Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Public Lives

Public Lives is a collection of the columns of Randy David, eminent opinion writer and sociologist. Compared to Reflections, this work is less ideological and political, and more philosophical and reflexive. The style is more taut and powerful, perhaps due to the need to deliver a persuasive message within the space constraints of a column. There is greater comfort with ambiguity and alternative modes of perception and explanation. Also, there is more focus on understanding the self as a way to interpret the external world.

I see Randy as the most important analyst of Philippine politics and society today and the country's foremost public intellectual. I sometimes envy the unhurried, reflective life of the academic he leads, but I am afraid I have already made a choice to take a different path. He remains hopeful that my generation can bring Philippine society into modernity, and I hope I can help take the lead in making that a reality.

Christmas Mystery

I have read, heard, and seen many accounts of the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem as a Catholic schoolboy. It had always been magical and exciting despite countless repetition. Then, as I grew up, Christmas started to lose its magic, and became nothing but another stressful occasion to spend on gifts, eat unhealthy food, and suffer traffic jams.

As the father of two little baby boys, however, I am rediscovering the feeling of hope, generosity, and anticipation that comes with the Christmas season for they will soon hear the Christmas story for the first time. Like Joachim in the Jostein Gaardner's Christmas Mystery, they too will begin counting the number of days before Christmas finally arrives. And like Elizabeth, I hope they gain an appreciation of the many meanings of this occasion.

True, for the Christian, it is, above all, about the birth of the savior. But it is also about hope for a better tomorrow, forgiveness of sins and starting anew, generosity of spirit through sharing and gift-giving, and appreciating the value of family and friendship. I hope everyone had a happy Christmas, and I wish for a great new year.

Summer and My Childhood

Unlike Europeans, my family never spent long vacations out of town or abroad during the summer. With so much sun throughout the year, perhaps there was no need to savor every sunny day. The only vacation I remember was when we went to Baguio when I was around five years old. After that, all my summers were spent at home. I remember playing hide and seek, catching dragonflies, and riding the swing at the playground right in front of our house. I recall climbing alatiris trees, taking long bicycle rides far from our subdivision, and serving as a sacristan during Holy Week.

I never had the summers by the lake in David Macfarlane's Summer Gone, but I hope to make week-long summer vacations a tradition in my own family. We don't have too many lakes, but we have some of the best beaches in the world. I would like my two boys to grow up with fond memories of perfect summer days evoked in the book and none of the dysfunctions of Caz's family. I want them to remember being pushed by the waves, building sand castles, being burned by the sun, eating grilled seafood, and wanting summer days never to end.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Liberal Party

Mar Roxas, current Liberal Party president, was in the headlines two weeks ago for swearing at President Arroyo during a rally to protest plans to change the constitution. About the same time, I was reading an edited collection of articles by members of the Liberal Party, Liberal Views on Constitutional Reform by Antonio Nachura and Jonathan Malaya, advocating strongly for a shift to a federal, parliamentary form of government. Florencio Abad actually makes a strong case for a parliamentary form of government based on evidence provided by political science research.

I can understand the change of heart since charter change now will obviously benefit the current administration, and stifle LP's chances of recapturing the presidency after forty years. I am even considering joining the party as it appears to be the only mainstream party whose members exhibit integrity and competence while having a decent chance of winning. I am beginning to doubt, however, whether Roxas can actually win as most surveys indicate that the early leaders are Legarda, De Castro, and Villar.

Ultimately, I think, a genuine, programmatic political party with a winning coalition of supporters has to arise in order for the polity to transcend the continuing hold of the landowning oligarchy. It remains to be seen whether Roxas can transform the LP into that party or it will take someone from my generation to overcome cynicism over politics and organize such a party.

Don Juan and Yaqui Way of Knowledge

I read this book by Carlos Castaneda simply because it was on our shelf. I hesitated to read it as my science high school training means I remain skeptical of non-rational modes of explanation. Also, it was all too easy to dismiss it as a 60's junkie's way of philosophizing and rationalizing his aimless, and hedonistic quest for the next high.

Surprisingly, however, it was actually a fascinating read. Carlos' drug induced hallucinations are utterly fascinating, and, on occasion, terrifying. Perhaps, they are a powerful illustration of the alternative modes of understanding of the Yaqui culture, one that is extremely difficult for a rationalist to comprehend. Or, they are nothing but the contortions of the mind brought about by chemicals in the "allies."

An even more interesting dimension to this text is the claim that Castaneda's work was not a credible anthropology thesis, but, rather, a work of creative writing. Regardless, its invitation to suspend disbelief and challenge conventional apprehension of reality makes it a worthy read.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

TS Eliot Selected Prose and Understanding Poetry

Time Magazine called Eliot the greatest English language poet of the 20th century. I have read Alfred Prufrock, but not The Waste Land - his masterpiece. In this collection of prose, however, the greatest value I derive is the confirmation that a poem has many more meanings than can be interpreted rationally. A poem is a poem precisely because the whole is more than the sum of the denotations of words strung together to fit a conventional form. Form is employed to establish order and reproduce on paper a series of moods, emotions, and evocations. Inevitably, when the rational mind is used to understand the representation of emotional expression, it finds itself uncertain and tentative. There is a sense that not all has been understood when reading poetry. There is an even greater sense of inadequacy when the attempt is made to communicate what was supposed to be understood. Reading Eliot as the literary critic, however, gives comfort that the reader can understand a poem at a deep, emotional level, yet find it difficult to articulate what has been understood.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Ethics

Ethics, by Louis Pojman, is a textbook on ethics that I read simply because I found a photocopy at home, which was borrowed by my wife from her friend's sister. It probably had a profound effect on her intellectual development since it kindled her interest in philosophy, which she eventually studied as her undergraduate degree.

I tend to agree with Pojman's moral objectivist stance. I see moral relativism, especially subjectivism, as a nihilist, not to mention selfish, intellectual dead end. I may even be an intuitionist to some degree as I think that some acts are, on their face value and even without recourse to reason, so morally repugnant that no decent person would even attempt to argue on the grounds of cultural relativism, e.g. torturing children.

Virtue based ethics, as expounded in the works of Plato and Aristotle, also appeals to me. Morality springs forth from a morally excellent character. The emphasis on personal moral development in the context of a moral community is richer and more natural than an individualist and minimalist morality that focuses on sanctions and prohibitions. It is in relation to this thought that I think of how religion fits quite naturally with morality and why secular morality sometimes feels empty and groundless.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A Map of the World

I read this book by Jane Hamilton just because my wife had a copy and I thought it would be a waste not to read it.

It is the story of a couple in the Midwest, living on a farm, whose seemingly ordinary struggle to create a dream family life is totally upended by the accidental death of a neighbor's child. It captures what goes on in the mind of a mother trying mightily to be a good mother and a supportive wife suddenly facing charges of sexual abuse and months of being separated from her family. It also describes the despairing thoughts of a husband whose simple family life suddenly falls apart and who suddenly has to abandon his simple dream of being a dairy farmer.

As a young father of two, I can sympathize with the feeling of how everything is so fragile. The smallest mistake might endanger my family, cause a health problem, ruin our finances, and wreck the dream life we are building. Having a family is immensely rewarding but it also makes the possibility of loss that much more terrifying.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Reflections on Sociology and Philippine Society

Randy David is one the few genuine Filipino public intellectuals. His training is in sociology, but he employs philosophy in his writings with facility, and his political analysis is more incisive than those of my political science professors. His columns are models of clarity and they are suffused by David's abiding love for his country.

In this book of essays, I perceive David's intellectual evolution from a Marxist given to interpreting society through class analysis to more of a pragmatist, focusing more on what institutions work in a society moving from tradition to modernity. David, like other observers, writes about the many failures of Philippine society, but, unlike them, he also sees a lot of hope. He views the experiences of OFWs in better-run societies and the expectations of a new generation of Filipinos exposed to the Internet as contributing to the creation of a political culture that will allow Philippine politics to become less personalistic, and more programmatic, i.e., more modern.

Perhaps he is right about changing mindsets. But the time has come for the Filipino youth to stop simply admiring Obama's success and start acting to make a similar brand of hopeful, transformational politics a reality in the Philippines.

A Dream Fulfilled

I began reading Uncle Tom's Cabin a few days before the historic election of Barack Obama.

Harriet Beecher Stowe's work, which some regard as a significant spark to the Civil War, is unsparing in its description of the horrors of slavery. One cannot help but be moved by depictions of families being separated and slaves being maltreated. It's hard to imagine today, but less than 150 years ago, real people with real emotions were treated like unfeeling articles to be bought and sold. I sometimes thought that the book had too many Christian references and passages, but who could blame slaves for pining their hopes in the afterlife if the world they lived in offered nothing but a future of suffering?

America has once more reinvented itself. Not only can the descendants of slaves hope for a better future in their present life, they can even lead the nation that once enslaved them.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Political Man

Political Man, by Seymour Martin Lipset, is one of the best works of political analysis I have read. It is clear, incisive and sophisticated without resorting to methodological techniques that obscure, rather than illuminate the argument. It is brimming with detail, providing the historical, psychological and organizational context that make the work read like a description of flesh and blood citizens engaged in political action, rather than the dry, impersonal, almost clinical analysis of data that characterizes most published journal articles.

Lipset is upfront about his commitment to democracy and the book is a theory of the social bases of democracy. He does not hesitate to make bold generalizations, which he always backs up with carefully documented comparative data, usually presented in a simple tabular, but unmistakably clear, format. Economic development and democracy are correlated and mutually reinforcing is one of the few political science theses that has stood the test of time. Working class people are more likely to have authoritarian attitudes. Fascism is middle class extremism and is different from old-fashioned conservatism. Trade unions tend to be organized as dictatorships, but contribute to the democracy of the social system. It is a true social science classic. A simple replication of its analyses for the Philippines is likely to increase understanding immensely. The brave analyst, however, will be looking in vain for the class bases of political parties in a country were true political parties do not exist.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Faustian Spirit

Faust, like men my age, is impatient and restless. He has mastered all the major branches of knowledge and is not in any state of material want, yet he feels an insatiable thirst, a "boundless striving" for knowledge and power - the Faustian spirit. In a quest for the supreme moment of happiness so beautiful that he will wish for time to stop, he bets his soul with Mephistopheles in exchange for supernatural powers while on earth. The Faustian spirit, however, is ultimately doomed to failure. Indeed, he lives to a hundred years and dies without finding that moment of inner peace, and is, therefore, ultimately saved.

Does Goethe imply that man is condemned never to be happy and to always feel discontented? And is the lack of satisfaction the path to salvation?

In the Faustian spirit, I see what are likely to be the roots of Nietzsche's self-conquering overman. A perfect moment is perhaps an impossible dream, but that is as it should be for that is the end of the will to power; that is the end of the will to life.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Liberal Society in the Age of Experts

We live in a society, Stephen Turner observes in Liberalism 3.0, that is dominated by experts. This, he argues, undermines the idea of liberalism defined as government by discussion because the ordinary citizen cannot understand the expert, let alone presume to debate with him.

While I understand the dangers to political communication raised by Turner, I do not share the same level of concern with the viability of liberalism. The rise of the knowledge society has allowed experts to increase their standing, but the accompanying technological change - the information technology revolution - has also meant that it is that much harder to monopolize expertise. Indeed, in the age of Google, Wikipedia, and the home-made bomb assembled through downloaded instructions, it is much harder to delegate authority completely to the presumed sound judgment of the experts. Moreover, it is usually the case that one can find an expert willing to support one's preferred policy option.

In determining policy, it is more important to have informed judgment based on a combination of experience, intuition, strategic perspective, a sense of history, and sufficient but not exhaustive data rather than narrow expertise on a particular subject.

In the age of experts, we can't just leave it to the experts because it begs the question, "Which expert?"

Monday, October 20, 2008

Handbook of Political Science or How I Got Over Political Science

I read this 800 page work edited by Goodin and Klingemann in three weeks, along with three other books. This is ironic since I never managed to get past chapter 1 during my five and a half years as a political science major.

I came away with the impression that political science is a vast and growing field, but I am not sure at all whether what political scientists do ever matters to the real world. I still think that politics is too important to be left to the politicians, and is, therefore, a subject worthy of close study. However, I now realize that the greatest contribution I can make is not as a scholar crunching numbers and building formal models that no one understands, but as a public intellectual, up to date with the debates in the academe and engaged with the task of translating and articulating them in a language that can be understood by policymakers and the public. Or, in keeping with the ideas of Aristotle, I can lead the polity myself, hoping that my background in political analysis can be of some help.

Finishing this book allows me to put some closure to political science as a phase of my reading life. Henceforth, I will read political science books not with a lingering sense of a project that was left incomplete, but out of a genuine desire to understand a 21st century global society in constant, rapid change.

Politics and Economics of Power

This collection of articles edited by Samuel Bowles examines the power relations that underpin markets and presents analyses of politics from an economic perspective.

It is striking how it has taken so long for economists to realize that the assumptions of neoclassical economics are so far removed from the real world of raw, naked power. Instead of perfect competition, we observe oligopolies and monopolies dominated by rent-seekers who cozy up to, or are even sometimes, elected politicians. So much ink was wasted on stating the obvious.

I was also annoyed by the constant use of formal models for theories that can be explained by one or two sentences. Perhaps I just don't understand them, but rather than illuminate, I see them as exercises in obfuscation. If the point of inquiry is understanding, then models that only a select few can understand, and yield very few testable propositions, do not advance the cause of knowledge at all. It is doubtful, therefore, how economics has helped clarify the nature of power.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Imperialism

Lenin, supreme leader of the Soviet Union, wrote this pamphlet as a revolutionary intellectual. He argues that imperialism, far from being simply territorial conquest, is actually the highest stage of capitalism. Paradoxically, he sees capitalism as decaying from competition into monopoly capitalism as exemplified by the trusts that then dominated industry such as Standard Oil. He also observes that these cartels are usually controlled by very few financial magnates and contends that the impulse to monopoly is what drove the great powers to scramble for colonies beginning in the late 19th century.

Lenin's analysis, like that of Marx, is incisive and makes for interesting reading, not least because of his polemical style. And in the middle of a global financial crisis in 2008, perhaps there are lessons to be drawn about the excesses of finance capital. Yet much of his thesis has simply been dismissed by history: capitalism, though wounded, is alive and well; huge corporations exist, but it is hard to say there is no competition; decolonization brought an end to the era of imperialism; and the Soviet Union has long since ceased to exist.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Beyond Good and Evil

Nietzsche has been vilified for declaring that God is dead. His writings on the overman has been criticized as a precursor to Hitler's attempt to make the Aryan race master of the world.

Reading Nietzsche, however, I strangely find his work positive and empowering. Instead of a Christian morality that preaches acceptance of one's lot as God's will and an outlook that is centered on the afterlife, he reminds man of his innate will to power, the will to life and to growth, the will to master oneself and one's environment. The true philosopher, he argues, creates his own values. If these ideas sound similar to self-help books that tell us to be proactive rather than reactive, that we make our own choices and create our own lives instead of surrendering to circumstances, then perhaps that is the best proof that Nietzsche has triumphed.

A logical consequence of the will to power is the overman, one who is beyond good and evil. This idea is threatening for those reared with Christian and democratic concepts, which exalt equality, perhaps even mediocrity - brotherhood before God, equality before the law. Yet for those who do not settle and are never complacent, those who see no limits to their achievement, it is but a description of what they can become.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Politics

At a time when most people view politicians with disdain, Aristotle's argument that a man who has achieved the highest good is identical with the man who has participated fully in the life of the polis, which includes ruling and being ruled in turn, sounds rather strange. For him, politics is so essential to man that he considers a man outside the political community as either a beast or a god.

As a political science graduate of the national university, Aristotle's views give me hope that there is redemption for politics. Not only can public service be a force for good, it is actually the highest good. I continue to believe that I, and people of my generation, have a duty to enter politics and reform society. Politics is simply too important to be left in the hands of corrupt and incompetent politicians. As yet, however, I do not know how to translate this sense of duty into action.

As Aristotle's teacher said, there will be no justice in this polity until philosophers become kings.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Reinventing Government and My Brief Stint as a Functionary

Osborne and Gaebler wrote this book nearly two decades ago yet its ideas have yet to have a toehold in the Philippines. Some of its ideas, like school vouchers, have been implemented in developed countries and have yielded success. Here, however, bureaucratic sclerosis is still the norm.

For six months, I worked for the government as a defense analyst and there I saw firsthand how taxpayers' money was being wasted. I worked for an office that employed more than fifty people, but spent most of its time providing poorly researched advice to the chief of staff and to other government offices. Officers went on an annual junket to the US ostensibly to discuss the mutual defense treaty, but I heard more about stories of late night drinking. Taxpayers paid for a monthly team-building/drinking session and for two lechons to celebrate the promotion of the big boss. Communication was so inefficient they had to be cleared by five layers before they reached my supervisor's desk, and my own response had to go through the same number of layers before it reached its destination. Worse, instead of email, it had to be hard copy documents with a disposition form on top, and they were hand-carried by enlisted men who either slept or surfed for porn when they had no messenger duties. I myself was guilty of wasting the very taxes I paid by coming in late most of the time and suffering no consequences at all.

I am fortunate to have found a better job after a few months, but I saw how corruption, mediocrity and a sense of entitlement slowly afflict the soul even of the most idealistic of college graduates.

The Impossible Dream

Don Quixote is an absolutely delightful read. It is, on the surface, hilarious, yet, at the same time, sorrowful. It is hard not to laugh at the absurdity of Don Quixote's adventures, or the witty, proverb-laden language of Sancho; yet, it is also hard not be sad at Don Quixote's nobility and Sancho's good nature being subjected to tricks and pranks by those who are sane, and should know better.

Don Quixote, when he dispenses advice during moments of lucidity, and Sancho, when he handed down judgments during his brief stint as governor, were both wise and worthy of respect, not ridicule. They demonstrated that, despite the outward madness and folly, each had a soul worthy of any of the gallant knight-errants that Cervantes so brilliantly parodied.

Don Quixote, to the point of literal madness, showed the value of an unswerving commitment to an ideal, displaying fortitude and grit in the face of physical and emotional pain. Sancho, at the risk of being branded an even greater fool, showed the value of loyalty, and, despite his ambition, appreciation of the simple things that make a man truly happy. Both of them, one by finding gentleness in the other's foolishness, and, the other, by finding nobility in the other's madness, demonstrated the true nature of friendship.

This work is a true classic, the measure of all novels that succeeded it and Cervantes, without a doubt, is a genius.

Economics of Money, Banking and Finance and the Great Recession

Mishkin's text on money, banking and finance has illuminated my understanding of the financial world. The relevance of learning about monetary economics cannot be understated because we are now one year into the credit crunch with no end yet in sight, and, personally, because I have just began investing in equities, reasoning that we are likely to have hit the bottom, or, if not, that I have a long time horizon anyway. Furthermore, the efficient markets theory has further discouraged me from pursuing technical analysis more seriously than simply checking for support and resistance levels.

Inflation has truly affected the economy, including my family. Philippine economic growth has slowed down, and there are fears that we are only about to enter a global recession. I am still able to save and invest a substantial amount every month, but it is hard not to feel the effect of rising costs on my discretionary spending. I am lucky to be working for IBM, which continues to grow despite the general downturn in the US because of its global presence. The rising dollar, however, makes it likely that growth this quarter will be dampened. Overall, however, I still see a lot of growth, and I remain optimistic about the future. I just hope the economy recovers soon.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Tuesdays with Morrie

I finally got a chance to read this book today because I forgot to bring a book to the hospital. Since I hate waiting in line without something to read, I had the perfect excuse to buy a book. I also thought it was the kind of book I needed because I sometimes felt empty and without a sense of purpose even if I normally accomplish a lot every day.

I finished the book in one sitting. It did not live up to the hype - probably because I have read other inspirational and self-help books - but it was a heartwarming read all the same. What struck me most was his advice to Mitch that you only learn how to live when you know how to die. That is something I need to remind myself whenever I feel in a rut. Everyday, I need to ask that little bird whether today is the day. Life is too precious to be squandered on worrying.

Surprisingly, I find that I am already applying many of Morrie's aphorisms. I know how to detach myself from what I feel and I am not too attached to material things (no ipod, no car, cable tv!). And while I would prefer living a long life, I am not afraid to die at 23 because I have loved and let myself be loved.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

A huis clos

L'enfer, c'est les Autres, selon ce piece de theatre de Jean Paul Sartre. Je suis absolument d'accord car je me sens frequemment accable par les gens qui m'entourent tous les jours, memes ceux que j'aime. Parfois, je voudrais etre seul, et n'entendent plus les soupirs et plaintes de ma femme et mon fils. C'est bien comme j'etais piege dans un salon a huis clos.

Pourtant, la philosophie de Sartre nous dit aussi qu'on est ce qu'on veut. Cela veut dire qu'on est libre. Il n'y a pas de droit naturel ou divin qui regle notre vie. On cree notre propre vie. C'est une belle pensee, mais absolument effrayante. Cela veut dire qu'on n'est jamais piege car on est libre a choisir, mais aussi que c'est nous qui determinons la valeur et le sens de notre vie. Cele me fait content normalement parce que j'aime bien reflechir a mes projets et mes reves. Mais quelquefois, je suis deprime parce que je doute la valeur de mes projets et mon existence meme, et il n'y a personne qui peux m'aider car c'est que moi qui donne de sens a ma vie.

Monday, August 4, 2008

The Soldier and the State

The professional soldier is the best soldier, especially in a democracy that seeks a balance between the military and civilian authorities. The discipline and obedience of a professional soldier will compel him to defer to statesmen in matters of national security policy. Conversely, statesmen should respect the choice of strategy and tactics soldiers make in pursuit of that policy. To allow soldiers to dictate policy, or politicians to determine tactics, is an act of arrogance, showing utter disrespect to the expertise of one's counterparts, and subjecting national security to personal whim.

Huntington's concern is that the American concept of the citizen soldier has undermined the emergence of the professional soldier. In the Philippines, the problem is with the self-proclaimed statesman soldier as exemplified by Trillanes. Perhaps driven to despair by legitimate grievances, his delusions have led him to try to seize state power to save the nation. But neither having the military genius nor the showmanship of Caesar, he has ended a miserable failure, languishing in jail, and setting back the development of Philippine institutions.

Qualitative Research Methods

I remain in awe of the quantitative methods simply because, as a science high school student fed up with math and science subjects, I decided to tune out when we were discussing linear algebra and number theory. Thus, my awe is largely due an utter lack of comprehension. Nevertheless, I am one of those who do not need to be convinced of the virtues of the qualitative methods. If social science is a quest for understanding, rather than abstract, immutable laws, then these methods are, in fact, superior in many cases as I saw in Darin Weinberg's collection of articles.

I have seen, and attempted to read without much success, difficult quantitative research that let us know more and more about less and less. And I have read articles in the collection that attack subjects not particularly suited for quantitative methods. An article on refusing invited applause as a rhetorical technique was interesting for a debater like me, but also demonstrated the value of interpretation. There are techniques to break down a speech into component parts by the second, but, ultimately, to say that applause was invited and then refused, is a qualitative judgment.

The World IS Flat

I don't understand why some of my UP classmates express so much disdain at the works of Tom Friedman when all he does is describe globalization.

I challenge any of them to argue that it is untrue that hundreds of thousands of Indians and Filipinos are now plugged into the global economy, perhaps beginning as call center agents, but progressing as managers in a global supply chain, earning a lot more and contributing value to their economies. Many of them, who otherwise would be unemployed, are now hopeful of joining the prosperous global middle class.

Too often, academics criticize students who enter the BPO industry for "wasting" their talents. I do not see that rallying in the streets and calling for a revolution is a better use of talent. Neither do I see becoming an instructor before gaining the experience and maturity that the world outside the ivory tower normally confers as a better use of talent. However, I see working hard, working one's way up, and growing the business, so more people can be hired, as a better use of talent.

The world is flat; those who do not see it should get of their ivory towers and see for themselves.

States and Social Revolutions

Social revolutions happen when states break down because of an external threat while peasant revolutions erupt. This is why Theda Skocpol called her book States and Social Revolutions, instead of merely Social Revolutions. The emphasis on the state means revolutions are seen as attempts to wrest state control to drive social transformation.

Social revolutions, however, have not happened yet in the Philippines. Peasant revolts have occurred, but no wholesale transformation of society has ever transpired. Land reform is a failure, and the landed elite, although no longer a monopoly, remains entrenched in power. I also doubt whether social revolution is still possible in the age of globalization. More likely, competition from abroad have simply destroyed the capacity of peasant movements to organize and resist.

I particularly liked Skocpol's work since I love history. She has combined the theoretical rigor of social science with the narrative richness of history in a way that is intellectually satisfying.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

14 juillet 1789

La révolution francaise, écrit par George Rudé, est une bonne introduction à ce grand sujet mais, pour avoir une compréhension profonde de cet événement important de l'histoire du monde, il faut bien étudier les autres oeuvres sur la révolution.

Je me considère conservateur, mais je pense que la révolution a vraiment amelioré la condition de l'homme. Je ne dispute pas la bonneté des résultats les plus importants de la révolution: la fin de l'absolutisme royale, la destruction des ordres et des privilèges, la proclamation de l'égalité des citoyens devant la loi, les libertés fondamentales, et la souveraineté de la Nation, c'ést a dire, le peuple, qui se gouverne au travers de leurs représentants élus.

Je respecte les institutions anciennes, et j'attache beaucoup de valeur a l'histoire, a la culture, et a la communauté. Pourtant, a propos de l'individu et ses libertés, on peut dire que je suis libérale, même révolutionnaire. Vive la révolution!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Craft of Social Research or How I Finally Graduated

I read this book by Booth et al simply because I had a copy and it felt such a waste not to read it. I photocopied the book while taking up Political Science 199 under Professor Rolando Fernando, but I never got around to reading the book since I was too busy rushing to submit papers so I can finally graduate.

I remember how stubborn I was at that time. Once more, I did not submit the first requirement on time, and, adding insult to injury, the paper I submitted had coffee stains. Sir Fernando was understandably pissed and wanted me to drop the course. More than a year before, another professor already forced me to drop the course, preventing me from graduating with honors. This time, however, I stood my ground. I did not care whether I was right or wrong, or whether my professor was insulted or not. I wanted to graduate, and no coffee stain was going to prevent me from getting that diploma.

There was even one day when my professor wanted to throw the rule book at me. He brought the UP manual to class, but I guess he did not find anything that warranted forcing me to drop his class so he never brought it up. Over the next several weeks, I received a lot of admonitions and warnings about how my continued stay in class was conditional on meeting his standards. But I guess sheer gumption won the day. I finally finished the class that I dropped three times, and officially obtained my degree.

I attended that year's graduation ceremonies to accompany my wife, not anymore to receive my own diploma. I felt I had missed my chance two years before. But Sir Fernando apparently thought otherwise. My classmates said he was looking for me after the ceremony to congratulate me. I did not get a chance to see him, or talk to him again, but I owe him thanks for finally letting me graduate.

Le francais dans ma vie

Cela m'a fait trois ans pour finir le livre Le francais au present par Anne Monnerie. Je me rappelle a peine les lecons du livre, mais j'ai de bons souvenirs des annees j'ai passe pour apprendre la langue francaise.

Mes camarades de classe en francais sont devenus mes plus chers amis. Patrick et Eunice, par exemple, sont tous les deux des parrains de mon fils Magnus. Ils sont une des raisons importantes pourquoi j'ai continue a etudier le francais meme si j'ai deja complete les douze unites de langue entrangere exigees par ma specialisation.

Nous avons meme fait un film pour notre cours avec M. Veracruz qui s'est intitule "L'amour est eternelle," qui etait la phrase favoree de Romelson. Nous nous sommes bien amuses. pendant notre sejour dans l'universite. Meme si nous ne nous voyons plus frequemment, j'espere qu'ils resteront mes chers amis pendant toute la vie.

Essence of Decision

Graham Allison's Essence of Decision is one of the most incisive, sensitive, and compelling works of analysis I have read. It is also a great work of history as it seeks to explain the Cuban Missile Crisis, one of the key turning points of modern human history.

Allison demonstrates adroitly that what we see depends on what lenses we use. Exclusive reliance on the dominant rational actor perspective blinds us to organizational imperatives such as standard operating procedures, or bureaucratic political maneuvering, which makes policies a resultant, rather than a conscious choice by a unitary actor. By analyzing the same event from different angles, Allison presents us with the most complete picture of how the crisis unfolded, and how it was ultimately resolved.

The book's insights are relevant not only to academics and policymakers, but also to anyone else who works in an organization. The people we deal with advance positions that are influenced by their organization's SOPs, or that are designed to maximize the power of their departments. This is not to say that all people are petty and parochial; it is to say that all people belong to organizations and all decisions are more disorderly than is suggested by the rational actor model.

Isang Dipang Langit

Minsan akong nagsaulo ng tula ni Amado Hernandez para sa isang paligsahan ng sabayang bigkas noong ako ay nag-aaral pa sa mataas na paaralan. Isinagaw namin ang mga kataga, humandusay kami sa lapag, at nagpanggap na nararamdaman ang hirap at dusa ng isang bilanggong inalipin at binusabos. Subalit, gaya ng maaasahan sa mga estudyante sa ganoong edad, kinalimutan namin ang tula at ang makata, pati na ang mensahe ng pakikibaka laban sa pang-aalila. Sinong makasisisi sa mga binata at dalaga kung higit nilang pahahalagahan ang panonood ng sine, pakikipagsuyuan, at pag-ibig higit sa mga usapin ng kalayaan at kahirapan?

Gaya ni Balagtas, pinahanga ako ni Hernandez sa kanyang panulaan. Ipinamalas niyang ang wikang Filipino ay angkop ipanghabi ng mga tulang lipos ng kagandahan, sining, at masidhing damdamin. Nauunawaan kong sa kalagayan nina Balagtas at Hernandez, na kapwa nabilanggo at nakaranas ng pang-aalipusta, kung bakit nila pinapaksa ang pang-aalipin ng mga dayuhan at mga makapangyarihan. Bagaman ang pakikibaka ay isang mahalagang salik ng pagiging Pilipino, panahon na ring talakayin ng mga makata ang mga pagbubukang-liwayway at ang mga tagumpay ng bayan. Ito lang ang tanging paraan upang muling magkaroon ng saysay ang mga tula at makata sa panahon ng mga blog at Youtube.

In Search of Southeast Asia

I read Government and Politics of Southeast Asia by Frederic Funston for my class in political science of the same course title. I remember the class well because my professor, Jaime Naval, usually spent the first twenty minutes of class giving an inspirational talk. We used to mock him and say we always had Tuesdays with Sir Naval. Many of my classmates then probably still dismiss self-help books, but I now appreciate them better, having undergone personal transformation myself because of Dale Carnegie and Stephen Covey.

Back then, we celebrated the growth of democracy in Thailand, Indonesia, and East Timor. It appeared that Southeast Asia caught the Third Wave of Democratization and perhaps it was not too farfetched to dream about the End of History. Alas, in the years since, Thailand relapsed into another military government before restoring democracy only lately, and East Timor has experienced several bouts of violence. Indonesia and the Philippines continue to struggle in creating institutions that will make them established democracies. We also lamented the sorry state of Myanmar back then; we are now aghast at how the generals have treated their own people in the aftermath of a cyclone that has now claimed nearly 100,000 lives. ASEAN, despite its much ballyhooed charter, has hardly made any progress.

Does Southeast Asia really exist? Or is it just defined by geography, that piece of the Asian continent destined to live in the shadows of the future Great Powers, India and China?

Monday, June 16, 2008

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Richard Kiyosaki upon my friend's advice about three years ago. He had just started a blast-freezing services business for his dad, finished paying for a condo unit that he was about to rent out, and was thinking of entering the taxi business. I was still a student working as part time call center agent who dreamed of becoming an academic, not of getting rich.

I finally got to read the book several months after that. I remember feeling hopeful that I can leave behind the call center job that had, at that point, driven me to despair. I didn't even feel like I was in a rat race. I felt I was at a dead end.

The simple lesson I learned from Kiyosaki is the difference between an asset and a liability. Assets bring money; liabilities take away money. This is the main reason I don't plan to buy a house or a car anytime soon because they are both liabilities. This is also the reason why my wife and I worked hard to get out of debt, stick to a budget, save money, and start investing. We are not, by any means, rich yet. Nor have we even started any business like my friend. Yet Kiyosaki, simply by saying it was possible and laying out a simple and sensible plan to get there, has put us inexorably on the path to prosperity.

Edukasyon ang solusyon

Isa sa mga kanser ng lipunan na binigyang pansin ni Rizal and suliranin ng kamangmangan at kakulangan ng malayang isipan. Pangunahing sinisi ni Ibarra ang mga prayle na pawang pagnonobena at pagrorosaryo ang itinuro sa mga indio. Subalit ngayong ika-21 siglo, kung saan nabawasan na ang kapangyarihan ng simbahan, kalunos-lunos pa rin ang kalagayan ng edukasyon.

Ikinagugulat, halimbawa, ng mga nagsipagtapos sa Pamantasan ng Pilipinas na ang mga kasama nila sa trabahong nanggaling sa ibang pamantasan ay hindi tulad nilang madaling nakatatanggap ng pagkakaiba ng paniniwala, kasarian, at antas panlipunan. Tunay ngang isang pulo ng malayang kaisipan ang UP sa isang dagat ng mga makikitid ang utak tulad ng kalihim ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan Gonzales.

Subalit bago pa man pag-usapan ang antas ng kolehiyo, dapat munang bigyang-pansin ang mababang paaralan. Bago alalahanin kung may nangakikinig kay Pilosopong Tasyo, isipin muna kung may natutunan ba si Basilio. Isang tanda ng kapantasan ni Rizal na tinalakay niya ang maraming mukha ng suliranin sa edukasyon. Isang tanda ng ating kahinaan bilang bayan na ang mga suliranin noon ay siya ring mga suliranin ngayon.

To Get Rich is Glorious

I began what can only be called as a reading frenzy of books on personal finance over a year ago. I read two books that I expressly chose for their Filipino authors in hopes of seeing Kiyosaki's lessons explained from a Filipino perspective and turned into practical advice from a Filipino context. The two books were Larry Gamboa's Think Rich Pinoy and Francisco Colayco's Pera Mo, Palaguin Mo. It was easy enough to understand Kiyosaki; it was more difficult figuring out what exactly I had to do as a Filipino desiring to be rich one day.

Writing a year after, I remember having read practical tips from both authors, especially in the area of buying and selling foreclosed property. It sounded achieveable, and my wife actually took the trouble of attending real estate seminars, but, as of today, we are yet to own our first piece of property. Nevertheless, I am happy to note that we have engineered a succesful family financial turnaround. From having substantial credit card debt, we are now debt free and have investments in mutual funds. The hardest part is to get to the point when one has zero debt. I did not feel that much difference between owing ten thousand and fifty thousand, yet I feel richer having fifty thousand instead of just ten thousand.

As a final note, Filipinos seeking to be rich are struggling against a culture that socializes everyone to buy a house and a car as soon as possible. Both are status symbols that indicate that a person "has arrived." I don't see how anyone can feel that way if he still has mounting amortization debt to pay two decades down the road, which is not uncommon for the Filipino middle class. Instead of falling into that trap, my wife and I have decided to stay where we live (not the best neighborhood, mind you) and take public transportation until we generate enough cashflow to buy that house and car in cash (or at least with a big down payment). We will become rich; it's just a matter of time.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Elements of Social Research

Babbie's textbook on social research is the definitive introduction to social science research. It is simple enough to be understood by the beginning researcher, but detailed enough to allow understanding of the basic logic behind more intimidating, methodologically sophisticated texts and journal articles. Most importantly for the social researcher who encounters brick walls and dead ends, the book is actually fun to read. Babbie seems to be genuinely concerned at understanding how social reality works, and his enthusiasm shows on each page. I especially recommend reading the glossary - that's right, reading the glossary - for those who are bored. This is one of the few textbooks that is a joy to read.

Sa loob at labas ng bayan kong sawi

Gaya ng mga nobela ni Rizal, tapos na akong mag-aral nang una kong basahin ang Florante at Laura. At gaya rin ng dati, nagsisi ako at hindi ko binigyang-pansin ang akdang ito noong pinag-aaralan namin ito sa mataas na paaralan. Lalong pinatingkad ni Balagtas ang aking diwang makabayan dahil bukod sa patalinghagang pagtalakay sa kasaysayang kolonyal ng Pilipinas, lubos niya ring ipinakita ang yaman ng wikang Tagalog.

Hindi ko naibigan ang paggamit ng Europa bilang lugar ng pangyayari ngunit dapat sigurong pagbigyan si Balagtas dahil umiiwas siyang mausig ng mga Espanol. Maliban sa punang ito, malinaw na sariling bayan ang tinutukoy ni Balagtas sa kanyang pagdaing na "kalihuhan ang siyang nagyayaring hari." Hindi mahirap maghanap ng Konde Adolfo sa panahon ni Balagtas, at masakit mang sabihin, maging sa panahon ngayon. Kabuktutan at katiwalian pa rin ang namamayagpag samantalang ang mahirap ay patuloy na naghihirap, at ang mga masisipag na gumagawa ay patuloy na nagbabayad ng buwis habang ang mga tinurang lingkod ng bayan ay patuloy na nagpapakasasa sa nakaw na yaman.

Eastward to Tartary

Robert Kaplan's journey to the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus is the realist antidote to Friedman's optimistic account of globalization. It is not that what Friedman writes is inaccurate; it is, however, that there are regions in the world where history, culture, and nationalism - not economic growth and free trade - are the key driving forces.

Kaplan explored the edges of what Huntington called clashing civilizations or, in some cases, simply crumbling remnants of once great empires. In these countries, oil is exported and capitalism has spread, but they have not led to the creation of liberal democracies. They have instead strengthened the rule of the local mafia or the iron grip of old-fashioned dictators with personality cults. At a geopolitical level, these developments have only emboldened Russia to assert its authority over what it considers its near abroad.

Russia, lumped together with the BRIC countries experiencing phenomenal economic growth, is being integrated in the global economy. It is unclear, however, if that has increased geopolitical stability.

Elements of Style

Strunk and White have made my writing style clear, concise, and, hopefully, elegant. I distinguish between "that" and "which," drop unnecessary "that's," and avoid ending sentences with a preposition. I have reduced use of the passive voice, banished weak adjectives such as "very," and tried using semi-colons for compound sentences. Parallel construction and preference for the active voice have become second nature and, sometimes, an obsession.

The Elements of Style needs to be read by anyone who dares write in the English language. It is especially relevant in the business setting, where clear and efficient, rather than colorful and poetic, language aids the flow of information so decisions can be rapidly made. Effective communication skills are essential for any leader in a globalizing world and this work still remains the classic.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Reviewing Literature

One of the reasons it took me so long to finish my thesis was I always procrastinated on the Review of Related Literature. I always though of it as an immense and insurmountable task. I thought I had to read scores of articles and several books, and fill out a matrix summarizing arguments and evidence before I could say I was done. It was always hardest to begin, more so when the task before seems never ending.

So I did everything except begin. I photocopied more and more articles and books from the library. I read books about method and I read Hart's Doing a Literature Review. It was a good, but rather expensive, book. It taught me to challenge my sources, and to create a review that thematically arranged my sources in support of establishing a research gap, instead of simply arranging them chronologically. Yet it got me no closer to starting by Review. It was not a book, but a boy named Magnus that finally jolted me enough to finish my thesis in a matter of weeks.

Clash of Civilizations

Huntington remains my favorite political scientist. I have read three of his books, and each one has sparked intellectual controversy because of the audacity of his arguments, and his purposely sweeping style. For him, to theorize is necessarily to generalize. A model does not lose its validity because details are eliminated and exceptions are accepted because, by definition, it is an abstraction of reality.

Indeed, by emphasizing the primacy of culture, Huntington appears to diminish the importance of economic and technological change that drive globalization. Imperfect as it is, the model remains relevant in explaining the continuing struggle between the West and militant Islam. Russia's oil-fueled resurgence and reassertion of its hegemony over Ukraine and Georgia also underscores the continuing impulse of civilization. And China, even as it understands the importance of regional stability to its economic growth, always seems only a step away from sliding back to the ethnocentric mindset of the ancient Middle Kingdom.

Social Scientific Thinking

Reading The Elements of Social Scientific Thinking by Hoover and Donovan felt like a drop of hope in a sea of despair. It gave me a better perspective by describing social science as simply a way of understanding social reality better by reducing uncertainty through observation. It made me feel that social science research can both be intellectually stimulating and socially relevant. It pushed me to do research that mattered, assuming I pursued my dream of becoming a sexy, public intellectual.

It was only a momentary glimpse of hope. My personal crisis, which I retrospectively think was a case of depression, went on for a year and a half. Aside from the vague idea of writing about issues that mattered, I made no progress at all on my thesis.

But that is now over. I chose not to purse graduate school, but I continue to seek the life of the mind.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Prism

My friend Joseph derided the book because it was too elementary. It was for Comm I.

Yet it was my first real introduction to poetry. From it I read Shakespeare, Donne, Keats and Thomas under the trees beside the UP lagoon. I read them out loud, risking looking like a fool and being laughed at by the lovers cavorting nearby.

From it I read Marvell to my coy mistress, my future wife. From it I learned how to feel and intuit, not explain and understand, the meaning of words beautifully strung together. From it I saw how words became art.

Confessions

I was baptized a Catholic and I grew up a Catholic. As a Catholic school boy, I dreamed of becoming not just a priest, but becoming the Pope. Then I entered Manila Science High School where science taught me to become a skeptic and I soon became an atheist.

As I went through college at UP, I began to realize that atheism was arrogance. Believers cannot prove the existence of God, yet neither can atheists disprove his existence. The best answer to question of God's existence, I realized, was that I don't know.

I did not quite experience the sudden conversion that Augustine did when I read the Confessions. But I continue to look for God. Recent events in life have proven to me that there are so many things that are simply beyond my control. I took a step in the right direction, but the rest was chance - or God. A few more steps and I will be ready to make that leap of faith.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Fortuna

The Prince, in my view, is less about ruthlessness, and more about realism. He who abandons what is for what should be pursues his downfall, according to Machiavelli. A prince who blindly expects goodness from everyone is probably unfit to hold power at all. Not only is he in danger of losing power, it is also likely that he is performing a disservice to the causes he stands for as he is incapable of defending them against someone who knows the difference between what is and what ought to be.

Yet I do not see The Prince as incompatible with the wish to listen to the people's views, attract popular support, and encourage participation in decision-making. For while Machiavelli said that it is better to be feared than to be loved, he thought that being both loved and feared was even better. A prince must work hard at strengthening the legitimacy of his rule, even as he must not hesitate to use force in order to protect the stability of the state.

Finally, I completely agree with the idea that fortune favors the brave. Indeed, it is better to be impetuous than to be cautious when there is an opportunity. Only the audacious become truly great. This is how Machiavelli tells us to seize the day.

Globalization marginalizes the poor?

Keith Faulks, in his book Political Sociology, argues that the central focus of the sub-discipline still remains the relationship between the state and civil society. He sees the Weberian notion of the state, which is both legitimate and possessing a monopoly of legal violence, as a contradiction that needs to be resolved in favor of radical pluralism. Only an increase in democratic participation in all institutions, he contends, will allow us to address the risks posed by globalization.

I concur with the idea that participation in decision-making is not just a means, but an end itself. I have seen how it increases self-confidence among team members and generates great ideas for problem-solving. I disagree with Faulks, however, in at least two areas.

First, I am more of a democratic elitist because, even as I believe in the value of democratic participation, I think that representatives, by virtue of the unique perspective they have and the information at their disposal, are capable of making sound decisions on behalf of the electorate. Second, I believe that, on balance, globalization, as driven by the neoliberal agenda, has been a boon to humanity. Perhaps I think this way because I would not have become a manager had it not been for the global integration that precipitated the growth of the BPO industry. My views have changed a lot since the days I sided with Professor Walden Bello's critique of the Washington Consensus.

Crime and Punishment

Raskolnikov thought he can be a Napoleon by murdering an old pawnbroker. But the paranoia and delusions he had after the crime betrayed that he was, after all, human, all too human.

Napoleon, like many latter day dictators, caused the death of thousands. Yet, for me, it is hard to say that he is not great, as were Alexander and Julius Caesar. For I tend to agree with Raskonikov that greatness is better defined by the will to transcend the limits that bind ordinary mortals, rather than by the ability to abide by a strict code of morality.

Perhaps paradoxically, but in keeping with my declaration that I am still searching for a God, I agree with Dostoevsky that Raskolnikov can only find redemption in punishment and suffering. I continue to disagree with the Catholic propensity to accept suffering in the world and simply hope for a better after life, yet, ironically, I find myself beginning to understand the mystery and the beauty of the Christian sacrifice.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Lettres Persanes

C'est la premiere fois que j'ai fini de lire un livre entier en francais. Cela m'a fait plus que deux ans parce que je n'arrive jamais a lire jusqu'a la fin apres avoir lu quelques chapitres. C'etait fatiguant de consulter le dictionnaire plusieurs fois pour presquement chage page du livre.

Neanmoins, je l'ai trouve vraiment amusant. En decrivant la France de la point de vue des Persans en exil, Montesquieu a reuni a exposer les folies des moeurs, des institutions, et des coutumes a l'Occident. De plus, il pese de temps en temps sur la philosophie et la politique, lui montrant un des vrais genies de la Lumiere.

Je ne me rappelle plus les details du livre mais la completion d'un livre francais m'a donne la confiance de lire d'autres oeuvres dans la langue de Voltaire, Hugo et Moliere. J'ose donc lire Sartre apres Montesquieu.

Ang Pilibustero

Binasa ko ang Filibusterismo ni Rizal noong nakaraang buwan. Sa totoo lang, ngayon ko lang talagang nabasa ang aklat sapagkat hindi ko masyadong pinahalagahan si Rizal noong ako ay nasa mataas na paaralan. Subalit nang banggitin ni Propesor Benedict Anderson na makasampung ulit niyang binasa ang mga akda ni Rizal at nag-aral pa siya ng Espanol para lamang mabasa ang mga iyon sa orihinal, napahiya ako bilang mag-aaral ng UP na hindi ko pa nababasa ang mga sinulat ng pambansang bayani.

Tunay ngang higit na tinutukan ni Rizal ang pulitika sa kanyang ikalawang aklat. Higit na hayagan ang kanyang pagtuligsa sa mga kabuktutan ng pamahalaan at simbahan. Nakasusuklam, halimbawa, ang sinapit ni Huli sa kamay ni Padre Camorra. Mahirap ding hindi maantig sa pagkakabaril ni Tano sa kanyang sariling dugo. Kung ako ay isang Espanol na nabuhay noong inilathala ang Filibusterismo, malamang ay pinabaril ko na rin Rizal dahil sa pangambang ang kanyang mga ideya ay tunay na magbubunsod ng isang paghihimagsik.

Matapos basahin ang Noli at Fili at mamasdan kung papaanong ipinagtatanggol ni Rizal sa pamamamagitan ng kanyang mga tauhan kapwa ang pag-aalsa at ang kahinahunan, masasabi kong si Rizal ay sadyang hindi makakahon sa mga katagang repormista o rebolusyonaryo. Talagang kahanga-hanga ang lalim at lawak ng kanyang pag-iisip. Sa ganang akin, hindi matatawaran ang kadakilaan ni Rizal at walang kuwenta ang pagtatalo sa kung siya ay nagbalik-loob sa simbahan o hindi. Ang kabuuan ng isang buhay ay hindi natitimbang ng isang pangyayari.