Finalist-PhilBlogAwards 2010

Finalist-PhilBlogAwards 2010
Finalist for society, politics, history blogs

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Showing posts with label bbc news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bbc news. Show all posts

Friday, March 25, 2011

PHILIPPINE BANKS HEALTHY FOR THE BIG CHALLENGES AHEAD

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Good day to you fellow global citizens!

The world reels anarchic over the geological ramblings in Japan-New Zealand-China and the tumult of the Arab peoples. These events cast veils on the clarity of the economic boom now going on in Asia, and so let me be among those who will project the boom side every now and then. Among such good news is the readiness of Asian banks for the bigger economic battles ahead, a trend that includes the Philippines’ banks.

Do recall that the Asian financial meltdown came in ’97, triggering recessions, mass lay-offs, manufacturing slumps, and heightened poverty. The policy environment then was one of free trade in the movements of finance and money across borders, which enticed portfolio capital to swamp Asia. Regulators were therefore caught off guard by the currency attacks fomented by the Anglo-European oligarchs fronted by the Quantum Group of George Soros.

Asia’s banks, monetary authorities, and financial stakeholders all learned precious lessons from that economic catastrophe. Short of establishing capital and monetary controls (such as what Mahathir did for Malaysia), Asian banks did institute quasi-regulatory reforms such as to raise banks’ reserve requirements, mop up excess liquidities when situation demands so, and finally fix caps on the asset requirements for banks.

The reforms instituted across the last fourteen (14) years since the meltdown paid off very handsomely for the commercial and universal banks in particular, as well as for strengthening central banks. It is important to ensure stabilization mechanisms in the said banks first of all, a pattern that will snowball in the thrift banks and rural banks.

As far as the Philippine republic is concerned, the latest situational reports do indicate very clearly the compass of a healthy banking overall. Total aggregate assets of commercial & universal banks exceeded P6 Trillions, deposits breached the P2.5 Trillions, and trust funds skyrocketed to past the P4 Trillion mark. Needless to say, our banks here are prepared for the big challenges, inclusive of financing big ticket Private-Public Partnership or PPP projects.

The same banks are very much prepared too for the latest regulatory requirements imposed by the BIS or Bank for International Settlements. The BIS adjustments are actually coming late in the day, as the said bank has been too Euro-centric for a long time. Were it not for the fiasco of the USA and European banks from 2007 through 2010, the BIS couldn’t have acted appropriately.

Western banks ought to admit it that they are learning the new adjustments from their Asian counterparts. And the lessons being shared by the Asian banks are the ones being considered strongly today by the BIS itself, which as one can see has been commending Asia’s central bank bosses for jobs well done in their respective backyards.

There are more reforms that must be instituted however, which means that the earlier reforms should only be the start of a series of long-term changes in the banking and monetary systems. I subscribe to a global effort to ban banks from participating in portfolio investments so as not to repeat the catastrophe that hit certain big US banks that disappeared overnight during the height of the recent Great Recession there.

The more efficacious management of bankruptcies should also be put into order. We are right now witnessing a bank run in the Bangko Filipino, which seems to repeat old patterns. More stringent regulations ought to be put into place, as it is getting tiresome now to see bank runs every now and then.

Essential corporate governance reforms are among those that need to be accelerated in the banking and monetary systems. Bank mismanagements and hostile take-over of smaller banks by bigger ones are spooky phenomena within the banking community, which pose as challenges to regulators.

Let the banks and regulators keep tab of the gaps in the system and address them accordingly. Meantime, with a healthy banking situation now in place, banks can clearly become stakeholders in creating the boom situation in the Philippines, ASEAN, and the whole of Asia.

[Philippines, 17 March 2011]

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Come Visit E. Argonza’s blogs anytime!

Social Blogs:
IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com

Wisdom/Spiritual Blogs:
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com

Poetry & Art Blogs:
ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com

Mixed Blends Blogs:
@MULTIPLY: http://efdargon.multiply.com
@FRIENDSTER: http://erleargonza.blog.friendster.com
@SOULCAST: http://www.soulcast.com/efdargon

Monday, March 07, 2011

TAIWAN: QUACK DEMOCRACY, POTENTIAL ABOMINATION

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

In the late 1990s, the Filipinos were aghast over the discovery of factories—owned by Taiwanese “businessmen”—that employed children as slave labor. The children were practically housed in cages, and brought out only to work and be fed, then brought back at night to their cage sleeping quarters. Needless to say, the mere tots were never paid for their labor and lived wretchedness like the way the Chinese suffered in the hands of the Kuomintang.

There is no need to belabor the concluding event about the matter: the closure of the criminal factories. After being rescued, the children narrated their harrowing experiences in the hands of their criminal employers—Taiwanese to stress the point—who, as we all know, are scions of the predatory fascist Kuomintangs of their pariah province of Taiwan.

Knowing the history of Kuomintangs—who mass slaughtered 30 Million+ Chinese women, children, old folks and helpless non-combatants during their incumbency as China’s rulers—I wouldn’t be surprised if the Taiwanese of today exude toxic levels of arrogance and hubris in relating to peoples of other countries. Nay, they behave like they own every country that would host them in their seemingly legal businesses!

Taiwan has been exhibiting nauseating quackery as a democracy and nation. Scions of criminal mass slaughterers, who are likewise a collective den of predatory criminal Triads, can never be expected to exhibit maximum civility save that for diplomacy’s sake they would feign civility and sense of culture.

Nations of the world are right all along in bestowing recognition of a single China, via a One China Policy. Such a bestowal on China of what is a true nation and harbinger of civility is the most appropriate action of genuine nations and true democracies, a bestowal that they previously had for Taiwan but which they withdrew eventually upon the glowing of prudence in their respective mental banks.

With the withdrawal of recognition—as sovereign nation—on the pariah province of Taiwan came the diminution of chances for Taiwan to join associations or coalitions of nations. Being located in the southeast could have qualified Taiwan to become a member of ASEAN. Thanks God that prudence prevailed upon the true nations, and that undercut the mass slaughterers from potentially dominating ASEAN and unleashing the fangs of fascist hatreds and genocidal campaigns within the region!

In the absence of a formal recognition of nationhood, what Taiwan had accomplished instead was to unleash the horrific bomb of Triad criminality on its neighbors. Why not investigate for yourself those so-called Taiwanese businessmen in your own respective country and trace where their capital is coming from. Don’t ever be surprised if you’d find out ala Eureka! that the Taiwanese capitalists in your country or city are mere fronts for the demonic criminal Triads.

Taiwan is a pariah state, a criminal state for that matter, and should perpetually be treated as such. Nations across the globe are better advised to pull out their investments and expatriate workers from the predator province for their own sake. Pariah states are ‘bad feng shui’ for emerging markets particularly, or ‘cursed states’ in Christian parlance.

The abominations of the Chiang Kai Shek mass slaughterers have been well embedded in the collective psyche of the Taiwanese, exquisitely encrypted in the genes of the younger scions of the butchers, such abominations later to wake up upon a collective rousing at some time in the future.

Before Taiwan could ever breed a future ‘Taiwanese race’ of abominations, the nations of the world already acted prudently enough. For indeed a scion of an abomination will in the future be an abomination likewise, and there will be no telling what predatory monstrosities such a race will unleash on the nations of the world.

To the Filipinos who are employed in Taiwan today, better craft your respective contingency plan to move out of the pariah province. Before the fate of the sardine-producing children enslaved by Taiwanese businessmen will strike you mercilessly, better come home. Go elsewhere to seek gainful employment back home or in any country other than Taiwan.

[Philippines, 01 March 2011]

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Social Blogs:
IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com

Wisdom/Spiritual Blogs:
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com

Poetry & Art Blogs:
ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com

Mixed Blends Blogs:
@FRIENDSTER: http://erleargonza.blog.friendster.com
@SOULCAST: http://www.soulcast.com/efdargon

Website & Mixed Blogs:
MULTIPLY: http://efdargon.multiply.com

Saturday, March 05, 2011

ARAB SHEIKHS BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH!

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

The month of March just commenced as I write this note. It seems that, as of this writing, the ancient echoes of history are reminding the archaic royal states of pan-Arabia of the cryptic message “beware the Ides of March!”

The tumult of pan-Arabia (all territories covered by Arabs of diverse ethnicities) is clearly sweeping the dirt of the ancien regime, regardless of the nature of the states there: republic or archaic (monarchic). The rousing of awareness affects the young generation in particular, no matter what class, ethnicity, or sect they belong to.

So rapid are the unfolding events, and without the proper framework to comprehend what’s going on, the despots and autocrats of pan-Arabia are at a lost as to the proper comprehension of the phenomenon. In the absence of an appropriate framework, the royal rulers have to undertake a drastic palliative of giving respective families some large alms of welfare gifts.

Almost nine (9) quarters of a century ago, the last queen of France, Marie Antoinette, provided the same palliative: by giving cakes to the poor folks in order to deter their involvement in popular risings. Welfare gifts of today are similar to the cakes of Marie Antoinette. Let the sheikhs be reminded that Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVII were beheaded before the public, an event that foreshadowed what would happen to the various other archaic regimes across the globe, no matter if they gave away tons of cakes in case.

While the overthrown Saudi king and/or Arab sheikhs may not be physically decapitated after their removal from power, the fate of the late French monarchs signifies the decapitation of the monarchic power altogether. Which means that, in the short run, all the remaining archaic states in pan-Arabia will be effectively decapitated, and conditions made so hard for a revival of the ancien regime.

If asked for an honest opinion, my perspective on the matter makes me supportive of a republican form (structure) of government for all Arab states. Archaic regimes in pan-Arabia have been integrated into the power nexus of the Anglo-European oligarchy that has been planning to wage a World War III very soon by pitting a Sunni-Jewish alliance versus a Persia/Iran-led coalition.

Saudi Arabia has particularly been arming itself to the hilt, while Syria and Libya have already stockpiled themselves with the arsenals. All done in preparation for the great war. Israel has been undertaking massive military exercises inside Romania, as it will be the core force tasked by the financier oligarchy to frontally attack Iran in the months ahead.

But the political-military context in pan-Arabia had so suddenly changed as a result of the turmoil. All of a sudden, the viability of launching a world war versus Iran has badly eroded. The primary problems of pan-Arabia today are the domestic ones, and so the global war has to be put in abeyance if not shelved altogether.

As I already cogitated in my earlier articles, it will be suicidal for Israel to go to war alone versus Iran & allies (Hezbollah, Hamas, contiguous countries). Not only that, with the changed context in Arab states, Israel has to re-tool itself to be able to understand the rapidly unfolding events and forecast whether the future Arab regimes will be reliable friends or unpredictable enemies.

Meanwhile, the month of March had arrived, and this month bodes ill for the despots and autocrats of pan-Arabia. Beware the Ides of March!

[Philippines, 01 March 2011]

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Come Visit E. Argonza’s blogs anytime!

Social Blogs:
IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com
UNLADTAU: http://unladtau.wordpress.com

Wisdom/Spiritual Blogs:
COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com
BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com

Poetry & Art Blogs:
ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com
ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com

Mixed Blends Blogs:
@FRIENDSTER: http://erleargonza.blog.friendster.com
@SOULCAST: http://www.soulcast.com/efdargon

Website & Mixed Blogs:
MULTIPLY: http://efdargon.multiply.com

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

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]

Friday, December 03, 2010

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]

Friday, November 26, 2010

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
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http://vd.finline.2y.net
http://yasamkadin.com
http://yoga-experts.info

Gracious thanks to you all! Mabuhay!

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

WESTERN MAN’S SOCIOPATHY IN CHINA-BASHING

Erle Frayne Argonza y Delago


Good day to my fellow global citizens!

The USA and European states have been raising the alarm bell recently of a China that has been manipulating its currency to undermine the economies of the former. That is the perception coming from the West, a perception that is dangerously warped, so let me share some reflective thoughts about the matter.

The Western Man, nay the White Man has been manifesting a shared abnormality of sorts: that of resorting to a ‘bogey man’ discourse in order to justify an invasion or destruction of another nation and its people. The malady lies at the very root of the collective psyche of the Western Man, and seems to be incurable.

‘Bogey man’ discourse means the Western Man has the penchant for looking for someone or some country to blame for its own defects. It is a case of collective projection of their defects on other peoples, whom they would then demonize without let up as part of a collective catharsis. The catharsis could then break up into a great war in the foreseeable future which will be conducted with sadistic passion that is no longer human but ‘demonic’.

Didn’t the West recently create Jihad terror groups that they used for some time in their campaign against their collective nemesis, the former Soviet Union? Then, eventually, the jihad movements became the very ‘bogey man’ targets of the Western Establishment to justify the destruction of nations and peoples, such as what they demonstrated versus Iraq and Afghanistan.

Not even contented with the anti-jihad rhetoric that the Western media had hyper-hyped, the Western Man has been into every Asia-bashing ‘bogey man’ discourse over the last five (5) years or so. The Japan-bashing discourse led to the humiliation of the Sony Corp owners and the inflammation of anti-West passions right inside Japan itself.

There also is the increasing resort to India-bashing rhetoric in the West, which has been coming at a time when Indians are being murdered by the hundreds every year in Australia (a Saxon nation). Indian investors and executives are the targets of media attacks and dis-information by the very same White oligarchic forces that have been salivating for a control of the ‘smart money’ coming from India.

At this juncture, the West with the USA as the lead force has been elevating to crescendo level the China-bashing discourse. Multiple issues are being highlighted by detractors, such as the Tibet issue, human rights issue, and the hyper-valuation of the yuan/renminbi.

As already shared by experts across the world, the economic malaise of the West is largely an internal malady. Their very own economists, led by Joseph Stiglitz, have repeatedly pinpointed the structural defects of the economy, defects that are not being addressed properly as the Establishment has a different perception altogether (i.e. it is a cyclical problem).

In the late 90’s, I was among circles of political economist in the Philippines who foresaw the structural defects in Western/Northern economies. We forewarned the public of the coming failure of globalization and another depression that would hit both sides of the Atlantic.

Liberal economic reforms that began with the dropping of the gold standard yet (c ’72) and widened with the Reagan-Thatcher privatization initiatives, gave rise to the ‘virtual economy’ founded on predatory finance. The same predatory finance led to massive de-industrialization, agricultural decay, decline of S & T investments and new innovations, erosion of infrastructures, and neglect of transportation & communications. The latter sectors are the very foundations of the physical economy, the very ‘real economy’ that provides for jobs, social security, ‘safety caps’ for the masses, and long-term economic stability.

But predatory Western Establishment will have nothing to do with the facts, and will do everything to conceal the facts from the general public. The sociopathic elements, which sadly could afflict all of the key echelon people in the Establishment, are fascistically inclined to bamboozle and destroy every external polity and people that they can identify and project their defects unto.

So many peoples were already mass terminated and brutally killed on account of the same sociopathy of the Western Man. Just count how many hundreds of millions died due to the 1st and 2nd World Wars, add to the 37 millions that were killed due to America’s post-war military adventurisms.

The Western peoples should better forge a level of unity to solve problems by addressing the problems directly and reforming structural defects within their backyards. Nothing will be gained from flowing with their psychological defects that could lead to another round of mass terminations due to a global war that could explode soon.

[Philippines, 30 October 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]

Monday, October 18, 2010

OBAMA’S AIDES DEPART, WHERE BLOWS PUBLIC POLICY?

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


Magandang gabi! Good evening!

Obama’s aides—who have been with him all the way since electoral campaign days—are departing. We do hope to get to the bottom of the real reason behind the departures, such as those of his ideologue chief-of-staff, but it seems the answer will be confined to the White House as classified information.

What we ought to reflect on is, after the departures, where does the wind of public policy—domestic and international—blow for Obama’s government? Will the oversight/regulatory powers be reinforced somehow, to checkmate the intrusive manipulations of financiers in America’s economy? Will the Wilsonian inclination for democracy cum civil rights be sustained in foreign policy?

The North’s economists have already pronounced their evaluation of America’s and Europe’s economies, with pessimistic-to-gloomy forecasts of both continental economies over the next two (2) years. The stimulus package has clearly backfired, unemployment has ballooned to past 9% (may hit 10% by 2011), and poverty incidence has gone up to 15% (from the pre-crisis 12% level).

Meantime, Clinton is entrenched as foreign policy executor, and her presence bodes well for the Wilsonians who have always held sway in the state department. How much can Wilsonian clout remain till the rest of Obama’s term will be up for observation, more so that the midterm election is bound to erode the Democrats’ congressional seats.

To get straight to the point, with Republicans forecast to re-dominate both houses of legislature, both domestic and foreign policy directions are bound to alter. On the foreign policy front, the isolationism of traditional Republicans may come back, thus undermining the ‘engagement policy’ of the Obama regime in the short run.

How many Obama aides are bound to depart soon we can only surmise for now. But it seems that as a forecast fallout of Democrats increases by the day, so shall the Obama aides get to have some quantitative reductions too.

The quantitative reductions in aides could tip the balance inside the White House in favor of a certain policy initiative. So we observers have no choice but to stay glued to the changes right within Obama’s headquarters. We can only hope that a resurgence of the neo-conservatives, who hold sway in Pentagon & Defense, won’t be in the offing.

With the USA’s possible spiral down a 2nd recessionary dip, a return of the hawkish neo-cons to power (they’d be dictating terms for Obama behind closed doors) would spell the doom to America’s prestige worldwide. A neo-cons return would coincide with Israel’s unilateral plan to strike down Iran in hot warfare, an act that could take Obama down the global esteem ratings if he will resonate with the hawks.

The electoral campaigns are now heating up as the polls near, so let us monitor the events very closely in the USA. Just exactly who those Republican additions are in both houses will galvanize very soon, bringing along with them the Jurassic solutions of Reaganomics cum Bush tax cuts, along with Federal Reserve antique tool of interest rate intervention.

[Philippines, 06 October 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]

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

US ECONOMISTS WARN OF ANOTHER CRASH!

US ECONOMISTS WARN OF ANOTHER CRASH!

Erle Frayne D. Argonza


Magandang araw, mga kapamilyang global! Good day, fellow global family members!

Let me echo a theme that has been reverberating among circles of economists in the USA lately: a new cycle of economic crash. I’ve already begun to echo notes about whether the ‘stimulus package’ did its task as effectively as it can to deliver the goods, notes that connect to what the economists have been saying of late.

Among a leading light of the US economist circles is Joseph Stiglitz, former executive at the World Bank. A brilliant and dynamic mind in America, Stiglitz represents a coterie of rare experts who can be adjudged as independent-minded, for most of America’s experts are intellectual prostitutes whose purses are fattened by their loyal patronage of oligarchic and political interest groups.

America’s economists are again echoing the alarm calls about another round or cycle of recession which could lead the USA into a ‘double-dip recession’ the impact of which could be the worst that the U.S. work force will have ever experienced. The alarm call practically resonates with an identical forewarning by European economists on the bigger crash that could happen to Europe’s already burning economy.

The very same experts are very keen observers of the global economy aside from their deep grounding in their own domestic economies, and so the cautionary echoes include Japan’s and Canada’s economies as well. Practically all of the pillars of the Western economy—all powerful members of the OECD—have been receiving alarm calls from their own economists.

Maybe the media should better seek audiences with other experts as well, notably the sociologists and public policy as well, who have been keenly observant of the domestic (USA’s) and global economies. Why not consult the likes of Peter Evans and Theda Skocpol for instance, who have been doing works over the past decades that run parallel to what economists have been doing?

Chances are that the experts across a broad spectrum of the social sciences will end up with parallel if not identical evaluations about the impact of the stimulus package and the directions of the US economy and society.

The last round of financial reforms and a new stimulus package announced by White House recently just don’t seem to fit into the expectations of the noblesse experts who all trace the economic malaise of America to the effects of excessive liberalization reforms. Those reforms saw the diminution of the ‘real economy’, to note: (a) de-industrialization, (b) agricultural decay, (c) infrastructure neglect and collapse, (d) neglect of transport & communications sectors, and (e) decay/erosion of science & technology.

Whether the Bush & Obama stimulus package was able to shore up the collapsing ‘real/physical economy’ is now doubtful. The recent Obama-initiated reforms is only putting some caps on regulation problems for big business and ensuring some fairness in the games of the financial-monetary sectors. The coming tax cuts are added incentives to big business that do not necessarily ensure the revivification of the physical economy.

And that’s where the rub lies in America today. By the very fact that a new ‘stimulus package’ is being prepared in the pipeline means precisely the failure of the recovery program. As already shared by me in a previous article, the pronouncement of a new pump priming package is already causing jitters among portfolio and long-term investors.

With the investment field blurred anew in the USA, the resuscitation of employment to full employment level had been turned into an elusive dream. Whether tax cuts can induce new investments (inclusive of the realty sector), factoring the new financial reforms, will be a raging debate not only in America but among other global observers as well.

I am now of the opinion that Obama has been badly advised by his own economic team about the policy and institutional options for salving the structural ailments of the US economy. Bad advise means the resort to ‘bad economics’, a behavior that is ‘bad science’. Bad science breeds bad practice, and bad practice breeds disasters and catastrophes.

Will Obama and the policy-makers listen to the independent-minded economists this time?




[Philippines, 01 October 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]