Adams Myth: No stopping for Pinoy world domination agenda

In response to the World Dominatrix's (i.e., Jessica Zafra's) blog post Adams Myth on the global financial meltdown: Bad news, good news, I asked the revered economist Adams Myth if the Pinoy world domination agenda will be adversely affected, given that "our yayas are coming home... their amos can’t pay them anymore...the most potent troops of the Philippines, dispersed all over the globe, have been trimmed down"?

One who sees beyond the cloud of gloom, Adams Myth 's reply is full of optimism. He said:

"The yayas, nurses, bellboys, mechanics, English teachers and TNTs won’t be sent home. The construction workers and seamen will. Musicians in cruise ships will be packing in. Musicians at hotels won’t. The rule of thumb is, the more cyclical (i.e. boom-bust) the industry is, the more prone to layoffs. But at the end of the day, whatever slowdown we may see in out-migration this year will be temporary. Our competitive advantage still lies in making babies and sending them off to work in countries whose leaders know how to create jobs."

How Filipinos can dominate the world?

It has been said that we  have already taken over the world with the rise of Manny Pacquiao, Charice Pempengco, Arnel Pineda and their likes. No, we haven't. As of yet.

But we can, if we tap these potent human resources of ours---the yayas, DH (short for Domestic Helpers), Chimays, Atchays, whatever you call them.

We Filipinos are mocked for having the most number of maids working abroad. In fact, a certain dictionary even defined Filipinos, rightly or wrongly, as "domestic helpers"--- enough to pique our countrymen, here and abroad.

Be that as it may, we can co-opt Filipino maids working abroad to dominate the world. Jessica Zafra knows how, as she always does. Made way back in 1994, here is her proposal:

"I propose that we establish stronger communications with the Pinay maids out there. I propose that we give them consciousness-building seminars that will make them more aware of their unique powers. Then I propose that at a given signal, the Pinay maids all over the world stage a sit-down strike."

Imagine what would happen if they do that?

Want to be party? Interested? Read: A simple proposal for world domination.

What is the genius of the constitution?

There is a particular scene in "With Honors", a movie that, it is said, lampoons the presidency of Ronald Reagan (1981-1989), that I like best because it is the only scene that I managed to watch so far, thanks to Youtube. Professor Pitkannan, the heady professor of government, once asked his students what is the genius of the constitution?

Monty (played by Brendan Fraser) gave an answer, a flimsy one.

Monty :  The president can't bomb without reason.
Professor Pitkannan: He has a reason. He thinks we need more parking spaces. The point is, can he destroy the world?
Monty: Not without Congress
Professor Pitkannan: The President can make a war in 90 days without consulting Congress.

It was only after indulging in the language of insult with Simon Wilder (played by Joe Pesci) did the professor receive a brilliant answer to his question.

Wilder: The genius of the constitution is that it can always be changed. The genius of the constitution is that it makes no permament rule other than its faith in the wisdom of ordinary people to govern themselves.
Professor Pitkannan: Faith in the wisdom of its people is exactly what makes the constitution incomplete and crude.
Wilder: Crude! No sir. Our founding parents...were white farmers. But they were also great men because they know one thing that all great men should know: That they didn't know everything. They knew they were gonna make mistakes.  They made sure they leave a way to correct them. They didn't think of themselves as leaders. They wanted a government of citizens, not royalty; a government of listeners, not lecturers; a government that could change, not stand still. A president isn't an elective King, no matter how many bombs he can drop because the crude constitution doesn't trust him.  He's the servant of the people. He's just a bum. The only bliss he's searching for is freedom and justice.

Demokrasya

My Filipino is not impeccable. Just trying my hand at it.

Marami ng halalan ang idinaos sa Pilipinas, kaya naman  masasabi nating ang Pilipinas ay isang tunay na demokratikong bansa. Subalit sabi ng iba hindi sukatan ang dami ng halalan na idinaos na upang masabi nating ang isang bansa ay demokratiko o hindi. Ang tunay na batayan ay kung paano nagbigay-daan ang mga halalang ito sa pagkamit ng "katarungang panlipunan at pangekonomiya (loose terms for social justice and economic justice).

***Dito na nagtatapos***

What counts most, according to Fareed Zakaria, is the inner stuffing of democracy:

When we think about democracy, we should really think about not simply the electoral process but the inner stuffing of democracy, which is the institutions that produce liberty, separation of powers, the rule of law, courts and constitutions and that that inner stuffing is in many ways more important than elections. Anyone can hold an election. It’s very difficult to produce institutions that preserve liberty.

I'm beginning to love Jessica

Zafra, that is.

I've heard her name many times, and her proverbial biting wit is known to me. But it was very recently that I got keenly interested with her.   As if I were a stalker who madly pursues his subject just to know even the most inane detail of his subject (read: victim), I've frequented her blog (jessicarulestheuniverse.com), watched her in Youtube, read a couple of her articles, published here and abroad, and scanned a few pages of her Twisted books at NBS.

What I find fascinating about her is that she is oh so intelligent.  But you need not tell that of course. She's  aware of it herself.

And she also writes well that she can drive home a serious point in a funny way. Read her Twisted series books and you'll know what I mean.

Read: Getting Personal with Jessica Zafra