Flipping through the pages of world history, we can in fascination observe how the great empires of the past have in their heydays taken turns standing on the world’s pedestal, with the fall of one succeeded by the rise of another: from the ancient times with Egypt, Babylon (Iraq), Persia (Iran), Greece, & Rome, and through the centuries to our more recent UK, Germany/Japan (WW2-AXIS), USA/USSR-Russia (Cold war), and now emerging China and India.
A major global power is a nation/empire that any neighboring country will think twice before pushing around or provoking. At the top of the food chain, they convene like vultures (such as G-7) to manage and chart the course of the world.
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One may wonder: Where is the Philippines in all the power play among economic, military, and technological titans? How does this seemingly insignificant third-world country fit in the grand scheme of things?
Well, I like to kid around with the national-pride-tickling “prophetic” idea that the three greatest superpowers of all time will be three English-speaking countries that so markedly stand out above the rest that the article “The” is placed before their country names. And these three are
- The United Kingdom
- The United States
- The Philippines
Yes, I know. What a joke! But let’s pause for a moment and think: Looking back at the humble beginnings of visionary companies, didn’t they mock Walt Disney, Steve Jobs (Apple), and Elon Musk (Paypal, Tesla, SpaceX) for having unrealistically ridiculous audacious dreams as well?
Now what if by some fateful “aligning of the planets”, we can actually get our act together, unite, and become something beyond what we can even imagine possible. Is aiming to be a global power mere delusional daydreaming? Is it too much to ask or expect for a 100M strong nation blessed rich with natural resources and teeming with talent to become one?
Well if you ask me the question “Can the Philippines become a major world power?”, my simple answer is “Why not?”
To come to think of it, with the great Philippine diaspora, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are now in every corner of the globe, and even taking on management and key positions where they have settled? In effect, the “the sun never sets on the Filipino people”. What does that sound like? Exactly – the British Empire in her glory days. I am even inclined to think that if we recalled all our exported OFWs, entire economies/industries could stall or collapse.
Our national product (the OFW) is better than any other type of product in the world. When Japan exports a Toyota car, they only get paid once. But when the Philippines exports an OFW, that person remits back money again and again and again. With all the wealth/cash constantly pouring in, the Philippines is now becoming one formidable and resilient economic force to reckon with.
There is one crucial element that I believe this country needs though if we are to be propelled in such a grand and glorious trajectory.
Iron-fisted Leadership
What brought Russia, Japan, and Germany into accelerated advancement from being countries of lowly peasants into technological and economic powers of their age was strong military-caliber discipline-instilling leadership. They had leaders who had a flint-hard resolve to make their nations truly great.
The only major issue with the leaders of their times of transformation was that they ran over a lot of lives along the way (which I think was a big no no and totally unnecessary). But it is a testament to their past iron-fisted leadership that their nations are still the technological powerhouses they are to this day, way far advanced in the areas of military, aerospace, automotive, railway, and electronic/semiconductor technologies.
If we are seeking to take a fast-track approach towards becoming a major power, this nation needs a new breed of leader, one characterized by incorruptible and competent iron-fisted leadership that can handle and transform undisciplined dysfunctional zombies.
Let’s face it: time and again for 3 decades now, Filipinos have proven that American-style democracy does not work on zombies. Filipinos have simply perverted their liberties into a license to do anything as long as one is not caught. They have lost sight of the common good, living in a vain almost-unbridled pursuit of “freedom to…” instead of “freedom from…”.
As the idiom goes… “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” Well, the cat’s been away for too long now. And we don’t need just a cat, we need a TIGER! We need someone who can make people fall back in line, relentlessly uphold law and order, rally and unify them with a common vision, equip them with nation-building tools (e.g. English books) rather than leaving them to feed on junk, and turn this country into one lightning-fast effective machine with every part contributing to the goal.
Leadership Style Matters
As voters, we need to observe closely the type of leadership a presidential aspirant displays. As the population has grown weary of the never-ending circus of corrupt and incompetent officials that plague the political arena, many Filipinos have now become more open to welcoming tough iron-willed leaders, those who command respect and obedience and who can serve as an inspiration and role model to all.
Like a gazelle panting for water after breaking free from its pursuing prey, the Filipino people are seeking change and see hope in the tough and fearless “iron-lady/iron-man” brand of leadership in the likes of Miriam Defensor Santiago and Rodrigo Duterte, which is in stark contrast to the low-quality “hay, wood, and stubble” politics offered by those who have little to show but
- Empty “poe”-gi points borrowed from a late showbiz personality
- Gross incompetence justified by a perverted concept of “mar”-tyrdom and sacrifice
- The waning support of paid voters (mga “binay”-aran na botante).
Unless we have surrendered to a despondent regression into a nation state where the only thing organized is crime, we need a leader who can arrest the downward spiral in our society. We need a super cop, a glorified law enforcer, as chief executive – someone who will live out and execute the full force of the law, one who is unafraid to “hang” plunderers/corrupters and fire incompetent officials regardless of affinity, making a public spectacle of them to announce to the whole world that in the Philippines, no one is above the law.
As one high-school teacher of mine used to say: “Discipline makes a man.” If Filipinos cannot attain self-discipline as individuals making up a society, we need a leader who can instill and model it in the same way a teacher trains a bunch of unruly ill-mannered grade school pupils afflicted with a chronic contagious form of attention deficiency disorder to such a degree that discipline becomes a habit second-nature to them and transforms them into responsible, orderly, and productive citizens.
So is thinking we can someday stand on the world’s center stage as a major global power too big a dream? Maybe, but we don’t lose anything trying to reach it anyway. As it is said, “It is better to aim at the moon and hit a bird, than aim at a bird and hit a rock.”
It’s time to wake up from our current dysfunctional reality of corruption and incompetence! It’s time to dream big, think big, and press hard towards the goal! It’s time Filipinos choose a strong iron-fisted leader that can catapult this nation to its grand destiny!
Zealous revolutionary advocate of bringing back common sense for the common good in a land of dysfunctional and delusional zombies.
It’s an interesting thought experiment, but I think you have a rather simplistic view of ‘development’, zaxx.
Neither 1, 2 or 3 is likely to be (or remain) a world power during this century, and for the exact same reason: cultural failure. The US and the UK will probably keep chugging along because economic momentum will carry them along. The Philippines didn’t have any momentum to start with. As for the other examples you mentioned, the reality is far more interesting than you suggest:
Russia was a world power BEFORE the revolution. Russian engineering, science, and the arts were legendary at the turn of the century. Oddly, this pinnacle of cultural evolution was coincident with the most appalling repression of the general public and economic mismanagement. Both the good and the bad things were entirely destroyed by Stalin. Something very similar happened to China, which possibly would have experienced an impressive development path if the British hadn’t been so keen to sell them drugs.
West Germany and Japan both emerged as world powers as a result of GENUINE HUMILITY. Humility doesn’t mean prostrating oneself in the dust. It means recognizing your failures and resolving to do something about them. West Germany actually had quite weak governance after WW2, but it’s a testament to the German spirit (which, like Russia, was culturally advanced before the war) that they came out of all smelling of roses. The story with Japan was quite similar: the American occupation government operated with a fairly light touch, focusing on economic assistance.
In other words, all three of those countries succeeded because of their cultural values, and then (in the case of Russia) failed because those values were stripped away by iron-fisted leaders.
Will Filipinos ever understand the nature of humility? I doubt it. The Bible explains clearly how humility works, and how it can benefit humanity. God forbid Catholics should ever actually read the Bible and attempt to understand it.
Yes marius, my equation for development is very simple (i prefer first principles over analysis paralysis):
y=mx+b, where
b=society’s initial level of discipline
m=degree of iron-fisted leadership
y=country’s level development/cultural values/discipline
x=time
It doesn’t really matter what your starting point (b) is; if the slope (m) is a large positive number, your country is bound to overtake stagnating world powers in the least amount of time.
So it’s the people’s choice:
1. turtle-slow pace (with lax lethargic leaders, m=+3 with frequent m=-1), or
2. cheetah-fast development (with competent iron-fisted leaders, m=+30)
Without iron-fisted Hitler, Hirohito, and Stalin, their respective country’s (Germany, Japan and Russia) wouldn’t have had the will power, unity and might to take on the giants around them in the 1940’s. They may have been quite advanced already at the turn of the century, but these leaders accelerated their advancement even further.
We all know the Phil. is way far behind. All the more a reason to decide to START progressing RAPIDLY. And it all boils down to a simple vote this coming 2016. Do we need to cross our fingers, or should we just use our common sense?
I completely disagree, zaxx. Hitler, Hirohito and Stalin cleverly leveraged what their people ALREADY were in order to become powerful (“greater” is absolutely the wrong word, surely?). The Germans were great engineers and created a well-engineered war machine. The Japanese worshiped the emperor and did whatever they were told to do in his name. The Russians had an enormous (and well-founded) faith in their culture, their country, and the abilities, and thought they could make Communism work. Iron-fisted leadership was their downfall. It was not what made them great.
Development is not a one-dimensional line. Those dictators proved that you can “develop” in completely dysfunctional directions. Imagine what on earth would happen if some iron-fisted leader took the Pinoy capacity for self-aggrandizement, lying, thieving, rampant nationalism, mindless superstition, and violence into a single-minded quest for global domination. It doesn’t bear thinking about.
marius,
I’ll just take the example of Germany:
From wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_history_of_Germany
“The Nazis came to power in 1933 and began remilitarisation. Heavy military spending quickly restored the depression-ravaged economy, making Adolf Hitler popular with the people and the military. German armed forces were named the Wehrmacht from 1935 to 1945. The Army (Heer) was encouraged to experiment with tanks and motorised infantry, using the ideas of Heinz Guderian. The Kriegsmarine restarted naval construction and Hitler established the Luftwaffe, an independent air force.”
—
As you can see Hitler (dysfunctional his direction may have been) had such a significant influence on Germany’s accelerated military advancement.
So the key words are IRON-FISTED => INFLUENCE => ACCELERATION
Since direction is not included in the picture, I mentioned elsewhere in another comment that we need to qualify the type of strongman leader –> we need an Incorruptible, Competent, Visionary Iron-fisted Leader, one who can stamp out Corruption and Incompetence and in place instill discipline.
A better example to use would be lee kuan yew of Singapore, who turned his nation from 3rd world to first in just a few decades.
History has shown that the likes of Cory, Erap and current NoyNoy (weak-willed leaders) are powerless to transform the dysfunctional culture of undisciplined Filipinos.
—-
the line model was for the parameter “level of discipline” (not development in general). You can think of it as line segments with different slopes depending on the leader’s influence. Because the president’s term is only 6 years, we need a good succession of strong leaders to keep the momentum going. This is why we need strong political parties that can plan decades ahead.
Hope this clarifies.
Great leaders are rarely born, rather they are created through rigorous trial and error. Great leaders grow into their roles and remain dedicated to their mission, regardless of the personal costs.
Sun Tzu and Machiavelli were the masters of leadership, and their philosophies, through their respective masterworks – The Art of War and The Prince, have taught generations of leaders the basics of being an effective leader, and their philosophies still hold true today in today’s cutthroat top-tier corporate environment. Of their lessons, several are of paramount importance to today’s aspiring leader.
First and foremost, consistency is the key to all leadership decisions. Setting the rules and abiding by them to the letter is the primary foundation for establishing an effective, time-tested leadership. Many managers have failed by either failing to abide by their own rules or by turning a blind eye on the indiscretions of favored employees. Once the rules are set, they must be enforced unflinchingly and with an iron fist. When consistency in punishments vanishes, then the credibility of the leader is compromised, and his or her effectiveness as a leader declines. When employees realize that even the leader is subject to the rules, then they will fall in line.
Machiavelli’s immortal (and often reviled) phrase, “It is better to be feared than loved”, is another pillar of effective leadership. While it is often the easier path to be friends with employees, it is hardly ever the effective path. Mixing personal relationships with leadership roles is often a fatal mistake that leaders make, and serve only to cloud judgment when an important decision – such as shedding inefficient employees – needs to be made. Managers who wish to avoid confrontations will also “butter up” their employees by downplaying transgressions, a poor leadership choice which often compromises the leader’s managing power.
Sun Tzu’s quote, “If troops lay siege to a walled city, their strength will be exhausted” is also of primary importance to effective leaders. Effective leaders do not waste their resources on unattainable goals. They set realistic goals and centralize priorities for employees. If your employees are “laying siege to a walled city” by either taking on too high of a workload or pursuing dead end projects, morale will plummet. According to Sun Tzu, high morale is the key to any leader’s success.
Speaking of morale, the effective leader follows the military rule for commanders – the leader always knows the plan, even when he or she hasn’t the faintest idea. You employees will look to you for all the answers, and if you reveal your frustrations or indecisiveness to them, they will lose respect for you and the company. It is extremely important to always assure your employees that you know what is in store for the company, despite your own personal reservations. Effective leaders also understand how to boost morale at appropriate times, without having such events appear contrived – such as company mixers or events.
Efficient meetings should also be a high priority for an aspiring leader. Companies often either hold too few or too many meetings. You need to find the correct frequency of meetings for your company, not so few as to cause mis-communication, but also not so many as to distract employees from their work. Clearly outlined, efficiently timed agendas that stay on topic are a pillar of good leadership. Employees who get too chatty during meetings with off-topic comments should be restrained, and setting a time limit in stone – for example, an hour – will make employees respect you more as an efficient leader who respects their time.
Finally, Machiavelli’s motto, “The end justifies the means” should be the mantra of any effective corporate leader. As a leader of a company, your mission is to achieve the targets set by your company. For a large, publicly traded company, this is even more important, as shareholders can quickly sink your company’s market cap if you fail to meet your projected earnings. As a leader, it is your duty to keep your eyes on the prize, making difficult decisions and sacrifices when necessary in order to attain the set goal. This is often a lonely path, but the path of a true leader is rarely one filled with friends.
Cue the people claiming they just wan’t “simple lives.”
Why don’t they canoe themselves off to Nauru or any other Pacific island in th middle of the ocean to live out their unenlightened paradise? Oh wait, that takes too much work.
I do hope we fall under iron-fisted leadership again. Honestly I don’t care if it isn’t even one of those “benevolent dictatorship” types.
Then if Filipinos ever want their “beloved” democracy back, they can fight for it and pay for it with Blood.
Nothing makes you value anything more than if it was paid for with blood.
@ Dick, NO…the implementing of a honest Democratic Republic and a tweaking of the laws that allow theft on a grand scale would be enough to put the country right. No longer allowing politicians the availability of hiding their sta$hed illegally gotten fortunes away in USDollar accounts that can not be disclosed to the public is one law that would crimp the wheels of tyranny and make for an interesting debate on how to distribute the confiscated finds that were formally hidden.
The country was founded on a good premise, but that has been perverted in such a way as to benefit the elite whilst screwing everyone else.
Given this author’s way with words, I’m surprised there was no talk about iron fisting with gloves.????
American-style democracy – it’s base on protestantism and ethic of hard work. they were built by wealthy-educated europeans who went west (america) who are actually immigrants. uneducated Filipinos will never learn the concept of liberty. specially the bill-of-rights.
on Disclipine and obedience
Let me share a quote from Rody Duterte: Rappler Interview
“Alam mo kasi ganito iyan Ressa eh. Dito sa pilipinas there is this thing obey the law. and problema, halos lahat . . . because if you become the president you dont only change leaders but you have to change the Filipino himself.
Full Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow9FUAHCclk
We still have Miriam and Marcos.
@ Andrew, Miriam and Marcos ? LOL, good luck….
Question: Where do you think all the money that former President Marcos stole will go when Imelda dies? Do you think Bing-Bing is going to give the ill-gotten wealth his Father stole back to the people? OR use it for his own nefarious ends?
and good luck with that ‘Medication’ riddled mess that has Bing-Bing as her running mate.
The country needs a change, a purging more like it, not another generation of thieves, from a family of thieves, to run the country further into the sewer !
The cancerous Catholic Church will never allow this to happen unfortunately. They have too much at stake in this current laggard society, that they’re going to fight tooth and nail to keep their privilege. Even worse, they enjoy full support from mainstream Filipinos unlike the politicians.
Said iron leader will have to come up with a way to let go of the Catholic Church’s grip on the country while convincing the people that it’s for their own good. Easier said than done!
One of the reasons the Catholic Church has so much power is due to the current attitudes of the Filipinos. Most prefer to be told what to do and have God as an excuse for everything. The Catholic Church had such a strong grip on Spanish society, even stronger than in The Philippines, and we mostly broke free from it. It’s in people’s hands. Of course it takes a strong fight, and it takes confronting even your family and your neighbours. We went through that. Are Filipinos ready to do so? Confronting others, even with just words, in order to fight for what they think is right?
Leadership is a talent, they are inborn. You may have it, or you don’t have it.
The only problem of this country, is: the political leaders are the first lawbreakers. Where the leaders go; the people will follow.
So as where the Mind goes; the body will follow.
Enforce the law to all; and you will have discipline.
It is like the “Lag Lag Bala” syndicate. It is done by Honorado and his henchmen. Honorado is the cousin of Aquino. Did De Lima and her driver lover, ever did some investigation on the syndicate? No sir, De Lima is quiet.
Mar Roxas is defending the “Lag Lag Bala” scam/extortion incidents. Blaming them, on the victims. Or as a “figment of people’s imagination”.
Aquino is doing nothing, because the one involved is his cousin. Abaya went to inspect the site of the crime. He left and did nothing.
If we have leaders, who behave like these clowns; the Philippines will remain a basket case country.
Most of us, OFWs, do not want to come back.
Ask any of those OFWs in the Middle East, where there are wars and fighting. The Filipino OFWs would rather die from bullets; than from starvation and “kunsumisiyon”…
Let us face our own Realities; accept the causes of our being a basket case country. From there, we can improve things.
Sigh. Another blind follower of the “dictatorship=progress” philosophy.
You forgot another factor that forged empires: blood.
A lot of great empires were built upon piles of corpses. They are willing to destroy weaker nations and civilizations to preserve and expand their own. To be a great power means to prepared do the unthinkable, to be willing to destroy the status quo, and to have the resolve to jump straight into hell anytime.
And are the Filipinos’ blood worth preserving when all it breeds is “kunsimisyon”? Better wipe out all traces of corruption, cowardice, etc. so Philippines can start building a country worth living and dying for.
Zaxx article is so inspiring to awaken the country and its people from humiliation and poverty. This article is what Filipino needs not the destructive criticism article.
But these arrogant and self proclaim gurus comments doesn’t help. They instantly destroy the moment we need for Filipinos to change for better.
Well said.
Why would Zaxx expect that everybody agrees with what he is saying? This is what he is actually criticising!
No, Iron-fisted leadership will not turn the Philippines into a major world power because of the inability–and unwillingness–of the Filipinos to work together as one people; but, it will definitely suppressed their self-serving and arrogant nature, and keep them from destroying the country and each other—like what they are doing now.
so what do you suggest to tackle this problem?
JOn,
The answer is rigth there in front of you; yet, we Filipinos are too proud (Pinoy Pride) to see it, not to mention blurt it out: admit the focking truth that we Filipinos are too focked up when it comes to our cultural values and how we see ourselves in relations to each other and the rest of the world.
Aeta
Your sentiments will never change Filipinos as they were.
JOn,
Then we Filipinos are eternally doomed to be a focked up country and people—regardless of how much we think we’ve accomplished.
Aeta
Agreed, there is no bond or cohesiveness in ANYTHING Filipino. Sad to say, but Filipinos are really bad at trying to work together for a better society. It’s always “me first”.
Next, all people need to be punished if they have done wrong. None of that, “I know someone or I’m related to someone important”. Politicians, gov’t workers, and everyday citizens need to be held to same, strict standard for wrongdoing.
Next, the court system is the biggest joke. Judges and court employees are easily bought off. The trials take such a long time for no reason whatsoever other than pure laziness. Judges need to be audited to know why their court cases take so painfully long. If they cannot give good reason for long court cases, they get reprimanded, denied a raise, denied any promotion, and get fired if it happens too many times. Finally, they need to constantly give the judges a lifestyle check to make sure they are not accepting money on the side.
Next, remove squatters from private land. You are telling a nation “its ok to take something else that doesn’t belong to you.” It’s denying the actual owner the benefits of their property and that is STEALING.
Then to have the laughable court system get involved in a squatter issue and have it drug out for years only shows the gov’t doesn’t care that someone’s property has been stolen. They are saying its ok and you’ll get away with it for years. Not to mention they are saying: “squat on someone elses land, don’t pay rent, don’t pay tax, have the owner pay the taxes, delay the court system to stay there longer, and in the end the owner will have to pay you to leave?
What kind of system is that? The excuse “we’re poor” is not valid when it comes to stealing. Yet, that behavior is encouraged in the Philippines. People simply take anything they can at any time. So all that good Catholic talk is just BS cause its always wrong to steal no matter the excuse.
To further comment on what you post: Even in the crisis of China flexing their muscle and developing the disputed the islands, Filipinos cannot put their greed aside. How many overpriced contracts has the military done where they get large kickbacks? They had the helicopter deal with the American company. The company owners went public with all the details of the large bribes the filipinos were demanding.
The AFP can never get rid of the AS militants. There are not many of them yet they keep creating chaos and kidnapping people. The military doesn’t get rid of them for the country’s sake, but instead colludes with them.
It’s just sad.
Congratulations Zaxx! You wake me up. Please keep writing.
lol…..major world power daw…lol
This is the case of “Rome didn’t built in a day” and #WalangForever ang empire building. Yes, someday our country could become a superpower state in the future and this will our national wet dream, however there’s a BUT thing… and like I said empire building is not an infinite one and if we could become a new superpower in the future, there’ll be a huge price, and that price will be we’re gonna be an easy target to our enemies like the terrorists and in the case of Spratlys issue, China! Just ask other countries like USA, Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Iran, Spain, etc., etc. who are once a powerful nation and having an empire and in the latter, they’d collapse. De javu at its finest, folks!
So what you’re saying is, it’s better be so utterly pathetic that the neighbourhood bullies don’t even bother with you?
That philosophy isn’t working out so well re. China lately, is it? Have a look at that big red line they drew in the South China sea.
If you’re weak and pathetic, the neighbourhood bullies are MORE likely to give you a good kicking. Just for the fun of it.
You don’t have to have an empire to be powerful. You just have to be competent.
Not realistic in the short term and/or in the present condition the Philippines is in.
We have been and will always will be the “sick man of asia” for reasons already mentioned throughout this blog…
Colonial mentality and loss of identity,
strong religious ideological hypocrisy,
a preference for mediocrity,
and many other symptoms of weakness and decadence now plague our present society.
There are no conditions, no stimulus for radical change to happen.
What we need is a national or even a global trauma or catastrophe, either natural or man-made, a form of cleansing, for this to happen.
It is in times of adversity and hardship, and without help from others, that a strong leader/s will emerge and plant the seeds that will eventually turn us into superpower status…
…hopefully in 2oo years.
Absolutely! We Filipinos are self-serving (Crab Mentality) and full of arrogance (Colonial Mentality) people. Too much serving of ‘Pinoy Pride Chicken’ in every meal.
I think a catastrophe can be man-made too. That way radical change can happen at once. What do you think?
The Philippines IS a man-made catastrophe. They get natural catastrophes at regular intervals, which are apparently “the will of God” (which if biblical tradition is correct, suggests the whole place is full of incorrigible sinners).
And the Pinoys still aren’t rallying. What would it take to make them actually put down that bottle of red horse, stop playing with their cocks, and DO SOMETHING? Nuclear war with China?
Just a mass neutering, especially of the squatters and the politicians, will do for starters.
We are two (2) centuries behind any industrialized country. To become a world power; we must be advanced in Science and Technology. Our Brains are drained and migrated as OFWs. Most don’t want to come back anymore.
We will remain a basket case for many centuries, if we keep electing these idiots and crooks. No…not even in my wildest dream, will we become a world power…
The FAIL-IPPINES a WORLD POWER ? You really have to STOP TAKING DRUGS, they are making you delusional.
The oligarchs that run the economy will not let it happen, even if the people somehow got together and tried to build a new economy, they would be stopped. NOTHING short of the annihilation of the elites will promote progress in that shit-hole country, nothing !
The difference between the successful person and others is not a lack of strength or knowledge,but the lack of will. This is wherein the problem lies…CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN ZAXX FOR YOUR FORWARD THINKING !! ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE !! ALL IT TAKES IS A PARADIGM SHIFT IN THINKING !! YOU ARE STANDING ON THE EDGE OF A CLIFF…DO YOU FALL OR FLY ?????
OKAY. Enough with the world power. I don’t believe that we can attain such anyway.
How about we start with having an IRON-FISTED LEADER instead? We’ll start our way from there and then work our way up.
How’s that?
And ZAXX, your article is truly inspiring. You did an excellent job at expressing what most of us can only feel.
I believe that DepEd should come up with a subject like Current Events or something like that which openly discusses everything current about our beloved Philippines.
I would highly recommend for them to make Get Real Posts a website for reference in most of their discussions.
With all the talented writers here whose minds mirror those of Jose Rizal’s,(i’m pretty sure i’m gonna be criticized for this as well..hehehehe..anyway..)the younger generation will be sure to be practising critical thinking instead of following the same crooked thinking by their elders.
What do you think?
In the 1950s,(I go a long way back), there were subjects in the elementary grades.. ‘Social Studies and Current Events’, and ‘Philippine Civics’. Why the Education Department scrapped these over the years is why we have the functionally illiterate, mean spirited, and “every-man-for-himself-&-let-the-devil-take-the-hindmost” population we have today.
Filipino’s are so dumb that they can not even see that they are ruled with an iron fist already. Even without the Martial Law it is a nonexistent democratic republic which ,on the outside, looks like it is actually that way……BUT …. a closer look reveals a ‘Kleptocratic’ ‘Tyrannical’ government, a ‘two-tiered’ justice system, that has no sense of justice and imprisons those that can not afford to buy ‘justice’ and lets those walk free that can afford to buy justice. In other words: THERE IS NO JUSTICE!
A country such as this is already an ‘Iron-fisted’ regime BUT it is gentle enough to give the appearance of being something it is not, a democracy. The FAILIPPINES is a strange country and is completely screwed, it has no way to move forward in its present configuration and the people’s only hope is a real ‘People’s Revolt’ in which the people rid themselves of the vermin that there own kind have become, all for the love of money,money,money!
>> Filipino’s are so dumb that they can not even see that they are ruled with an iron fist already.
Exactly. The problem is that the State wielding the iron fist is not a benevolent dictator, but a greedy, venal, knuckle-dragging retard.
it is not only the ‘knuckle dragging retard’ it is the entire HOR & SENATE, the SC and the culture of impunity in which the operate!
I just thought of this. if im president.
1. population control over our poor people (non-tax payers) – 2 child policy, the excess babies go to military / PMA training.
2. full support to farmers / teachers – foundation of a nation = food / education. farms will be given back to the farmers including hacienda luisita.
3. full support to military and police – peace and order
– they will be screened / psychological test before passing the entrance exam. gruesome physical test. aptitude test should be way off the charts. I.Q should be 140% – above
4. Geographical Federalism – it may lessen the population of NCR since powers are devolved already to the regions.
5. Central 911 of Davao City will be copied all over the archipelago – i want 1st world service with competent employees. they have competent salaries as well.
6. infrastructure – jeepneys will be limited only to and from adjacent barangays. i will have the bus/jeepney/taxi company owners to shift to product making for exportation (zaxx will take in charge with product design, etc.) sell old buses/jeepneys to 4th world countries (clean if first).
geothermal power plant / wind turbine / sea turbine or whatever. 1 each for luzon / visayas / mindanao. i’ll have scientist research on Tesla’s electricity as well. i’ll have engineer design indoor farming to affected areas of typhoons.
7. on media/entertainment – i’ll appoint: benign0, ilda, Add to take in charge. on showbiz/fashion report – i’ll have kate natividad take in charge. feel free to criticize my government. lol!
8. i’ll have Sir Flippinflips as my political advisor: https://www.facebook.com/Flippinflips-564634230340328/
9. prepare to get assassinated. 😀
Hindi ako kasama… :'(
Iiyak na lang ako…
Can’t I at least be your garbage collector?
ay onga pala forgot my idea for you. Grimwald will be sent to Europe to study writing. i’ll have you observe the civility of the people (take notes about the good habits). you create a text book and graphic novel integrating the paradigm of the Philippine society then include the good habits with the characters. please coordinate with Pol Medina Jr. – the book will be distributed to schools nationwide. partner with Kate. under media/entertainment as well.
I’ll have the Japanese design the waste disposal/recycling facility for luzon / visayas / mindanao.
Way to go andrew! You’re the person this article is talking about.
And I now appoint you to replace Grace Poe who is soon to be disqualified from the race.
If you want ambitious mega-infrastructure, sometime ago I posted a comprehensive plan on of series mega-projects that are intertwined with each other such as:
– mega-airport combining the domestic international terminals on a reclaimed land somewhere in Manila Bay
– regional flood control/defense and water management infrastructure
– waste mangement
– intermodal transport and interchange infrastructure
– enhanced waste management system and infrastructure
– urban redevelopment
This plan even included some ideas on how to finance these megaprojects and the policies needed to make it work and how to provide continuity without interference by the incumbent and partisan politics. Perhaps take a look ( browse thru page 6-9 on http://www.pinoyexchange.com/forums/showthread.php?t=537060&page=6 ).
well, under my leadership you will be the Chief-of-Infrastructure Design, bring your team and will have a meeting.
please prioritize waste mgmt. and regional flood control first. 😀
Count me in.
I think you forgot to mention space program ehehe..
if your reply is for my comment then, we’ll just leave it to Japan/Russia/Europe and USA. let them do it. if we are to participate probably we can produce space shuttle parts. mass production.
i’ll just have our scientist/engineer create a machine that would restore Pasig River and other dead rivers of the country. i’ll clear 60% of Pasig City and turn it into a man-made forest.
And this is part of the problem. Aim for the skies and beyond! Filipinos need to stop settling for mediocrity under the pretense of “practicality.”
If everyone in the Earth thought like that, we’d never would have launched a man into space.
not in the meantime. look at my fantasy platform and you see no. 1 is people (population control). and let’s put food in the stomach of totoy/nene first. we need to bring down the population so our natural resources can meet the demands = less rice importation and money stays inside the country. feed our people then provide education. human development first + Food Fortification. lagyan na ng NZT-48 (Limitless) para matapos na lahat. 😀
So, human development muna.
I’m not discounting any of those, but when formerly destitute countries like Russia achieved something even the US didn’t do first, then PH has the potential to do so as well.
FFS, even Vietnam sent a guy into space and.
andrew & JOn, we have the talent in our shores:
Introducing Diwata, the first Philippine-made satellite
http://www.rappler.com/nation/86327-philippine-microsatellite-diwata
Next step is to make our own rockets to launch these ourselves. OK Pinoys, time to study rocket science! Practice grounds for your entries to the rocket flying contest will be in the Spratlys.
Technology itself only will not save the country. Missiles and rockets may make the news more often, but a great nation needs also to be inspired by words, literature, meaningful social and political criticism by means of arts, filologists, linguists, archaeologists, antropologists, you name it. Reconnect with your roots and also with the language that first made the country a nation. An obsession with instant monetization of any activity is also an issue for many Filipinos, who struggle to see that doing what one likes best will, very often, eventually, reward them with credit and, hence, money. We don’t need 100 million army men or 100 million aeronautical engineers. A leader is born from people who can take leadership. A great leader is not born out of magic, but as a consequence of the social maturity of a country. Just my two centavos.
If we’re gonna be a Super Power, better have an Aerospace Program.
Breaking news:
Mitsubishi, a maker of the Zero fighter, took a step toward reclaiming Japan’s one-time status as an aviation power Wednesday with the maiden flight of its regional jet.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/11/10/mitsubishi-jet-takes-maiden-flight-in-step-toward-reclaiming-aviation-heritage/
Who do you think pushed Japanese engineers in the 1940’s to rapidly develop their war machines (zero-
fighter, aircraft carriers, Yamato – world’s largest battleship)? — Yes, Japan’s iron-fisted leadership back then. Same goes for Germany’s U-boat subs & advanced secret jets — It was Germany’s iron-fisted leadership back then.
In fact iron-fisted leaders have pushed their citizens to their limits to generate astounding technologies in their quest for military supremacy.
And it was under the strongman F.Marcos that the Phil Aerospace industry was launched.
The Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation (PADC) is a Philippine state owned aerospace and defence technology corporation. The corporation was established on September 5, 1973 (under Pres. Marcos) through Presidential Decree (PD) 286 as restructured and amended by P.D. 696. It developed the first indigenous Philippine helicopter, the PADC Hummingbird. (wiki)
It’s history is well documented in The Demise of the Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/257904914/The-Demise-of-the-Philippine-Aerospace-Development-Corporation#scribd
Filipinos designers and engineers were already taking off at PADC having developed it’s first plane, but then suddenly his excellency President Erap Estrada pulled the plug on the project. HUUUHHHH?
See Defiant 300 aircraft: ingenious Filipino invention
http://filipinoinventionsanddiscoveries.blogspot.jp/2013/07/defiant-300-aircraft-ingenious-filipino.html
PADC is now way below what Pres. Marcos envisioned it to be – it just does service maintenance and repair today.
The very sad news is that when we were supposed to be already MAKING our own aircraft in the 1970’s if Marcos simply had his way, Filipinos opted to remove a strong visionary leader, and installed incompetent myopic weaklings in his place.
Now we can’t even successfully buy 2nd-hand helicopters. See this news on how these incompetent unreliable double-crossing Pinoys operate (Nakakahiya sa foreign suppliers)…
http://www.wsj.com/articles/terminated-u-s-helicopter-deal-spotlights-risks-in-philippines-1438927201
Again, this country has no backbone. It is trying to bypass what should have been it’s industrial and technological revolution. It needs an iron-strong leader back at the helm – so let’s make it happen!
Aren’t you guys tired of being stuck on first gear on the highway?
It may or may not work…how about, if the iron fisted leader , has the IQ/EQ of Aquino; or the mentality of Mar Roxas, or any of the present leaders? We can end up like Uganda’s Idi Amin…or Saddam Hussein’s Iraq…
deyuumm! look at that Defiant 300! amazing! well, we need to deal with our people first. our people needs to become productive first so money comes in. when the country now earns money everything else will follow, from aerospace program to FTL(Faster-than-light-travel). we will be the first to patent that sh!t. 😀
borrowing from Mayor Duterte, “if you become president you don’t only change leaders but you need to change the Filipino himself.”
So to me, people first really.
Pinoys can spot walking ATMs faster than speed of light!, from zero to infinity and beyond!
@99Toro007Hayden999.99
>>It may or may not work…how about, if the iron fisted leader , has the IQ/EQ of Aquino; or the mentality of Mar Roxas, or any of the present leaders?
Let me qualify that – we need an Incorruptible, Competent, Visionary Iron-fisted Leader. The current crop of material we are seeing are mostly just iron-faced bozos with nothing to offer (mga kupal na gunggong na makakapal ang mga mukha)
>>We can end up like Uganda’s Idi Amin…or Saddam Hussein’s Iraq…
Iraq is in a chaotic mess now – thanks to USA (supposed liberator). Look at how they are being swallowed alive by ISIS and host of rebels. Watch the movie “American sniper” to see their deplorable situation. Iraq was better off having a strongman. In the middle east – most often it’s a choice of a strongman or civil war / anarchy (common sense will tell you which life is better).
Saddamm Hussein did what any strong visionary leader would do for his country. Just look at the map of Iraq. They are practically blocked off from major access to the sea by a small puny country (Kuwait) – so they Annexed it. It was strategic for them.
How come the US did not declare war on China and Russia when they annexed Tibet and Ukrain’s Cremea, respectively? If Iraq had been a world power, the US would have just kept it’s distance.
PH doesn’t have anything to show in comparison to Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Do you think PNoy now would have the balls to face the might of the undisputed hegemon USA the self-declared policeman of the world?
We boast of 7107 islands – yet we don’t even have a single submarine to protect this vast archipelago.
Primitive countries like PH need iron leaders to accelerate their states. Investing in military development is a good opportunity to advance home-grown technologically/know-how. And even if you don’t actually use them – they serve as a deterrent.
Many modern inventions are the fruit of military research – the Internet was product of DARPA. Nuclear energy was a byproduct of the development of the atomic bomb. GPS mainly started off for military applications. Jets, subs, rockets, etc…
Pinoys want interesting jobs right? Install a strong-man and our pool of excellent engineers will provide the talent for advanced R&D for military applications. I know what our engineers/scientists are capable of – just give them a damn good visionary iron-fisted leader.
@zaxx:
Your ideas are just “theoretical” or “hypothetical”…in reality, they will never work in the Philippines. We have many obstacles to go thru, that were placed for many years , by incompetent and self serving Presidents, and their cahoots.
We do not want another Soviet Union’s Joseff Stalin; or Cambodia’s Pol Pot.
Educating the Filipinos is the best way we can do. Enforcing the Laws, is the next thing. Electing the Right Leaders is another thing. Throwing the crooks (politicians and their followers) in jail, is another best thing we can do.
At present, politicians and their followers can just steal from the National treasury. They enjoy their loots, for many years. They can also run again for public offices; and are elected.
It is good to steal millions of pesos, and be a politician. You are rewarded by your thievery. Crooks in the Philippines are rewarded, to enjoy their crookedness.
I still believe , we don’t need any iron fist leadership. Sorry, I disagree…
88Toro007Hayden99999.99,
I think you missed what I just said:
“Incorruptible, Competent, Visionary Iron-fisted Leader”
how can that be a corrupted Stalin or Polpot?
You mentioned:
“Educating the Filipinos is the best way we can do. Enforcing the Laws, is the next thing. Throwing the crooks (politicians and their followers) in jail, is another best thing we can do.”
That’s exactly what my envisioned iron-fisted leader will implement.
The theory works – just look at Singapore. We just need to vote for the RIGHT kind of iron-fisted leader.
Without iron-fisted leadership, we will take a century to become a Singapore. I’m in a hurry coz I want to see this realized in the Phil within in my lifetime.
Your ideas are good, but I think you’re taking it too far with regards to Macoy.
Have a look at this: http://www.timawa.net/forum/index.php?topic=37545.0
Why not to mention Marcos?
I’m not saying Marcos is all good and no bad. As BBM said in one interview “Sino ba naman ang walang pagkakamali?” But in totally rejecting anything “Marcos”, Pinoys are throwing away the baby with the bathwater.
If Marcos didn’t do anything good for Pinoys, why are we hosting APEC2015 at PICC (built by Marcos)? Did any successor after 3 decades build anything world-class enough all these years?
What we need is an incorruptible “Marcos” – one as visionary and strong but untainted by any allegations. The younger BBM seems to be doing a fine job keeping out of trouble.
agreed. i’m rooting for BBM next year and Miriam Santiago
I’m not a Marcos loyalist but we as people need to be guided by intelligence.
https://www.facebook.com/Flippinflips-564634230340328/
Incorruptible “Marcos”? Are you kidding me?
Human is corrupted in nature. Once he tasted power, unless he is checked, he will find a way to abuse it.
This pathetic republic doesn’t need an iron-fisted guidance. It needs an effective system of governance that create effective and iron-willed leaders.
Gagong Lipunan,
“This pathetic republic doesn’t need an iron-fisted guidance. It needs an effective system of governance that create effective and iron-willed leaders.”
It is impossible to achieve in a republic where ‘all’ citizens are aristocratic (hambog) and self-serving (kanya-kanya), and are unwilling to set aside their differences to rebuild their country with their “every man for himself” outlook about life.
Thus, an “iron-fisted” leadership is the only answer to the Philippines that is being focked by its own people.
Aeta
Have we ever appreciated how free and how extensive our postings here are allowed to go..not just by our ‘blog hosting service’ who provides us with space and service.. but especially, by our government? If we reflect on this for a moment, we would surely be grateful for our freedom to express opinions.. no matter how inane, personal and ,often times, unsubstantiated these might be. Our rights, within certain bounds, are respected. Imagine, again for a moment, that a new dispensation enters after next year’s elections.. who finds these postings intrusive and inconvenient..and would clip, or, totally cut-off these rights. ‘Deja vu’..it would be the 1970s all over again. Would it not? Let’s choose wisely. Let us scrutinize the candidates for high office. Let’s elect only the ones with progressive ideas whose methods are transparent and, whose records are not tainted by lies, plunder and serial corruption. It would be a shame should we lose any of the freedoms we enjoy today.
Please don’t read any implied intent in the foregoing commentary. Being a ‘throw-back’ to saner and more logical times, I have no ‘dog in this fight’. Honest and minute scrutiny of the field would show that none of the candidates stand for anything. They are all about smoke and mirrors.. platitudes and promises. All of them, however, want only one thing.. the trappings, the privilege, and the opportunities of the Presidency, and the pomp and splendor to rule over 7000 islands and 103 million Filipinos.
Let’s choose wisely. We couldn’t appreciate the ‘freedoms’ we enjoy today until we actually lose it.
how can we choose wisely if the choices are so wanting of what we are looking for? like you said, “minute scrutiny of the field shows none of the candidates stand for anything”..are we left with choosing the lesser evil again?…and who is the lesser evil?
When this President was voted in.. was it because he was the best of the lot? Or, was it because he was less evil? There have been three main reasons why most of the Philippines’ Presidents get elected.. a) they were deemed less evil, b) they had a good line of BS, and, c) they cheated. I’m afraid that all three will be at play in May next year.. and that the voter will have to go along with ‘Mr./Ms. Less Evil’ all over again.
This is why I favor a radical overhaul of the Philippines. The current system is so rigged that it favors the upper class minority instead of the lower class majority. The common people are forced to vote for candidates imposed by the oligarchy. Whether you vote for them or not, the people still lose.
Gagong Lipunan,
What the Philippines needs is a complete overhaul of the focked up “Crab” and “Colonial” mentalities of its people, that have been tearing the country apart for centuries.
Aeta
If you want that to happen, you need to kill all Filipinos and start over with a clean slate.
Gagong Lipunan,
Since you cannot realistically kill ‘all’ Filipinos and start off with a clean slate, you can at least whip ‘all’ their asses into shape with an “iron-fist,” since this is the only type of leadership they will respond to. In hindsight, Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorial-type of leadership is the only thing that works for our “unwieldy” people.
Aeta
Just to clarify – I am not espousing dictatorship or tyranny in this article. I am simply asking that we put in place a leader who has the determination and balls to impose order and discipline in this country.
Do you think Santiago or Duterte will close down GRP if ever he/she becomes president? It is the criminals and corrupt officials they will be after and not people who expose the truth.
I would expect though that media programs that turn citizens into criminals or lazy bums will be penalized by higher taxation or to non prime time viewing hours to make up for or mitigate the damage they make on society – the way cigarettes and smoking are controlled but not totally banned – for the greater good.
It all depends on whether your activity is contributing to the overall goal and vision of the country. Now if GRP later becomes a hangout for addicts giving tips to each other on how to smuggle in drugs. I won’t mind having the iron-fisted leader bringing this site down.
Please stow away your unfounded fears. I went to Singapore lately and I didn’t feel I was constrained in any way. But I was very cautious to obey the rules. That’s what iron leadership will turn PH into. So please get real – you do want a solution to PH problems don’t you?
zaxx,
“Just to clarify – I am not espousing dictatorship or tyranny in this article. I am simply asking that we put in place a leader who has the determination and balls to impose order and discipline in this country.”
No such leader–“determination and balls to impose order and discipline in this country”–has ever existed in Philippines history except for Ferdinand Marcos.
Yes, Marcos stole from the country–like every politicians before and after him–but he had everyone’s balls (including the women’s) in his hands, and squeezed and loosened them when he had to. Marcos certainly had order and discipline throughout the whole archipelago, and the average Filipinos did not have to resort to illegal, immoral, and unthetical means to live since their basic needs were being met.
If I had to pick the lesser of all evils in the Philippines, I’d pick a Marcos everytime.
Aeta
Aeta, the lesser evil you’re mentioning doesn’t really appear to be that evil actually. Watch…
BONGBONG MARCOS…A RESPONSIBLE LEADER OF PHILIPPINES IN 2016..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtK8ghnfjQs
A no non-sense leader who esp. supports my advocacies (Energy independence & technology, bringing back English in Phil. Education for empowering OFWs/business, and strengthening Tourism). He also has a very open/transparent SALN.
We don’t need just one iron-fisted leader for this coming 2016. We need a long line-up of them to ensure iron-fisted leadership will be in place for at least 5 terms straight.
By the 30th year – we will have a new generation of clean, orderly, & disciplined citizens – we’ll be ready for blast-off when that time comes.
It all depends on the masses – who they will choose? Try to influence the zombies guys. Spread the word to as many voters as possible.
I done some thinking about what you said:
“Well, I like to kid around with the national-pride-tickling “prophetic” idea that the three greatest superpowers of all time will be three English-speaking countries that so markedly stand out above the rest that the article “The” is placed before their country names. And these three are
“The United Kingdom
“The United States
“The Philippines”
I think the third country English speaking country to become a superpower would be “The Republic of India”
Dynamic and vibrant country. Economically, they are becoming really powerful, British car companies falling into their hands, steel factories etc. In tech, Indians have invaded major corporations, Sundar Pichai is now CEO of Alphabet and Satya Nadella is CEO of Microsoft. They also have a credible military.
The third spot is definitely going to the Indians.
1billion strong China and India are definitely next in line to be the emerging hegemons of our generation. But PH can always follow suit and become one in the distant future once we get this leadership issue out of the way. give Pinoys a strong leader and we will send rockets into space like any other major power. That’s if – Pinoys are willing to flush crappy leaders down the toilet. It’s up to you guys.
To all tired and weary Filipinos:
The Philippines needs a “Breath of Life” …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2t-vquuT7k
– Law and Order
– Discipline
– ZERO-TOLERANCE to Corruption & Incompetence
http://zaxxun.com/zero-is-number-one/
— IRON-FISTED LEADERS 2016!!! —
Make it happen!
@ Zaxx..
“Energy independence”; “Technology”; “English”;”Tourism”; “30 years” … are key words from your piece. These make for quite a mouthful; and, considering that a President’s tenure (is it not the Vice-Presidency he has filed for?) is just six years with ‘no repeats’, these are worse than platitudes. This is ‘pie-in-the-sky’.. or ‘suntok-sa-buan’. Bong-Bong will have to do a Macoy to get the results you hope will show in a generation.. ’30 years’. Are you seriously advocating for this development? If you do, why be shy about saying so? Like any other, that’s also a campaign platform.