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British Hawker Hurricanes fly in formation during the Battle of Britain in 1940. The planes were a first line of defense against German bombers attacking England. The battle, fought between July 10 and October 31, 1940, was the first major battle to be won in the air. The Royal Air Force's victory thwarted Hitler's plans for invading Britain.

German soldiers on the Esplanade du Trocadero view the Eiffel Tower. In June 1940, German troops marched into Paris, forcing France to capitulate and establish the pro-Axis Vichy French government.

In Asia, Japanese troops occupy a strategic point on Chusan Island on July 14,1939, during the Sino-Japanese War. Japan signed the Tripartite Pact in 1940, formally allying with Germany and Italy, and by 1942 most of the Asian Pacific Rim had come under its domination.

German Chancellor Adolf Hitler speaks to Nazi party officials in 1939, the year of the German blitzkrieg into Poland. Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium soon fell under German control. When France came under occupation less than a year later, Britain was the only remaining Western European nation fighting the Third Reich, and the United States had not yet entered the war.

Timeline:  August 1939 - September 1945

Estimated number of deaths:  50 to 60 million, though the exact number will never be known



German troops march through occupied Warsaw, Poland, after invading the nation on September 1, 1939, and igniting World War II. August 14-15 mark the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender, which brought the war to an end.

Quote from: lolongmendez on August 16, 2015, 01:37:54 PM
You have two cows
They are both transformed into a crocodile
They are now running the government.

hahaha! more, more, more!

Animals go to heaven, says Pope Francis (http://www.kingwood.com/)

no kidding, yes!

Quote from: islander on August 16, 2015, 03:31:09 AM
2. China Bullying the Nobel Prize Committee



China’s bullying of the Nobel Prize happened in 2010 when it pressured a number of countries to boycott the awards ceremony. For this particular year, Liu Xiaobo was named the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He is a human rights activist who has fought for the abolition of the one-party rule in China and advocated democratic reforms. He is the first Chinese person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to receive the award because he was imprisoned by the Chinese government, and none of his family members were allowed to travel to Oslo to represent him.

All in all, 16 countries obeyed China’s call to boycott the awards ceremony. Why did they succumb to China’s bullying? Apparently, they were afraid of this Asian superpower, and didn’t want to mar their economic and political ties with it.

In December, the Chinese foreign ministry continued to denounce the award as "interference by a few clowns". It said "more than 100 countries and international organisations [had] expressed explicit support of China's position opposing this year's peace prize."

However, according to the Nobel Committee, only the 65 countries with diplomatic missions were invited; acceptances had been received from 46 countries, including the previously non-committal India, while China and 19 othersâ€"Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, Venezuela and Vietnamâ€"declined invitations to the award ceremony "for various reasons".

On the eve of the award ceremony, China continued the rhetoric against the Nobel Committee and the West. A spokesman said: "We hope that those countries who have received invitations can tell right from wrong and uphold justice. It's not an issue of human rights. It's an issue of interfering in other countries' internal affairs"; the Nobel committee continued to be criticised for "encouraging crime"; the Global Times repeated earlier suggestions that the award was a Western conspiracy against Beijing, a "charge against China's ideology, aiming to undermine the benign surroundings for China's future development."

Colombia, Serbia, the Philippines and Ukraine initially announced they would not attend the ceremony, but later accepted the invitation.

The Philippines ultimately did not attend: President Benigno Aquino III defended the Philippine non-attendance as "in our national interest"; the Philippine government, which had been heavily criticised in its national press for its decision, revealed its hope that China would show clemency to five Filipinos on death row for drug trafficking.

wikipedia/

1. China Bullying the Dalai Lama



Earlier, we talked about how China is bullying India not only because of a territorial dispute, but also because of its association with the Dalai Lama. Now, we’re going to discuss how the Chinese government is bullying the peaceful spiritual leader of Tibet and persecuting the countries supporting him.

The Dalai Lama escaped Tibet in 1959, and sought refuge in India, when an uprising against the Chinese invaders failed. Since then, China has been bullying him, blackmailing anyone who associates or supports him. China has labeled the Dalai Lama as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and has accused him of igniting rebellion among his fellow Tibetans. The Dalai Lama has cleared this accusation, saying that he only advocates for greater autonomy in Tibet, not for full separation. China has already strengthened its efforts of silencing the Dalai Lama’s voice, making sure that his people do not have access to any information regarding him.

The Chinese government has been firm with its oppression of the Dalai Lama. Any country that supports, accepts, or even receives him in their territories are bullied. One perfect example of this is India. Another country which has been pressured by China not to associate with the Dalai Lama was South Africa. In 2009, Beijing blackmailed South Africa, threatening that granting the Dalai Lama a visa to their nation would negatively affect the country’s economic ties with China. The South African government, not wanting to mar its relationship with China, succumbed and denied the Dalai Lama access to their nation.

http://www.toptenz.net/

2. China Bullying the Nobel Prize Committee



China’s bullying of the Nobel Prize happened in 2010 when it pressured a number of countries to boycott the awards ceremony. For this particular year, Liu Xiaobo was named the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He is a human rights activist who has fought for the abolition of the one-party rule in China and advocated democratic reforms. He is the first Chinese person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to receive the award because he was imprisoned by the Chinese government, and none of his family members were allowed to travel to Oslo to represent him.

All in all, 16 countries obeyed China’s call to boycott the awards ceremony. Why did they succumb to China’s bullying? Apparently, they were afraid of this Asian superpower, and didn’t want to mar their economic and political ties with it.

3. China Bullying International Brands



So far, we’ve discussed how the Chinese government is bullying its neighboring countries. This time we’re going to talk about how some Chinese businessmen are bullying international companies.

China is considered as the world’s biggest producer of counterfeit products. From 2008 â€" 2010, the UN conducted a study which showed that within this time period 70% of the counterfeit products confiscated from around the world originated from China. In the US, the figure is a lot higher. During the same period of time, US Customs estimates that around 87% of the counterfeit goods confiscated in America came from China.

This kind of subtle Chinese bullying is a big problem for many international brands. It is estimated that around 25 billion dollars worth of profits are lost each year due to counterfeiting. The Chinese government regularly conducts raids, but counterfeiting has become so big there that the government is having an extremely difficult time eradicating it. Furthermore, China is hesitant to completely stop this booming industry since it greatly helps their economy. Thanks to counterfeiting, millions of Chinese people have jobs, plus many corrupt government officials accept bribes from businessmen in exchange for tolerance, and even protection.

4. China Bullying ASEAN Nations Over the South China Sea



We’ve previously talked about how China is bullying Vietnam and the Philippines over Paracel Islands and Spratlys Islands respectively. However, China’s oppression over territorial disputes in the South China Sea doesn’t end with these two countries. The Chinese government is also in conflict with Malaysia and Brunei â€" countries that are members of the ASEAN.

The source of conflict is China’s strong assertion of being the sovereign authority over the South China Sea. In other words, China is claiming the entire South China Sea as part of its national territory. If China does take complete control over the South China Sea, then ships and even fishermen from the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia would have to ask permission from China before they can enter these disputed waters.

These four nations regard China’s claim to be in complete violation of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS. This law states that a specific country owns the waters that are within its 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone. If the UNCLOS were to be strictly followed, then China’s claim of absolute sovereignty over the South China Sea is completely unlawful and absurd.

However, China’s actions clearly show that it is in complete defiance of the UNCLOS. They continue to assert their claim over the South China Sea, by intimidating the ASEAN countries with its powerful naval forces.

5. China Bullying Central Asia over Ties to the United States



In 2005, General Richard Myers, a top US military official, accused China of bullying smaller nations in Central Asia, specifically Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.  It’s important to note, though, that these two countries that China was accused of oppressing are actually its own allies. According to General Myers, China was bullying these two nations because of their agreements with the United States. During the war in Afghanistan, the US Army established bases in these two nations.

Since the war was already over, China insisted that there’s no need for the American troops to stay in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. In order, for the U.S. military troops to be forced to leave the two countries, China has ordered Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to support them in pressuring the American government to give them a specific timetable of their withdrawal. Gen. Myers implied in his statement that if these two countries didn’t agree with China’s request, they would have suffered grave political and economic consequences.  Aside from China, Gen. Myers also accused Russia of bullying Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

6. China Bullying India Over Its Own Territory



China and India have been in conflict with each other for many years now over territorial borders. There are some parts of northern India that China claims to be under its national territory, such as the Arunachal Pradesh, which China insists to be a part of South Tibet. However, India is the rightful owner of this disputed region according to various agreements like the “Guiding Principles” agreed upon by these two countries in 2005 and the 1899 Arrangement, which clearly defines the borders that separate India from China. However, China doesn’t completely agree with this and continues to bully India.

One example of Chinese bullying over the Indian government happened in 2011. During this year, the Dalai Lama was invited to a ceremony held in Kolkata. China didn’t want the Indian government to interact with the Dalai Lama, and as such, asked the local government officials not to attend the said ceremony. However, many of the officials defied this request and went to the ceremony.

This was not the first time that China tried to intrude with the affairs of the Indian government. Before the Kolkata incident, China wanted the Indian national government to call off a Buddhist festival held in New Delhi, which the Dalai Lama was invited to. The Indian government rejected China’s request and went on with the festival. These events greatly upset China, leading the country to tell India that their defiant actions would make their territorial dispute much worse.

7. China Bullying Japan Over the Senkaku Islands



Just last year, tension between China and Japan ignited when the Chinese government declared an “air-defense identification zone” over a region in the East China Sea where the disputed Senkaku Islands are located. Under this “air-defense identification zone” policy, all aircrafts are required to identify themselves or inform the Chinese of their flight plans. Failure to do so might lead the Chinese military forces to take necessary defensive measures, which basically means blowing them up. However, Japan is strongly against this policy since it claims sovereignty over the Senkaku archipelago, and as such, has control over the waters surrounding it and the airspace above it.

China and Japan both claim ownership of the Senkaku Islands (the Chinese call it the Diaoyu Islands), but who really owns this set of five uninhabited islets? Historically, Japan is the rightful owner of the Senkaku Islands. This country claims to have discovered this small archipelago and has added it to its national territory in 1895 when it defeated China. The Chinese government completely disagrees with this and says that Japan has stolen the Senkaku Islands from them. For many years, China has been silent about this issue. Only in recent years did it start to have interest in this disputed territory.

So, why is China becoming more aggressive in its claim of Senkaku Islands today? Just like the Paracel and Spratlys Islands, the Senkaku Islands is believed to contain vast reserves of oil and natural gas under it. Apparently, China wants to exploit these natural resources for its own economic advantage.

8. China Bullying Taiwan Over Its Independence



This might come as a surprise to you, but Taiwan is technically not a country. Why? Because of China’s bullying. In 1949, Chinese Nationalists sought refuge in Taiwan after the Communists won and took complete control over mainland China. This event led to the establishment of the People’s Republic of Chinaâ€"the China that we all know today. On the other hand, the Chinese Nationalists who retreated in Taiwan continued to operate its own independent government.

Mainland China (the People’s Republic of China) claims that Taiwan is one of its provinces and wants to be reunited with it. However, Taiwan does not one to be reunited with PRC and wants to be recognized as an independent state. Taiwan has all the requirements needed for a place or territory to become a country except for international recognition. Because of China’s influence and power, many countries are hesitant to recognize Taiwan. Currently, only 20 countries recognize the independence and sovereignty of Taiwan, and that does not include the United States. In addition, Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, despite the fact that from 1945 to 1971 the UN recognized this country as the only China.

9. China Bullying the Philippines Over the Spratlys Islands



Another archipelago in the South China Sea that is claimed by China is the Spratlys Islands but, geographically and politically speaking, the Philippines is the rightful owner of this disputed territory. Just like Paracel Islands, this archipelago is believed to be rich in oil and natural gas. Just last year, hundreds of Filipinos protested in the nation’s capital over China’s bullying. The protests were attended by people from various walks of life. There were church officials, politicians, and even military officers. They protested what they called as China’s “gunboat diplomacy” over the Spratlys Islands. China is intimidating the Philippines with its superior naval forces.

Of the numerous islands in the Spratlys, only the Pagasa Island is inhabited by the Filipinos. It’s very small. It has a small town hall, an airstrip, a military base and a population of 60. Though there is tension between mainland China and mainland Philippines, the Chinese and Filipino residents of the Spratly Islands are living peacefully.

In this list, we’re going to discover some facts that prove that China is “The Big Red Bully” that needs to be disciplined, if not completely stopped, before it’s too late.

10. China Bullying Vietnam Over the Paracel Islands



In 2012, numerous protests were held in Hanoi City over China’s bullying of Vietnam. For many years now, China and Vietnam have been in conflict with each other over Paracel Islands, an archipelago located in the South China Sea. It is believed that this group of islands has vast reserves of oil and other natural resources hidden under it.

Tensions started when China announced its plan of developing the Paracel Islands into a luxurious tourist destination â€" a plan which the Vietnamese government greatly opposed. The conflict worsened when Vietnamese fishermen were imprisoned by Chinese authorities after they were caught fishing in the waters near the Paracel Islands. The conflict didn’t end there. In 2012, Beijing declared Sansha City, which is located on the Paracel islands, its newest town. This action greatly angered the Vietnamese people, resulting into numerous protests at the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi.

So, who really owns the Paracel Islands? Historically speaking, Vietnam was the first to lay an unofficial claim on the Paracel Islands. In 1974, it was invaded by China. Since then, it has retained de facto control over the said archipelago.

10 Facts that Prove that China Is a Big Bully

BY PAUL JONGKO
MAY 21, 2014

China is a global superpowerâ€"an economic and political giant that is fast becoming the world’s most powerful nation. As of today, this country has the second-largest economy in the world, surpassing the EU. Experts predict that China will overtake the US economy by 2016. As such, it’s not surprising to know that many countries are starting to fear China.

Chinese government officials are well aware of the power and influence their country holds. They know that many nations are afraid of them. As a result, they have become abusive. China is using its resources, power, and influence to bully countries, organizations, and even individuals.

In the third part of the video, titled “The Honor Gene,” the text states that “thousands of sea battles forged us...in very bloody combat...hot blood and the smell of gunpowder, we kept working hard, we kept growing....the passionate efforts of youth...forging in trials made possible the breakthrough... we maintain combat readiness...we are prepared for war.”

The video follows another video, aired by China Central Television last month, showing a drill simulating an assault on Taiwan’s presidential office.

According to The National Interest, the intention of the videos may be “to scare potential opponents, perhaps to win a war without having to fight.”

http://www.philstar.com/

According to the text, China claims three million square kilometers of ocean under its jurisdiction â€" an area that includes as many as 6,700 islands.

“The struggle over our sea rights is not over,” the text states. “We will not yield even the tiniest speck of our resources.”

According to a recent report by the US Office of Naval Intelligence, China’s claim on “three million square kilometers of blue territory” would incorporate “nearly 90 percent of the area within the major bodies of water within the First Island Chain, including the Bo Hai, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea.”

The video opens with Chinese graduating from university and engaging in sports. It segues to martial music and footage of the Senkaku Islands that are also claimed by Japan and Taiwan and reefs in the West Philippine Sea.

The video shows images of bombs exploding and rockets being fired.

The accompanying text in a second part of the video, titled “Call of Duty,” said “71 percent of the globe we depend on is blue water... wherever there is blue water, we will be there to secure navigation... China’s oceanic and overseas interests are expanding rapidly... our land is vast but we will not yield an inch of our territory to foreigners.”

China: We won’t yield territory to foreigners; Recruitment video says China prepared for war

The Philippine Star
August 15, 2015


Screen grab from the People‘s Liberation Army recruitment video shows a missile being fired from a Chinese warship.

China is “prepared for war” and “will not yield an inch of territory to foreigners,” according to a recruitment video its People’s Liberation Army Navy released last week.

The four-minute, 16-second video includes all the islands being claimed and reclaimed by China plus a show of its firepower during war games in disputed seas, according to an article on The National Interest magazine’s website. The original article came out on the Lowry Interpreter website.

Two things I know for sure.

Mr. Escudero is not the only game in town.

And Ms. Poe, in needing him so badly, is not yet ready.

http://joeam.com/

And being highly competitive and willing to step outside the box, I’d run Leni Robredo for Vice President. She has talent and great popular appeal. Better than Poe’s perhaps, given some of the push-back we are starting to see against Poe for her indelicate speaking. Rep Robredo also dots the “i”s and crosses the “t”s for Roxas as a man of integrity, in a way no other person can.

Well we have integrity... going with the best man... and we have expediency... going with the most likely winner. Me, I choose integrity along with the determination to show the people why Roxas is the best, most capable, most experienced choice. If I were President facing the “Escudero predicament”, I’d opt for the three way race with the intention of beating both Poe and Binay with the only real patriot, real straight-path candidate, real competence among the three: Secretary Roxas. I’d not accept dismissing the earnest dedication and capability of Mar Roxas in favor of the expediency and self-dealing of Escudero. I’d not accept going with a weak, inexperienced novice like Poe as the only way to beat a crook.

then that defines Poe and Escudero as unqualified for the presidency. It defines them as self-dealing opportunists, not committed to the most basic ideal of the straight path: that which is good for the nation is of highest importance.

The decision for the nation is so very very simple. Roxas/Poe. You know it. I know it. Most of the neutral nation knows it.

If Escudero is not willing to step up for the Philippines by stepping out of the picture...

and if Poe does not have the strength of self to put Escudero into the background...

with the nation’s well-being at stake, a choice of going forward on the straight path or going backward in the worst way imaginable...

So that is the predicament.

This is what will be discussed when the four meet.

Escudero (and Poe) will suggest that Roxas step aside and LP back Poe/Escudero.

The President will ask Escudero to step aside with LP supporting Roxas/Poe.

Could you ask Roxas to step aside, in favor of Escudero, essentially?

I could not, in good conscience.

I could not.

Escudero... ego over nation... will not step aside.

This explains why he is making sure that Poe’s ambitions are pumped up, and her confidence in winning is sky-high, and they are on the front pages almost every day. It seems that Escudero is not a man who would concede for the best interest of the nation. Escudero is a political gamer.

What is strange is that Senators Poe and Escudero can’t seem to see that. They don’t seem to care what Roxas has earned. He is just in the way.

The President also knows that a three-way race between Roxas, Poe and Binay opens the door to the worst case scenario, a split “good guy” ticket, and a Binay presidency. The straight path is ruined.

Alas, Roxas/Poe makes Escudero the odd man out, unless he is content with a major cabinet post and the presidency in... OMG... 2028.

President Aquino understands the situation clearly, I am confident. He knows that Escudero is the problem here, but he is a friend of the family, too, so he will be treated well.


The Escuderos and Businessman Bobby Ongpin [Photo credit: Inquirer]

President Aquino knows that Secretary Roxas has earned his shot at the presidency. Through dedication and hard work and accomplishment and loyalty to the nation and its people... he has earned his shot. Poe on the Roxas ticket would take both Roxas and Poe to the win. For sure.

But we have Escudero in the Poe picture. Always Escudero.

Escudero, Escudero, Escudero.

He can’t encourage Poe to fly free, can’t give her the strength to stand for herself. That would be suicide for his own ambitions. He needs to keep himself in the picture. In Poe’s arms, as it were.

Senator Poe appears unwilling to set Escudero aside because... well, frankly ... she does not have the strength to do that. He is her friend and confidant. Her adviser and spokesman. Her path to the campaign money through Ongpin and other businessmen. She would be all alone. And she does not have the knowledge or the confidence to stand for herself. She is as green as green can be, toting about her Escudero security blanket.

Thus, ironically enough, she defines herself as not ready for the Presidency. The presidency is the loneliest job in the nation. It is the place where important decisions must be made. And they can be made only by one person. That person must have the strength to do what is right. Not popular.

Alone.

 
Senator Escudero won’t take himself out of the picture. After all, he is a realist. He can’t make the presidency on his own. The polls show that with an exclamation point. So he needs some calculated stepping stones. One is to become Vice President under Poe, and then he can make the natural step into the presidency in 2022.


Businessman Bobby Ongpin and VP Bnay [Photo credit: Inquirer]

With that as our vision, we see how Poe is really just the vehicle for Escudero. Not a puppet, exactly, but she holds one of the stepping stones for Escudero. And it explains his presumptuous speaking on Poe’s behalf, giving the ever-panting lapdog journalists some nibbles to chew on.

That is easy. It is a relief. It solves the problem. The nation is in good hands for 12 more years.

But we are not talking about team players here.

So there is no relief. There is dysfunction and conflict and fighting. There is ego and greed and ambition. There is the all too traditional Filipino way...

Now let’s shift to President Aquino and the meeting he will apparently call soon involving Secretary Roxas and Senators Poe and Escudero.

There are two positions open for discussion, the Presidency and the Vice Presidency. But there are three people in the room speaking with the President.

If we took Senator Escudero out of the picture, the solution is simple. Roxas for President and Poe for VP, where she can give Roxas a popular boost, gain experience and set herself up for the presidency in 2022.

Now we have the ambitious Binay aiming for the presidency by waging a powerful and wily campaign to rope in the votes from the laboring poor. He is positioning himself as their hero, as a “man who is like them”, against “those corrupt and incompetent people in government”. He is playing the sympathy card about as skillfully and maliciously as it can be played...

Well, we may want to turn our heads and be ill at all this, but that is the reality of the presidential run for 2016. It seems like the Philippines has no ethical or legal or even moral recourse to stop a crook and liar from ascending to the presidency. The stopping must be done at the ballot box.

IT’S ALL ABOUT ESCUDERO: THE FUTURE OF THE PHILIPPINES

by Joe America
July 12, 2015


[Photo credit: hatawtabloid]

It has became strikingly clear to me how things fit together regarding the future of the Philippines. It’s all about Senator Escudero.

Now Senator Escudero inadvertently got us into this mess by supporting Jejomar Binay over Mar Roxas for the vice presidency in 2010. We know how that went. It fed the ambition of the most ambitious man in the country and put him one step from the position he is drooling to acquire. I say “inadvertently” because I give Senator Escudero the benefit of the doubt. I imagine he had no idea how pervasive and perverse was the corruption in Makati. He thought Binay’s “style” was just politicians doing what they do, influencing others.

Ditch Escudero, Osmeña advises Poe

June 16th, 2015

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III on Monday said that Sen. Grace Poe should run for President next year as an independent candidate even as he advised her against teaming up with Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

“I think the best option (for her) is to run for President as an independent… so she will not be a captive of any political party,” said Osmeña, who has been running in elections as an independent candidate.

Osmeña said that Poe, who is fast emerging as a strong presidential contender, is “winnable” on her own and does not need the backing of political parties, which are just “political cliques” that are “fleeting and temporary alliances.”

Osmeña cited the case of the late Sen. Raul Roco and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who both ran for President as independent candidates and received “formidable numbers of votes.”

Asked what he thought of a proposed Poe-Escudero tandem, Osmeña said that a “package deal” was not a good idea.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/698713/ditch-escudero-osmena-advises-poe#ixzz3inNmC7xu

Binay’s claim to the authorship of Makati’s success counts among his biggest lies. Should we vote for a man whose claims to success appear to be based on lies and on corruption? God help our country if we do.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/

By the way, the wealth of Makati has nothing to do with Binay. He used the wealth; he did not create it, as he claims. Look at the map of Makati. Take away the barangays San Lorenzo (which includes Legazpi Village), Bel-Air (including Salcedo Village), Urdaneta, Forbes, Dasmariñas and Magallanes: These were all conceptualized and implemented by the Ayalas.

These areas, six out of the 33 barangays of Makati, easily account for at least 60 percent of its revenues. I am told that not one single centavo of the revenues go toward maintaining these villages and business areas. They are reportedly the responsibility of the Ayalas and the residents. The money given to the barangays are from the national government’s Internal Revenue Allotment.

So we are in a good place, and we must consolidate our gains and go on. And voting into the highest office of the land a person who most everybody accepts as corrupt will bring us back to square one. That’s why, for the sake of the country, we cannot vote for sucha person.

As for the second part of the argument, that at least Binay “shares” with the poor, that does not necessarily follow. After all, Makati is a very rich city. What has been spent for cakes and cash gifts and free education are from the funds collected by Makatiâ€"and even some of this money is alleged to have been diverted. However, those luxurious houses and farm estates and the campaigns of a senator, a mayor and a congresswomanâ€"his childrenâ€"had to be funded. From the fruits of corruption?

Well, in the latest (2014) CPI, we are now in the top halfâ€"85th out of 174 countries. Our CPI went from 24 (on a scale of 0 to 100) in 2010 to 36 in 2014. So nobody can deny that the Philippines has gained tremendously in its fight against corruption, measured against its own experience, and relative to other countries.

Have we stopped corruption? Of course not. But the message is loud and clear now:

Corrupt politicians beware: You are no longer above the law.

Moreover, the pork barrel practice which had been one of the major sources of public corruption has been banned by the Supreme Court. And the Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman are now doing what the Constitution mandates them to do, and which somehow they failed to do before. Plus, Congress has finally passed the bill giving the Sandiganbayan more justices.

Aren’t these results spectacular? And if you doubt it, just look at the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of Transparency International, an international civil society organization that measures corruption in the public sector of countries. At the time of the launch of this CPI in 1995, the Philippines measured 2.8 on a scale of 0 to 10, where zero was given to the most corrupt, and 10 was the cleanest. By 2005, that measure had gone DOWN to 2.5, and by 2010 it had slid further to 2.4. We were getting more corrupt. So in the 15-year period from 1995 to 2010, the Philippines was losing the corruption war. It was ranked 134th out of 178 countries in 2010; we were in the bottom 25 percent.

No other administration has waged such a war against corruption. With such spectacular results. Let us count the ways: Three sitting senators and a couple of congressmen are in detention on corruption and plunder charges (nonbailable). Another set of legislators or former legislators are soon to be in the same position. A former director general of the Philippine National Police is also behind bars. A chief justice was impeached, convicted and removed from office. One ex-president is pining away, incarcerated in a hospital. And, of course, there is the case of the Vice President. We used to complain that no big fish have been caught in the fight against corruption. You can’t get any bigger than these fish.

“How can we answer that?” they ask.

OK, most politicians are corrupt. But isn’t that why we voted for P-Noy in the first placeâ€"because we were sick of corruption? Isn’t that why Manny Villar did not winâ€"because the voters saw through his attempts to make himself sound poor (he was not; his dad was a government technocrat, and his mom had her fish stall, which was very profitable), and then saw how he appeared to have used his government position to build roads that ended up making his subdivisions more accessible and profitable?

This, by the way, is mouthed not only by the economically marginalized but also by people in the upper echelons (I heard it from at least three people who can only be described as Very Wealthy) of society. Note that all of them, rich and poor alike, seem to take it as given that he is corrupt.

In any case, some anti-Binays are helpless to reply to the argument. After all, that most politicians are corrupt seems to be an accepted, unchanging fact. And the second part of the argument is “proven” by the birthday cakes, the cash gifts, the packages he gives to disaster-stricken Filipinos, even the trips abroad to “save” overseas Filipino workers, and the free uniforms, books and tuition of the schoolchildren in Makati.

GET REAL

‘At least he shares with us’

By: Solita Collas-Monsod



August 15th, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer

It seems the strongest argument used by supporters of Vice President Jejomar Binay when asked why they still want to vote for him in spite of his alleged corruption is: “Most politicians are corrupt anyway, and Binay at least shares with us.”

if senator grace poe decides to run for president with senator chiz escudero as her vice, we can kiss our hopes goodbye. binay may make it.

long ago, something in me wished for grace. she provides freshness where stale political gimmicks exist. she embodies what national leadership should actually be--inspiring, untainted, trustworthy.

then pnoy proclaims roxas as the official liberal party candidate, aka administration candidate. (who cares about political parties here? they're just groupings of convenience devoid of ideology.) he may not be as inspiring, but he is relatively untainted and quite trustworthy.

if only grace accepts being vice-president to mar roxas meantime. if only she stops listening to the ambitious and, yes, untrustworthy chiz escudero, one of two senators who love their voices, who may end up as her political albatross. (i wholly agree with the stand of senator serge osmeña and some others as regards escudero.)   

Fire engulfs Philippine ship with 544; only 2 minor injuries

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Aug. 15, 2015


Black smoke rises from the burning MV Wonderful Stars ferry which caught fire at the port in Ormoc city in central Philippines early Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015. The inter-island ferry caught fire while it was docked and officials say all passengers have been safely evacuated. (AP Photo/John Kevin Pilapil)

MANILA, Philippines (AP) â€" A two-story ferry with 544 passengers caught fire after docking in the central Philippines on Saturday and people jumped into the sea and clambered down the roof deck to escape black smoke. All passengers were safe and only two crew suffered bruises and cuts, officials said.

Video footage showed several men jumping into the water from the MV Wonderful Stars, which was engulfed in smoke as firefighters struggled to put out the blaze hours after the fire broke out.

The ferry had just arrived at a pier in the port city of Ormoc on Leyte Island from nearby Cebu city.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-fire-engulfs-philippine-ship-with-544-only-2-minor-injuries-2015-8#ixzz3iroQOwDI

The Cotopaxi volcano spews ash and vapor in the National Park Cotopaxi in Ecuador, Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. Four blasts inside the volcano sent ash shooting into the sky, coating highways, homes and cars just south of Ecuador's capital with a fine gray powder. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)

so he decided to become a surgeon...

This bloom is so rare, in fact, that it was once thought to be a Himalayan myth, like the Yeti. Its presence in Bhutan was only confirmed in 1933 by botanist George Sherriff, and to this day, it evokes similar intrigue to the snow leopard â€" the ghost of the Himalayas. (BBC)

The majestic Himalayan blue poppy (Credit: Neelima Vallangi)

Bhutan’s national flower, Meconopsis Grandis, or Himalayan blue poppy as is it popularly known, is a flower so enchantingly blue that it instantly commands undivided attention. Growing only above the tree line in a harsh high altitude environment of 3,500m to 4500m, it blooms just once during the monsoon between late May to July, after which it disperses its seeds and dies. (BBC)

14 August 2015. US flag raised over reopened Cuba embassy in Havana (BBC)

Stars seen as streaks from a long camera exposure are seen behind a silhouette of a Spanish fighting bull, conceived decades ago as highway billboards in Cordoba, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015. Some Catholics refer to the Perseids as the "tears of Saint Lawrence", since 10 August is the date of that saint's martyrdom. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

http://news.yahoo.com/

Stars seen as streaks from a long camera exposure are seen behind Arnotegui Hermitage, in Obanos, northern Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015. Some Catholics refer to the Perseids as the "tears of Saint Lawrence", since 10 August is the date of that saint's martyrdom. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower near Kraljevine on mountain Smetovi in the early morning August 12, 2015. The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on August 12 and 13 in Europe, according to NASA. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)

A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower near the village of Goroshki, west of Minsk, Belarus, in the early morning August 12, 2015. The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on August 12 and 13 in Europe, according to NASA. (REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko)

A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower near Kraljevine on mountain Smetovi in the early morning August 12, 2015. The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on August 12 and 13 in Europe, according to NASA. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)

A meteor streaks across the sky during the Perseid meteor shower near Kraljevine on mountain Smetovi in the early morning August 12, 2015. The annual Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak on August 12 and 13 in Europe, according to NASA. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)

A Perseid meteor streaks across the sky over the community of Cold Creek on August 12, 2015 in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Nevada. The annual display, known as the Perseid shower because the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus in the northeastern sky, is a result of Earth's orbit passing through debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Reuters / Wednesday, August 12, 2015
People set fire to the effigy of the demon Ghantakarna, during the Ghantakarna festival at the ancient city of Bhaktapur, Nepal August 12, 2015. According to local folklore, the demon Ghantakarna is believed to "steal" children and women from their homes and localities. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

PHILIPPINE CORPORATION

You have two cows.
You don't really own them.
Both are grazing in Hacienda Binay.

Quote from: lolongmendez on August 13, 2015, 07:43:01 PM
how about philippine corporation

try lang, and hope to have many more:


PHILIPPINE CORPORATION

You have two cows.
Both were released through PDAF and NGOs.
Your legislators swallowed both.

it's hard to have favorites here because every -ism or corporation has its own charms.  cursorily, my personal top 5, in any order: irish, indian, italian, greek, british, because i laughed the loudest at these.

and a sampling of comments:

Pedro Cruz Errr... Actually, communism and socialism are inverted in this album. Communism is supposed to have no state and no private property (so, you give a cow to your neighbor) and in socialism, state controls everything (so, the state takes your cows and gives you milk).

Luat SÆ° Wrong, there's no such thing as state in Communism, the cow of you is belong to the country, in fact the country give you mission to take care of the cow and all of product from it will be bring back to share among the country
So you work to feed your self, if in perfect idea it better than socialism