Previously posted on my Facebook Page
Would it matter if Jesus Christ, Mohammad, or Buddha are white, black, yellow or brown-skinned? Would people stop shaming others’ religion? All religions are guilty of wrongdoings, as they are respected as well for good deeds. Because human existence treads imperfection. What matters are the teachings on those preserved texts that inspire and motivate universal good. But we usually anchor conflicts on our outer layer diversity. What if our Faith is all one-color? No color? 🕌?✝️
France’s presidential aspirant Marine Le Pen is anti-IMF and anti-NATO. Those anti positions were Old Left ideals. Yet she is branded Far Right. Then, workers who forged energies versus corporate greed were called Communists or Leftist radicals. These days, they are called Conservative Right—although they also forge energies vs corporate greed. Populism is essentially the majority poor. Yet the word is now demonized by the media. How the world’s words get mixed up. ☮️☮️☮️
I was a radical Leftist. But raised as a Catholic Conservative. The Old Right: They’d quietly dismiss or evade you in case of disagreement. They are essentially still the same. The Old Left was more focused, patient, and intent—in pursuit of gut issues. Differences ignite them to reach out more. The New Left, however, expanded its reach to include “correctness” morality and ideological purity. They’d stick to their paradigm similar to how devout religious cling to theirs. Me? Just a pasckie. 🗣👤👥
Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife, Amber Heard, for an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post referring to herself as “…representing domestic abuse.” This Hollywood drama, albeit supposedly “private” is VERY public. Unless they are family or close friends, I am not interested in the personal life of people, rich and famous or not. Why would I? Meantime, my viewing pleasure of movies is just-that: Viewing pleasure. Depp is Depp and Heard is—at least now, you heard about her. 🎬😭🎬
Most of my life as a journalist I covered politics. Listened to politicians talk a lot, off the record as well. But since Obama’s last campaign in 2012, I lost interest in listening to politicians talk. I also considerably stopped watching News TV. But my reading madness of politics got more intense, focused, and frequent. You see, when news is spoken, I often lose the facts of the matter. The “spade” isn’t tackled as “spade” per se but somebody else’s “spade.” 🗣👤👥
I don’t believe most of the political news that I read these days--but I read them just the same. Reading those that I don’t agree with—is also a learning curve. For example, although I don’t concur with most of what the New York Times reports these days, I haven’t stopped reading it. The only newspaper that I read ceaselessly since high school days. Though grossly opinionated by way of its partisan bent, NY Times presents its stuff with aesthetic flair. Good writing. 📝📚📝
Money and punishment—in pro sports. Most recent: NBA fines Miles Bridges $50K for hitting a fan with mouthguard after ejection. Next: Patrick Beverley fined $30K after telling opposing players to “…take your ass home!” Those shenanigans don’t compare with the “ordinary” violence in ice hockey games, of course. NHL fines range from "only" $1,000 to $15K (which is max so far). And then I still read scholarly analysis of the Slap over the nonstop shootings out there. ?☮️🏒
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator, looms as frontrunner in the presidential election in the Philippines next month. He is ahead by 20+ points over 2nd-running Leni Robredo. Philippine politics is multiparty; the eventual winner doesn’t get a majority vote. Strategically, if the campaign focuses on persuading voters who opt for the three other aspirants to go to Leni, she will have a chance. The tactic of shaming the rival candidate doesn’t work. 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
News: “Video shows Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine being beaten and shot in their legs.” We know what a war is all about. How many wars have excised punishment on humanity in our respective lifetimes? Hence, does the media need to parade the atrocities, cruelties, and mayhem right on our gadgets, 24/7? We get it. We get the message. What is the point? Pummel in our head who are the villains and who are the heroes? And add fire to more hatred? ☮️☮️☮️
When a politician or any individual issues an insight that runs against the popular narrative, that person is auto-dismissed as Conservative Rightwinger or Populist Right. A long time ago, “popular narrative” a.k.a. The majority voice was defined as populism. Antithesis to elitism of the rich, privileged few. Today’s weird conjecture: If the “populist” take tends to go Old Left vs the New Left, then it is called “populist Left.” So what do we call the New Left? Liberal? Progressive? Yet not Elite? 👈👅👉
