nthu.ed.tw
http://webmarketools.com/info/mu-lemuria
http://wordsdomination.com
http://worldwidebusiness.ning.com
http://www.123people.com
http://www.96147.com
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com
http://www.aidworkers.net
http://www.angel.am/Etheric_plane
http://www.answerbag.co.uk
http://www.asean-society.net
http://www.asiafinest.com.br
http://www.ask.com
http://www.blogged.com
http://www.blogsope.net
http://www.buildhome.tizo.pl
http://www.carboncapturereport.org
http://www.cnn.com
http://www.davidicke.com
http://www.deepmarket.com
http://www.doodlesource.com
http://www.drunkduck.com
http://www.elib.gov.ph
http://www.familycommitment.org
http://www.finir.org
http://www.fiskedepan.se
http://www.friendly-shopper.com
http://www.galacticroundtable.com
http://www.godlikeproductions.com
http://www.go2web20.net
http://www.hcrefund.com
http://www.hot-mp3.com
http://www.icerocket.com
http://www.inetgiant.com.ph
http://www.iyou.me
http://www.jamesoo.com
http://www.kankermesothelioma.net
http://www.kiwihomepage.co.az
http://www.kosmix.com/topic/Arjuna
http://www.linkedin.com
http://www.longislandrealestatecentral.com
http://www.lovanre.net
http://www.lowongankerjajulis.com
http://www.mail-archive.com
http://www.mb.com.ph
http://www.mixx.com
http://www.mode.org
http://www.mylot.com
http://www.mynewsdigest.com
http://www.neatanswers.com
http://www.norocks.net/node/155206
http://www.nowcosm.com
http://www.onlineobchody.com
http://www.oqqi.com
http://www.pakspectator.com
http://www.peekyou.com
http://www.pep.ph
http://www.pointsdevente.com
http://www.politicaltaxes.com
http://www.provideo.shop.de
http://www.psychantenna.com
http://www.pubsub.com
http://www.rehabfromdrug.com
http://www.rssmicro.com
http://www.samepoint.com
http://www.seo-torque.com/3/philippines_alltop
http://www.seotriz.com/newestnews.net
http://www.spiritbond.com
http://www.rgb-mediat.fi
http://www.tapatt.net
http://www.theakan.com
http://www.the-az.com
http://www.thetemplepub.com
http://www.toluu.com
http://www.topix.com
http://www.tumbir.com/tagged/omniverse
http://www.tweetcepts.com
http://www.untitledarchive.com
http://www.upm.edu.ph/manilakule
http://www.usforcenews.info
http://www.wallcloud.net
http://www.wealthyauthority.com
http://www.westpalmferrari.com
http://www.wopular.com
http://www.wordloo.com/abscbn_news.html
http://www.wordsdeals.com
http://www.yasni.co.uk
http://www.yansi.co.uk/radha+soami
http://www.youtube.com/user/alvin19048
http://www.zitrend.com
http://www.zoominfo.com
http://www3.mbl.re1.yahoo.com
http://www3.mbl.sp1.yahoo.com
http://vd.finline.2y.net
http://vetrey.cw.cm
http://xa.ying.com/kq/groups/2206632
http://yasamkadin.com
http://yoga-experts.info
http://yunico.com
http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi
http://1farakav.wordpress.com/2010/10/05
http://3qareon.com/vb/maharlika-nation-topics

ECHOING FAMILY PEACE ON XMAS 2010

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Kapayapaan! Peace be with you!

This social analyst and guru of self-realization already discoursed on the ‘peace project’ in so many previous articles (academic, spiritual, blogs). I will re-echo the ‘peace project’ as a fitting message for the Christmas holiday, an event that had already begun in the Philippines with the dawn mass or simbang gabi.

I will focus my peregrination though on the family aspect of life, on family peace, which admittedly was left behind in my past discourses. My previous writings were reflections about meta-narratives, about macro realities of war, peace accords, hostilities, discord among classes, ethnicities, and nations.

Wellness and the absence of it take place at many levels, so does it take place at the family level. Since this morph of wellness involves social relations and their affective manifestations, we will refer to it as psychosocial wellness. The term sounds like health-related, and it is: total wellness is the characteristic jewel of health, and health characterizes the quality of family relations.

Christmas celebrates peace in its universal sense, so does it celebrate family peace. The absence of hostilities at the family level—both nuclear and extended families—isn’t the only focal goal to attain as a wellness challenge. The greater challenge is to sustain healthy relations that will redound to growth-inducing bonds.

In philosophical terms, family living should strive to veer away from ‘death principle’/nihilistic state and traverse towards ‘life principle’/creative state. The family should be a ground to take stock of and repair the imbalances and disordered state (relative to dysfunctional) that all members invariably suffer from, rather than a ground for mere passive acceptance of each one’s weaknesses and defects. Coming to terms with such a state is the challenge of family living.

To substantiate my point, let me share to you a narrative about an old friend of mine who is couples of years my junior. Let me call him by a code name Phoenix. I met him in my campus dorm—at the University of the Philippines (Diliman)—while I was in graduate school in ‘84-‘86, he a young man who was intellectually inclined and ambitious. We instantly clicked with one another, became discussion partners and developed a lingering friendship. We both dreamt of authoring our own books in the future, a goal that both of us have already achieved.

While intellectually capable, I noticed that he couldn’t demonstrate his love for a woman and build a granite-strong Eros. A female student shed tears before me, as her love for Phoenix seemed burnt right away in the cold heart of the man. I have to appease the young woman no end, as she kept coming to me for comfort and let me read the poems she wrote for Phoenix (I was already into listening-counseling vocation then).

To my real shock, I found out from Phoenix’s own tongue that he grew up with a father who showed no compunction in beating him up. From childhood through his college years, Phoenix was cruelly abused by his father, who was without mistake a dangerous sociopath. Were it not for Phoenix’s own high-achievement predisposition, his learning could have been badly impaired by the demonic hostility of his own father.

Phoenix eventually finished his masteral degree, took up law which he also finished (U.P. College of Law), became a successful professional, and authored his book (it was published later). Good looking and conversationally engaging, he was the epitome of success that a woman would find in a man. But the shock of it all is that his capacity for Eros, for loving a woman, had been impaired forever by the arid child-rearing he received from a sociopathic father.

There are too many persons out there whose life trajectories are similar or parallel to Phoenix’s. Many of them may have built families of their own, but chances are that, with the dysfunctionalities in them remaining un-addressed (via psychosocial therapy), their families could have disheveled. Some who parented kids have committed crimes of killing their own children/babies, others have committed fratricide, and still others killed their respective spouse. Truly catastrophic endings for families begun with good intentions!

If the personal imbalances in each family member remain un-addressed, they will become the cause of absence of peace internally and among family members. The dense energies within each one will simply keep on recycling and manifesting in hostilities and even suicidal ideation (intrapersonal hostility).

Christmas is a very fitting occasion for renewing bonds. Though bonds may be renewed without preconditions, the reunion during a Christmas occasion can serve as fitting moment for therapy. If each party to the reunion would attune to thoughts of delight founded on devotion, then the occasion would be subtly therapeutic.

That’s why Christmas is so important an occasion, not only for Christians but for men and women of all faiths and persuasions. As I declared in another article, Christmas should be globalized as a multi-cultural holiday. No matter what happens, let there be Christmas holiday every year, as it contributes to building psychosocial wellness at the family and friendship levels (friendship is marked by fraternal bonds).

So for this year’s Christmas holiday, let there be family peace unto all families on Earth. Let this family peace be a timeless testimony to our personal efforts to build peace at all levels of life.

Peace, love, Light unto all of you!

[Philippines, 16 December 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

ARGONZA’S IKONOKLAST FINALIST IN PH BLOG AWARDS

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


Good evening from the suburban boondocks east of Manila!

I was just recently informed by the officiating committee of the prestigious Philippine Blog Awards that my IKONOKLAST blog landed among the finalists to the BEST SOCIETY, POLITICS & HISTORY BLOG category (see http://erleargonza.blogspot.com). The news ignited an instantaneous elation in me that bordered euphoria.

A social scientist, development expert and spiritual guru for some time, I found blogging as a perfect platform for the conduct of my messenger mission in advancement of the Light of truth, knowledge, wisdom to our fellow citizens of Planet Earth. Being a late-comer in the cyber-field, I began to blog and do social networking only in late 2007, so any news today of recognition as a top blogger, both nationally and internationally, is awesomely euphoric for this humble servant of the Almighty Creator.

Fact is, I wasn’t a born writer. A born warrior-leader, intellectual and healer I am, this I openly admit, avocations that were already optimized and practiced with fulfillment. But as a writer, I had to learn the hard way, struggling from my basic education grammar days up through my professional career era.

I came to discover the passion for writing along the way, as I was also learning the crafts of dancing, acting, story-telling, and musical presentation (song, composition, acoustic guitar rendition). No matter how flawed my writing was at the start, I was never discouraged by acerbic critics about mistakes. Love for the craft simply led me to work hard to perfect the art and practice of it….Until I got to where I am, scribbling notes and recondite peregrinations with erudition and skill.

But even then, my bent for technical-academic writing dominates my style. This makes me exude a truly humble mien when I contrast my writing to those of other writers and thinkers. The winners of the very prestigious Ramon Magsaysay for literature, National Artist for literature, National Scientist awards, Palanca Award (Filipino, English) appear as truly talented, born writers whose works I genuinely appreciate. Eminent persons they all ended up, some of them even became members of the very prestigious international writers’ organization PEN.

I would never imagine myself as being an all-top writer of sorts like the awardees of those aforesaid accolades, though I do envision myself as reaching out to enthused souls very efficaciously through the pen. So it surely comes as a surprise, sufficient to ignite elation, that certain online media sites would recognize my writings as among top sociology blogs.

And that was what happened over the last twelve (12) months of consistent blogging. Never mind the months when I rested from the craft for a while, for one reason or another. As soon as I resumed writing, dozens of internet sites cut-and-paste and discoursed on my social writings, while couples of others openly assigned certain articles of mine to the alltop sections of their online magazines, newspapers, or related media.

Amid such open recognitions, I would never imagine my writings as landing in the Philippine Blog Awards, a prestigious accolade-granting institution of late (see: http://www.philippineblogawards.com.ph). That is like winning a National Artist award to me, and I’d be humble enough to reckon with my blog’s status. Until one fine day this last quarter, when some benignly appreciative souls from my beloved Philippines brought my Ikonoklast blog—as official nomination—to the attention of the Philippine Blog Awards.

That nomination alone was ample cause to wobble my heart with thunderous beats of delight. I thanked the Almighty Creator profusely and endlessly for the nomination-type recognition as it already is proof enough that my advocacy campaigns have been achieving the desired results. It caps the profusion of subtle recognitions, as hundreds of internet sites today have already been discoursing on my writings. Most notable of those that recognized my writings are the following:

 http://asiafinest.com
 http://clpl-india.com
 http://humanitariannews.org
 http://newestnews.net
 http://pul.se
 http://sociology.alltop.com
 http://thedailyreviewer.com
 http://topcityblogs.com
 http://www.nonprofit.org

The latest news about the Finalist status is a multiplier effect on my elation, and I do anticipate that I would go euphoric over it before Christmas Day. I likewise feel happy for my fellow Finalists, and for the one who will be declared winner among us. Win or lose in the championship, all finalists are already top bloggers, the cream of the country’s bloggers.

So I would conclude by extending my thanks to the avid supporters, the Philippine Blog Awards, and the Almighty Providence for this top blogger feat. This development has made my Yuletide holidays enormously wonderful, rendered as another milestone event in my making as a writer and messenger of Light-filled causes.

[Philippines, 14 December 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

LOVE & LIGHT FOR AFRICA THIS YULETIDE!

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


The Yuletide Season is now here with us, Christmas is a globalizing special event, so let me say my yuletide greetings to my fellow global citizens.

For this piece, the greatest love and care I wish to share is for the peoples of Africa. The post-colonial efforts of Africans to establish strong nations, sustain economic growth, and graduate to middle income countries have been marred by colossal barriers. Such barriers are strongly external, a matter I’ve treated in past articles, so I pray and wish that Africans will be able to dis-entangle from those encumbrances.

As a matter of revelation, I’ve long wanted to serve Africa as a development expert. There were already two (2) occasions for me to offer my services to do enterprise development for the continent, one for the southern African region (I could have based in Madagascar) and another for the northern region (Ethiopia could have been my base).

Having drafted some project prospectus for each of those endeavors, I then prepared to fly to the continent. Just as when I was ready to move on, driven by my eagerness to serve the peoples there, something happened to my clientele sponsor. Communications stopped on the African side, which left my consulting team and myself wondering what was going on there.

I guess that’s how tough it is to push through with agenda of change anywhere in the continent. From North to South, East to West, enormous obstacles are getting in the way of change programs. In the end, the marginal peoples of Africa suffer all the more from misery, hunger, alienation, and psyche fragmentation.

I invite my fellow global citizens to please pray with me for the welfare and growth of Africans and the African nations. Let us wish together that Africa would be able to salve its ailing problems of poverty, hunger, dreaded diseases/poor health, discrimination against women & children, ecological degradation, and low human capacities. Let us pray that 2011 would be a much better year, as new opportunities for human development will flourish.

Peace is a pre-requisite for prosperity, for nation-building. So may those guns of warring enemies across the continent be silenced somehow and give way to dialogues for cooperation and mutual help. May there be more procurement of peace and the building of peace zones across the continent in the years ahead.

Let us also pray with the Africans that European imperialism, which seeks to fragment Africa in order that Euro-oligarchs will be able to get back the continent and exploit its natural resources, will erode all the more. May Euro-imperialism be consigned to history in the short-run, thus enabling Africa more breathing space for nation-building, cross-national cooperation, and prosperity.

Finally, let us pray and wish that Africans will be able to forge greater cooperation and unity among the nation-states, and strengthen the continental union that took them painstaking efforts to construct. Let there be a united Africa in the long-run, thus ending millennia of conflicts and hatreds.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you Africans!

Love & Light!

[Philippines, 10 December 2012]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

GLOBALIZING CHRISTMAS

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


Christmas is now nearing as of this writing. Christmas bell tolls, kids’ carols, merry songs & dances are now up in the air, inviting everyone else to share the spirit of fun and camaraderie.

A Christian and sectarian holiday Christmas is, no one doubts this. Granted that Christmas is a sectarian affair, is it possible to transform it into a global/universal, multi-cultural event? There are apparently two (2) perspectives that clash concerning the matter.

From the point of view of fundamentalist, ultra-conservative church practitioners, whether Christian or non-Christian, Christmas is a sectarian affair and should not veer into cultural spaces not meant for its observation. A Muslim fundamentalist would throw monkey wrench at any attempt to globalize Christmas, and the same may be true for those fundamentalists of other denominations.

From the vantage point of a non-fundamentalist, cosmopolitan person, Christmas is one occasion that Christians can share to others. It is a multi-cultural affair, and it belongs to the whole of humanity for that matter. Ergo, everyone on Earth better attunes to the Christmas spirit and feel the ‘family of mankind’ fraternal bonds that the affair espouses.

As to where I stand in that polarity of perspectives, I am among those who wish to share the Christmas spirit as a multi-cultural blessing. Born a Catholic, but now a freethinker who espouses post-church spirituality, I remain attuned to the Christmas holidays just the same for the reasons stated above.

Christianity is a cult of Jesus, and I will have nothing to do with following or propagating such a cult. Esoteric Christianity, however, isn’t the same as the folk Christianity of the flocks who regard Jesus as a cult figure, and I squarely stand on the grounds of this mystical version of Christianity.

Esoteric Christianity teaches universal brotherhood among its core lessons. Universal brotherhood, a battle cry of cosmopolitan esotericists, is still a very valid principle to stand up for. It is the ethos that permits a soul to go beyond the bounds of sectarian precepts, embrace fellow humans as co-family members, and build a culture of dialogue across the planet.

I do hope that the more cosmopolitan Christians would consciously invite non-Christians to be part of the holidays, truly embrace their non-Christian brothers and sisters, and allow the latter to participate in such year-end party rituals as gift-giving. And, invite the non-Christians to 24th of December midnight gathering, where they can sit by the Christmas tree and partake of the food blessings for the occasion.

Non-Christians who may not be invited by Christians in their homes on the 24th & 25th of December can also go ahead and celebrate the affair with their families and friends on the said dates. Nothing is wrong for them to put up a Christmas tree at home and party on the 24th midnight and on the 25th of December. And, at the end of the month, celebrate New Year’s Eve too.

In the Philippines, the transformation of Christmas into a multi-cultural event has already been going on in the 60s till 1972. Unfortunately, the Mindanao War came, a Christian-Muslim schism was propagated, and Muslims became reluctant to celebrate Christmas with their brethrens among Christians.

I just hope that the tide of cleavages is now ebbing and ceasing. We formally recognize Muslim and Chinese occasions in this country, and so it would be fitting for all Filipinos including Chinese and Muslims to celebrate Christmas as well. By Chinese I refer to those Chinese who are Buddhist, Daoist, atheist, or non-Christian.

The occasions for Christmas parties are now going on, from one organization to another, and so it is best for us all to participate in these events. And, comes the 24th-25th of the month, celebrate Christmas at home as a ritual occasion to solidify family bonds. Then, comes the New Year’s Eve, celebrate with a Big Bang accompanying a party or gathering.

Peace be with you! Advanced Happy Holidays!

[Philippines, 08 December 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

PHILIPPINES & ASIA CHEER UP GLOBAL ECONOMY FOR 2011

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


The yearend Holidays are now nearing, and so we all better cheer up for the forthcoming holiday season. As early as November, Christmas trees and gigantic lanterns were already set up in malls and public places in the Philippines, a very thoughtful way of demonstrating love and generosity.

There is much reason for the global economy to cheer up for 2011 as indicated by our own very optimistic business environment and national economy here in the Philippines. Our region ASEAN is mightily growing at robust rates, India and Korea are doing good, and China is very heatedly growing.

As already discussed by various analysts and writers, ASEAN + China + India + South Korea—dubbed as ‘Asian economy’—have been the growth drivers of the global economy as a whole. High growth rates, well managed liquidities, healthy macro-economic fundamentals, and high foreign exchange reserves all converge as multi-factor drivers of growth in Asia. As a result, consumption is still moving up here, thus compounding the growth toward sustained heights all the more.

The Philippines has its own good news to share to the globe. A ‘Santa Claus’ list of glad tidings shows the following:

Philippine currency is the 2nd best in Asia. Strong and trustable, even treasuries and bonds denominated in Peso are selling like hot potatoes.

Foreign Exchange Reserves are at an all-time high of $56+ Billion (end of October), enough to buy almost a year of merchandise imports.

Growth rate as of the 1st two (2) quarters was at a whopping 7.9%, showing mightily good production levels. Yearend growth rate would be no less than 6.5% at the minimum, a figure that will be sustained well through 2011 and beyond.

Local bourse has hit a high-time figure of 4,200+ points recently. This is way above the psychological breakpoint of 2,000 points (that now looks very Jurassic), and will optimistically breach 5,000 points by 2011.

Overall GDP per capita (nominal) will breach $2,000 and will move up rapidly to the next levels over the next few years. Purchasing power parity or PPP per capita will exceed $10,000 around 2013-‘14.

State wages have been moving up by 15% per annum consistently for couples of years now. This move drives up private sector wages as well. Wages will again move up in strides from 2011 to 2016.

Inflation has been reduced down further, and will stay comfortably at the 2.5%-3.5% range by 2011. This is welcome news for a nation that is so fed up with hyper-inflations in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Unemployment has been going down steadily, and will be at a manageable level of 8% or lower by 2011. Rising growth rate can then be sufficient to address the other problem of underemployment.

Exports and imports, or foreign trade, have returned to pre-global recession levels, thus contributing to more employment and higher wages.

Filipino businessmen’s investments overseas have moved up, and will continue to expand in 2011 and beyond. These contribute to overseas remittances and employment of Filipino labor and experts abroad.

The list is longer than the above-stated, though suffice us to take note of that short list. Those items are fundamental to sustaining the economic machine year by year, reduce poverty till the middle class dominates the population, and shoot up human development to notches higher than today’s indices.

Japan, USA and EU are on economic fires but the dampening situations there won’t totally hurt the global economy. Emerging markets have done their best to insulate themselves against the fiascos and fires of the northern economies, thus enabling them to serve as the hope of the world.

The cheery environment of Asia should better be the one focused upon by our global citizens, a cheer that serves as the ‘Santa Claus grin’ of the global economy as a whole for this year and the ones forthcoming.

[Philippines, 06 December 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT IN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS & BUSINESS

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


A relatively pleasant month it is in Filipinas this month of the year, though it showers intermittently as cold winds up north converge with warm equatorial winds. As the air becomes cooler, let us reflect on a raging issue worldwide concerning the extent of judicial power in economic & business concerns.

Filipinas is mired right now in questions about the said powers of our magistracy (Supreme Court) in regard to interventions in franchises and business operations. The executive (presidency) is particularly getting peeved at the seemingly Draconian powers the magistracy has been exhibiting, powers that could obstruct presidential initiatives in pushing through the new investments in big ticket projects.

There is now a perception peddled by the president’s spin doctors that the magistracy is turning into an obstructionist. Recognizing that the Supreme Court is no perfect institution, as the Justices’ decisions on business and project concerns could be tainted with corruption, to declare that it is obstructionist (i.e. it makes decisions for the sake of demonstrating its powers over the presidency) demands deeper reflections and deconstruction.

Presidential prerogatives could turn into bad curves every now and then, as they are used to favor certain market players over and above the Law. This is where our reflections should begin. The presidency (executive institutions) in the Philippines is particularly very corrupt and inept, and favors certain market players at the expense of fairness and constitutional regulations.

The abuses of presidential prerogatives on business franchises during the time of President Ramos, among others, have seen onerous franchises and contracts executed. The energy sector in particular became infested with greedy power producers who were favored over other players, palpable acts of felony that should have incarcerated the president himself.

But that’s not all. There were the Malaysian investors known for notoriety, who cornered whatever state companies and business concerns there were available in the 1990s for their portfolio investments to gobble up. The National Steel Corporation landed in the hands of the Hottick Group that never introduced any internal development in the company but which, in fact, closed the company up and sold it at five (5) times its purchase price much later (with state intervention in the transaction) to the Indian group Global Steel.

So many big ticket projects during Ramos’ incumbency were akin to the National Steel fiasco, while others were mired in corruption in the granting of the franchises. Ramos himself became a very wealthy man after he left office, yet he remains free amid the questionable presidential prerogatives his Office exercised then.

It is within the context of abusive presidential prerogatives that one should comprehend the exercise of judicial oversight with high-level intervention. The judiciary is a last bastion of fairness and rationality in project contracts and business franchises in a country with weak governance institutions, and so it flexed its muscles as provided for any way by the national charter as the Philippine case exemplifies.

No matter how well meaning the executive department may be, it has no monopoly of powers and wisdom to decide prudently about projects and franchises. President Aquino’s coterie of aides is pregnant with greedy and corrupt elements that include those who served as cabinet members in previous regimes. So why should the public leave everything to the presidency, when the presidential office is a classic nest of graft?

When the judiciary commits flaws that must be addressed, then they can be cited by a vigilant civil society and be addressed properly. One case in point is the issue of plagiarism hurled against a Justice by the professors of the University of the Philippines College of Law, with the concomitant demand for resignation by the plagiarist concerned.

While the magistracy continues to strengthen its own internal weaknesses, it must just the same exercise its oversight powers concerning developmental projects and business franchises. It will prove catastrophic if the incompetent presidential aides will hatch an operational modus aimed at destroying constitutional powers of judicial oversight, as such will become a new monstrosity that will lead to new rounds of corrupt acts by state and business mafias.

[Philippines, 04 December 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

HUMAN RIGHTS AGOG IN BARBARITIES & MADNESS

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Pleasant day to you all!

The Maoists in Manila have just released the update news that an activist (Left-leaning) is killed every week during the incumbency of President Aquino. Maoists constitute the largest Left group in the country, with an organized force large enough to participate in electoral contests and win legislative posts.

That report is surely a very revealing fact. Not only activists, but media men are also the target of summary executions and assassinations in this country, supposedly a bastion of free press in Asia.

Just recently, a topnotch botanist, Leonardo Co, was sprayed with automatic rifle bullets while conducting research on field, killing him and two of his associates. The army unit that is subject of investigation as culprits claimed that the research team was caught in a crossfire between state and rebel forces.

Human rights constitute a totality of entitlements that we have won after so many hard struggles. So much blood has been sacrificed just to make our world a livable one, blood poured to erect the edifices of prosperity, good working environments, balanced ecology, and exercise of our basic freedoms.

During the regime of the previous president Arroyo, an economist with a doctorate among her credentials, hundreds of human rights-related deaths, largely through summary executions by army and police forces, were recorded. No less than the United Nations Commission on Human Rights sent a team to investigate the human rights situation here, with the findings clearly indicating a bad situation for human rights.

Just recently, another team of experts, this time from the Human Rights Watch, did the investigations about the same theme, with focus on those committed in Mindanao. The feudal-fascistic Ampatuan family became the most focal subject of the research, with findings of gory stories of murders committed by Ampatuan politicians blindly intoxicated with power, using state paramilitary forces to commit heinous crimes.

It surely takes time for civility to take shape everywhere else in our planet. Even the bastions of democracy such as the Philippines fail in the tests of indicating successes in building human rights. In the USA, martial law was almost declared during the Bush era, a cryptic act that could have seen millions of Americans jailed and hundreds of thousands exterminated in concentration camps.

In Europe we are witness to the massive prejudices against immigrants, with Muslims appearing to be the key target of slanders and employment discriminations. Sarkozy expelled Romanian Gypsies just a few months ago, and he seems to watch with glee as his economy burns down like hell.

Power assymetries that we though would disappear with the advent of modernity, keep on being recycled in new forms. Rationality—authentic reason characteristic of authentic persons—is fading and giving way to Madness, as lamented by the contemporary philosophers.

Human right is synonymous to civilization, and the full respect of human rights can only happen in a society of rationality, wisdom, and universal love. Such a society operates on the culture of dialogue, the respect for differences, recognition of talents and competencies, and the essential respect for one’s humanity.

Sadly, such a society is not around yet, even as we need to do colossal spade works to build it. I still recall the likes of Jurgen Habermas, Erich Fromm, and Herbert Marcuse pontificate about the ‘sane society’, the ideal society that is rational, full of compassion (loving behavior), and productive. I resonate well with the minds of these thinkers who contended that no matter how bad the situation is, hope is there in building that culture of civility in a ‘sane society’.

Such a dream of building a future world can be done in a non-exclusionary way. Let us not tire in doing our spade works to build it.

[Philippines, 02 December 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

WIKILEAKS ERODES REMAINING U.S. CREDIBILITY, WORLD POWER BULLYING IS OVER!

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Dusk has begun to envelop my space as I write this piece. The WikiLeaks has been receiving a crescendo of publicities recently, as the leaked secrecies of the US diplomatic community has reached the big media players, eg. The Guardian. The devastating impact of the WikiLeaks on US credibility is now gnawing at the morsel of US governance itself, further exacerbating the already fragmentary situation of US governance institutions.

As I’ve been elucidating in articles of mine, the new millennium opened up with a context of multipolar world order, an emerging context that demanded re-carving of foreign policy architectures and the actual diplomatic dealings of world and regional powers with other nations. Sadly, the United States faired very badly in adjusting to the emerging context, as it chose the hawkish path of brinkmanship, unabashedly exhibited superpower arrogance, and bullied other nations into submitting to its diktats.

Take the case of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Rather than use the United Nations as the platform to contemplate and decide on the fates of the so-called “rogue” states, the US bamboozled its allies into submitting to its hawkish diktats, compelled them to join the “coalition of the willing,” or be identified with those who are “against us.” The hubris and arrogance of America’s leaders was captured emphatically in the finger-pointing George W. Bush whose madness exudes a demonically behaving sociopath.

The WikiLeaks disclosures have revealed to the world the true and honest perceptions of Americans towards the leaders and peoples of other nations. America’s diplomacy is but putting superficially sweet-looking mascara on top of the real thing: Saxon condescension on all peoples and nations of the planet. For Americans are truly of Anglo-Saxon psyche: the same marauding, pillaging, plundering, and destructive Saxons of antiquity whose very culture and psyche the Americans have inherited en toto.

Over a hundred years ago, upon America’s invasion and occupation of the Philippines, its leaders and negotiators already manifested the sordid duplicity that is markedly demonic. Presenting themselves before then president Aguinaldo as allies who’d help the Filipinos flash out Spain’s imperial forces, the Americans eventually ended up showing their true intentions by invading the country, an invasion that led to the deaths of almost a million Filipinos nationwide.

Having planted themselves well on Philippine soil deep up through the hinterlands, the conquering Americans than sang with gusto “Brown Monkeys with No Tails in Zamboanga” everywhere they went. So demonically condescending, you’d wonder whether the Anglo-Saxon Americans have ever truly modified their behavior across time.

It now seems, as the WikiLeaks aptly reveal, that America’s leaders and probably seconded by most of its people regard all other leaders and peoples as ‘monkeys with no tails’. For even those White leaders of the West do not escape the derision and philistine condescension of the Americans, coming at a time when the USA’s own western allies need them badly to help salve their ailing economies and stave off the possibility of a continent-wide protest movement that could lead to a new round of Spartacist anti-oligarchic revolution.

The likes of WikiLeaks do speak of new innovative ways of tech-oriented non-conventional means to battle the global oligarchy, beginning with the Anglo-American oligarchs and their political, technocratic, and military subalterns. Not only the USA but other world powers as well will not be spared from the scrutinizing vigilant eyes of concerned citizens who will disclose internal defense, diplomatic, big business, and related classified information, the effects of which will deal devastating blows on the images, credibility, and institutional strengths of entities and powers concerned.

Not just world powers but, again, the financier oligarchy will be de-fanged by the non-conventional attacks that will be waged against them via unveiling WikiLeak-type information. For world powers are mere footstools of the oligarchs. How I wish that the same modalities of disclosures will reveal the evils of the global elites, led by the Houses of Rothschilds and Rockefellers. Sooner or later, the world’s peoples must be made aware of the real nature of the elites and the world/regional powers as their puppet footstools.

The time for world power bullying has finally come to be reversed, with the advent of info-tech platforms for guerilla-type attacks versus the rich and powerful. America’s last bits of credibility are now being pulverized by the WikiLeaks disclosures, and it will just be a matter of time before those of other demonic world powers’ will follow.

[Philippines, 02 December 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

U.S. GOVERNANCE FRAGMENTS, OBAMA’S RATIONALITY DWINDLES

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Good day to all ye global citizens! Magandang araw sa mga kapamilyang global!

The Republicans have recently slam dunked the Democrats in the House electoral contest. This update event has put a closure to Democrat dominance in US governance, an event that will highlight brinkmanship of a dangerously destructive path.

News have been disseminated worldwide that Obama fired his highly trusted economic aides. With no team to recline on in the White House, Obama is compelled by the situation to rely more and more on the likes of Gates of the defense community, Clinton for foreign policy, and other powerful figures inside the cabinet and senate other than the economic aides.

The people whom he relies upon at this time represent distinct voices of diverse ideological persuasions. The defense Establishment is very strongly neo-conservative (read: fascist), the diplomatic community is Wilsonian liberal (center to Left), and the Senate Democrats are liberal obscurantists.

The nationalists, or those articulators of regulation and protection of American economic interests in domestic and foreign policies, have been marginalized all of a sudden. Perhaps their advocacies will be taken over by the more Rightwing Republicans in congress and the bureaucracy, Republicans whose protectionist mindsets translate to protectionism for Big Business and the oligarchy.

Obama’s feat has been to curb the ceaseless economic downspin via the stimulus program. However, unemployment and poverty incidence continue to rise, indicating the flaws in social policies. Health care and war commitments continue to generate rabid detraction.

The question we’re raising this time is: how far governable is the government of the United States? The potency of governance institutions is being weakened by the year, and the direction of that weakening is towards a fragmentation of governance altogether.

I do recall having endorsed Obama’s candidacy to Filipino-Americans and their compatriots there. The reason was that being unencumbered to oligarchic interests, Obama can make a change in policy directions both domestically and internationally. A re-institution of New Deal policies, hopefully, can be effected by his regime, an audacious act that can be emulated by the other countries.

I expected that the Obama regime will re-carve U.S. policy environment towards re-structuring the economy, reviving the physical economy, and quashing predatory finance. Alas! Signs are aplenty that the feats didn’t go that far as expected!

Now the Republicans are back in the legislature and local governments, and so observers better anticipate brinkmanship jettisoning to higher altitudes. The result would prove catastrophic to America altogether, as the exacerbation of lowly governable state surfaces.

A similar fragmentation is now happening among European states and Japan, a development that could prove to be frightening. The situation will also be enormously puzzling to political scientists and sociologists who are deeply mired in ‘re-inventing governance’ paradigm line, a paradigm that is replete with flaws and imprudent peddler of the illusion of ‘end of ideology’.

Political scientists and sociologists hold a similar contention that America’s civil society had badly fragmented. Such a lamentable situation has eroded the ‘social capital’ of citizens and folks, thus disabling their capacity for leveraging the state and market for greater social goods and services.

With state institutions and governance further weakened and an economy that has deteriorated across the decades, a weak civic life for Americans means they have to anticipate the worst yet to come in their access to social, economic, and public goods.

Obama’s very own sanity or psychological health could be deteriorating now, a fact that will undermine his own capacity to grasp grassroots reality and facts-of-life. Such a deterioration of psychic ‘wealth’ is the least that Americans expect nor dream of, and bodes a dark age for the Saxon power up north.

[Philippines, 29 November 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

NATIONS FRAGMENT AS 1ST DECADE CLOSES

Erle Frayne D. Argonza
30 November 2010

A noble 30th of November! We celebrate National Heroes’ Day in the Philippines as the month closes, so may the spirit of self-sacrifice and change-oriented mindset of our founding patriots be with us all!

As the year closes, we continue to witness the lamentable fragmentation of states across the globe. ‘Failed states’ has become a new standard term to label those former colonies that gained their independence after the 2nd world war, but only to fragment later.

Not only that, governments of once dynamic nations have also been continuously battered by exceeding demands to salve ailing economies, sustain employment drives, and reduce poverty. The US government itself, notably its presidency, continues to see powerful forces that render its institutions as lame duck and weak. It has become more ungovernable than before, and this is an alarming development.

Civil societies are likewise eroding in potency, and fragmenting in ideological squabbles and internal weaknesses. Thus, human rights get to be violated all the more each day as the very vanguards of civility and people’s causes couldn’t grapple with the demands of emerging realities and turn out like nuisance entities in the growing dis-order, while fascistic state leaders and gendarmes clamp down dissenters like unwanted pests.

The serial liberal reform agenda have immensely contributed to the shackling of welfare and erosion of the general interest as a whole. With social services at the grassroots reduced to negligible levels by IMF-imposed conditionalities of austerity, protest and rebel movements at the localities have arisen, thus contributing more to the fragmentation and balkanization of once viable states.

The political landscape in the USA is soon to change as the quantitative equation of party representation had been altered. Protest movements have been flexing their muscles across Europe, fighting a diversity of causes such as garbage collection (Italy), nuke waste (Germany), and extension of retirement age (France). Institutional fragmentation is going on in the West/North right now, and few seem to observe them sharply.

Africa and Western Asia are the most vulnerable at this juncture to balkanization and fragmentation. Latin American countries are experiencing a parallel fragmentation too, owing to new global crime problems of drug cartels and drug-related conflicts. Such vulnerabilities render African economies flat on their backs, while Latin American countries will have to work out doubly harder to insulate themselves from the burning economies and polities of the North.

Fortunately, we see the light of the globe in the very positive developments that are going on in East Asia (ASEAN + India + China + Korea) as their respective economies soar the heavens and drive growth for the globe as a whole. Brazil’s socialist president Rousseff was just elected to power, thus sustaining a general welfare program begun by his very popular predecessor Lula.

Light for the globe is coming from the South, from Asia and the dynamic economies of South America. For as long as such growth exemplars abound, the planet is will not fall into the Hades of another Dark Age.

Clearly, it is the northern countries and their dirty operators that foment troubles across the planet, that are in dire straits. As they seemingly stretch out their hands to engage the dynamic South in cooperation, their leaders at the same time bad mouth China and countries of the South like dirty pests. Such doublespeak is sociopathic, and is indicative of the fragmentation and fascistic behavior brewing up North.

For as long as we have leaders and states that operate along a perspective of ‘dialogues of cultures’, the world will continue to be a livable place. The contagion of the ‘dialogue of cultures’ is powerful enough to make waves, neutralizing the demonic ‘clash of civilizations’ peddled by the intellectual prostitutes of the global oligarchy.

Sometime back, our own patriot Andres Bonifacio turned into a rallying banner for inventing a new nation-state. May each and everyone of us go back to the virtues taught to us by our founding patriots, and let us espouse their very own cause for creating strong nation-states while we also continue to enlarge our spheres of influence for a ‘dialogues of cultures’.

Mabuhay kayong lahat! Long live!

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

YOUR ESTEEMED RECOGNITION OF THIS BLOGGER WARMS THE HEART, THANKS!

Prof. Erle Frayne D. Argonza
November 2010

Felicitous greetings to you all!

Let me continue to reverb the message of a most heartfelt gratitude to you enthused readers and fellow analysts/writers who appreciate my notes on society, wisdom, and self-development.

My own eyes continue to witness the rise of end-users and discussants, as I visited the search engines to monitory those sites that have quoted or discoursed on my writings. My social blogs ensue being esteemed among the world’s top sociology blogs, warming up my heart ceaselessly.

With your impeccable appreciation and support of my cyber-crusade, information about me on the internet expanded by several folds.

Special thanks to the following online news, magazines and portals for citing my notes as among the top blogs on cyberspace:

 http://thedailyreviewer.com
 http://humanitariannews.org
 http://www.nonprofit.org
 http://sociology.alltop.com
 http://clpl-india.com
 http://pul.se
 http://asiafinest.com
 http://newestnews.net
 http://topcityblogs.com

Thanks too to the following sites that have cited, discussed and debated on various notes of mine about a diversity of topics and themes:

http://adamsmithlegacy.com
http://alltop.com
http://artsandsciencesfilipiniana.blogspot.com
http://asean-society.org
http://awakento1.org
http://bedico.multiply.com
http://benjaminmangubat.multiply.com
http://blissnbaguio.multiply.com
http://blog.searchaid.info
http://blog-yemek-tarifi.com
http://boardreader.com
http://botd.wordpress.com
http://cantbustme.com
http://castasiaforum.org
http://cc.bingj.com
http://cewek-cantik.com
http://conceptsinproduction.com
http://connect.in.com
http://csmotes.com
http://culturalrelativism.blogspot.com
http://deepmarket.com
http://domainsbyip.com
http://dprogram.net
http://dumiabimdanbella.info
http://eastasiaforum.org
http://eeeph.netbooks.ph
http://en.wasalive.com
http://esthernababan.blogspot.com
http://eternalgodliness.punt.com
http://ewss.ifrance.com
http://extrafastnews.co.cc
http://facetopics.com
http://forum.prisonplanet.com
http://forumpolis.com
http://fototoday.net
http://garneringrightideas.com
http://globalbalita.com
http://groups.google.it
http://hubpages.com
http://iamretromanila.multiply.com
http://jeffmahonc.com
http://jk22.blogspot.com
http://josephparton.com
http://koha.nip.gov.ph
http://lanaodelsur.inetgiant.com.hp
http://leathernews.myip.org
http://lovingenergies.spruz.com
http://luciotanwatch.blogspot.com
http://marketingkristin.ning.com
http://maryraab.wordpress.com
http://mixx.com
http://mmsnews.cz.cc
http://mountzion.ning.com
http://nisim-tw.com
http://nonprofits.info
http://nuip.net
http://omgili.com
http://online-profitsnow.com
http://opitslinkfest.blogspot.com
http://origin-bx.businessweek.com
http://paper.li
http://peacocksandlilies.com
http://penditasuvarmabhuni.blogspot.com
http://petites-phrases.com
http://pipl.com
http://pirs08.webs.com
http://politekon.blogspot.com
http://psychicdirectory.wallwack.com
http://pulitika2010.wordpress.com
http://revspeech.proboards.com
http://r-domain.net
http://shopswissskydiver.net
http://surchur.com
http://tibak.freeserver.com
http://trendbuzz.com
http://tweetmeme.com
http://webpac.lib.nthu.ed.tw
http://wordsdomination.com
http://www.123people.com
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com
http://www.aidworkers.net
http://www.answerbag.co.uk
http://www.asean-society.net
http://www.asiafinest.com.br
http://www.ask.com
http://www.blogged.com
http://www.blogsope.net
http://www.buildhome.tizo.pl
http://www.carboncapturereport.org
http://www.cnn.com
http://www.davidicke.com
http://www.deepmarket.com
http://www.drunkduck.com
http://www.elib.gov.ph
http://www.familycommitment.org
http://www.finir.org
http://www.fiskedepan.se
http://www.godlikeproductions.com
http://www.hcrefund.com
http://www.icerocket.com
http://www.iyou.me
http://www.jamesoo.com
http://www.linkedin.com
http://www.longislandrealestatecentral.com
http://www.lowongankerjajulis.com
http://www.mb.com.ph
http://www.mixx.com
http://www.mode.org
http://www.mynewsdigest.com
http://www.onlineobchody.com
http://www.pakspectator.com
http://www.peekyou.com
http://www.pep.ph
http://www.pointsdevente.com
http://www.politicaltaxes.com
http://www.psychantenna.com
http://www.pubsub.com
http://www.rehabfromdrug.com
http://www.samepoint.com
http://www.spiritbond.com
http://www.tapatt.net
http://www.theakan.com
http://www.toluu.com
http://www.topix.com
http://www.untitledarchive.com
http://www.usforcenews.info
http://www.wallcloud.net
http://www.wealthyauthority.com
http://www.westpalmferrari.com
http://www.wopular.com
http://www.yasni.co.uk
http://www.zitrend.com
http://www.zoominfo.com
http://www3.mbl.sp1.yahoo.com
http://vd.finline.2y.net
http://yasamkadin.com
http://yoga-experts.info

Gracious thanks to you all! Mabuhay!

ERLE ARGONZA SUSTAINS WORLD ALLTOP BLOGS ASCENT!

Magandang araw! Good day to all endeared fellow global citizens!

A truly gladdening news has been breaking the cybersphere of late. Prof. Erle Frayne Argonza, a social analyst and self-development guru from Manila, has been continuing to gain mileage in his magnanimous efforts to enlighten humanity about the current social and cosmic issues.

To date, dozens of online newspapers and magazines across the globe have featured Prof. Argonza’s writings on their very own websites. Championing the causes of peace and global cooperation, Prof. Argonza has continued to reach out to enthused readers, writers and spiritual seekers. The latter contributed to the upsurge in the numbers of citations of Argonza’s writings aimed at accelerating awareness-raising.

For your reads and exchange of notes about Prof. Argonza’s blogs, please visit:

SOCIAL WRITINGS:
http://unladtau.wordpress.com, http://erleargonza.blogspot.com

WISDOM WRITINGS:
http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com

ART & POETRY:
http://erleargonza.wordpress.com, http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com

Join now the growing numbers of global citizens who find Light in Prof. Argonza’s englightening blogs!


Argonza & Associates Consulting
November 2010



TOP BLOG SITES:

 http://thedailyreviewer.com
 http://humanitariannews.org
 http://www.nonprofit.org
 http://sociology.alltop.com
 http://clpl-india.com
 http://pul.se
 http://asiafinest.com
 http://newestnews.net
 http://topcityblogs.com

CITED ARGONZA BLOGS FOR DIVERSE THEME DISCUSSIONS & ANNOTATIONS:

http://adamsmithlegacy.com
http://alltop.com
http://artsandsciencesfilipiniana.blogspot.com
http://asean-society.org
http://awakento1.org
http://bedico.multiply.com
http://benjaminmangubat.multiply.com
http://blissnbaguio.multiply.com
http://blog.searchaid.info
http://blog-yemek-tarifi.com
http://boardreader.com
http://botd.wordpress.com
http://cantbustme.com
http://castasiaforum.org
http://cc.bingj.com
http://cewek-cantik.com
http://conceptsinproduction.com
http://connect.in.com
http://csmotes.com
http://culturalrelativism.blogspot.com
http://deepmarket.com
http://domainsbyip.com
http://dprogram.net
http://dumiabimdanbella.info
http://eastasiaforum.org
http://eeeph.netbooks.ph
http://en.wasalive.com
http://esthernababan.blogspot.com
http://eternalgodliness.punt.com
http://ewss.ifrance.com
http://extrafastnews.co.cc
http://facetopics.com
http://forum.prisonplanet.com
http://forumpolis.com
http://fototoday.net
http://garneringrightideas.com
http://globalbalita.com
http://groups.google.it
http://hubpages.com
http://iamretromanila.multiply.com
http://jeffmahonc.com
http://jk22.blogspot.com
http://josephparton.com
http://koha.nip.gov.ph
http://lanaodelsur.inetgiant.com.hp
http://leathernews.myip.org
http://lovingenergies.spruz.com
http://luciotanwatch.blogspot.com
http://marketingkristin.ning.com
http://maryraab.wordpress.com
http://mixx.com
http://mmsnews.cz.cc
http://mountzion.ning.com
http://nisim-tw.com
http://nonprofits.info
http://nuip.net
http://omgili.com
http://online-profitsnow.com
http://opitslinkfest.blogspot.com
http://origin-bx.businessweek.com
http://paper.li
http://peacocksandlilies.com
http://penditasuvarmabhuni.blogspot.com
http://petites-phrases.com
http://pipl.com
http://pirs08.webs.com
http://politekon.blogspot.com
http://psychicdirectory.wallwack.com
http://pulitika2010.wordpress.com
http://revspeech.proboards.com
http://r-domain.net
http://shopswissskydiver.net
http://surchur.com
http://tibak.freeserver.com
http://trendbuzz.com
http://tweetmeme.com
http://webpac.lib.nthu.ed.tw
http://wordsdomination.com
http://www.123people.com
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com
http://www.aidworkers.net
http://www.answerbag.co.uk
http://www.asean-society.net
http://www.asiafinest.com.br
http://www.ask.com
http://www.blogged.com
http://www.blogsope.net
http://www.buildhome.tizo.pl
http://www.carboncapturereport.org
http://www.cnn.com
http://www.davidicke.com
http://www.deepmarket.com
http://www.drunkduck.com
http://www.elib.gov.ph
http://www.familycommitment.org
http://www.finir.org
http://www.fiskedepan.se
http://www.godlikeproductions.com
http://www.hcrefund.com
http://www.icerocket.com
http://www.iyou.me
http://www.jamesoo.com
http://www.linkedin.com
http://www.longislandrealestatecentral.com
http://www.lowongankerjajulis.com
http://www.mb.com.ph
http://www.mixx.com
http://www.mode.org
http://www.mynewsdigest.com
http://www.onlineobchody.com
http://www.pakspectator.com
http://www.peekyou.com
http://www.pep.ph
http://www.pointsdevente.com
http://www.politicaltaxes.com
http://www.psychantenna.com
http://www.pubsub.com
http://www.rehabfromdrug.com
http://www.samepoint.com
http://www.spiritbond.com
http://www.tapatt.net
http://www.theakan.com
http://www.toluu.com
http://www.topix.com
http://www.untitledarchive.com
http://www.usforcenews.info
http://www.wallcloud.net
http://www.wealthyauthority.com
http://www.westpalmferrari.com
http://www.wopular.com
http://www.yasni.co.uk
http://www.zitrend.com
http://www.zoominfo.com
http://www3.mbl.sp1.yahoo.com
http://vd.finline.2y.net
http://yasamkadin.com
http://yoga-experts.info

HONORING ANDRES BONIFACIO, PHILIPPINE PATRIARCH

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


Magandang araw! Good Day!

I will dedicate this piece to the late patriot Andres Bonifacio, founding Supremo of the first national liberation movement in the Philippines. We will be celebrating National Heroes’ Day on the 30th of November, largely as a commemorative day to honor the feat of one of the founding patriarchs of the Republic of the Philippines.

The Philippine Republic was the first nation-state in all of Asia, a historic milestone that was later emulated by the patriots of other countries who were decided on breaking away from the yokes of imperialist Western control and domination. To recall, the core patriots of the years 1880s through 1890s were Jose Rizal Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, and Apolinario Mabini who can be considered as our founding patriarchs here.

A plebian by class, Bonifacio was sired by a state official who was equivalent to vice-mayor of Manila in the latter half of the 1800s. Hispanic a man, the father married a native, thus birthing the mestizo tot Andres. The father died though while Andres was still a very young boy, and so Andres was compelled by circumstance to help earn money for his family as a teenager.

Young and poor as he was then, his mindset was no ordinary plebeian but intelligentsia. He did self-learning through voracious readings, and it was through his studies that he encountered the works of the liberals of Europe (liberal at that time was to the Left of the center). At the time of the launching of the Philippine revolution, his library had an appreciable collection of books.

Joining the fraternity of freemasonry during his formative years, he was offered the opportunity to immerse with young nationalist patriots whom he met in his fraternal order. Having witnessed the cruelties of the Spanish authorities and friars, he got more convinced each day of the non-negotiable goal of an independent republic sooner or later.

It must have been through the network of freemasonry that Bonifacio was able to learn of the enormous sacrifices of Dr. Jose Rizal (also a freemason) whose books he read. In 1n the early 1890s, Rizal, who was out of the country for a decade (he wrote his searing anti-friar novels in Europe), finally decided to come home to wage a legal battle for Philippine independence from Spain. Bonifacio was among those young freemasons who volunteered for Dr. Rizal’s new club called Philippine League (equivalent to a civil society coalition today), the sociopolitical club that could have waged the campaigns on the legal front.

Unfortunately, the hyper-conservative Spanish authorities banned the League from operations and incarcerated Rizal barely three (3) days upon the launching of the club. History’s wheels simply moved on, and in 1896 the authorities decided on executing Rizal after a sham and farcical trial.

Witnessing how the noble League was sadistically clamped down and its officials gagged and detained, Bonifacio realized that the parliamentary path to independence was futile an option. From then on, together with youthful patriots, he launched a secret society—Most High & Venerable Order of the Scions of the Nation (KKK in Filipino)—that was to serve as the vehicle for rallying people to wage an insurrection in the short run.

And so the rest was history. The KKK did grow slowly at the start, and then rapidly upon modification of organizational methods. In 1896, before Rizal was executed at the Luneta Park, the colonial authorities discovered the KKK’s existence, thus giving way to series of events leading to open war versus Spain.

Though he never saw the light of day for the independent republic (short-lived as the USA invaded RP and grabbed it), his exemplary feats were nevertheless recognized by the true patriots of the nation. The seed of the modern nation planted by Rizal and empowered by Bonifacio’s liberation movement, was later to be calcified in policy and institutional form by Mabini, who became prime minister and executive secretary in the cabinet of the 1st president, Emilio Aguinaldo.

Bonifacio’s zeal for social change lives among us patriots of the Philippines, and inspires many Asians as well. May his exemplary feats and selfless sacrifice in the pursuit of the highest noble cause continue to guide us change agents in our daily lives as we build shared visions for a brighter world of the future.

Mabuhay si Gat Andres Bonifacio!

[Philippines, 22 November 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

ASEAN BETTER LAUNCH THE ASIAN MONETARY FUND NOW!

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Buoyed up by the positive economic performances and regional integration efforts of ASEAN member-states, let me ensue with the ASEAN agenda, and articulate this time the matter of the Asian Monetary Fund or AMF. What makes the urgency of constituting the AMF even more exigent is the recent pronouncement made by the Asian Development Bank or ADB about the same theme: launch the AMF now!

The idea of an Asian Monetary Fund actually began with the late strong man Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines. Awash with colossal hoards of gold, Marcos vouched for the creation of an Asian Monetary Fund that shall function as monetary stabilizer, steward of an Asian currency, and financer of bold development projects.

As per note from some of his own former close supporters (they were my fellow economists in the Independent Review, c. 1998 to 2000), Marcos was very eager to back up (securitize) the Asian currency with his very own gold hoards (they amount to hundreds of trillions of US. $ today).

It was too bad that Marcos had downside images among the global financiers, who conspired behind the scenes to overthrow him. They never liked the idea of an AMF that will compete with their stooge thug bank International Monetary Fund, and they were salivating to control his gold hoards. The Trilateral Commision in fact undertook steps toward aiding the process of social turbulence to unfold in the Philippines, turbulence that eventually overthrew the dictator.

It took some time before the AMF idea would resurface. The opportunity for resurfacing came with the Asian financial meltdown of 1997. That crisis saw the region’s currencies attacked by an insidious cabal of Western oligarchic financiers fronted by George Soros, who all rested happy from their criminal currency attacks that fattened their coffers by the trillions of dollars.

Thus came the technocratic and public policy responses to the crisis of that time, with the Asian Monetary Fund idea floating to the surface as a viable option. Necessarily, the stabilization of currencies will come with the institution of an Asian currency, which came alongside the AMF idea.

It then took many years of haggling and bargaining before a continental resolution was finally signed into a sort of a memorandum of undertaking. To recall, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives (Philippines), Hon. De Venecia, took much pains to legwork Asian leaders into finally signing the concordat and presenting the same to the Philippine state leaders for immediate action after accomplishing his mission.

This time around, it is the Asian Development Bank that has taken the cudgels for pushing for the urgent institution of the AMF. As articulated in a previous article, the ADB is among the continental institutions that can aid in launching an ASEAN central bank (circa 2015) as well as an Asian Monetary Fund.

Since the ASEAN is the most actively engaged regional formation among Asians, it is the most logical body that can facilitate the launching of the AMF. Its country members could easily role play the core membership of the AMF, with the quid pro quo that the latter will aid ASEAN in forming its regional central bank comes 2015.

As early as the late 90s yet, this analyst was very highly supportive of the institution of an AMF and Asian currency. The launching of the currency alone will catalyze the stabilization of monetary-fiscal environments, and can even out the very uneven cost of living situations across countries.

AMF would surely be of great help to insulating Asia’s emerging markets versus the destructive undercurrents of the economic crises of North America, Europe, and Japan. It can likewise aid enormously in regional trading efforts, precisely by securitizing and/of directly financing the pioneering and expansion efforts of exporters.

I would, however, add a caveat to the AMF’s formation: securitize the operations via a gold reserve standard or equivalent. The eradication of the gold standard in 1971 is among the factors behind monetary-financial instabilities and emergence of criminal financial predators over the last four (4) decades, predators that were responsible for de-industrialization, agricultural decay, and economic decline altogether.

The launching of the AMF shouldn’t be delayed a day longer. The global economic roof is collapsing due to the structural defects of the northern economies, and so as a measure of mitigation the region’s own economies be insulated from that crash through launching of the AMF, buffering financial collapse via collective money reserves for contingency uses, and instituting the Asian currency very soon.

To re-echo the theme: there is no better time to constitute the AMF than now. Act now, before it is too late!

[Philippines, 17 November 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

ASEAN ADOPTS RP’S NAUTICAL HIGHWAY

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


Good day to you all! Magandang araw sa inyong lahat!

Let me return to the ASEAN, after delivering my kudos to Latin Americans and Brazilians over the presidential victory of the socialist Madam Rousseff there. How I wish that the ASEANians can emulate the audacious social policies of Brazil under the stewardship of the outgoing leader Lula and incoming Rousseff.

For the good news, the information has already been disseminated that the entire ASEAN is adopting the ‘nautical highway’ program of the Philippines. Accordingly, the planning stage for a regional nautical highway is now under way, with the program most likely implemented way before the 2015 economic integration here.

A brilliant idea, the nautical highway concept was actually hatched by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the previous president of the Philippines. A technocrat-politician, Arroyo surely found a remedy to the sluggish and inefficient transit of people and cargo across the seas in the archipelago.

To recall, Arroyo was an economist and academic before she joined government. As president of the country, she achieved the feat of solving the fiscal problems and doubling national income within a 9-year span. The Philippines finally graduated to middle-income country status during Macapagal’s incumbency.

Infrastructures also expanded by many folds during Arroyo’s incumbency. Roads, wharves, airports, levees, dams, and diverse public works benefited immensely from the boom years of her aegis. Within the context of the transport infrastructure programs did Arroyo conceptualize the RORO (roll on-roll off) nautical highway.

Executed with very high success levels, the nautical highway proceeded to deliver the expected result of accelerating the transit of people and goods across the seas. The RORO also brought down the cost of ship transportation, hence engendering a more mobile poor folks who could nil afford long distance travels.

As already elucidated in a previous article, it would be excellent if the nautical highway would be interlinked with a forthcoming regional railway. More excellent if the nautical highway, roads, railways, and airports would be interlinked in such an exquisite design of transport hubs.

ASEAN-wide planning takes a longer time than national planning, as there would be a preference for consultative process in the planning exercise. Let’s just hope that the planning phase won’t take longer than 1 & ½ years at the most, with the final output passing through a last grassroots or community hearing for discussions and feedbacks.

That means that as early as 2012, the regional RORO will be implemented. Infrastructure, technology, and logistical support will need to be installed and/or allotted by the 1st quarter of 2012 to ensure fast implementation of the program.

With the program implemented, hopefully the poor folks in the coastal areas won’t have to travel to islands of other countries by risky motored banca or canoes. The RORO ships would bring down risks, travel costs, and make travels very comfortable for poor folks and monied middle class alike.

This analyst highly appreciates the latest ASEAN collaborative efforts for building a regional nautical highway. May the planning, implementation, and monitoring/evaluation of the future program come forth with stunning success.

[Philippines, 16 November 2010]


[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

BRAZIL’S ROUSSEFF IS NEW PREX, KUDOS!

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


Good day to you all! Solidarity greetings to all the Brazilians and South Americans!

Another leader of the Workers’ Party of Brazil just won the presidential polls. Lula da Silva’s former presidential aide, Lady Rousseff, is among the leaders of the socialist party in the rapidly surging emerging market, and will sit as the new chief exec soon after garnering the presidency in a closely fought presidential contest.

Already sick and tired of the globalization policies that only mired Brazil in poverty hovels, the voters decided to cast their vote for a second time around now. Not only that, Brazilians are also terribly sick of the militarism that encumbered the country closer to the ambit of the Anglo-American oligarchy and rendering it into a puppet of America amid unlimited tortures and deaths on anti-tyranny detractors.

As the latest electoral exercise had shown, an exercise that is buttressed by the economic surge of Brazil and its ballooning middle class, the route to sustained democracy and economic growth is the most longed for direction for the nation. Militarism is out and any return to worn out dictatorship is getting to be a remote possibility each day.

With the ascent to power of the socialists, the redistributive policies that ambitiously addressed poverty, hunger and unemployment were tried and tested in an erstwhile anti-populist country. A cash transfer program to the poorest of the poor achieved enormous mileage during Lula’s incumbency, a program that directly addressed the social equity problems that plagued Brazil since its independence from Portugal yet.

Globalization hit the underclasses so hard, with hyper-inflation in the 1990s driving prices up so madly that the poor laboring folks just can’t keep up with the spiraling cost of living. A similar incident also brewed so hot in neighboring Argentina, which saw the ascent of the Left there as a popular anti-globalization collective action.

Lula and the Workers’ Party rode abreast the rising tide of anti-globalization sentiments, with Lula ending up as the world’s most popular chief executive. Sweeping social policy reforms were instituted, supported by a dominant constituency. In almost no time at all, poverty and hunger were addressed and largely solved, and many Brazilian poor graduated to middle income status.

Lula thus left his office with a very memorable historic record of seeing Brazilians graduating to middle class due to his stewardship. Brazil has joined the select group of ‘emerging markets’, or those economies with large populations, a significant middle class, and growing at rapid rate.

Rousseff would most likely take Brazil to the next level, which is the institution of regulatory reforms that will bring Brazil closer to a ‘social market’ economy. A hybrid economy it will be, akin to China’s and Vietnam’s respective economies.

Whether Rousseff and aides will go for a full capital & monetary control policy regime remains to be seen though. What is clear, from a fiscal & monetary point of view, is that financial instruments will be further stretched to sustain the social equity efforts achieved by Rousseff’s predecessor.

On the political front, the new chief exec will be steward over a nation that will exert greater sovereignty and sustain the climb to regional power status. On the global political level, Brazil will be among those countries popularly called upon to constitute a new balance of power alongside the nascent Asian giants China and India.

Hopefully, through Rousseff’s auspices, a Brazil-Argentina binary power entity can stir Latin America away from flawed liberalization doctrines & policies towards stronger social policies, economy driven largely by domestic demand (strong middle class), and an independent and non-aligned Latin America that will stay closer with fellow developing countries.

Such a Latin America, to my mind, can move on to sustained high growth rates that will duplicate Asia’s growth patterns. Should Latin America join Asia in creating a broader zone of global growth drivers, the possible plunge of the global economy towards a ‘dark age’ due to the economic fiasco up North will be averted.

Let me extend my own kudos to Madame Rousseff and the voters who brought her to power. Congratulations and goodluck to your incumbency, Lady Rousseff!

[Philippines, 15 November 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com,
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]