Wanted: a Che Guevara of Southeast Asia!

This is horrifying as a Southeast Asian myself. That is why I am not in favour of free trade and free market obsession of regional formations such as ASEAN and APEC when what we need to be reminded of are so basic and fundamental principles and values of relations as human beings with hope, fears, and aspirations.

Wanted: a Che Guevara of Southeast Asia!

See the full documentary of SBS Dateline's "Welcome to Malaysia" here.

The Nobelists and the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill

The desperate attempt of ANTI-RH camp at name-dropping scientific scholars is outrageous! Sadly, they often cite two of my teachers in economics — Michael Spence and George Akerlof — devoid of accuracy, context and the specificities of their studies. Spence and Akerlof won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001 (together with Joseph Stiglitz) on the economics of information - specifically, "for their analyses of markets with asymmetric information". Their names, as well as God's, have been used irresponsibly for the church's and its fans' disinformation propaganda. 

The Rebel with the Nobelists Michael Spence and George Akerlof
(I.S.E.O. Summer School, Iseo, Brescia, Italy, June 2010) 

If Spence and Akerlof had studied the bill and the Philippine case closely, I have no doubts they would be in favour of the RH Bill. I believe that the task of convincingly answering all the criticisms against the RH Bill has essentially been completed. This is the prerequisite for it to be enacted asap! 

Michael Spence is now Chair of the Commission on Growth and Development, or the 'Growth Commission'. Having been acquainted with his work, a participant in his lectures, and knowing his emphasis on the necessity of country-specific studies, my sense is that Spence will be in favour of the RH Bill. He would most likely remind implementors though of the importance of functioning 'institutions' and 'timing' in public health intervention. In the concluding remarks of the Growth Commission's study Health and Growth (2009), Spence wrote: 

" Historically, progress in health owed much to adequate food and public health interventions, and those important relationships persist in the modern world. Chronic illness undermines current productivity and promises future losses in output. These deprivations can be passed on to the next generation if investments in children are not made in a targeted and timely fashion. Good health improves the capacity to learn and work, which dramatically improves income and welfare at the household level even if the effects at the aggregate level may be harder to discern. The methodological problems in capturing these gains deserve attention and further work. More attention also needs to be paid to upgrading healthcare institutions, as more of the same is neither affordable nor desirable. "

See: Health and Growth (2009)

Certificate received from Robert Solow and George Akerlof
"Learn Economics from Nobel Laureates", Iseo, Italy (2010)

George Akerlof, together with his wife, Janet Yellen, studied out-of-wedlock childbearing specifically in the context of the US from the 1960s to the 1980s focussing on states with liberalised contraception and legal abortion — therefore, these are conditions and circumstances that do not apply in contemporary Philippine context (which is very important in Akerlof's recent work on 'identity economics') and the provisions of the RH Bill. Anyway, here's the concluding recommendation of Akerlof and Yellen (1996) in their short article, "Why Kids Have Kids: Don't blame welfare, blame 'technology shock'":

" What should be done? Even if possible, attempts to turn back the technological clock by restricting abortion and contraception would now be counterproductive. Besides denying reproductive freedom to women, such efforts would increase the number of children born and reared in impoverished single-parent families. Most children born out of wedlock are reported by their mothers to have been "wanted," but "not at that time." Some are reported as not having been wanted at all. Easier access to birth-control information and devices and to abortion could reduce the number of unwanted children and improve the timing of those whose mothers would have preferred to wait. "

See: George A. Akerlof and Janet L. Yellen (1996) "Why Kids Have Kids: Don't blame welfare, blame 'technology shock'"

The RH Bill is no panacea for all social ills. It was never envisioned or peddled as such, and never will it be. In fact, RH advocates are also strong proponents of other important measures for economic, political, social, cultural, institutional, and moral reforms towards a much more democratic, developed, humane, caring, and just Philippine society and a community of nations.

The RH Bill can and must be enacted as soon as possible!

Salaried work for bus drivers, plus profit sharing

Enforcing monthly salary to public utility bus drivers is a good initiative and opens up a good opportunity to instill professionalism among our 'professional' drivers and workers in the transport sector. Sadly, it has taken countless lives to initiate such reforms. Our market-driven ('boundary system') transport sector has to be reformed.

Personally, I believe in salaried work for these workers, plus profit sharing with the bus owners and operators. PNoy and his team can do it! Political will!

From "Users" to "Producers" of Technology

Reference to the article "The Ten Nations Where Facebook Rules The Internet"

This time the Philippines is "The Social Networking Capital of the World" — from friendster to facebook. Before, the country was "The Text Messaging Capital of the World". 

Indeed, Filipinos have been great "users" of technology. But it's only when we become "producers" of technology that we can catch-up with development.

A key to progress has always been the "production" of things and ideas.

Long live the legend Bob Marley!

Thanks for the songs of freedom. Peace, Bob Marley! You left us 30 years ago, but your spirit lives on. Long live the legend!

Here's a collection of Bob Marley's Top 10 Most Politically Significant Songs by Casey Gane-McCalla: 

10. War. Bob took a speech from the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haille Selassie at the United Nations and made it a song that showed how racism was the cause of the many wars in Africa at the time.

9. Concrete Jungle. This song represented the struggle of the urban poor in the third world. Though the song refers to Arnett Gardens, a garrison in Jamaica, it could represent the poverty and tension found in any ghetto.

8. Redemption Song. This epic ballad represents the fight for freedom in the face of great adversity.

7. Africa Unite. During the 70s when Africa was ridding itself from colonialism, Bob made an anthem that would call for its countries to join forces in Pan-Africanism.

6. Revolution. Another song that calls for both a mental and physical revolution, wiping out wicked ideas from society.

5. Rat Race. While accusations of the CIA operating in Jamaica were common place, Bob addressed the issue in this song, “Rasta now work for no CIA.”

4. Belly Full. Bob goes into the poverty and drastic wealth inequality between the rich and poor in both Jamaica and this world, and the tension that they cause.

3. Get Up Stand Up. Though this song deals with the Rastafarian faith, it has become an anthem for sufferers everywhere.

2. Zimbabwe. This song represents the hope excitement of independent Africa and celebrates the fighters who fought against colonialism.

1. Ambush. In The Nigh. Bob was shot in 1976 and he addresses it in this song. He did not blame any political party despite accusations that the U.S. backed JLP was behind it, Bob did not blame any party but the climate of political nepotism and violence that lead to the attack.

Long live the spirit for freedom, justice, peace, unity, and love!

Fortress Denmark

Reference to BBC News report 'Schengen state Denmark to re-impose border controls'

Oh, fortress Denmark! 

Anyway, protectionist and nationalist tendencies can easily be predicted in the EU, where political-economic class alliances forged integration under conditions of uneven development. 

This right-wing government is 'alienating' Denmark from its old humane, progressive social system founded on the values of care and concern for others, solidarity, communitarianism, and egalitarianism. 

Resist and change!

"Workers spend what they get; capitalists get what they spend."

Reference to the Speech of President Aquino at the 32nd National Conference of Employers

I like this speech of PNoy before the ECOP. The gist of his message to the employers reminds me of Keynes and the aphorism of Kalecki: "Workers spend what they get; capitalists get what they spend." 

I hope PNoy maintains this common sense in the art of creating a middle-income nation where economic growth leads to high income for the workers, increased earnings for the investors, and a larger tax base for the government!

It's the Economy: The Threat to PNoy's Satisfaction Ratings

Reference to the GMA News Online report "SWS: Satisfaction with govt dips, but most still pleased"

If there's any that would gradually drag down PNoy's satisfaction rating, it's the economy. 

 

No doubt, PNoy has made very good political initiatives, including the appointment of progressives to important socio-political positions. However, the visioning and management of 'the economy' has remained the exclusive turf of the same monetarists-technocrats from Marcos to GMA (like Paderanga, Virata, Purisima, Sicat....).

We are all workers!

Labour is source of value and wealth! We are all workers!