Manny Pacquiao didn’t win a great fight

AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR
By William M. Esposo
Philstar

This discussion is not intended to wreck the chair of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.
In fact, this Chair Wrecker postponed writing this column to allow Manny Pacquiao to savor his victory and hero’s welcome. The postponement is also intended to allow the euphoria to settle — a euphoria that was created more by media hype than actual ferocious ring combat.
This discussion is not even intended to diminish the achievement of Manny Pacquiao. Manny manhandled Oscar “Golden Boy” de la Hoya the way his handlers correctly planned his fight strategy.

However, it takes two to tango just as it takes two great ring combatants to make a classic boxing fight that could match the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fights, the greatest of which culminated in the unforgettable Ali-Frazier III — the “Thrilla in Manila.”

Ali-Frazier III was a great fight because both combatants were capable of knocking out each other. If Frazier didn’t quit before the final round — Ali might have done it. Ali was so exhausted that he collapsed after being declared the winner by TKO.

When Pacman answered the opening bell, he fought his best fight but the Golden Boy did not compliment his effort. Oscar de la Hoya cheated the public and the Pacman by just going into the ring to collect a big paycheck without displaying the form that everybody expected to see that night in Las Vegas. The Pacman came to fight a bigger, stronger opponent who turned out to be nothing more than a shadow of his past greatness.

It is immaterial if de la Hoya’s lackluster performance was due to rapid loss of weight, wrong training or a left shoulder injury that prevented the use of his feared left jab. The point is de la Hoya did not provide Pacquiao the necessary counter force that would have made their encounter a truly great fight.

The fight was hyped as a battle between the Biblical David and Goliath. But at least in the David and Goliath story — Goliath tried to obliterate David. The Oscar de la Hoya that fought Manny Pacquiao did not even appear to have the desire to win.

Some folks I know, including two ladies, even suspected that de la Hoya threw the fight after betting that Pacquiao will win. A $1,000,000 bet on Pacquiao would have won $1,350,000; a $5,000,000 bet would have won $6,750,000! Stranger things have happened in boxing.
One person told me: “You see de la Hoya is also a promoter of Pacquiao fights and so he could be protecting his investment by keeping the Pacman legend alive for bigger paydays ahead.”
True enough, the Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr. prospective fights with Pacquiao are now being floated and these are promising to be bigger paydays than the de la Hoya fight. Had de la Hoya beaten Pacquiao, the Hatton and Mayweather fights will not be generating the same excitement and potential revenues.

It’s true that the fight turned out to be a mismatch. But a great fight it never was. To herald that bout as one of boxing’s finest encounters is to further promote the lies and illusions that victimize this nation.

The Pacquiao-de la Hoya fight was no different from the Joe Louis-Rocky Marciano fight. Joe Louis, like Muhammad Ali, was one of the greatest heavyweight champs. But the Joe Louis that entered the ring against Marciano was way past his prime and got knocked out. The Pacquiao-de la Hoya fight was also no different from the Muhammad Ali-Larry Holmes fight.

In those fights, Louis and Ali represented the over-the-hill fighters who did not know when to hang up their gloves and got massacred. No boxing expert rates that Louis-Marciano fight as one of boxing’s finest moments, not even as Marciano’s best fight. In like manner, no boxing expert rates the Ali-Holmes fight as one of the most unforgettable ring encounters.
And yet, Joe Louis, at age 37, did put up a much better fight against Marciano than de la Hoya ever did against Pacquiao.

Our STAR sports columnist Quinito Henson gave very good insights as to what happened in that Pacman-Golden Boy fight during the Solar TV coverage. I noted Quinito describing the mismatch as “unbelievable…how come de la Hoya is not using his vaunted left jab…it is not like the de la Hoya we know in the ring right now…how come de la Hoya is allowing himself to be punched without fighting back” and so forth.

The other understandably pro-Pacquiao Filipino commentators heightened the hype of a momentous ring encounter. I do share their enthusiasm to see a Filipino achiever recognized internationally as this somewhat improves the image of what is otherwise known as the most corrupt people in Asia.

But, clearly, it was not the great Oscar de la Hoya that a great Manny Pacquiao fought. It was a poor facsimile of the great Oscar de la Hoya. That ring encounter was not and should not be rated as a great fight.

I dared to venture into this discussion not so much to dampen the national euphoria over Manny Pacquiao’s victory. I am aware that any effort to spoil the national celebration will be unpopular. But I felt obligated to increase public awareness of how we Filipinos are so easily led to accept illusion for reality, even lies for truth.

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Chair Wrecker website: www.chairwrecker.com

No Speak English

A Russian woman married a Canadian gentleman and they
lived happily ever after in Toronto . The poor lady was not
very proficient in English, but did manage to communicate
with her husband. The real problem arose whenever she
had to shop for groceries.

One day, she went to the butcher and wanted to
buy chicken legs. She didn’t know how to put forward
her request, and in desperation, clucked like a chicken
and lifted up her skirt to show her thighs. Her
butcher got the message, and gave her the chicken
legs.

Next day she needed to get chicken breasts,
again she didn’t know how to say it, and so she
clucked like a chicken and unbuttoned her blouse
to show the butcher her breasts. The butcher understood
again, and gave her some chicken breasts.

On the 3rd day, the poor lady needed to
buy sausages. Unable to find a way to
communicate this, she brought her husband to the
store…

(Please scroll down.)

What were you thinking?

Hellooooooo, her husband speaks English!

Now get back to work!

Barack Obama could have unwittingly caused the Mumbai attacks

AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR
By William M. Esposo

Extremists could be reacting to Barack Obama’s gestures towards Muslims. This was not the conjecture of a wild imagination but the gist of the statement made by one of the world’s most renowned thinkers — Dr. Deepak Chopra.

Who is Dr. Deepak Chopra?

TIME Magazine said that Dr. Deepak Chopra is one of the 100 heroes and icons of the century. Entertainment Weekly hailed him as “Hollywood’s man of the moment, one of publishing’s best-selling and most prolific self-help authors.” He wrote more than 49 books with over a dozen of his books having landed on the New York Times Best-seller list. He is recognized by Toastmaster International as one of the top five outstanding speakers in the world.
CNN’s Larry King saw it fit to interview New Delhi-born Dr. Deepak Chopra regarding the Mumbai terror attacks. Here are excerpts of that interview.

Deepak Chopra: The situation is complex, Larry, because it could inflame to proportions that we cannot even imagine. It has to be contained. We now recognize that this is a global problem, with only a global effort can solve this.

And you know, one of the things that I think is happening is that these militant terrorist groups are actually terrified that (President-elect Barack) Obama’s gestures to the rest of the Muslim world may actually overturn the tables on them by alienating them from the rest of the Muslim world, so they’re reacting to this.

You know, this is Obama’s opportunity to actually harness the help of the Muslims.
You know, there are 1.8 billion Muslims in the world. That’s 25 percent of the population of the world. It’s the fastest-growing religion in the world. We cannot, if we do not appease and actually recruit the help of this Muslim world, we’re going to have a problem on our hands.

And we cannot go after the wrong people, as we did after 9/11, because then the whole collateral damage that occurs actually aggravates the situation.

In India, this is particularly inflammatory, because there’s a rise of Hindu fundamentalism. We saw what that did in Gujarat, where, you know, Muslims were scorched and they were killed, and there was almost a genocide of the Muslims.

India has 150 million Muslims. That’s more Muslims in India than in Pakistan. So this is an opportunity right now for India and Pakistan to recognize this is their common problem. It’s not a Muslim problem right now; it’s a global problem.

Larry King: Do you think that this is just the beginning, that there’s a potential impact, or more?

Chopra: There is a potential impact of a lot more carnage. But it can be contained. And right now, one of the questions, you know, after I heard Barbara Starr talking about how coordinated this is, that there are militant groups that cross international boundaries, is who is financing this? Where is the money coming from? We have to ask very serious, honest questions. What role do we have in this? Are our petrodollars funding both sides of this war on terrorism? Why are we not asking the Saudis where that money is going that we give them? Is it going through this supply chain to Pakistan?

It’s not enough for Pakistan to condemn it. Pakistan should cooperate with India in uprooting this. They should be part of the surgery that is going to happen.

It’s not enough for Indians to blame Pakistanis. Indians should actually ask the Pakistanis to help them.

And it’s not enough for us to worry about Westerners being killed and Americans being killed. Every life is precious over there. We have got to get rid of this idea that this is an American problem or a Western problem. It’s a global problem, and we need a global solution, and we need the help of all the Muslims, 25 percent of the world’s population, to help us uproot this problem.

King: What does India immediately do?

Chopra: India at this moment has to contain any reactive violence from the fundamentalist Hindus, which is very likely and possible. So India has to condemn that by not blaming local Muslims. They have to identify the exact groups.

And the world has to be very careful that they don’t go after the wrong people. Because if you go after the wrong people, you convert moderates into extremists. It happens every time, and retribution against innocent people just because they have the same religion actually aggravates and perpetuates the problem.

King: Are you pessimistic?

Chopra: I think Mr. Obama has a real opportunity here, but a challenging opportunity, a creative opportunity.

Get rid of the phrase “war on terrorism.” Ask for a creative solution in which we all participate.

King: Is it because the war on terrorism really can never be won?

Chopra: Because it’s an oxymoron. It’s an oxymoron, Larry, a war on war, a war on terrorism.
You know, terrorists call mechanized death from 35,000 feet above sea level with a press of a button also terror. We don’t call it that, because our soldiers are wearing uniforms. They don’t see what is happening, and innocent people are being killed. So, you know, terror is a term that you apply to the other. (End of interview excerpts)

Dr. Chopra provides invaluable insights to the problem of terrorism which we must all hope the new US leaders will learn from. Like most conflicts, victory is best won by winning hearts and minds.

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Chair Wrecker website: www.chairwrecker.com

Dispatches from the Enchanted Kingdom: He walked with Christ

Opinion
Written by Manuel Buencamino
TUESDAY, 02 DECEMBER 2008

I don’t understand why the opposition was offended by Rep. Pablo Garcia’s analogy. They should have been grateful the old man was generous enough to share insights from a trial he witnessed over 2,000 years ago.

Time has not eroded Garcia’s memory. He had no trouble recalling the trial of Jesus clearly and relating it to current events. Garcia said:

“More than 2,000 years ago, our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified because of an opinion survey. Pontius Pilate presented our Lord to the crowd and said, ‘Whom would you prefer, Barabas or Christ to crucify?’ Our Lord Jesus Christ lost in the survey. Is that how we are going to judge our president, because of an opinion survey?”

Garcia’s analogy was right on the money! (Pardon the intended pun.) The House justice committee did choose to crucify the truth and set a criminal free.

There’s Pablo Garcia and there’s Deputy Palace Spokesman Antonio Golez. The latter cannot speak on the Bible with as much authority as Garcia. He’s too young, by two millennia.

Still, he used a passage from the Bible to lecture bishops who said they were ready to support any means if there were no other legal ways available for seeking the truth.

He told them, “These statements are contrary to the teachings found in the Book of Romans, Chapter 13, which says that we should submit to the duly constituted authority.”

And he read out the biblical riot act: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”

If Golez is right, then former Commission on Elections commissioner Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano must be God. However, I doubt ZTE-NBN star Benjamin Abalos or members of the joint congressional committee that refused to scrutinize even one certificate of canvass in the 2004 presidential election will concede that point. God, they will argue, manifests Himself in more ways than Garci.

Mrs. Gloria Arroyo likes to brag about her cozy relationship with God. She has, on more than one occasion, said He was her “best friend.” He answers even her most trivial prayers. And I’m not talking about those phone calls related to the counting of votes in the 2004 election; those did not involve trivial matters. I’m talking about another prayer, the one concerning Manny Pacquiao.

On September 11, 2005, Mrs. Arroyo told reporters “God heard my prayers that he win” after she learned boxing great Manny Pacquiao defeated Hector Velasquez. This weekend Manny and millions of Filipinos will be hoping she will call or text God.

Now, just because Arroyo is pals with God doesn’t mean her servants can take liberties with Him, as well. Gloria was flabbergasted when her Press secretary, Jesus Dureza, prayed, “Bless the President so we will have forbearance, good health, the tolerance to lead this nation up to 2010 and, perhaps, who knows, even beyond,” and later said, “I’d like to do a light prayer. I’m sure God, the Lord, has a lot of sense of humor. My whole prayer was in that context.” She felt it was presumptuous of the man, a mere Palace servant, to jest with her best friend.

At any rate, God and the Filipino people can laugh about the mirthful prayer of Christ’s tocayo, Jesus Dureza, and Pablo Garcia’s “where’s the beef?” remark, because who, other than Garcia, would think beef when he smells a rat?

US decline in the new world compels Filipinos to rethink and retool

AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR
By William M. Esposo

The US National Intelligence Council’s (NIC) Global Trends 2025 Report which was the subject matter of your Chair Wrecker’s column last Sunday (US Intel Report sees the end of US domination in a new world) may have been an exposition of likely 2025 scenarios but many of its findings are happening already.
Much of what the NIC reported as developing scenarios are done deals already. The arc of instability caused by aging populations in Western Europe and Japan, the damaging effects of climate change, the fall of the US empire, the ever increasing threat of conflicts that can trigger nuclear wars are all part and parcel now of our world.
You need not wait for Iran and North Korea to develop their nuclear arsenal. The Mumbai attacks where India’s Foreign Minister expressed suspicion that Pakistani elements were involved can lead to a confrontation between two nuclear-powered armed forces. The US is a traditional backer of Pakistan. China is now allied with India and both are emerging world titans threatening US domination. An India-Pakistan nuclear confrontation can drag the US and China into the fray.
In such a nuclear confrontation involving the US and China, only a Filipino idiot (again using the eminent Professor Emmanuel Q. Yap’s definition of idiot as one who does not know the truth) will fail to recognize that we could easily be targets of the nuclear missiles. If the US starts using their presence in Mindanao to choke off the South China Sea, expect China to react decisively.
Hopefully, the new American leaders and the Chinese leaders are not like the irresponsible monarchs who were stupid enough to allow their nations to be dragged into World War I. We should also be thankful that George W. Bush will no longer be at the helm at the White House — unless this India-Pakistan situation deteriorates rapidly.
These findings of the NIC 2025 Global Landscape compel us Filipinos to rethink and retool if we are to cope with the challenges of the transformations that are now happening.
1. “Continued economic growth — coupled with 1.2 billion more people by 2025 — will put pressure on energy, food, and water resources.” — Again, we don’t need the added 1.2 billion people to realize that we are already living with this crisis. Much of the solution rests on Filipinos becoming more responsible and preserving the country’s environment and natural resources.
2. “The potential for conflict will increase owing to rapid changes in parts of the greater Middle East and the spread of lethal capabilities.” — We don’t need to wait for this Middle East conflict to arrive here. We are in fact already a society in conflict. We have a long-running Communist insurgency and a Muslim war of secession in Mindanao.
3. “Terrorism is unlikely to disappear by 2025, but its appeal could lessen if economic growth continues in the Middle East and youth unemployment is reduced. For those terrorists that are active the diffusion of technologies will put dangerous capabilities within their reach.” — What is to stop the MILF or the Abu Sayyaf from copying the terror attacks in Mumbai? Imagine 10 simultaneous attacks being conducted in the Ayala Commercial District and what that will do to our fragile economy.
4. “Climate change is likely to exacerbate resource scarcities, particularly water scarcities.” — We may not be the biggest promoters of climate change but we have to help avert the catastrophe. Climate change will affect us even if we caused it or not.
5. “Whether Europe and Japan overcome economic and social challenges caused or compounded by demography.” — It is time that we stopped this nonsense about population control and recognize that population is a national asset. Lack of social justice and avarice, not overpopulation, are the problems we have to solve.
6. “A global multi-polar system is emerging with the rise of China, India, and others.” — We will have to realign our alliances with the emerging world power structure.
What should scare every Filipino is the fact that we are not even discussing these problems. These are world developments that threaten us in a major way and we are taking this Alfred Neumann stance of “What me, worry?”
In 1941, Filipinos did not even think that there will be a Pacific theatre of World War II. Filipinos partied and enjoyed those days of plenty and were oblivious of the war clouds hovering over the Pacific countries. In the 1945 Battle of Manila alone, over 100,000 civilians perished, many of them the victims of some of the worst war atrocities recorded in the annals of history.
Where are our leaders? The biggest task of a national leader is to enlighten the people. But our leaders prefer to keep us in the dark. They even lie to us. Why are they so engrossed with Charter change that will not even change anything rotten — but will even perpetuate the EVIL in the land?
Why are the leaders of the Opposition already behaving like crabs trying to demolish each other? They have not even done anything to indicate that they can restore the rule of law, decency, accountability and transparency in government. They are acting as if they have won already and are now fighting for the spoils.
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Chair Wrecker website: www.chairwrecker.com

“…Not only to listen but to march”

Message from jail
“…Not only to listen but to march” - Danny Lim
Posted: 27 Nov 2008
by Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim

We are a nation divided. Peace, unity and development continue to elude us because we have a president bereft of moral or legal authority to lead. She had, in fact, become the greatest continuing threat to the security, cooperative spirit, well being and sense of Nationhood of the Filipino people.
A true leader is a symbol of unity and a rallying figure especially in difficult times. A bogus leader is divisive and stays in power to the detriment of the common good and the National interest.

GMA continues to inflict herself on our hapless people. In the process, scarce government resources are squandered to buy for her dubious loyalties, institutions are prostituted to project a sham imprimatur to an immoral governance, public service has evolved into a buffet of graft and corruption, and morals, values, accountability and responsibility have been reduced to mere flamboyant phrases. She destroyed the very concept of truth as the foundation of every act of government.
We find the country today in deep turmoil. Oppression, corruption and injustice rule the benighted land. Internecine struggles threaten to dismantle the republic. Widespread poverty robs people of their dignity and drives many to prostitution and virtual slavery in foreign climes. Hunger incidence is at an all time high and the country’s human development index is at an all time low. No wonder, an atmosphere of destitution pervades among our normally resilient and patient people. All of these were brought about by 8 years of unelected, hopelessly corrupt leadership and a slew of failed liberal economic and peace policies.
Long starved of good governance, the Filipino people should act now to reclaim their dignity, remove the pretender from power and steer this nation on the path to greatness. I echo, loud and clear, the call for radical reforms and restructuring. The call of the times is for us NOT ONLY TO LISTEN BUT TO MARCH.
November 30, a few days from now is National Heroes Day. Let us recapture the visions and ideals of our heroes and martyrs and give justice to their golden dream of National independence.
This country needs a leader of heroic and nationalist stature who would champion genuine independence in every aspect of our national life. He or she must be committed to challenging colonial economic masters and their local surrogates, abandoning obscene foreign debt payment policies, pushing industrialization, agriculture productivity and sustainable agrarian reforms, ensuring food and energy independence, and formulating a sound economic strategy anchored on the declaration that this country’s patrimony and all of our abundant resources are solely for the Filipinos to develop and benefit from. The current President is the antithesis of that leader. For her personal aggrandizement, she was willing to sacrifice the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by dismembering the Republic in the case of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) and the baseline issue, west of our archipelago.
The latest Malacanang sponsored machinations are designed to extend GMA’s discredited regime. Secretary Dureza’s prayer and the feigned reaction revealed it all. With no semblance of delicadeza, no less than her son is doing the rounds, spearheading a signature campaign that would eventually actualize their foul design. With a subservient congress which frustrates the impeachment process at every turn and some Supreme Court justices willing to do their biddings, then their coast is clear, our political fate is sealed. I dread the thought that our best bet is for GMA to die of old age.
Now is the time to grip hands and act! Enough is enough!

US Intel Report sees the end of US domination in a new world

AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR
By William M. Esposo

In past columns, every time this Chair Wrecker mentioned that the end of US world domination has come — responses from unsettled minds that still cling to illusions of ‘USA Forever’ questioned and argued the point. Someone even suggested that Chair Wrecker information sources may be coming from Robert Ludlum novels.
Well here is something to further unsettle those ‘USA Forever’ types — the US National Intelligence Council’s report (titled “Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World”) which sees the end of US domination in a transformed world. The report is sourced from all the intelligence agencies and units of the US as well as consulted international organizations and experts.
Here is the gist of what the report says, quoted verbatim.
The 2025 Global Landscape Prepared by the US National Intelligence Council
Relative certainties and likely impact
1. A global multi-polar system is emerging with the rise of China, India, and others. The relative power of non-state actors — businesses, tribes, religious organizations, and even criminal networks — also will increase.
Likely impact: By 2025 a single “international community” composed of nation-states will no longer exist. Power will be more dispersed with the newer players bringing new rules of the game while risks will increase that the traditional Western alliances will weaken. Rather than emulating Western models of political and economic development, more countries may be attracted to China’s alternative development model.
2. The unprecedented shift in relative wealth and economic power roughly from West to East now under way will continue.
Likely impact: As some countries become more invested in their economic well-being, incentives toward geopolitical stability could increase. However, the transfer is strengthening states like Russia that want to challenge the Western order.
3. The United States will remain the single most powerful country but will be less dominant.
Likely impact: Shrinking economic and military capabilities may force the US into a difficult set of tradeoffs between domestic versus foreign policy priorities.
4. Continued economic growth — coupled with 1.2 billion more people by 2025 — will put pressure on energy, food, and water resources.
Likely impact: The pace of technological innovation will be key to outcomes during this period. All current technologies are inadequate for replacing traditional energy architecture on the scale needed.
5. The number of countries with youthful populations in the “arc of instability”1[1] will decrease, but the populations of several youth-bulge states are projected to remain on rapid growth trajectories.
Likely impact: Unless employment conditions change dramatically in parlous youth-bulge states such as Afghanistan, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Yemen, these countries will remain ripe for continued instability and state failure.
6. The potential for conflict will increase owing to rapid changes in parts of the greater Middle East and the spread of lethal capabilities.
Likely impact: The need for the US to act as regional balancer in the Middle East will increase, although other outside powers — Russia, China and India — will play greater roles than today.
7. Terrorism is unlikely to disappear by 2025, but its appeal could lessen if economic growth continues in the Middle East and youth unemployment is reduced. For those terrorists that are active the diffusion of technologies will put dangerous capabilities within their reach.
Likely impact: Opportunities for mass-casualty terrorist attacks using chemical, biological, or less likely, nuclear weapons will increase as technology diffuses and nuclear power (and possibly weapons) programs expand. The practical and psychological consequences of such attacks will intensify in an increasingly globalized world.
Key uncertainties and potential consequences
1. Whether an energy transition away from oil and gas — supported by improved energy storage, biofuels, and clean coal — is completed during the 2025 time frame.
Potential consequences: With high oil and gas prices, major exporters such as Russia and Iran will substantially augment their levels of national power, with Russia’s GDP potentially approaching that of the UK and France.
A sustained plunge in prices, perhaps underpinned by a fundamental switch to new energy sources, could trigger a long-term decline for producers as global and regional players.
2. How quickly climate change occurs and the locations where its impact is most pronounced.
Potential consequences: Climate change is likely to exacerbate resource scarcities, particularly water scarcities.
3. Whether mercantilism stages a comeback and global markets recede.
Potential consequences: Descending into a world of resource nationalism increases the risk of great power confrontations.
4.Whether advances toward democracy occur in China and Russia.
Potential consequences: Political pluralism seems less likely in Russia in the absence of economic diversification. A growing middle class increases the chances of political liberalization and potentially greater nationalism in China.
5. Whether regional fears about a nuclear-armed Iran trigger an arms race and greater militarization.
Potential consequences: Episodes of low-intensity conflict and terrorism taking place under a nuclear umbrella could lead to an unintended escalation and broader conflict.
6. Whether the greater Middle East becomes more stable, especially whether Iraq stabilizes, and whether the Arab-Israeli conflict is resolved peacefully.
Potential consequences: Turbulence is likely to increase under most scenarios. Revival of economic growth, a more prosperous Iraq, and resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute could engender some stability as the region deals with a strengthening Iran and global transition away from oil and gas.
7. Whether Europe and Japan overcome economic and social challenges caused or compounded by demography.
Potential consequences: Successful integration of Muslim minorities in Europe could expand the size of the productive work forces and avert social crisis. Lack of efforts by Europe and Japan to mitigate demographic challenges could lead to long-term declines.
8. Whether global powers work with multilateral institutions to adapt their structure and performance to the transformed geopolitical landscape.
Potential consequences: Emerging powers show ambivalence toward global institutions like the UN and IMF, but this could change as they become bigger players on the global stage. Asian integration could lead to more powerful regional institutions. NATO faces stiff challenges in meeting growing out-of-area responsibilities with declining European military capabilities. Traditional alliances will weaken. (End of summary)
The US has started slipping since the China-backed North Koreans forced General Douglas MacArthur and the allied forces south of the 38th Parallel during the 1950s Korean Peninsula War. Since then, a Russia-supported North Vietnam defeated US armed forces and kicked them out of South Vietnam. In the same period, a China-supported regime repelled the US in Cambodia. That is hardly the track record of a dominant superpower.
What should interest those pushing for the Reproductive Health Bill is the report’s mention of countries that are projected to undergo economic problems because of an aging population — most notable of these are Western European countries and Japan.
It is also lost on those who are promoting the Reproductive Health Bill that the two emerging titans — China and India — enjoy large populations. Their economic successes were not hampered by their large population which makes our 84 million look teeny weenie. What they did was to empower their people and create a larger consumer base — the asset that attracted foreign investors to flock to their shores.
Yet despite the eerie scenario that this transformed world is projecting, how come all we see our leaders engage in are Senate coups, population control, narrow-minded and self-seeking Charter Change and other counter-productive misadventures that will not help prepare our country to cope with the forthcoming changes.
The eminent Professor Emmanuel Q. Yap, founder of the People’s Patriotic Movement, has been discussing many of these findings of the US National Intelligence Council for over a decade already but our leaders never found it important enough to act on.
It is high time Filipinos started realizing and understanding the true state of affairs in the world for only then can we set things right in our country and meet the emerging challenges of a transformed world.
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Chair Wrecker website: www.chairwrecker.com