Will Anti-FDI, Anti-Business Filipinos Be Willing to Eat Rotten Food in an Isolationist Philippines?

The decades of Filipino First Policy really need a clean-up, right? It's really amazing how some people keep blaming the US for Venezuela's current situation. What's next? Will they blame China and South Korea for North Korea being poor? I wrote an article where I discussed Venezuela's pride and protectionism. One of the many sources I cited discussed how frequent blackouts caused Venezuelans to eat rotten meat last 2018. Are they going to well, blame the USA again, for the frequent blackouts? If Venezuela's basic utilities are all monopolized by the government--how can they blame the US for the crisis that Venezuela caused itself? Did the US tell Venezuela to do its really bad economic policies?

I would read the comments made by SJWs on Facebook. They would write all forms of anti-capitalist rants without understanding what capitalism is. They say that competition ruins quality and that things will be better under a welfare state. The video above shows a sample of social media breakdowns. I've been watching some of Misha Petrov's videos on YouTube. The complaints here are no different from Filipinos who are anti-capitalist, idolize Communist leaders (while ironically getting mad at China and Vietnam), say that FDIs cause debt increase (because they can't differentiate debt from investment, read here), and the list can go on. They also keep saying that the capitalist system is oppressive, that the workers own the means of production (as if they were the ones who purchased it, read here), and that they hate the rich for simply being rich (read here).

I could go ahead and tell them to study economics at the University of Economics-Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. I could go ahead and tell them about China's progress. Their response is that those countries have ceased to be Communist because they gave in to the "evil FDI". By accepting FDI, both China and Vietnam allowed more oligarchies to enter. Some of them may even insist that both countries are just giving lip service to the likes of their heroes such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and Mao Zedong. Well, Ho Chi Minh, often called Uncle Ho, wasn't an isolationist, and Vietnam's great Communist leader, Nguyen Duy Cong (who died last 2018), became known as Doi Moi and gave the Do Muoi program. It was to create a struggle between both their local companies and FDIs. Deng Xiaoping is often disregarded because his views on socialism say, "Poverty isn't socialism, to be rich is glorious."

For people who are anti-business (and anti-American), it's really baffling why they use imported luxury products (such as iPhones which may be assembled in Vietnam), they eat at several restaurants (such as getting a McDonald's meal), yet they all keep arguing that FDI is evil, buy Filipino, etc. What's funnier is that they use imported devices to type their anti-FDI rants (read here). Don't tell me that their gadgets are proudly Filipino? Don't tell me that the brands of their iPhones are Mansanas (Tagalog word for apple) instead of Apple? I ask them if they're anti-capitalist then why do they use those products? They reply that they can't take me seriously when I say that. They say that the workers own the means of production, that they're simply "forced to participate in it", and the list of nonsense that I see on Facebook can go on. Yes, such as that bratty administrator (who I think is below 21 years old) of the Philippine Anti-Fascist League (PAFL) Facebook page and many of its supporters.

Let's imagine that they finally succeeded in the revolution and what happens

Allegedly, Karl Marx said that the last capitalist they hung was the one who sold them the rope. It's really a baffling statement. Shouldn't they seize the rope from the capitalist? Let's imagine that these "afflicted poor" finally won the class struggle. It's often bragged that if the poor people group together--the rich will be defeated. Now, let's imagine that the revolution happened and that they shut down every business. They have gotten rid of the FDIs, they have gotten rid of the oligarchy, and they have finally seized the means of production. Now, it's time for these losers to establish their welfare state. They have seized the wealth but do they know how to manage the wealth?

What happens next will be similar to Venezuela. Can they really blame the US (again) if their programs don't work? Just reading the news of poor Venezuelans eating rotten meat makes me cry and puke at the same time That's why I asked those isolationists that they should start eating food from the garbage can. When they monopolize the power supply--can they really keep the power supply up? They might want to blame South Korea for North Korea's lack of power supply. Yet, North Korea has no one but itself to blame, not China nor South Korea, as they have an inadequate supply of electricity.

Just watching this video can make me puke. Maybe, that's why I gave up on my dreams of becoming a doctor because I'm scared of blood. I could remember that I was scared and excited at the same time for my cataract removal. I knew I was going to get the bladeless procedure but knowing that my eye would be poked with an emulsifier was still a scary thought. I could remember my vision becoming red for the first week until it healed. This video though scares me more than scenes in a medical drama. It's because medical drama is props. What is shown above is very real. The really real situation where people are literally forced to eat garbage. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro enjoys fine food at the cost of his own people.

Their victory against the elite happens. However, without the business owners, can they really start enjoying the fine food they enjoyed before the revolution? Some communist hippies try to talk as if Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward wasn't the fault of the runner. It might be best for them to try telling that to the survivors of that terrible program. Mao's lack of vision of trying to create an isolationist utopia was a failure. Mao could've learned to produce the best quality steel from FDIs. Mao could've started to invest in FDIs for the agrarian land reform to produce the best grain. Communist China tried to lie to the people about how it was a success. However, the biography of Australian Chinese dancer Li Cunxin will tell you that the Great Leap Forward was anything but a success.

They say competition ruined the quality. Instead, they ruined the quality because there was no more competition. A lack of electricity will mean that they will be eating rotten food. That means they can no longer enjoy the delicious food that they used to enjoy before they won the revolution. The revolution closed down all the businesses. It was competition that built Jollibee and it became a Filipino MNC soon enough. It was having competition that provided better quality. Without competition, there will be nothing but inflation left and right. Those in power may benefit for now but to be consistent, they need to also eat the rotten food first.

That would be the big difference between them and the Communists of China and Vietnam. Sure, it's funny to see a Communist flag near Starbucks or Kentucky Fried Chicken. Maybe, if I go to Vietnam, I'd be laughing my head off if I saw a Jollibee branch with a Communist flag near it. I even laughed when I ate at McDonald's China and there was a Communist flag near it. China and Vietnam may both be held by Communist policies. However, their economic reforms have prevented them from becoming another North Korea or Venezuela. They understood isolationism would never work. Both Deng and Do Muoi understood that for their revolutions to succeed, they should stop doing everything themselve and learn new things. They allowed FDIs here and there yet they remain sovereign Communist states.

Would they be willing to do that? The chances are they won't. Communism has shown that much of China starved while Mao enjoyed his luxurious life. Madame Mao was probably worse than Imelda Romualdez-Marcos of the Philippines. Sure, Mrs. Marcos herself has a bad reputation but maybe not as bad as Madame Mao. Mao and his cronies all lived good lives. The rest of China ate rotten food. So much for the claim of a classless, equal society huh?

Get Stuck with EDSA, End Up Like Nokia

Yes, we should never forget what history teaches us. A classmate of mine, back in high school, wrote a simple and blunt essay called "History: A Teacher". I doubt he still has a soft copy, given it was already more than 20 years ago. I'd like to quote Duterte critic Andrew James Masigan wrote this in Philippine Star --something that should remain relevant: I would never undervalue the 1987 Constitution. It dismantled the legal framework of a repressive regime and established the democratic institutions we enjoy today. For this, I am grateful. The 1987 Constitution was crafted with the best of intentions. It sought to put the Filipino first in all aspects of governance and to level the playing field amongst sectors and peoples. But it is far from perfect. It failed to consider the importance of foreign capital and technologies and the stiff competition we would have to face to obtain them. In short, its economic provisions were short-sighted . So despite the Constitut...

#SahodItaasPresyoIbaba Economics' Bad Accounting

I would like to apologize in advance to my readers. The picture I'm presenting is in Tagalog, and not all my readers speak Tagalog. I would translate the picture's text into English for convenience. It says: "Ano ang bumubuo sa mga presyo?" means "What comprises the price?" "Gastos ng materyales" means materials expense "Gastos sa kasangkapan" means depreciation expense ""Gastos sa pasahod" means salary expense "Kapitalista" means capitalist Renta is well, rent "Kayang pababain ang presyo" means "Prices can be lowered". It says that capitalists (industrialists, landlords, bankers) and elitist governments are part in the gross profit. Get rid of excise taxes (either permanently or temporarily) for the prices of goods and services. In the times of crisis, in the burden of sacrifices, we need to be watchful for capacity. Whatever savings for times of difficulty by the workers and countrymen, the...

Past Chinese School Education in the Philippines was Based on "Sǐ Jì Yìng Bèi"

Chinoys of my age (and older) may remember these textbooks. I called them as the "symbol of trauma". It was memorizing something without understanding it . One would just memorize (without understanding it) because it was typical. Not being able to memorize what was assigned? Get a bad grade? One can expect physical punishment like hitting the hand with a ruler or chili in the mouth. Chinese language teachers are stereotypically strict . The language textbooks (above) are what were used during the 1990s to the early 2000s. As I wrote it, the Sinjiang textbooks aren't effective in teaching Mandarin , in a world where Mandarin has over a billion speakers! There's a Chinese proverb that says, "死記硬背 sǐ jì yìng bèi" or "Memorize to the point of death". That's exactly what those textbooks are. Memorize to the point of death! Okay, it may sound exaggerated. However, that's how Chinese language teachers in the Philippines were made to teach the ...

Migrante International's Really Bad Economic Literacy

March 17 (which is tomorrow) seems to be an unofficial holiday for some people, right? I'm sickened that the late Flor Contemplacion has been treated like she's some national heroine (and thankfully, tomorrow isn't a holiday) even after Singapore had proven her guilt. A movie was made by Joel Lamangan called The Flor Contemplacion Story . The call for Migrante (Migrant) International has been to remember Flor even after several years. What's not too surprising was to learn that Flor's sons were all arrested for drug-related charges. Even her eldest son died while in prison. You have Migrante International wanting to end the labor export policy. However, a post by Migrante really shows how this group fails basic economics. I will not post the whole press statement but one part that made my eyes roll. >> Further opening the country’s economy to foreign ownership and control will worsen the exploitation of our people and the environment without creating a susta...

"Filipino First Policy" Has NO PLACE in the Rising Asian 21st Century

I guess nobody saw the Asian 21st Century coming, right? China was once a poor nation but look at it now. Vietnam was once a poor nation but look at it now. Singapore was once a poor nation but look at it now. The late great Lee Kuan Yew wrote his book From Third World to First . I'm afraid some people have been using it to go against the presidency of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. while ignoring what else Lee Kuan Yew had to say. Lee Kuan Yew described the Filipino press to be rambunctious on pages 304-305 which I agree. I'm afraid that the Filipino press may have had a hand in getting rid of any economic or political reforms that could help the Philippines. Yet, one policy has been holding back the Philippines for decades and yes, it's the Filipino First Policy . Reviewing the Filipino First Policy and why it has no place in the rising Asian 21st century I remembered how the values education subject taught Carlos P. Garcia's stupid Filipino First Policy as a Filipino value...

Has Passing Down Hatred for Singapore (Because of Flor Contemplacion) Economically Helped the Philippines?

PEH.ph It was on March 17, 1995, when Flor Contemplacion was executed in Singapore. I've noticed that I've been addressing her as the late many times, even if the late is a statement that may be ony appropriate if the person has been recently deceased within 10 years. It's about to become 30 years since Flor was hanged in Singapore. However, generational hatred would've been passed down from 1995 up to 2025. Some people are still tagging #JusticeFor Flor. These traits may be passed down from the Batang 1990s to their children in this generation. It may also be passed down from parent to child, even if the child was born in the 2000s to 2010s. Somebody born in 2000s and beyond might even say, "Papa and mama told me about Flor Contemplacion! That's why I hate Singapore!" Talk about a child born in 2004 who's probably angry with Singapore, because his parents kept telling him about how Flor was supposedly "unjustly treated" over there. Some tim...

My First Taste of Sichuan at Yang Hero IT Park

I was doing some random historical study. One of the many things I recalled from Asian history class was the Chinese Communist Party in Sichuan. It's an interesting piece of historical detail that Mao Zedong (and other Chinese communists) were avid lovers of spicy food . Yang Hero had its first branch in Gaisano Tabunok. It opened a branch in IT Park last May 25, 2023 . The menus had Chinese translations. The establishment has made me realize the importance of learning Mandarin . True, I could order their food without speaking Mandarin. However, I still feel that the increasing number of Chinese businesses left and right would mean, "You may need to learn some Mandarin now to connect with more people in the world." For a bit of background, here's what I gathered from Sun Star Cebu: Evanmarie Mendoza, social media specialist at Yang Hero, said: “The Chinese barbecue is also a must-try for foodies as it differs from the regular ones that we typically have here in the P...

Tealive's Aren Caramel (Kaong Sugar Caramel) Series

I usually tend to associate sugar with cane sugar. In this case, Tealive (read my review here ) uses a sugar known as gula aren. I did some research and found out that Gula Aren is made from the sap of the sugar palm tree. The fruit is also known as kaong in the Filipino language. Granted, the Filipino language also derives from the Malaysian and Indonesian languages--it may be derived from the Indonesian word kolang kaling . The Philippines may also be producing its own gula aren or palm sugar. Sugar palm or kaong is pretty much grown as a staple in Filipino cooking too. Here's a video from an Indonesian woman. Watching this, it's safe to assume that kaong farmers in the Philippines follow more or less the same routine. Maybe, some people may call it latik though latik is made from coconut milk and not coconut sap. Though, some Filipinos may still call palm sugar as latik. The video above also shows an Indonesian binignit with some kaong. I was shocked to learn kaong is also u...

Getting Stingy at the Cost of Fire Safety?

March is fire prevention month, right? If there are people who are too extravagant then I'd like to talk again about stingy people (read the article here ). I've tried growing up with the stingy vs. extravagant extremes. Some people become stingy even with the necessities. It's one thing to deny a child a children's party since it's a want . It's another thing to deny a child stuff they need all in the name of saving money . Even worse, some people may be more than stingy enough to ignore fire safety. A stingy person just wants to save. It's almost like the story of the Miser and His Gold or The Rich Miser . I really find these stories entertaining at the same time, irritating. The first story has the miser who hid his gold under the ground. Some people today are too distrustful of banks and investments. The second story has a rich man who even dresses in rags, denies his son's shoes, had his wife cook some cake only for him, and was so greedy he had it ...

Started to Invest in the ATRAM Global Equity Opportunity Feeder Fund

It's time to begin a new road into investing. I went from a moderate risk taker to a moderately aggressive risk taker. Of course, I need to be careful with how much money I invest or I don't invest the money that I need. I believe that one could start by investing 15% to 20% of one's income. Basically, it's money that's not needed now. Fortune Recommends gives this ideal sweet spot: Many of the experts we spoke with suggested, as a general rule, to invest a set percentage of your after-tax income. Although that percentage can vary depending on your income, savings, and debts. “ Ideally, you’ll invest somewhere around 15%–25% of your post-tax income, ” says Mark Henry, founder and CEO at Alloy Wealth Management. “If you need to start smaller and work your way up to that goal, that’s fine. The important part is that you actually start.” Some budgeting strategies account for this, such as the 50/30/20 budgeting strategy, which breaks your monthly budget into three ca...

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