AND HERE WE ARE AGAIN

August 2019, James Corden, host of The Late Late Show compiled a video of him consoling his viewers, about different mass shooting. And on that day, another one happened. His first five words are, and here we are again.

And here we are again, now James Corden openly dismayed, and had lost hope, that nothing will ever change. And you can't blame him, they have been apologozing the farthest that I remember, was since Obama. Obama, Trump, Biden. Three presidents has come, and nothing changes. All these presidents are saying, after all has been said and nothing done, was our thoughts and prayers are with you. I'm not discounting the thoughts and prayers. But people expect more than that, since you are the most powerful person in the world. 

But you can't fully blame the president, for doing nothing. Even if he pursues, but the Senate blocks, nothing will happen. NRA has them on their pockets, that they will never move a finger, even if something happens. Gun owners and enthusiast, will cite this if you debate them, The Second Amendment:

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

But when was this written, 1791. America has just won the American Revolutionary War of Independence, against the British Empire. And by the year 1812, another war happened between them, that have resulted to the burning of the White House. If you are against a military power, like the British Empire. Then it's just right to keep and bear arms, for it's wartime, and you're against a big power. But that was then. Now you are the big daddy of the world. No one had dare to attack US soil, with the exception of Japanese and the Al Qaeda. Even Russia and China, will not dare to do that, despite their powers. No one will touch the US. Times have changed, and I think it's also time to change the Second Amendment.

What I'm trying to say is this. I'm not anti gun. But military grade weapons, should only be handled by the military, not ordinary citizens. Some may argue self-defense. One bullet to the knee, or the hand, is enough to incapacitate one person, from doing more harm. Automatics and semi-automatics, are not for self-defense. That's for mowing down people. It's a good defense for repeling an invasion. But in peace time, it should have no place. Sell it militaries that need them, that will pay you millions and billions for it. Not to your own citizens, that will only pay thousands, and will kill innocents just because he has nothing to do. Before I end I will quote the news about it.

19 children and two adults are killed in a Texas elementary school shooting, the authorities say.

UVALDE, Texas — A gunman killed at least 19 children and two adults on Tuesday in a rural Texas elementary school, a state police official said, in the deadliest American school shooting since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary a decade ago.

The slayings took place just before noon at Robb Elementary School, where second through fourth graders in Uvalde, a small city west of San Antonio, were preparing to start summer break this week. At least one teacher was among the adults killed, and several other children were wounded.

The gunman, whom the authorities identified as an 18-year-old man who had attended a nearby high school, was armed with several weapons, officials said. He also died at the scene, they said.

“He shot and killed horrifically, incomprehensibly,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a news conference.

As terrified parents in Uvalde waited for word of their children’s safety and law enforcement officials raced to piece together how the attack had transpired, the mass shooting was deepening a national political debate over gun laws and the prevalence of weapons. Ten days earlier, a gunman fatally shot 10 people inside a Buffalo grocery store.

“This is just evil,” Rey Chapa, an Uvalde resident, said of Tuesday’s killings while using an expletive. Mr. Chapa said his nephew was in the school when the shooting took place but was safe. He was waiting to hear back from relatives and friends on the conditions of other children, scrolling through Facebook for updates. “I’m afraid I’m going to know a lot of these kids that were killed.”

Across the street from the school, state troopers were scattered across the school lawn and an ambulance idled with its lights flashing. Adolfo Hernandez, a longtime Uvalde resident, said his nephew had been in a classroom near where the shooting took place.

“He actually witnessed his little friend get shot in the face,” Mr. Hernandez said. The friend, he said, “got shot in the nose and he just went down, and my nephew was devastated.”

In a brief address from the White House on Tuesday night, President Biden grew emotional as he reflected on the attack and called for action, but did not advocate for a particular policy or vote.

“It’s just sick,” he said of the sorts of weapons that are easily available in the United States and used in mass shootings. “Where in God’s name is our backbone, the courage to do more and then stand up to the lobbies? It’s time to turn this pain into action.”

Mr. Biden later added, “May the Lord be near to the brokenhearted and save those crushed in spirit, because they’re going to need a lot.”

The shooting took place on Election Day in Texas, as voters across the state headed to the polls for primary runoffs that would set the stage for the November election at a time when the state and the nation have been riven by political disagreements over race, immigration and abortion.

As the deadly toll became known, the events at Robb Elementary School immediately brought forth wrenching memories of the devastating 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Conn., that left six staff members and 20 children dead, some as young as 6 years old. Six years later, a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Lydia Martinez Delgado said that her niece Eva Mireles, a teacher of fourth graders at the school, was among those who had died in the rampage. Ms. Mireles had been a teacher for 17 years, her aunt said, and was “very loved,” an avid hiker and took pride in teaching mostly students of Latino heritage. “She was the fun of the party,” Ms. Martinez Delgado said.

For many, the weight of the tragedy appeared to be compounded by its arrival so soon after a deadly mass killing of Black shoppers in a grocery store in Buffalo, in what was one of the deadliest racist massacres in recent American history. It had been the deadliest shooting in the United States this year until Tuesday’s killings in Uvalde.

Mr. Abbott said that the shooter was a resident of the same county where the shooting took place, that he attended high school there and that he had acted alone. He entered the elementary school with a handgun and possibly a rifle, the governor said.

It was not immediately clear whether the shooting took place in one classroom or several and officials did not release the names or ages of the students killed or of the teacher. At least three children — a 9-year-old and two 10-year-olds, one in critical condition — were taken to University Health, a hospital in San Antonio, for treatment.

Officials were looking into whether the gunman, whom they identified as Salvador Ramos, had been targeting the school or whether he ended up there by chance, according to a law enforcement official, who requested anonymity to describe the investigation that he cautioned was still unfolding. The gunman appeared to have crashed a pickup truck through a barrier at the school before heading inside, the official said. At least two law enforcement officials who had tried to engage the gunman were injured in the shooting, neither seriously, the official said.

Marsha Espinosa, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said at least one agent with the U.S. Border Patrol was wounded after responding to the shooting at Robb Elementary School. “Upon entering the building, Agents & other law enforcement officers faced gun fire from the subject, who was barricaded inside,” she wrote on Twitter.

Shortly before the massacre, a 66-year-old woman was shot in her home in Uvalde, the official said, and later airlifted to a San Antonio hospital with gunshot wounds. The official said the woman appeared to have been the gunman’s grandmother and had been shot before the shooting at the school; both shootings, and the connection between them, remained under investigation.

The shooting took place just after 11:30 a.m. For much of the afternoon, as word spread, anguished parents were instructed by the district to stay away from the school. “Please do not pick up students at this time,” the school district instructed parents, directing them to a local civic center. “Students need to be accounted for before they are released to your care.”

Ryan Ramirez told KSAT in San Antonio that he could not find his daughter, a fourth grader at Robb Elementary, when he showed up at the school or at a reunification point at a civic center. “Nobody’s telling me anything,” he said, adding, “I’m trying to find out where my baby’s at.”

Even before much was known about the gunman, his motives or details about the weapons he used, the killings thrust the debate over gun control and Second Amendment rights back into the forefront of national attention.

Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut and an advocate for gun control legislation, said, “I think everybody here is going to be shaken to the core by this.” He added: “I have no idea how a community deals with this. There’s no way to do this well. Your community is never ever the same after this.”

The National Rifle Association is set to hold its annual meeting in Houston starting on Friday. Mr. Abbott is among the list of prominent Republicans slated to appear, along with former President Donald J. Trump and Senator Ted Cruz.

“Today is a dark day,” Mr. Cruz said in a statement. In messages posted to Twitter he said the nation had “seen too many of these shootings,” but he did not immediately call for any specific policy proposals to help prevent mass killings.

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a Democrat whose effort at legislation on background checks for gun purchases was blocked in 2013, said, “It makes no sense at all why we can’t do common-sense things and try to prevent some of this from happening.”

Joaquin Castro, a U.S. representative for Texas, described Uvalde, which has about 15,000 residents, as a “wonderful, tight-knit community.” In the neighborhood around the school, more than 40 percent of residents have lived in the same house for at least 30 years, census data shows.

Robb Elementary serves more than 500 students, mostly between the ages of 7 and 10. Roughly 90 percent of the students are Hispanic, according to district records, and almost all of the rest are white.

A sign hanging from the brick school building near the edge of the city center reads “Welcome!” and “¡Bienvenidos!” next to the school’s logo, a heart.

Reporting was contributed by Mike Baker, Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Emily Cochrane, Jacey Fortin, Robert Gebeloff, Jesus Jiménez, Alyssa Lukpat, Eduardo Medina, Sarah Mervosh and Michael D. Shear.

Source: The New York Times

When I was a child. There was this ad that tend to look down on the Philippines, from the perspective of a balikbayan that came home to the country from the US. She was criticizing the crooked roads, pollution, beggars, and saying: Walang ganyan sa States. I don't remember what product is it anymore but the point is this. In my 32 years of life. I have yet to see mass shootings here in the Philippines. Yes there are terrorist attacks. But those are terrorist, who have extremist views. I mean we have still to this day, conflict zones, but at least they are combatants to combatants. Incidentally they are victims of crossfires. But again those are conflict zones, to be easily understood warzones. You expect it to happen their. But in an elementary school, of a rich country, and a rich state. And an eighteen year old, has to be the murderer? With the exception of what I have pointed out. I can proudly na walang ganyan sa Philippines.

WHAT DOES THIS MEANS FOR THE UNITED STATES?

Many are comparing what is happening now in Kabul, on what happened before in Saigon when the US is trying to pull-out from Vietnam, in the 1970's. It's not the same. The US never defeated the Viet-Cong, and North Vietnam in the Vietnam War. They might have caused casualties, and damages. But they never defeated Vietnam. On the other hand, they defeated Taliban, and got the revenge of 911, by killing Osama Bin Laden. But why did the Taliban return, and takeover the capital?

The simple answer is, US fought a two prong war. One in Afghanistan, and one in Iraq. And both ended in failures. The adventures in Iraq, didn't prove anything on the accusations of weapons of mass destruction. And as many people have said, Saddam might be a tyrant, but he stabilizes the region. That even the Saudis, disagrees on the attack on the country. They took out Saddam, and what happened? They unemployed all member of Saddam's political party, from the government. Which is stupid, why? They didn't do that in Germany after World War 2, because they can't. No one will run Germany, if they take out all Nazi party members, in the government. They only took out those who they deemed responsible for war crimes. But they didn't do that with Iraq, those who became unemployed, especially army personnels became the foundation of the ISIS. It destabilizes Iraq, and Syria. And they pulled out, which the other powers, Iran, Turkey, Russia, maybe in a way China, took the opportunity to get in. Which I believe is not in the US foreign policies interest, and their allies to in the region.

Now Afghanistan. As the time progress, and the objectives are fulfilled. I think they lost interest on it in a way. Maybe because of high cost of maintenance, and criticism at home. Then President, declared that they will pull out completely from Afghanistan, with the deadline in September 11, 2021. 

So how did the Taliban took over? How did they get the arms and weapons? I don't know. But what I know is, as US is pulling out, China and Russia are getting in. One Taliban leader, even met the Chinese Foreign Minister in China. Another angle was, US is pulling out, so that China will have these problem Afghanistan. That they may pivot to China, because of the treatment of the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. But that's not confirmed, and only the days will tell, if that will happen.

The images of the exodus are horrifying. People in fear of the return, of the Taliban, hang on to planes as it flies. And of course they will fall. Why did it happened? Because they never treated Iraq, and Afghanistan, like the Germany of 1945. Had they done so, we might have a different Afghanistan and Iraq. But some may say, that can't happen because of the culture and the people. I don't think so. Japan are a warring state, and a backward society, before they became like this. China also are a warring state, and a backward society, before they became like this. Even the US is like that in the beginning, and they are a superpower. Everything can be changed. Not even many, only one has to will it, and it will happen.

So why is Kabul not Saigon? US retreated in Saigon, and it remains a superpower nation. One other country retreated in Afghanistan, years ago. That is the Soviet Union. Four years after they collapse. Will the US collapsed in four years? We can never tell. But US is in a free fall decline, as a superpower.

And it also says something, about Duterte's foreign policy, not being to reliant on the US. And to those advocating we forcefully retake lost territories in the West Philippine Sea, because we have the US backing us. First of all, we don't have the force. Second is, we may not have, the US backing us, despite promises. Last time, the Philippines were in trouble because of an Asian power. They flee first. Remember that, and just look what is happening in Afghanistan now.

SHOULD US GIVE MORE?

 

President Duterte and Senator Lacson, got into bit of word war, because the President told the Americans, that if they want to somewhat extend the VFA, that they should pay more. Senator Lacson, told the President to read the constitution, and the Philippines are not a country of extortionist. But then the President retorted, that the payment is not of money, but of armaments.  And the question is, should the US give more to it’s ally, the Philippines?

You may have heard many times in the past, from many US Presidents in the past, and officials that the Philippines is a strategic ally, of the United States. With the title strategic ally, I think the United States should give more.

I mean, it will be their problem too, if the Philippines remained too weak. We are the chink in the armour, along the strings of allies of United States in the region. Japan is strong, South Korea is strong, Taiwan is strong, Indonesia is strong,  Australia is strong. Only the Philippines is weak in the region. And we are a strategic ally.

And the opposition might, oppose or criticize the idea of Duterte asking more payment, from the United States. Especially the main opposition party, the Liberal Party. Let me remind you, the party of the Aquino, that Ninoy Aquino himself agrees, to these idea of Duterte. He even word it rentals. Watch his statement in this documentary  NINOY: The Heart and The Soul, on 1:13-23-1:14:58 about the US bases at the time. And I will quote some part of it.

“Rather than continue the situation of this nature. May we therefore ask the United States government that they pay us rentals for these bases, so that with these rentals, we can now update the position of our Armed Forces, we can have our own missile batteries, we can have our own missile frigates,we can have our own modern weaponry. Rather than go out with our hands out...” –Ninoy Aquino

So why US should give us more. First of all there is a threat now, unlike before. Before we are only a launching pad for Vietnam. Now there is a threat of the paper dragon. And the US knows that they are really a threat. And if they will not give more to the Philippines. They will have a problem in the West Pacific. China may invade, or force the Philippines to give Pacific positions to them. At least if we are strong, China may think twice. And as an ally, US should help, because it is on their interest too.

But why Duterte is asking for more armaments? It is because we want to have the capability to stand alone. Not to ultimately defeat China, we can’t . We only want to have the capabilty to bloody the nose, so that China might think twice, of confronting us. With our present military capabilities. It can only cause a scratch, and it might be an insignificant scratch.

We want to stand alone, because US has a history of abandoning allies, along  with its western friends. Look at Poland, The Allies, promise help, but left alone to face both Germany and the Soviet Union. Lost their freedom in 1939, and gain it only after 1990. That’s a 51 year freedom lost.

Look at Great Britain, Winston Churchill pleaded with all of his heart, to then US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to join him in the war against Hitler’s Germany, after the defeat of France. He did not get it until Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, and Hitler declares war on the United States. That’s almost a year of abandonment.

Philippines in World War 2, was left alone by Americans to the Japanese. Although they came back, but it destroyed Manila, and left a lot of jeeps. And it had let the Japanese to do atrocities to Filipinos.

South Korea, Syngman Rhee asked for weapons, for him to wage war in the North. They declined, and US pullout of the South. The North Koreans attacked. The Chinese got involved. And the peninsula is still divided.

South Vietnam, although they start by supporting them. They abandoned them, when things go south.

The United States has this habit abandoning allies. They are unreliable, when it comes to a shooting war. So to that former justice, who is saying that the US will come in, if there will be an incident with China and the Philippines. You are very naive, to think that. You are not a student of history.

So its only right to ask US to give more. All they have given us in the past, are obsolete helicopters, tanks with no guns. C130 scrap of weaponry, Maybe its high time to give us, newer weapons. And I believe the government is willing to pay. We all know that it’s not cheap to manufacture such weapons. But I envy Iraq, in a way. It’s a former enemy, and a conquered state yet it has possesed US weaponry that the Philippines didn’t have. And we are called a strategic ally. Is it because we don’t have oil? Why is that a former enemy have that kind of weapons, but an ally was given scraps? Why is that? Your Excellency, Mr. President Joe Biden, why is that? Why is that?

REMATCH 2024

 

The Biden administration should not really f*** themselves up, or else they have a problem coming to them. With the vote 57-43, only 7 Republicans turning on the former President. Trump was acquitted twice, after being impeached twice.

I mean, its basic. Impeachment is a political process. Democrats should have thought it through before doing this. Even President Biden, is not that optimistic about this. That it should not be a priority of the Senate. And then this happen, most Republicans still back Trump, and no matter how strong the argument is, with Democrats not having enough numbers. Trump prevailed.

And what is the implications of him winning? This story is still developing, by the time this was written, so what I am saying maybe superseded by things that will and might happen still that we dont know for the moment. The implication is that he might run again for President. Bad thing if he win, bad thing if he lose. If he win, he might f*** up America again, if he lose, he might repeat the events of January 6, 2021.

And with that stripping of memberships that happened in some clubs, that the former President have joined and everything. I think if he run, he will remember those guys. For he is a vindictive guy.

I mean, if he somewhat run, and wins. I hope the pandemic is over. He is really not good in handling the pandemic. And that withdrawals, with the Paris accords, WHO. Foreign policy he has some little points, Korean War ends in his administration. The I can bomb you reminder, policy. And somehow, he got the Arab states, and Israel, to work with each other. Because those two sides hate each other.

The wrong with Obama though, is that he is trying to ease sanctions with Iran, for them not to pursue, nuclear weapons, talking to them and European allies, even China and Russia, but not talking to important side in the region. Israel. Now with Biden elected, they are trying to resume talks with Iran. But this time, they should talk with Israel, cause it’s a ticking time bomb, in that region, with Israel being paranoid and nervous. It may even go nuclear, God forbid.

And locally speaking, the policy of America with Biden for the Philippines, and China is still blurry at the moment. Obama has this don’t care policy. Trump is tough on China. Biden I don’t really know, which is why it’s scary. And to the fate of Duterte, I hope they don’t intervene in our affairs. And also don’t provoke confrontations within this region, in which the Philippines, might be put in the middle of.

Biden still has to prove himself. He has to address the CoVid problem correctly, and I hope he doesn’t go wrong in foreign policy. I hope for the success of these administration. A second Trump, and a possible renewed two terms, I don’t like. Reversal of policies again, that are bad for the world. And because of that, allies might lose trust completely. And with that, China will fill the void, and I don’t want China being in the leadership position of the world. It will not be good. I mean, if I am an American, I might vote Republican, but not Trump. If Trump runs again, please re-elect Biden. That’s all I can say for now.

ATTACK ON DEMOCRACY

 

Bill Maher, a comedian with a political talk-show, semi-satire, Real Time with Bill Maher, had been saying for years, that if Trump loses the election, he will not leave.

 

It was reiterated by nonetheless, Michael Cohen, who is the personal lawyer of the President, and I quote: I fear that if he loses the election in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power.

Spoiler Alert: Trump did lose the election, and Mr. Bill Maher was wrong. He will leave office by himself or by force. And Mr Cohen’s fear was realized partially, because it still developing, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power.

On January 6, 2021. The President incited his supporters to march on the US Capitol, in order to somehow overturn his defeat at the 2020 election, as the House of Congress and Senate, is to certify the vote and the winners of the US Presidential Election. The rioters broke windows, ransacked the offices, and loot some properties. Four people died because of that. I must say that the move is unnecessary and a practice in idiocy.

The President could have just go down in history, as a President that has lost against Joe Biden. But because of this, his name will have notoriety forever. Both allies, and adversaries, condemned the President for his actions. All living former Presidents condemn what he has done. And has damage US prestige and reputation forever.

I can only think of two incidents that came close, to this event in history. One was EDSA 3, where Estrada supporters, marched to Malacanang at the instigation, of opposition senators then, especially Mr. Juan Ponce Enrile, in trying to overthrow the sitting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. They didn’t breached Malacanang, but they came very close to doing so. And its very chaotic that day. But you have to understand, that at the time, PGMA, was not an elected President. She got the Presidency, by a coup, and Estrada supporters counter-coup, but failed.

The other one, was in China. It was what they called, the Cultural Revolution. Which was nothing cultural, but only a revolution. Because of the failures of the Great Leap Forward by Chairman Mao, he was set aside by his colleagues, and remove him  from power. But they did nothing else. So Mao incited the youth, and launch the cultural revolution. That in turn, put him back on power, and his enemies perish. So what happened in the US Capitol, was not very American.

And one thing I want to point out. Hitler, ran for a presidential election too, in his time, and he lost to Hindenburg. Hitler was already judge by history, as a madman. But did he rally the Nazi’s to attack the Reichstag, in order to overturn the election results? History doesn’t have such records. Although he did burn it, when he got the power, which was the beginning of the slippery slope for Germany, that ended in 1945.

Because of what happen, many  Democrats, and also Republicans, called for the 25^th Amendment, especially, Section 4, wherein the cabinet will convene, and strip the President of all his powers, and kick him out of office. But the Vice President Mike Pence, although has accepted the result, was not willing to invoke it. So the Senators moved to impeached the President .

Although I understand the fears of the Senators, of both parties, with the President being still in power. Time is against them. By the time I am writing this, he has only 8 days left. And both 25^th Amendment, and Impeachment are time consuming. And as the President elect said, it will hamper, his legislative agendas, because the Senate, will be busy impeaching, a non President. Why not let him get out of office, and file cases against him, when he is citizen Trump. At that time he has no immunity whatsoever, that will protect him.

This has forever damage the prestige, and reputation of the United States, From a leader of democracy, to becoming a part of the club, wherein someone don't like election results, they will cause chaos. And as I said, that’s not very US-ish. Losing candidates, generally accept results of elections. Even if they dont', I don’t know if there is one, they don’t go to such lengths, that they will incite supporters to attack the counting. Only Trump did this, he’s really one of a kind, but an infamous one of a kind. As I rephrase, Franklin Delano Roosevelt quote: January 6 2021, a date which will live in infamy.

And I would like to quote, Senator Mitt Romney as a closing remarks for this article

 

No congressional audit, is ever gonna convinced these voters, particularly when the President continue to saying that the election was stolen. The best way we could show respect for the voters who are upset, is by telling them the truth! That’s the burden, thats the duty of leadership, the truth is that President Elect Biden won the election. President Trump lost.I have that experience myself, its no fun! Scores of courts, the President’s own attorney general, state election officials, both Republican and Democrat have reached that unequivocal decision.

And I appeal to Mr. Trump, even though I am no American, but because the world is leaning, and relying to America’s leadership. Please kindly step down now, and do no more chaos.

JOE AMERICA

 

I’m calling him Joe America, because he sometime in the past, once called his former boss, on a campaign, Barack America. It has been a subject of jokes of some comedians such as Robin Williams etc.

But kidding aside. Come January, whether Trump like it or not, he will have to step down, and swore into power, the new President of the United States of America, the President Elect, Joe R. Biden. Him winning the elections, was one of the better news, along a stream of bad news this 2020.

I may not agree, of some of Democrat’s policy. But with Trump In office, and his handling of things, especially COVID-19, any Democrat will do, that can replace him. And as Joe Biden, rose as the candidate of the Democratic Party, it’s a good thing, that despite differences is principle within the party, they all come together behind Joe Biden, unlike what happen when Hilary Clinton ran for president.

All I am saying is, Joe Biden is the common sense candidate to be voted, against Trump. Especially with the mishandling of COVID 19 in the United States. With it being still the number 1 country with most cases in the whole world. A common sense, in the presidency, must be put in place, and that is Joe Biden, more than Trump. A leader, that should encourage wearing mask, and not discourage them. And a leader that encourage social distancing, rather than encouraging mass gathering. And again, that is Joe more than Trump.

I can only speak of COVID 19 for Joe Biden, because of the failure of Trump Administrations to tackle the crisis. Even if consecutive administrations before him, put a measure in place, to tackle such crisis, yet cases and deaths skyrocketed. Cause lets face it, many countries in the world are have a declined in number of cases, and deaths cause by COVID. Some have already declared the defeat of COVID 19 in their countries, even China has a lower number of cases now, which where the contagion started. But if the US, will not tackle COVID with seriousness right now, these pandemic, will be prolonged than expected. And don’t put all your hopes, on the vaccines, despite news that it has 95% effective. It will take years, to distribute to all the world, doses of it. And not being so negative, it might still failed as a vaccine. All we need to do is to stop the spread, by following  health protocols. And America is spreading it a lot, in their own country. And if they open up, they might spread again to the world, starting an endless cycle. That’s why I am glad, that Joe Biden won the elections. Even though I am not an American.

But what would be the implications, to my home country, the Philippines. Will it affect the stability of the Duterte Administration? Knowing that his former boss, Barack Obama, is the President of the US, that our President’s hates the most. Will it also had an effect, to the candidacy of the now Vice President Leni Robredo, just like him? I hope not.  We may never know. We hope a cooperation, and not so much intervention from the incoming administration. And we hope, that the Philppines start being treated as an equal and sovereign country, and not as a vassal, or a satellite state. Hoping for good transition, and better run as the new President of the United States. Good luck, and God Bless.

CHINA, THE NEW SUPERPOWER?

Isa nga ito sa mga claim ng China, turing, at bansag ng ibang mga bansa sa kanila, the New Superpower. Ngunit may iba akong pananaw tungkol sa bagay na ito.

Na-achieve na nga ba ng China ang kalagayang pagiging Superpower Nation?Para sa kin ay hindi pa. Bakit? Ito base lang naman sa kasaysayan din. Ang Soviet Union bago ang Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig, ay ang noo'y World's Largest Army, ngunit hindi pa rin sila considered superpower. Only after the war that they are consider as superpower.

Ganito nga ang kalagayan ng China ngayon, ang World's Largest Army. numbering a 2 million plus soldiers. Pero may achievement na ba ang malaking army na ito? Isang digmaan na stalemate ang kinalabasan(Korean War), at sa digmaang ding iyon ay tinalo pa sila sa isang labanan ng napakaliit, batallion nga lang ng Philippine Army na ipinadala ni Pres. Quirino, at ang nakakatuwa yung kakaunting ipinadalang iyon, eh kakaunti pa ang casualty. Samantalang kalaban ay libo-libo.

Ito nga ay para sa akin ang batayan ng pagiging isang superpower na bansa. Una malaking army and well equipped, ikalawa ay powerful weaponry, ikatlo ay malakas at malaking ekonomiya, at ikaapat ay world Influence and control.

Sa akin ngang apat na batayan ng pagiging superpower, hindi pa lahat ay kuha ng China. Totoo na malakas at malaki ang ekonomiya ng China. Totoo rin na ang China ay may malaking army, pinakamalaki sa buong mundo. Ngunit hindi pa nila nakukuha ang dalawa sa essential sa aking apat na batayan. Ang powerful weaponry, na kahit kailan man sa paniwala ko ay hindi na makukuha sa Estados Unidos, dahil sa kanilang patuloy na pag-uupgrade at paglilihim din dito. Maliban na lamang kung maungusan sila ng Germany.

At ang pinaka-importante sa lahat ay ang influence at control sa mundo. Hindi nga ito mangyayari sa kalagayan ng China ngayon. Bakit? Dahil napakarami nilang kaaway. Philippines firstly, Japan, India, Vietnam. Maging sa mga nabasa ko, pati pala North Korea, na kinikilala nilang ally, binubully din nila sa teritoryo. at pati ang Russia, na isang dating superpower, at di rin naman maikakaila ang lakas militar ay inaaway nila sa teritoryo.

Ang pagkakaroon ng napakaraming kaaway ang pumigil sa Nazi Germany, at maging sa Soviet Union, upang maging tuluyang superpower ng matagal na panahon.

At kung sakali naman na marating na ng China ang kalagayang ito, ay hindi pa rin marapat silang tawagin na New Superpower, dahil dati na silang superpower, noong ancient times, they conquer almost 1/4 of the world. Ang marapat na tawag sa kanila ay the Comeback Superpower. And as of this moment, the still no. 1 undisputed superpower is the United States, although the power is deteriorating.

THE CONFLICT THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN SOON

Kung mahilig ka makibalita tungkol sa mga pangyayari sa dispute tungkol sa South China Sea, at nakilike ka sa mga anti-China pages, ay makikita mo ang isang post, na may titulong "WHY CHINA IS AFRAID OF MILITARY CONFRONTATION WITH USA". Ang kanilang paliwanag naman ay totoo, na nakafocus doon ang technological supremacy ng mga weapons ng United States against China.

Ngunit tanungin naman natin, bakit ayaw naman ng US din ng konprontasyon sa China? Ito nga ay dahil sa malaking utang noong panahon ni Bush ng US sa China. Ito nga ang nagiging deterrent sa kanila upang kalabanin ang China.

Ngunit naniniwala ako na ayaw ng parehong bansa ang gulo, because if they would clash, it will only mean one thing, WORLD WAR.

Kung one on one ang magiging labanan, ay hindi pa rin malinaw kung sino ang mananalo, malinaw ang technological supremacy ng US laban sa China, ngunit ang China naman ang may largest army in the world.

Para nga maintindihan niyo ang ibig ko ipahiwatig, ay babalik tayo sa kasaysayan. Nazi Germany, has the technological supremacy over the Soviets, but the Soviets has the numbers in terms of soldiers, and who won the war? The Soviets.

Yun nga ay kung one on one, but one on one is not reality. There will be always allies. And the United States has a lot of allies, most of them of them are powerful allies, like France, Britain, Germany, South Korea, and one that has conflicts too with China, Japan and many countries. China has one well known ally, North Korea. Cambodia as well maybe an ally. Vietnam is an ally before, but they have have clash with China, because of territorial disputes, and I dont know. if they will be still.

Russia is still a question mark, Putin as its PM, and China has too border disputes with them. And of whom will Russia sides, will be the winner of the war in the numbers game.

Ganoon nga kagulo ang magiging gulo na ito kung mangyayari, at sana nga ay hindi ito mangyari sa ating panahon. Dahil ang giyera ay mas matinding kalamidad kaysa bagyo at lindol. Ang lindol at bagyo ay oras/minuto/segundo lang itinatagal, samantalang ang digmaan ang tao ang magpapasya kung kailan titigil.

THE GUN QUESTION

United States and the Philippines, malayong-malayo ang diperensya sa isa't-isa. Ang Amerika ay isa sa pinakama-uunlad na bansa, habang ang Pilipinas ay isa naman sa papa-unlad na bansa. Maging sa isyu ng demokrasya, malayong-malayo pa ang Pilipinas, sa Amerika.

Ngunit nagkakalapit nga ang dalawang bansa na isang karagatan ang layo sa isa't-isa sa isang isyu. Ito nga ang isyu ng  gun ownership and control, dahil sa mga sunod-sunod na pangyayari na may kinalaman sa baril.

Nitong July 20, 2012 lamang, ay isang James Holmes ang namaril sa isang sinehan sa Colorado, kung saan palabas noon ang pelikulang "The Dark Knight Rises". 12 ang patay, at 58 ang sugatan, o injured. Nahuli nga siya at kasalukuyang nakakulong na.

Nitong December 14, 2012 naman, ay naganap ang isang massacre sa Newtown, Connecticut. Walang awang pinatay ang 20 estudyante at anim na mga matatanda na kinabibilangan ng mga guro at magulang sa Sandy Hook Elementary School. Si Adam Lanza, ang nagsagawa ng pagpatay, ay natagpuang patay katabi ng kaniyang baril, na pawang matataas ang kalibre.

Nito namang New Year, sa Pilipinas, ay tinamaan ng ligaw na bala si Stephanie Nicole Ella, isang inosenteng bata. Di nga nagtagal ay pumanaw ito. Ang salarin ay hindi pa nahuhuli.

At nitong January 4, 2013, isang massacre ang nangyari sa brgy Tabon 1, Kawit Cavite. Pito ang patay, kabilang ang dalawang bata at isang buntis. Napatay naman si Ronald Bae, ang nagsagawa ng pagpatay, ng mga awtoridad. Si John Paul Lopez, ang sinasabing nagre-reload sa killer ay sumuko, at sinampahan ng patong-patong na kaso.

Bagaman may parehong isyu, ay magkaiba ang approach ng dalawang lider ng dalawang bansang ito. Malakas nga ang public opinion sa America na magkaroon ng total gun ban, maliban sa mga uniformed personnels gaya ng pulis at militar, at tila si Obama ay ganoon din ang pananaw. Malakas din naman ang panawagan sa Pilipinas, ngunit dahil ang Pangulong Aquino ay isang gun enthusiast, ay tutol siya dito. Nabulalas niya nga ito matapos ang isang insidente ng shoot-out diumano sa Atimonan, Quezon, kung saan siya ay nagpahayag sa duda na shoot-out ito, at tanungin tungkol sa posibilidad ng total gun ban.

Kung ako naman ang tatanungin. Hindi maaaring mawala ang baril. Pero sa isyu ng kung sino lamang ang hahawak, ay mahirap sagutin. Madali pa ngang sagutin kung alin ang tunay na relihiyon sa mundong ibabaw, kesa sa naunang tanong.

Bakit ko nasabi? Natutuwa din kasi ako sa idea na walang baril kundi sa mga awtoridad lamang. Ngunit sa klase ng awtoridad sa Pilipinas, eh mapapaisip ka. At saka paano kung isang gaya nila James Holmes ang maupo, at maging tyrant. At magpatay ng tao. Then being gunless society will be non-sense, because extreme tyranny, will always lead to revolution, maiging-maigi kung peaceful. At pagkatapos ng revolution, laging magulo, matagal pang dumadating ang kaayusan.

Hindi naman imposible ang sinabi ko. Ang Libya, nagkaroon ng Gaddafi, ang Syria, ay may Assad, ang Russia may Joseph Stalin, pawang mga lider na loko-loko at lumaban sa kanilang tao.

Magulo nga ang topic na ito, ako man naguluhan din.

INSANE CHINA

Nakakatawa na nakakainis na itong China, halos lahat kine-claim.

Una yung Kalayaan Islands, tapos yung Scarborough Shoal, tapos ang buong South China Sea through the nine dash line

May isa pa ngang anchor sa China, na pati ang Pilipinas diumano ay inherent part of China, ano sa inyo na lang lahat? Sa glory ng past Chinese Dynasties, walang record na tinangka man nilang sakupin ang Pilipnas. Dahil alam nila may kalalagyan sila, sa ating bansa noong unang panahon.

At yung anggulo na, since some dynasties pa ay kanila na ang Scarborough Shoal, kung ganoon rin lang ang batayan, eh dapat sa Italy na ang much of Europe and North Africa, dahil Roman Empire ang Italy noon eh. Dapat ganoon muna ang mangyari bago kayo mag-claim, China.

At hindi lang pala ang Pilipinas ang nagaganyan ng China, pati ang Vietnam, damay sa claim sa South China Sea. Nagputukan na nga nag dalawang bansang ito noon, dahil sa away sa teritoryo. Pati ang Japan nga ay inaagawan nila ng isla, yung Senkaku Islands na kung titignan naman ay talagang mas malapit ito sa pinaka-remote island ng Japan kesa sa China.

Yun nga ay humantong sa mga protesta sa China, kung saan napagtripan ang mga Japanese made na mga sasakyan. Ipinost nga ang imaheng katulad nito noon sa isang anti-China bullying page sa Facebook. Umani nga ng batikos na"ano ba yan! nagpoprotesta nang ganoon pro-government" something like that. Sa loob-loob ko naman, knowing China's little bit of its history. Hindi gagawin ng mga tsino muli ang magrally laban sa China, knowing what happen in the 80's in the Tiananmen Square, The Chinese government massacre their own people.

http://www.japancrush.com/2012/stories/clinton-reveals-china-claim-to-territorial-rights-in-hawaii.html

Ngunit ang nakakagulat sa lahat, pati Hawaii! ito nga ay ayon sa isang article ng MSN Sankei, na sinabi daw ng official ng China kay Clinton. I will quote the the title and the first paragraph.

From MSN Sankei: China ‘Could Also Insist Upon Territorial Rights in Hawai’i: US Secretary of State Reveals Part of Consultation With China.

"On November 29, it was revealed that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated in a question and answer session at a speech she gave in Washington, that when the US had consulted with China about the past problems of territoriality in the South China Sea, the Chinese side had said that they could also ‘insist on (territorial rights to) Hawai’i’. To which Clinton replied, ‘Well, you’re welcome to try. Territorial rights will be settled through arbitration institutions. That is precisely the action that we want you to take’."

Para sa buong detalye nito, may link sa ilalim ng picture ni Clinton

That is too much already for China, worst than Hitler's bullying of territory in Europe before Poland. But Hitler said something in his book Mein Kampf that I would like to agree, "The Seas Belong to the United States". I dont really remember what chapter it is, but Hitler really said that. And I like it better than China.

ANG SATELITE NI KIM

Hindi nga natuloy ang sinasabing satelite launch ng North Korea, dahil sa masamang panahon, ngunit sa araw ng bukas, kung bumuti ang kalagayan ng panahon, ay baka matuloy din ito.

Patuloy nga ang pagbababala ng NDRRMC Chair Benito Ramos, tungkol sa launch sa mga nakatira malapit sa maaaring bagsakan ng debris ng rocket booster, na halos kalahati ng eroplano daw ang laki.

Hindi nga ang nakakatakot ay ang pagbagsak ng anomang debris mula sa kalawakan. Ang nakakatakot nga ay ang mga pangyayari na maaaring maganap pagkatapos ng launch. Matatandaang ang Japan ay naghahanda ng kanilang mga patriot missile upang maintercept ang mga debris na maaaring mahulog sa kanilang bansa. Ganoon din naman ang South Korea at ang United States.

Ang tingin ko nga sa ginagawa ng North Korea ay isang provocation, ngayon ay gumagalaw na ang Japan, South Korea, at ang United States. Maaari ngang wala talagang lamang nukleyar ang satelite daw? at baka sadyain nilang talagang padaanin sa mga bansang nakahanda, at boom, declaration of war sa mag-iintercept ng satelite rocket nila. At malinaw naman ang pahayag ni President Obama, "their will be no reward for provocations, those days are over" noong March 25, 2012.

Nakakapagtaka naman ang katahimikan ng bansang China sa isyung ito, na nagpipilit din naman sa kanilang claim sa Scarborough Shoal na lubhang napakalapit sa Pilipinas kaysa sa kanila. Matatandaan na ang China ang isa sa mga bansang tumulong ng labis sa North Korea noong Korean War.

At kung sakaling matutuloy sa araw ng kinabukasan ang satelite launch, habang sinusulat ko ito, ay mangyayari nga ito sa Friday The 13th.

I hope it will be truly only a satelite launch!