Korean Soap Operas: Good for Korea, Good for the Philippines, Good for Asia

Additions in blue.

The 'Korean wave', the spread in popularity of Korean soap operas and music across East Asia, has been occurring for a while, and is continuing. This trend is good for Korea, the Philippines, and all East Asia.

Korea

For South Korea, the advantages of the dispersal of Korean media is obvious. Korean film and music companies have access to a market of over two billion. Koreans can spread knowledge of their culture and history throughout the region. Soap operas are a useful means of advertising Korean high technology. Korean televisions, cell phones, mp3 players, and other electronics are a common feature in many of the dramas. Another perk is that the opinions about Koreans among East Asians is heavily influenced by what they see on television: the Koreans are pretty people who love and are generally good--even if the bad guys are conniving and cruel. Many foreign viewers would probably develop an interest in visiting Korea, or even investing. Economically and culturally, Korea can sell itself to the rest of East Asia for a huge profit, literally and figuratively.

Also, as in the United States and probably every major country, Korean dramas offer social engineering in Korea. Concepts such as marrying for love, and not being preoccupied about saving face are tackled. By mentioning other countries and cultures, Koreans are at least slightly presented with an acknowledgment of their neighbors, usually without a negative or hostile connotation.

the Philippines

About the Filipino psyche:

"If any peoples could benefit from believing themselves to be the master race, Filipinos would be one of them."

For the Philippines, the advent of Korean soap operas, which is a relatively new phenomenon compared with other Asian countries such as Japan, is good because it helps sever Filipino audiences from both Western media and the local film industry. In the Philippines, the actors and actresses are often members of the de facto aristocracy. The Filipino elite use their power in the economy, the government, and the media to keep their positions, and keep others out. Of these, the segment which serves the most to keep the Filipino people placated with their obscene situation is the media. As with many peoples, Filipinos love their actors. It is just that their actors also happen to be or be related to the government officials and businessmen who are gouging the country and blocking accelerated development.

Korean soaps also give an Asian physical ideal, whereas the Philippines is used to the concept of 'true beauty is white beauty'. Many films are imported from the United States and the West, while much of the local 'talent' contains Caucasoid mestizo Filipinos. Although the Korean actors tend to be lighter than the average Filipino, and they too seem to exemplify a somewhat European ideal with Korean actors tending to have double eyelids, narrow noses, and longer faces than the typical Korean, for Filipinos admiring Korean actors is still a step up from aspiring to look like 'white' actors.

There is also a cultural advantage. A common description of the Philippines is '300 years in a convent, 50 years in Hollywood,' describing the eras of Spanish and American rule of the country. Even today, Philippine culture is heavily influenced not just by American culture, but especially by what Filipinos see of American culture via American movies. As any American can tell you, Hollywood is not a good conveyor of American culture. This is part of why the Philippines is so culturally screwed up (there are MANY ways besides this why the Philippines is culturally defective). Add onto this that the closest match to 'real' Filipino culture is Hispanic.

Korean soap operas in the Philippines offer a way by which the Philippines can de-Westernize, de-Hispanicize, and re-Asianize, and even Northeast Asianize. This is basically something which I strongly advocate: a qualified de-Westernification; a complete de-Hispanication; and a qualified re-Asianification. I especially support the Philippines taking on aspects of Confucianism. Confucianism, after all, was specifically made to unify culturally a bunch of warring Chinese states, and led to a mono-cultural, unified China which exists up to this day. However, only qualified Confucianism; for instance, Confucianism leads too much to giving power based on seniority rather than merit.

Anyway, Korean soap operas introduce Confucian concepts to the Filipino people, a nation divided on several levels, such as: Tagalog, Cebuano, Mindanaoan, Pampangan, 'overseas Chinese' (something very odious about that), Spanish/'American' mestizo, Chinese mestizo, Aeta, etc. There is in effect no real Filipino nation, just a bunch of people resulting from Spain grabbing as many islands as they could. The 'overseas Chinese', and various mestizo groups lord it over the Malay 'purebreds'.

With Korean dramas, Filipinos are introduced to a society where it is the majority 'purebred' population who lords it over their few 'mestizos'. Being 'pure' is deemed to be good. Having foreign admixture is considered shameful. Because of this 'purity', Koreans view themselves as one family, one nation bound together by blood. This extends to culture, where many Koreans are unwilling to admit the huge (and primary) influences on Korean society by China and Japan, even going to such absurd lengths as to suggest that Korean civilization birthed Chinese civilization, rather than the other way around. In essence, Koreans bring nationalism to the point of racism.

While I definitely do not support the racism which is so prevalent in Korea (and Northeast Asia in general), the Philippines could use a lot more nationalism--and even (for now) nationalism just crossing over the border into racism. Filipinos have a huge inferiority complex. They will try to tie themselves to any other culture, be that Arab, Indian, Indonesian, Chinese, Spanish, British, American, even Japanese (because of World War II when Japan made the Philippine economy contract by 60%, practically obliterated Manila, and murdered and raped thousands of Filipino civilians)! They will try to claim practically any foreign blood and descent. Because foreign cultures and foreign blood are superior to Filipino culture(s) and Filipino blood and descent, at least in their mindsets. Add onto that that Filipinos do not have what would be considered a full-fledged culture to begin with. That is, in fact, the great secret behind Filipinos' famous tendency to assimilate into the cultures to which they emigrate--the new cultures are superior to the old, and the old was not really a complete culture.

It is also why the Chinese, in both Southeast Asia and the West have such an appalling record of assimilation. They are (too) proud of their native culture and 'race'. You have people whose ancestors immigrated from China over half a millennium ago calling themselves Chinese. The Chinese intermarriage rate in the United States is miniscule in comparison to the Filipino and Japanese, even though the Chinese community is the most established of the three 'old' Asian immigrant groups. There are far more Chinatowns than Little Manilas or Japantowns, and far more Chinese schools than Japanese schools--and there is no corresponding Filipino school.

If any peoples could benefit from believing themselves to be the master race, Filipinos would be one of them.

Filipinos could afford to be more stuck up like their northern neighbors. It would help build confidence in themselves and their nation and country.

Filipinos have to stop selling themselves short, and need to start having a little pride in who they are. And even though they do not have a culture (they are culturally fragmented; as much as a nation can be anthromorphized, the Philippines has multiple personality disorder, and the personalities are not even fully fleshed out), Filipinos have to realize that they can still build one. Cultures had to start somewhere and sometime. Coming up with a new name for the Philippines, Filipinos, and Filipino/Pilipino would be a start, as would be the reintroduction of baybayin, albeit in (heavily) modified form. Quashing out languages other than Tagalog and English (Filipino/Pilipino should strip the Spanish words and revert to pure Tagalog) and removing all tribal identification would be another route. I actually find Philippine languages to generally be too unwieldy (excessive repetition of complete syllables to indicate plurality, and even basic words having multiple syllables) and not pleasant-sounding, but there is the pride issue.

But back to the topic at hand, the introduction of Korean soap operas into the Philippines.

Even though many of the Korean soaps actually are critical of parts of Confucianism, they are supportive--and therefore promote-- of other parts of the philosophy. The Philippines could use a LOT of Confucianism to help build a unified, proud nation which values 'harmony' and working as a part of a greater whole.

By making Korean soap operas popular in the Philippines, for once the Philippines is doing something in unison with much of the rest of East Asia. As Filipinos are engrossed in Korean dramas, so to are Japanese, Chinese, Malaysians, and Koreans themselves.

So, Korean soap operas could help Filipinos by showing pretty people who look a bit more similar to Filipinos than 'whites', by spreading Confucianism and useful values, and making Filipinos feel more a part of Asia, rather that set apart (both by Filipinos themselves and by ostracization by other Asians) from Asia. Also by undermining the aristocracy and displacing Hispanic and Western cultural values (many of the Western 'values' the Philippines picked up were the bad ones, anyway).

Asia

Korean soap operas are useful for all East Asia because they help to promote East Asian cultural unity, something which will be needed if East Asia unifies economically and especially if the region is to unify politically. By spreading Korean culture, and inserting Korean culture and values into the audience cultures, the dramas help to homogenize--even if in a small way--all East Asian cultures. The dramas, even the older ones, often make a point of including other Asian countries in some way, either by mentioning some country or in a few cases even setting part of the drama in a foreign state.

I am not too keen on entrusting East Asian cultural unification to the Koreans. I have previously mentioned that Koreans seem to be the most racist major Asian 'race'. Considering Korea's history of often being a protectorate of either China or Japan, and having relationships with only those two countries (there's a reason why Korea is referred to as the 'Hermit Kingdom'), that a xenophobic and racist attitude would develop in Korean culture is understandable, if not good. And to Koreans' credit, they seem to be moving toward a less racist stance at a faster pace than their two larger neighbors, who have much less reason to be racist (China for instance neighbors multiple countries and 'races' even if for much of history those other countries were less developed than China....). Japan has been part of the 'international community' for over a hundred years and is only barely less racist than Korea. Ironically, Northeast Asians tend to be particularly racist towards South Asians--and 'blacks'. After China, India was the most powerful state, or collection of states, during the last millennium until the European colonial era. And civilization reached India before China. But when did racists let history stop them from perpetuating their fantasies?

Still, I would rather Thailand be put in charge of East Asian cultural integration.

But that has not happened, and Korea has been put in charge. And so far they are doing decently. The actors have a wide range of appearances, some even being able to pass for Southeast Asian. Although there might be a slight tendency for the bad guys to look Southeast Asian or South Chinese moreso than the good guys, this tendency is very slight, if it exists at all.

More pressing is that while many of the actors are what I would consider dark skinned (although considerably lighter than the typical Southeast Asian man), the actresses are almost uniformly light skinned. The darkest I have seen to date would still be considered light by Southeast Asian standards, although within the natural range, before skin whitening pills or creams (or both).

The contrast between Korean soaps and Latin American telenovelas is stark from a racial standpoint. Firstly, the Korean soaps contain far more dark-skinned characters. Notably, both dark and light skinned actors can play primary or secondary roles, or act as 'extras'. In telenovelas, it is pretty clear what the directors/producers are getting at, deliberately or subconsciously. The dark skinned, less European, people are the servants and get very minor roles. The light skinned, more European, get the primary roles. None of the servants are very light skinned, and none of the big wigs are very dark skinned. Dark people's place is on the bottom of the social and economic totem poles, and off on the sidelines. Light people's place is to at least be above the dark people. This contrast is even more striking when considering that, proportionally, Korea contains far more light skinned people than Latin America, and yet is willing to give dark skinned people prominent roles.

Korean dramas have light and dark skinned bosses and servants. So, Korean dramas are much less racist than telenovelas. I have just seen something which does probably cross over the 'color' threshold. In a soap, a girlfriend was introducing her boyfriend to her friends. Two of the girls were light skinned, the other dark. The camera focused primarily on either the two light skinned girls, or all three. Additionally, only the light skinned girls had multiple-word lines and lines which were unique and not shared by all the friends (basically one word exclamations which they all said). But this is just a single case; so I don't know whether this was just a coincidence or discrimination against dark skinned girls.

Another downside is that the characters sure do drink a lot of soju (seems to be basically the Korean version of sake) and get drunk. I suspect that drunkenness is accepted and even encouraged in Japanese and Korean society because of those cultures' tendency to have people mask their opinions and feelings behind a veneer of politeness and a 'don't make waves' attitude. Being drunk offers others a means of seeing the 'real you', without the societal constrictions. (A bad part of Confucianism). Considering that all East Asian populations tend to be alcohol intolerant (they tend to have a gene mutation which is less efficient at breaking down alcohol--Amerindians inherited this faulty gene, too), excessive drinking of alcohol is not a 'value' I support for Korea, the Philippines, or Asia.

Moreso, and Korea is hardly alone among Asian countries in this regard, Korean dramas--from what I have seen--do treat the mentally disabled extremely offensively.

Also, oftentimes in the dramas the men will grab a woman's arm, and occasionally spinning her around, to prevent her from leaving, rather forcibly--this would be pushing the boundaries of what is considered assault in the United States.

Still, even though Korean soap operas could be a force for good in weakening the domestic violence which is rampant across Asia, but as of yet are not, overall, Korean dramas help to unify Asia and help various Asian peoples be aware of each other and not view each other as enemies.

As you can see, this post takes a LOT of blogging liberty in being very ill-formed. Yet I hope that you can agree with or at least consider the points which I have made here, even if they were not set out in the most structured way.

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Indonesia Parliament Tries to Prevent Ratification of ASEAN Charter

The Indonesian House of Representatives is attempting to prevent ratification of the ASEAN Charter. The Charter, which critics argue has been watered down to the point of ineffectiveness, is designed to increase unity in the ten member state Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Notable in the Charter is a provision for majority voting, and mandatory application of ASEAN rulings, in some areas. Currently, ASEAN rules by consensus, and member states are not obligated to apply ASEAN ruling, a large reason for ASEAN being seen as little more than a talking shop.

LINKS

ASEAN Charter (ASEAN) "Indonesian parliament seeks delay of ASEAN Charter ratification" (People's Daily Online) "Profile: Association of South East Asian Nations" (BBC)

The governments of: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam have completed ratification of the ASEAN Charter. Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand have yet to ratify the treaty. The goal is for all ASEAN states to have the ASEAN Charter ratified before a group meeting in the Thai capital, Bangkok, in December.

The location is symbolic. ASEAN traces the association's roots to the ASEAN Declaration, often called the 'Bangkok Declaration', in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the only country in Southeast Asia which was not made a colony by a foreign power. By having the ASEAN Charter ratified before the meeting in Bangkok, ASEAN will be making another statement about the evolution of the association.

Fortunately, Burma has already ratified the Charter. Although this is a sign that the ASEAN Charter indeed was watered down in the area of human rights, at least Burma won't hold up this further integration of Southeast Asia. That holdup could be up to the Philippines, which has threatened to not ratify the Charter depending on Burma's actions. Now, apparently Indonesia has also become a potential obstacle to the ASEAN Charter coming into force.

Hopefully, the Philippines and Indonesia ratify the ASEAN Charter so that ASEAN can become more unified and form a stronger economic and military rival to China.

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Name Change for the Philippines

This post starts off largely as a response to an AsianWeek article about a proposed name change for the Philippines, a Southeast Asian country named after a sixteenth century Spanish monarch. The post could end up being updated occasionally.

The Philippines should have a name change.

For romantic reasons, having the country named after a foreign conqueror is shameful and an embarrassment, especially in an Asian cultural sense. A couple of states are named after foreign Europeans, at least in part--Colombia and the United States of America, for instance. However, in those cases, the bulk of the population and leadership is not indigenous. So what if their country is named after a European foreigner? They are the descendants of European foreigners themselves. The majority of Filipinos' bloodlines were in the Philippines long before the arrival of the Spaniards, and few Filipinos have any discernible amount of European blood; even fewer have considerable amounts. So having their country named after a foreign 'white' guy who (indirectly) conquered them and set in motion the history which has led to the decrepit state of the Philippines today, is an enormous shame.

Pragmatically, the orthography relating to the Philippines and Filipinos is a valid issue. Just in the case of the Internet, to gather information on the Philippines there could be searches for: Philippines, Philippine, Phillippines, Phillipines, Filipines, Filipino, Filipina, Filipinos, Philippino, Philippinos, Phillippinos, Pilipino, etc., not to mention colloquialisms such as 'Pinoy.' In contrast, just 'Japan' and 'Japanese' soundly cover the country and people and language of that nation.

'Philippine Islands' is also an embarrassment. Makes the country sound as though the Philippines were a Pacific Island country. While Polynesia should not be disrespected, Polynesia doesn't get that much respect, either. The Philippines is a nation of almost 100 million. Tourism can't provide for all, and the people of tourist countries generally aren't greatly admired. (Yeah, yeah. People should be admired on the basis of individual merit; unfortunately, the world doesn't work that way, and nationalities are lumped together and stereotyped.)

A name change for the Philippines will not suddenly turn the country into a developed state. However, a name change will be more beneficial than just being the 'Philippines', if only for the greater ease for potential investors looking for information about [the former Philippines]* along with the moral boost from an indigenous name.

Also of note, the main indigenous language of the Philippines, Tagalog, doesn't even have the 'f' phoneme, and as with many East Asian languages, 'L' and 'R' sound similar and closer to 'R'. Apparently such is the case with many of the Philippines' myriad indigenous languages. How lame is having a country whose name much of the country cannot properly pronounce?

*
Filipinos should choose a name that is: no more than three syllables; of short length in terms of letters (around 5-8); easy to spell and have basically one sensible way to spell; and be relevant to the [former Filipinos] especially pre-colonially relevant. Similarly, there should be only one spelling for the people and language (or one for both, i.e. Chinese [people] and Chinese [language]). Look at the names of the major countries of the world, and you will see a trend for short compactness. Even exceptions such as the United States of America or the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) often are shortened, to USA or UK, for instance.

LINKS

"Name Change for the Philippines" (AsianWeek--chose this title for the post before reading article).

A rational name change would make accessing information about the Philippines easier for foreigner investors, ordinary foreigners interested in the Philippines, and Filipinos themselves. Additionally, a suitable name change could help promote social unity and national pride/confidence--both grossly lacking among Filipinos--separate from colonial history for the Filipino people.

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Has Kim Bought the Farm?

Has North Korean President, Kim Jong-il, bought the farm? Is he dead?

There are varying reports on his condition, depending on the source. The North Koreans, unsurprisingly, are stating that things are basically normal. South Korea has reported that Kim has had a stroke, but is still alive. The Japanese, and at least one Chinese official, have stated that Kim has been having seizures.

One thing many agree on is that Kim Jong-il has not named a new leader to succeed him should he die or be incapacitated.

If Kim croaks and there is a power struggle among the elite to become the next Dear Leader, then that could be an opportunity for 'hard diplomacy' on the part of the United States to get North Korea to either transform into something resembling China or Vietnam, or to push for a complete overthrow of Communist authoritarian rule.

Alternatively, oppressed North Koreans could see a chance for revolution, in which case things will be even more precarious as the leadership tries to hold onto power.

If somehow North Korea collapses, and is then reunified with South Korea. The geopolitical ramifications for East Asia would be huge.

For starters, Korea (run by South Korea) would be in charge of developing a massive portion of their country. The Korean economy and development could stagnate as the South struggles to bring the North up to speed, similar to what has happened with West and East Germany after the reunification of that country. Korea's investment would be directed more internally and domestically rather than among its neighbors in the region.

Similarly, Japan and China would divert investment into the former North Korea. Both because neither want a poor and democratic, and thus potentially riotous, neighbor in the region. As with Zimbabwe's effect on southern Africa, North Korea dragging down Korea could make all Northeast Asia seem unattractive (though considering Japan's traditional clout and China's growing strength this is not such a threat).

However, as Northeast Asia diverts more attention to [North] Korea, Southeast Asia could be even more sidelined in terms of investment from the wealthier Northeast Asian. For some countries, such as the Philippines, in which the West is generally reluctant to invest, the loss of Northeast Asian investment would have a major impact on the development of Southeast Asia.

However, and upside would be that a unified Korea would entail that their would then be only one international pariah in East Asia. Burma.

With North Korea no longer a source of global scorn, pressure will be put more on Burma to reform, not least among Burma's fellow ASEAN states. With both North Korea and Burma reformed, work toward both Southeast Asian and East Asian economic integration could pick up speed.

LINKS

"Doubts mount over N Korea's Kim" (BBC)

For instance, currently the EU is unwilling to negotiate a free trade agreement with ASEAN--because Burma is a member of the Association. North Korea is also subject to trade embargos. With North Korea annexed by South Korea, and with Burma's junta overthrown, there would be less impediment for East Asia, Northeast and Southeast, forming an economic union which would promote free trade in the region, along with forming a strong negotiating position to create trade deals with other countries or trade blocs.

A lot is riding on what will happen after Kim Jong-il.

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Beijing Olympics: The Commercials

About the American commercials for the 2008 Beijing Olympics:

The Good

The Coca-Cola commercial with the cartoon birds stealing drinking straws to make a similitude of the Chinese Bird's Nest stadium. The birds are cute, and the message is not all that bad, either.

The Bad

Oreo's train commercial with two children who mimic each other, with the message being the commonality of Mankind. The audience is supposed to automatically conclude that the 'white' child is an American (Oreo is supposed to be 'America's favorite cookie,' after all) while the 'yellow' child is Chinese. The 'white' child could easily be Irish, Canadian, or some other nationality while the 'yellow' child could easily be the American. Neither child (nor parent) speaks in the commercial, so nationality cannot be determined by accent or language. Solely 'race' is used to assign nationality: Americans are 'white;' and the foreigner is the 'yellow' child. The makers of 'America's favorite' cookie ought to find out that America is not all 'white.'

The Ugly

Basically any of the United Airlines commercials, especially the marine orchestra and black and white to color ones. Hideous. Too much frilly-ness and weirdness.

Other Mentionables

General Electric's crane takeoff and rural China commercials. The baby turtles were cute, and the two 'Chinese' protagonists weren't stereotyped and were attractive (the guy was so not Han Chinese, and obviously ethnically Korean). Doesn't do justice to the India version, where they just get a dorky magical doctor. The McDonald's loser soccer team commercial was decent. Then there was Budweiser's identity crisis. 'The great American lager.' Budweiser's 'American Ale.' Is Budweiser wondering whether 'hardworking Americans' will abandon their company after the takeover? Budweiser, the great American lager? Are you referring to Budweiser, the mediocre Belgian beer? The Ellis Island conservation commercial was lame: who actually believes that the greatest thing for Phelp's is to be an American? Phelps won eight medals for Phelps, and he didn't even sing the national anthem.

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Beijing Olympics: The Closing Ceremony

Not bad. That describes the Closing Ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

As with the starting ceremony, this one made liberal use of many people working either together or in unison. The light-studded little green men made another appearance.

Although there were glimmers of it in the starting ceremony--notably in the dresses of the guides in the Parade of Nations (the people who carried the signs with the countries' names on them)--the closing ceremony drew a lot from the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, or as NBC calls it, Torino. The uniforms of the drummers, along with their 'speedy' looking bicycle helmets evoked those previous Olympics, as did the almost-nudists, with both having a similitude to the Italians' dancing 'skinless man.'

The London performance part (as the British capital is set to be the site of the 2012 Olympics) was practically a cultural death scream. A sign of Britain and Europe falling more and more into irrelevance. Still, Beckham almost knocking off the head of a Japanese athlete with a kicked soccer ball, which also flustered Chinese volunteers who had difficulty catching the sporty projectile, was interesting, and offset Leona Lewis and some old fart's screeched-out 'song.'

The closing ceremony was not as great as the starting ceremony, but--as stated--the Chinese ending of their Olympics was not bad.

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Beijing Olympics: ASEAN Should Send a Single Team to the Olympics

ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, should send a single, unified team to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, and especially to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom.

ASEAN supposedly has the goal of forming an EU-style union from ASEAN's current ten members by the year 2015. To achieve support for that goal, the governments of ASEAN's member states have to work much harder to instill as sense of comraderie among Southeast Asians. As is, there is not much Southeast Asian solidarity, and countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia are already struggling with forming a common ethnicity within their own lands. Having a single, ASEAN team at the Olympics would go some ways toward forming a single ASEAN ethnicity. Thais, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Indonesians, Singaporeans would all be rooting for ASEAN to win. When ASEAN wins, they feel that they've won; when ASEAN loses, they feel that they've lost. By having one team for all the ten member states of ASEAN, ASEAN can become a stronger ideal for the average Southeast Asian citizen.

One single Olympic team for ASEAN would also boost the odds of ASEAN winning a fair amount of medals. The total ASEAN population numbers around 600 million people. The largest single state in ASEAN, Indonesia, has only around 250 million people. By sheer dint of numbers, with 600 million people, ASEAN should be able to win a fair amount of medals, even gold. To date, even the most successful Southeast Asian nations have only a few medals to their names.

However, the advantage of a unified, ASEAN Olympic team is that it would also allow for Southeast Asian athletes who show potential to train in the most advanced athletics facilities in Southeast Asia, alongside the top athletes in Southeast Asia, and be coached by the top coaches in Southeast Asia. The talent from across the region can be consolidated into a few sports centers.

Alternatively, ASEAN athletes who show potential can be sent to other countries to work on their sport, in a similar fashion to what many African and Caribbean countries do by having many of their athletes emigrate to the United States. ASEAN athletes can be sent to the United States or, closer to home, Australia. Yet, Singapore has decent sporting facilities in several fields, so at least some of the ASEAN athletes can be 'home-grown.'

Ultimately, from a pragmatical standpoint, a country winning some medals is fairly irrelevant. Zimbabwe's gold medals will not turn Zimbabwe into a developed country by themselves. Nor will China's medal haul turn the People's Republic automatically into a superpower.

But having Olympics medals do bring a nation pride, and ASEAN--both as a group and as individual states--can use some of that. They also put a country on the map, if only temporarily. There could be many people looking up Jamaica around the world in recent days.

There is also precedent. In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the now-independent former Soviet Republics sent a single team to the Olympics. North Korea and South Korea have had a single, unified Olympic team, too. And several prominent Europeans have suggested that the European Union should send one team representing the EU to the Olympics.

So, for the nationalism they bring, for the pride they bring, the governments and peoples of Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam should consider pooling their resources and talent, and send a single, unified, ASEAN team to future Olympics.

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Beijing Olympics: 10m Platform Diving: Unfair Scoring for Wang Xin

In the 10m diving Olympics competition, the judges, and NBC analyst were far too lenient on Chinese diver Wang Xin. This poor judgment was due to their not recognizing bad entries into the water by Wang. On at least two dives, the entry was quite bad, and a splash was made. However, the splash was not big, and went largely unnoticed by the judges. Both the judges and NBC analyst did not take into account Wang's height, weight, and build. If Wang landed flat on her stomach, the splash made would be less than more vertical splashes made by bigger, more robust, divers. Or conversely, if Wang was of roughly the same build as many of the non-Asian divers, on at least two of the dives, there would have been big splashes. The judges are judging diving skill, not who is thinner and more emaciated. They should be able to recognize how a big splash from a skinny, small diver looks, and judge accordingly, giving an equal score as an equivalent entry by a bigger diver whose splash would be larger, simply because of having a stockier build. Wang Xin did not deserve bronze.

Chen Roulin did, however, deserve gold. Chen's performance was superb, and showed that more thickly-built people can make smaller splashes than smaller people, with sufficient skill. But Wang received too high scores for diving entries which on other divers would have received fewer points.

LINKS

Watch the diving competition, and notice the splashes.

On a side note, in the men's beach volleyball competition, the Brazilian fans were extraordinarily badly behaved, booing the Americans on almost every serve by that team--and they did seem to rattle Dallhauser. The team players themselves acted typically Latin American, crying wolf over supposed faults excessively in the hopes of an advantage. Fortunately, the Italian referee was sane, and did not act on one of Latin America's most foolish cultural traits.

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A Case for Federalism in the Philippines (Cha-cha).

Reasons why the Philippines should accept Charter Change, 'Cha-cha', and adopt a federal form of government:

The Senate

Under the current plans for federalism, the Philippines will be divided into eleven states. One reason why this is a good idea is that Senators will be chosen to represent, and be elected by, individual regions of the Philippines. Currently, Senators are elected at a nation-wide level, and as a result of this and: the Philippines' geography of being an archipelago of islands (difficulty with traveling between them); ethnic diversity within the Philippines with multiple languages; and the Philippines' low development status, Senators are largely celebrities or relatives in famous Filipino families, and part of the Filipino aristocracy.

If Cha-cha is even roughly based on the American model, then Senators will be voted from each state. Especially notable is that each Senator will have to live in his state, for several years before seeking election. The Manila-based aristocracy could be a tad reluctant to live in poorer parts of the Philippines. A Senator from, type, MINDANAO, would have a greater interest in seeing that the violence in the region stops and that more of an effort to develop his state is put in place by Manila, since his property and life would be at risk. So, if Senators are voted locally and by their own people, they will have more of an interest in developing the state in which they reside. More development in a state, the more safety--because people will have decently paying jobs and tax money will be used more efficiently. The more safety and development, the more wealth (pride for the Senator who gets to boast of how great his state is), and greater clout for the state (and Senator) in Congress (because more people will move there, and the economic impact of the state will be larger). Senators won't just be some rich brats who are practically clueless about what is occurring in far-flung parts of the country, and frankly just have the job for the perks. Instead, the Senators would be drawn from the local populations. The state electorates would stand a greater chance of actually knowing the politician they're voting into office, and the Senator would be directly accountable to his electorate, and would live among them. He'd have pressure on him to deliver. So the Senate would be staffed by people who actually have something to gain or lose depending on how much effort they put into serving the interests of their state.

Shutting up the Muslims

Actually reluctant about this, because judging from global conflicts, Muslims seem to respond to greater autonomy in separatist struggles by deluding themselves into believing their violence was the source of victory, and they then just fight more violently and for more land. That stated, federalism in the Philippines would make the Mindanao Muslims more responsible for their states' development. And hopefully, given that Southeast Asian Muslims tend to be more peaceful than their Arab counterparts, a Muslim majority state in Mindanao will actually bring peace and not more bloodshed. And any majority Muslim Philippine state would still be bound by the rights of all Filipinos to freely worship as they choose. So NO enforcement of sharia involuntarily in any area of life.

(Other) Corruption

Along with the corruption from the Senators--a big issue in the Philippines--being curtailed by federalism, as stated above, federalism will hamper corruption in general, too. States where there is more corruption will perform more poorly (taking into account things such as population, resources, potential, etc.) than states in which there is less corruption. Less corrupt states will attract more business, more people, and have more developed road, water, electrical, rail, etc. systems because taxes will actually be spent on public projects. Corrupt states will lose business, have bad roads, electricity, etc., and because of the loss of business--and population as people migrate to more developed states (free and completely legal migration between states, as opposed to international migration from the Philippines to another country)--corrupt states will receive less and less tax money. Less tax money would lead to less income for corrupt politicians and officials lining their pockets with taxpayers' pesos. Tack onto this that the electorates of badly performing states will demand progress and the same developmental status as the more advanced states. Eventually, corrupt state officials will be forced to clamp down on corruption if they want to make any money, and will have more incentive to reduce corruption in their state. They won't be able to blame far-off Manila as much; the state governments will be more accountable.

LINKS

"Solon stresses PGMA's advocacy on federalism is not...." "Renewed calls for Charter Change not...." "Senate resolution on Charter Change caught Malacanang by surprise" "Palace distances from Charter change issue"

Arroyo's Term

Some have argued that federalism will allow President Arroyo to remain in office longer. Personally don't see this, but even if that is the case, so what? Under Arroyo, the Philippine government has undertaken massive and necessary tax reform which has brought more money into the government so that the government can spend more on much-needed roads, energy, sanitation, and other construction projects. And even with the fishy Internet network deal with China, Arroyo is definitely no more corrupt than many of the Filipino Senators. Even if federalism gives Arroyo a few more years, the benefit of a federal Philippines more than makes up for a little more of Arroyo (by a long shot).


So, in conclusion......

Actually would support Arroyo's apparently earlier vision of a Philippines with a parliamentary, unicameral system of government moreso than federalism*, but as that no longer seems to be a choice, federalism in the Philippines is still a huge step up from the current system which makes it far too easy for politicians and government workers to be corrupt or incompetent (or both) and drive the Philippine economy and development into the ground. Federalism provides the opportunity for a more locally-attuned and locally-driven Philippines where officials will be held more accountable for how they govern.

*Even more than a unicameral legislature, would especially support the Philippines ditching democracy altogether and becoming an authoritarian society until the country is developed. But fat chance of that happening.
wall.

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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Africa.
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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

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Beijing Olympics: NBC Sucks

NBC sucks. The sole American broadcaster of the Beijing Olympics has advertised that they will be showing video of the Olympics on the Internet for the duration of the games. For a while, this was the case. Video could be watched, with relatively few hindrances. There were some, such as delaying showing the starting ceremony, and they also do not show live other big parts of the Olympics because there is still more revenue to be won from television advertisements than Internet ones. Still, by and large, NBC was tolerable as the exclusive provider of the Olympics to Americans (legally).

But now they've gone to far. They've made deals with cable and satellite television companies, and today restrict access to (at least old) Olympic coverage to subscribers of those cable and satellite television providers.

This is in contrast to Britons, who receive Olympics coverage from the BBC for free (although they pay for the BBC through taxes when they buy televisions), including on the Internet.

Now, you can illegally watch the Olympics on the Internet if you are an American without cable or satellite television, but that would be illegal, and some Americans still consider illegality a crime. So NBC is even more disgusting for those people.

Not only do commercials cut out parts of the Olympics, but now the NBC leadership is gouging their audience to try to boost their ratings--to an excessive degree. There is a similar thing with hulu.com, run jointly by NBC and FOX. Rupert Murdoch gets slimed for being an evil capitalist, and yet even a mild familiarity with hulu.com will show that by-and-far NBC is the most stingy and restrictive of the two. FOX by comparison is downright generous.

NBC should be punished, and should lose the exclusive license to show the Olympics to Americans.

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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

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Beijing Olympics: Gymnastics: America Syndrome?

In the Athens Olympics, widely held to be a major contender for gold medal in the field of gymnastics, did not win after the Chinese team imploded. A single fault by a single gymnast snowballed into more faults by both that individual and that gymnast's teammates. In the United States, this athletic implosion was dubbed 'China Syndrome' to describe how the Chinese team fell apart after the team members lost confidence in themselves.

In Beijing, it was the United States' turn for an 'America Syndrome.'

For both the women and men, the American team had a single fault which then spilled over into enough to knock the American women into second place, while the men won bronze. In notable contrast to Athens, the Chinese team made some flaws, but were not perturbed enough by them to implode. They obviously have learned from their Athens experience, and have triumphed in Beijing.

On a sidenote, Tim Daggett is difficult to listen to, as an American. Of the Olympics gymnastics analysts, he seems to be the most realistic, yet gets under the skin by seeming to poo-poo the American team while promoting the other--particularly Chinese--team. Quite un-American. Personally can 'sympathize', though as also then to have a similar attitude. Be realistic, even if others don't want to hear.

LINKS

Watch the Women's Gymnastics Team Final Watch the Men's Gymnastics Team Final "NBC Sucks"

Now the Americans have to learn how to cope with faults and not let them destroy confidence into themselves. And emulate the Chinese and make this 'America Syndrome' a one Olympic phenomenon. Hopefully in the London Games, Team USA does not let a single fault do them in. And, to be fair, for the men, they lost the Hamm twins, two of America's top gymnasts. That they got a bronze was actually somewhat impressive.

And take into account, for all the stirred up rivalry between China and America, and the Chinese thrashing the Americans in gold medal rankings, the Olympics are just an athletic competition. While symbolic, they do not necessarily represent in themselves China's coming usurpation of America's role as premiere global superpower. When China's economy surpasses the United State's, and then their military strength, and then their technology, followed by their worldwide cultural influence, then China will have beaten America in a major competition. Not before, with or without 'China Syndrome' or 'America Syndrome'.

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Beijing Olympics: The starting Ceremony

The starting ceremony was SPECTACULAR*.

Hands down, the ceremony was the top Olympics starting ceremony personally have seen. The Chinese went all out, and the ceremony showed that. This was long slated as China's 'coming out party' to the world, where China showed the world that China had arrived, and had reemerged as a (or the) global power. The ceremony masterfully tried to strike a balance between reassuring the world that China is a friend while also straightly demonstrating that China has traditionally been, and is, one of the greatest countries on the planet. As such, the propagandistic elements of the ceremony did not disappoint. However, there were also quite a few surprises, too.

Great job, China.

Propaganda
The ceremony was obviously a work of propaganda, but an enormously greatly crafted piece. Almost similar to Japan at the World Fair, the China performance displayed a China which sought to be a peaceful friend to the world, a threat to no other country. The performers enthusiastically greeted the foreigners in the drum segment. The movable type people showed that Chinese people can be as warm and friendly as any other people, and not repressively cold, something Chinese believe Westerners believe about them.

Parading the 'ethnic minorities' was smart, given the controversy over Tibet and human rights failings, as was giving prominence to the Sichuan earthquake. Having the Sichuan boy in the Parade of Nations was not dissimilar to the Americans carrying the September 11 flag at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

Who wants to bet that Chinese media told the Chinese audience to applaud and greet with enthusiasm the UK, United States, and especially France? Returning antagonism with friendliness. Granted, the Chinese actually seem less anti-American than the Indians; and the applause for Iraq was kind of them, though whether this was supportive of the American effort or out of sympathy for the 'poor, occupied country' is debatable.

The lighting of the torch, too, was smart. The long scroll of Chinese history, and the long race of the Chinese people culminating up to this moment; quite touching. And the crowning achievement for that segment: showing the videos of the torch relay around the world, and putting to shame those who protested during the relays. While they were hurling hatred at China, the Chinese were collecting video to show the inclusion and common togetherness of all humanity. That the Olympics are for the world, and world played a part in the arrival of these Olympics. Playing the victim--excellent.

Surprises
There were also many surprises, however, which definitely bucked the propagandistic trend, though they could have simply been propaganda for domestic--rather than foreign--consumption. And the Chinese could be dually applauded and scrutinized for them.

To start off with, the drummers. Awesome would be the term to describe them--both the modern and old connotations.

The countdown from ten in both Arabic and Chinese numerals, was poignant, one of several features which boldly reminded people that China has been a developed and advanced nation longer than any other surviving one, and that there's a reason why there was a West. Because there was a matching East, and China traditionally was the main player in the East.

The foreignness of that segment, with the people with red lines running down their foreheads, and yelling in strange, high-pitched foreign words, had to make at least a few Westerners feel somewhat odd. One thing's for sure: those (mainly mainland European) Westerners so eager for China to usurp the global reins of power from the evil United States had to be a little put off by the bewildering exoticism and the realization that Chinese culture is still largely distinct from Western cultures. The evil United States is at least comprehensible and understandable.

But kudos to the Chinese. Considering they used to try to get rid of much of their pre-Communist, pre-modern culture, this Olympics has demonstrated a resurgence of traditional Chinese culture, and a China proud of its imperial history. At one point, the Communists went so far as to consider replacing the character system with the Roman alphabet (they opted for Simplified Chinese, instead). You should note that the Chinese national anthem is played using the Western eight-note octave system, rather than the traditional ten-note Chinese one. So, this ceremony demonstrated the resurgence of and respect for traditions, Confucianism and parts of Chinese history which the Communist Party used to discourage.

There were also things which did play into Western stereotypes about East Asians, and Chinese in particular.

Firstly, the massive numbers of drummers (and, later, other performers). China's huge population is what [peturbs] the West the most about China; the Chinese population is larger than that of the whole developed West. Seeing a bunch of Chinese banging drums (at least in the West commonly associated with war), had to be a bit perturbing to many Westerners.

Secondly, the precision with which the Chinese performed played into the stereotype of Asians being human automatons.

This was combined with the high degree of coordination, bringing up the idea of Chinese robots working in unison.

During the drumming, and at most parts of the artistic segment, the performers strikingly conveyed the idea of the preeminence of the collective over the individual. The Chinese worked as a group, as one comprised of many, working for the whole. This collectivism, while not necessarily being bad, is at odds with the cherished Western and American concept of individualism, individuality often taking preeminence over the group.

Even their T'ang Dynasty portion was bold, in showing the benefits of foreign contact--but foreign contact with India and Asia, not the West. In contrast, at least from what NBC showed, contributions of the West to China, including Communism, did not make a major appearance.

In tune with this, and sort of calling American President Bush's 'bluff' about how China should respect the freedom of religion, the ceremony demonstrated respect for two religions.... Buddhism and Taoism, both of which have a long history in Han China, and are not considered the threat Christianity is. Bush should use all religions if he wants to be clear.

The Americans
Bob Costas, with Lauer and NBC's China analyst beside him, came across as ignorant, and even quite rude, both toward the Chinese, and also to other nations, more than once somewhat mocking the garb of some countries. The little bit about the Chinese soldier carrying the Olympic flag was uncalled for (the earlier statement about the child and the soldier for the Chinese flag was more valid, though). Basically all home countries in every Olympics use soldiers to raise the flags; Bob Costas, who has been the main anchor for the Olympics for years, ought to know this.

President Bush's attendance is also notable. Apparently no sitting American President before Bush has attended an Olympics in a foreign country. That Bush did so for China demonstrates American recognition as China as a major power, and as the primary candidate to unseat the United States.

Once again, Team USA's uniforms were stupid. Enough with the lame hats, already. Now they're golfing hats rather than berets, but still. If Americans has to have hats, how about actually American hats? And the blazer and slacks combo was not all that impressive considering practically all nations used that. The fashion award would go to Sweden, whose Chinese-influenced dress paid homage to the home country and gave the Swedes a way to fashionably cool themselves (with East Asian style fans displaying the Swedish flag).

LINKS

Watch (part?) of the starting ceremony

Whether or not the ceremony had an effect in dispelling [peturbance] of China or creating more of it is yet to be seen. A goal of these Olympics was to show that China is modern country, a twenty-first century country. The thing is, that is largely not disputed. Many are ready to acknowledge than China is modern, that today China is a world power, and even that China can surpass the United States in overall power before the dawn of the twenty-second century. What's getting people's attention is whether China will emerge as a good superpower, or whether China will emulate the old West--and with a larger, more unified population than the West--and conquer and oppress, even slaughter, much of the world.

And it's going to take far more than a spectacular starting ceremony for the Olympics to answer that question.

*In the earlier post, guessed that NBC would be showing online live the starting ceremony. Such was not the case. NBC's executives were greedy, and some major Olympic shows will not first be shown on television.

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Beijing Olympics: How to watch the 2008 Olympics starting Ceremonies live

NBC apparently is streaming Olympics coverage live from Beijing, including the starting ceremonies at: http://www.nbcolympics.com/.

LINKS

nbcolympics.com

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The Economist hates the Philippines

The widely read and respected British newspaper, "The Economist" seems to hate the Philippines. Although the newspaper, more of a magazine by American standards, rarely has articles devoted to the country, when it does cover the Philippines, the articles usually contain undue criticism of the Southeast Asian nation. While the Philippines most definitely deserves plenty of criticism, "The Economist" goes too far in its obviously low opinion of Asia's oldest democratic state.

The Philippines is not completely pathetic.

For instance, "The Economist" seems to believe that the Philippines is "perennially unstable", and wracked by frequent coups.

Now, while there's some validity to the general feel of that statement, the statement is actually inaccurate. The Philippines is not politically unstable. The state apparatus has not been overthrown. As for coups, while there have been several attempted coups, there have only been two 'successes,' which ousted Presidents Marcos and Estrada. In contrast, Thailand, which "The Economist" seems to generally respect, has almost cyclically gone from military coup, to democracy, to military coup, the most recent being last year.

There is a similar story for corruption. The Philippine government and economy is hugely ridden with corruption. And polls have shown that the Philippines is perceived as the most corrupt major country in all East Asia. Yet in reality, the Philippines' neighbor, Vietnam, is also saddled by corruption, but that is not a deterrent to investors, and Vietnam is not perceived to be nearly as corrupt as the Philippines.

In the same vein, for the last few years, Vietnam and the Philippines have both posted roughly equal GDP growth. Yet while Vietnam's advance is hailed as an economic miracle, and Vietnam is commonly touted as the up-and-coming Asian state for foreign investment, the Philippines is still looked upon as a failure, and an FDI risk.

"The Economist" opinion:

[Thailand] "risks becoming one of those perennially unstable, tragi-comic countries, such as the Philippines, which the outside world overlooks". -The Economist, May 31, 2008.

But more specifically to "The Economist."

"The Economist" believes that the Philippines has high unemployment. While higher than the United States, "Forbes.com" reports that the Philippine unemployment rate is around 7%, bad but not downright disastrous, especially for a developing country.

Even when reporting something the Philippines has going for it, such as 2007's GDP growth rate of over 7%, "The Economist" has to (unnecessarily) add something to demonstrate the scorn the weekly has for the country, as the article, "Credibility deficit" shows.

That article could also hold some clues as to the reason for "The Economist's" contempt and ire for the Philippines. Firstly, the Philippines used to be the second largest economy in East Asia, excluding the USSR, after Japan. However, soon after Marcos took office, the Philippine economic growth almost stopped, and now the Philippines is one of the poorest countries in Asia. (Note: Marcos wasn't solely to blame; the Philippines had developmental disaster coming based on groundwork laid during the Spanish colonial era, when the Filipino aristocracy and clergy were put in charge of vast land holdings.)

The second reason could have to do with Filipinos directly. As the title of the article intimates, too many Filipinos seem to exhibit a "credibility deficit." That is to type, they are dishonest--not necessarily intentional, but they end up that way. Such is largely the case because there is also the tendency for Filipinos (at least on the Internet) to overly romanticize, sensationalize, and be melodramatic about things. A quick look at many of the Philippines related entries on Wikipedia would speedily show that that is the case. Having to sift out what is real about the Philippines is difficult, not dissimilar to how Afrocentrists shoot themselves in the feet by topping off some facts with loads of fantasies. In contrast to "The Economist," people on Wikipedia make out the Philippines to be far greater than the nation actually is, and therefore throw into doubt some factual and impressive things about the Philippines. A few bad apples spoil the barrel.

The Philippines has a lot going badly. The Philippines is a poor country, even by Southeast Asian standards. Too much land is in the hands of the de facto aristocracy, and there is far too little of the land redistribution which is so necessary if the Philippines is to become a developed country within the next century. The same aristocracy is in charge of the government which is so incompetent and corrupt that economic growth is retarded. The Philippines needs new roads, railways, ports, power plants, sewers, etc. Filipinos protest and demonstrate too much, and that puts off investors, as does the excessively high minimum wage which practically drives them to much cheaper neighbors, China and Vietnam. (Which is why Philippine industry is comparably so small and heavily concentrated in the more expensive fields of electronics and semiconductors--which pay more, but offer fewer jobs than, say, the garment or toy manufacturing industries.) The Philippines is screwed up in so many ways, and is in an extremely cruddy position, especially given the fact that the republic used to be one of the wealthiest in the continent. That is not up for debate at all (except for some of those deluded 'sensationalist' Filipinos such as those Wikipedians).

LINKS

An unfair comparison between Thailand and the Philippines. "South-East Asia's migrant workers" "#91 Philippines - Forbes.com" "Credibility deficit" Archival list about the Philippines "Country Briefing" for the Philippines Send a message to letters@economist.com

What is being contested is that "The Economist" is being unduly unfair to the Philippines, reporting on the country of some 90 million people (more than Germany, with more people and a larger economy than Vietnam) so infrequently, and when mentioned, the nation gets at most a half a page of criticism. (For comparison, Palestine gets an article almost every other week.) The Philippine economy does have some things going for it. "The Economist" should consider mentioning those once and a while.

This article does not fully illustrate the blatant prejudice "The Economist" has against the Philippines (and, interestingly, India). This post isn't exactly of the highest quality. Therefore, for interested readers, you should look at this archived list of Philippines' related articles. You don't have to read much to see the rather antagonist trend.

Although "The Economist" no longer is heavily based on economics--the newspaper has more of a geography/ethicist flavor nowadays--and most economists and investors worth their salt would not invest solely based on the opinions expressed, "The Economist" is still a respected publication, and is still used by some investors to make investment decisions. As such, their contempt and dismissal of the Philippines could prevent some people who would otherwise invest in the island nation.

If you agree that "The Economist" ought to not overlook the Philippines--as "The Economist" erroneously believes the world does--then here's a suggestion: You can send a message to "The Economist" and ask (or demand) that they report more often and in greater length on the Philippines, and include the good with the bad, along with actually making some constructive suggestions on how the Philippines can speed up economic development. The link is the last in the LINKS list, the one in red. If enough people send messages, "The Economist" could be pressured to alter its opinions about the Philippines.

------
[UPDATE]: Readers should now be able to send a message to "The Economist." Stupidly guessed at the proper HTML necessary.

Another thing is security, with "The Economist" giving the Philippines extremely low scores for security due to the violence in Mindanao. Yet what about great China, with not only separatism in Xinjiang, but also frequent riots due to local corruption and oppression? What about southern Thailand, or Indonesia? Or even Brazil, which has plenty of violent crime? And Mindanao is on an island. Xinjiang, southern Thailand, etc. are on the mainland. Investors can invest in Luzon or the Visayas, two other regions of the Philippines located on separate islands from Mindanao, without too much security risk. Crossing water is usually more difficult than crossing land. The Philippines should not have a score of 'E', at least if those other countries do not also have similar rankings. The Philippines is just a bit more vocal and expressive in displaying unrest than those others, a downside of free democracy.

And on their 'country briefing' webpage, the map is inaccurate, showing Sabah as being Indonesia. Trying to push the Philippines even further out into the ocean?

On a sidenote, at least the Philippines seems to be trading more with other East Asian countries, especially China, rather than with the United States and Europe. Transporting products across continents costs more money than shipping to neighbors, after all (although arguably the developed West would be willing to pay more....). The Philippines' recent economic growth is tied to growth in trade and investment by and into the country's fellow East Asian states.

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Prime Minister Mayawati? Is the Obama Factor already taking effect?

Finally, a blog post on the topic of India. Yes, South Asia is also covered by this blog.

India is an ancient country which, whether Indians want to acknowledge it or not, is plagued by caste based racism. India's political and (especially) business leadership is largely headed by members of the upper castes. Meanwhile, those from lower castes or dalits (formerly 'untouchables,' and not even warranting a caste they are considered to be so low) tend to be more represented in menial jobs than their percentage of the population would suggest. As in all countries with racism--which is all of them--racial prejudice and discrimination are at the highest levels in the rural and less developed regions of the country.

Which makes it all the more surprising that Uttar Pradesh, the poorest state in India, has elected into the state government a dalit. And not only that, but that dalit leader, Mayawati, is being tipped by some as the next prime minister (which in India is the top political position) of all India.

Kanpur is the largest city in the Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati has risen to power rapidly in the state, and her Bahujan Samaj is making headway in other Indian states, too. So, does Mayawati stand a chance of becoming Indian Prime Minister?

There are several things in Mayawati's support. For one, Mayawati is a shrewd and intelligent politician, and should not be underestimated on that account alone. Furthermore, Mayawati, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation, tends to increase in power during times of turmoil. If the current semi-crises in high oil and food prices don't abate, India will have plenty of turmoil.

Then there is the question of the 'Obama Factor.' The United States, for the first time in that country's history, has a 'black' man as a major contender for the Presidency. As 'blacks' are generally to the United States what dalits are to India--at least from a historical point of view--the United States, via Obama, could be taking the lead in changing nations' perceptions of their downtrodden racial groups.

Now the fact should be pointed out that Mayawati rose to power in Uttar Pradesh before Obama became big and popular on a global scale. However, the Indian politician's success across India has come more recently.

LINKS

Relevant BBC article Bahujan Samaj Government of Uttar Pradesh

In any case, if the United States has to have Obama as President, then changing attitudes to 'race' could be one advantage an Obama Presidency would bring. Ushering in a new era where 'even' a dalit, an untouchable, can become the preeminent politician in India.

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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

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Rice Is Bad.

East Asians eat too much rice. In the poorer segments of East Asian society, this is bad, as people will often forgo more nutritious foods such as vegetables or other grains simply so that they can buy enough rice. This condition is increasing as the price of rice has risen due to Cyclone Nargis in Burma, crop failures in Australia, and increased demand in India and China. The rise in the price of oil and fertilizer also has bumped up the prices of many crops besides rice. And so poor Asians are trying hard to obtain more of their traditional staple. However, many are forgoing consuming far more beneficial foods than rice simply so that they can eat this almost useless grain.

Rice, far more costly than it is worth.

Such is the case in this Indonesian situation (great article, worth reading). The article tells of how people on the Indonesian island of Lombok have extremely fertile soil, and can grow a number of vegetable and starch crops, but are selling those crops to buy rice for their people, including their children. While the children receive enough carbohydrates from the rice, they are malnourished because they are not receiving enough vitamins and minerals--which they could easily obtain if they would just eat the food growing around them. The article points out that the consumption of rice is so ingrained in the culture the people feel that eating rice is necessary. Other stories mention how people do not feel full if rice is not a part of their meal. That ingrained cultural trait has to change, not only in Indonesia, but in all of East and South Asia.

The fact is, the primary reason rice is grown and consumed is because it was originally one of the most successful crops capable of feeding many people. But it is far from nutritious, even compared to other grains or starch crops.

This nutrient profile for a cup of white rice shows how lacking rice is. It has almost no vitamin C or A, and is without several B vitamins. After looking at the profile for a cup's worth of dried rice (after boiling), compare the profile to that of a common white potato. The potato is the most commonly eaten type, and is itself not particularly nutritious, and yet is still leaps and bounds ahead of rice. Then there is corn, and whole wheat flour, and white flour, and cassava, and taro.

None of these would be classified as superfood, and some--such as white flour--are about as nutritionally deficient as rice. But some are a smarter choice than rice, and are cheaper and can grow in tropical environments easily, too.

Asians (and non-Asians) should eat more vegetables.

And that is not all. While some carbohydrate consumption is necessary, all carbohydrates are is basically a source of energy, to 'keep people up and running' as it were. Carbohydrates do not build muscle, do not build bone, but they do build fat. Many bodily functions require nutrients not easily obtained by a diet so heavy in rice. Vegetables and meat are necessary, and in terms of nutrients are far more valuable than rice or the other starch sources.

And that is the crux of the issue. While a daily intake of meat is out of reach for some of the poorest Asians, vegetables should not be. Most Asians eat plenty enough rice, even the poor ones. What they need are the nutrients found in vegetables. If they have to choose between vegetables and rice, and are already receiving enough carbohydrates, then they should choose the vegetables.

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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

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Reasons Why ASEAN Should Integrate.

To Economically Compete with China and India.

Individually, no member state of ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, even Indonesia, can compete with China or India, countries which have around a fifth of the world's population each. Foreign investors are drawn to the enormous market potential of China and India to the detriment of Southeast Asian nations, which are in essence overlooked. More investment brings more money with which to build more infrastructure which makes more jobs which those countries' large populations are eager to fill for low pay, which brings more investment which brings more money, etc. etc. Southeast Asia, with smaller markets and populations, is no longer part of this loop, and were unable to develop sufficiently enough in the 1980s and 1990s the way South Korea and Taiwan did to be capable of standing on their own feet without large amounts of foreign investment today.

However, if ASEAN became a fully integrated economic bloc (note, even the European Union has not attained this status yet), ASEAN would still be smaller than China and India, but would still have a much larger population than even Indonesia, with a combined population over 600 million for all ten states. The region would still straddle the strategic location between Northeast and South Asia, and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Maritime trade from Europe, Africa, South and Southwestern Asia to Northeast Asia would travel through the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, and vice versa. The region would produce enough food for all of ASEAN. Thailand and Vietnam are major rice exporters, while the Philippines and Indonesia now import the staple. Although many ASEAN states are reluctant to eradicate tariffs between themselves, being of the opinion that their neighbors would be competitors and not allies, ASEAN as a fully-integrated bloc would be able to withstand Chinese, Indian, American, and European pressure, and would be able to distribute the economic growth of all member states of the association so that all members develop.

To Stand Their Ground Against Chinese or Indian Aggression.

The benefit of a unified ASEAN has already been shown in the dispute over ownership of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. China would have been able to pressure any of the Southeast Asian contenders for all or part of the island group. However, rather than deliberating with China on an individual basis, ASEAN was chosen to deal with China--and was able to force China into a less belligerent stance.

China and India are both nuclear powers with the two largest militaries in the world which also happen to be among the most powerful militaries on Earth, too. Traditionally and so far, Southeast Asian nations' habit is to be submissive to their giant neighbors and 'not make waves.'

Yet this may not be an option in some cases. Although Vietnam was able to repel a Chinese invasion, that was when China was much poorer than today. Together, a militarily unified ASEAN could defend its members, sandwiched as they are between China and India. Even indirectly, if China and India wage war with each other, they would be bound to either try to bend Southeast Asia into becoming allies, or would be more ruthless and just try to invade Southeast Asia and use it as a staging ground from which to attack their enemy (China or India). Southeast Asia doesn't have to be pushed around if they are big enough to withstand India or China.

To Engender Internal Peace.

One of ASEAN's original goals, a more unified and integrated ASEAN would be able to erase the idea that one Southeast Asian country would wage war with another Southeast Asian country. The Philippines and Malaysia have a dispute over Sabah. Malaysia and Singapore have a dispute over an islet. Several ASEAN states have disputes over the Spratly and Paracel Islands, along with China and Taiwan. For a completely integrated ASEAN, hostilities over these disputes would be as muted as border disputes between California and Nevada or Kentucky and Tennessee.

If some Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia become radicalized, while they might be a major force in their own countries, for all of ASEAN, those Islamists would only be a minority.

A unified ASEAN could also lead to the end of the military junta in Burma, the Communist regimes in Vietnam and Laos, the autocracies in Singapore, Cambodia, Brunei, and Malaysia, and the corrupt democracies in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand. The ASEAN government could draw from the good aspects of the members--such as the efficiency and order of Singapore and the democracy of Thailand--while excising the bad aspects of the current governments. The states could draw from their collective advantages and minimize their political shortcomings.

Conclusion

The member states of ASEAN have many obstacles to overcome. They are divided by history, religion, and culture. Many of them view the others as competitors rather than partners who can mutually help each other develop. Besides Singapore, there is a general lack of interest among most ASEAN state governments for strong integration of the association. However, for the sake of all Southeast Asia, a unified ASEAN is in the interest of all ten ASEAN states: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, and Cambodia. Divided they will all be much weaker than they would be united.

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History: The Roadmap to the Future.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Africa.
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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

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The Vegetarian Diaries.

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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

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Filipinos in Agence France Press (AFP) vs. in the Associated Press (AP).

In response to the devastation Typhoon Fengshen rained down on the Philippines, the BBC has reported extensively on the natural disaster, though to a lesser extent than Cyclone Nargis in Burma or the Sichuan earthquake in China. As part of their reporting, the BBC has made many 'In Pictures' articles on both the capsized ferry along with the typhoon wrecking havoc in the Philippines in general.

What is interesting, looking through a 'racial' lens, is that the Filipinos depicted from Agence France Press (AFP) are noticeably darker than the Filipinos depicted from the Associated Press (AP). Furthermore, the Associated Press pictures contain more 'Mongoloid' looking Filipinos than does the AFP. A list of BBC 'In Pictures' articles is below. Neither the AFP nor the Associated Press permit free copying of images for commercial use--which the ads might make this website (do be a dear and look at the ads, by the way.... :-D). So a list of links will have to suffice.

So which organization is portraying Filipinos more accurately, Agence France Press (AFP) or the Associated Press (AP)? Haven't been to the Philippines before. However, Filipinos in this part of the world are not nearly as dark on average as those in the AFP pictures. Even taking into account that the Philippines is in the Tropics, this region of Earth also receives a fair amount of sunshine. And it wouldn't explain the facial features anyway. Based on personal experience, the Associated Press pictures are more accurate, though not because they 'make' Filipinos lighter skinned and more 'Mongoloid' in appearance, but because that is closer to how Filipinos in this part of the globe look, and personally have limited experience with large numbers of Filipinos (as in thousands). Note, the Associated Press does include quite darkly skinned Filipinos, it's just that they make up a smaller percentage than in the Agence France Press photographs.

Anyway, here are the 'In Pictures' links so you can make heads or tails of this for yourselves:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7470990.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7468565.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7467735.stm

plus ordinary articles with photographs or video:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7468493.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7466978.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7470492.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7466978.stm

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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

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Austronesian vs. Australoid.

There is a misconception in some quarters about the definition of the words Austronesian and Australoid (or Australian) chiefly that they are synonymous and interchangeable or that they are related to each other. In actuality, they are both distinct words.

So, to start off, their definitions:

Austronesian: of, relating to, or constituting a family of languages spoken in the area extending from Madagascar eastward through the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago to Hawaii and Easter Island and including practically all the native languages of the Pacific islands with the exception of the Australian and Papuan languages. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Australoid: of or relating to a racial group including the Australian aborigines and other peoples of southern Asia and Pacific islands (Merriam-Webster Dictionary; there wasn't a Britannica entry for Australoid).

Etymologically, term 'Austronesian' would translate into south island [adjective/noun], from austro- (south) nes (island) -ian (suffix forming an adjective or noun). Meanwhile, 'Australoid' would translate into southern, from Austra(lia)- (south) -oid (suffix forming an adjective). Australoid is essentially synonymous with Australian (Australia is 'south continent/land'), but is used to distinguish a 'racial' categorization from the nationality (which is primarily 'racially' Caucasoid). It is also used for people with physical traits similar to that of Australian Aborigines.

As words, Austronesian is no more related to Australoid than South Korea is related to South Carolina or South Africa being related to South Island (New Zealand). They both contain 'austr,' which is 'south.' They share this with Austria ('south country'), Austro-Asiatic ('south Asian'), among other words.

Confusion arises due to the belief by some that Austronesians and Australoid peoples are of the same 'race.' While this will be elaborated soon, it should be pointed out that the origin of the Austronesian ethnicities are traced to the island of Taiwan, while Australian Aborigines are from Australia. The proto-Austronesians are considered to have their origin in what is now the South Chinese mainland, and the civilization is noted for the cultivation of rice and taro, the domestication of pigs, dogs, and chickens, the making of pottery and textiles, along with their considerable seafaring capabilities with their outrigger canoes and navigation by stars. In contrast, the Australian Aborigines were a 'landlubbing' people until the arrival of Europeans in Australia.

The misunderstanding is compounded by many Austronesian peoples having either Melanesian or Melanesoid blood. Melanesians have physical characteristics that (to at least Western eyes) tend to look similar to Australian Aborigines. It should be pointed out though, that the evidence seems to show that the colonization of Australia was a one-way process. That is, highly dark skinned people with tightly curly hair colonized Australia from Asia, but the dark skinned, tightly curly haired people who make up a minority in countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia are not the descendants of Australian Aborigines. Orang Aslia/Aeta/Negrito type peoples and Australian Aborigines are considered to have been separated millennia ago, as the end of the Ice Age caused land bridges to become submerged. This division of peoples is comparable to that of Europeans, Africans, Asians, and Amerindians. The island of New Guinea also separated from Australia a few millennia ago, as did Tasmania.

It is quite conceivable that the average Malay has a small trace of Orang Asli/Aeta blood, while Polynesians have Melanesian (New Guinean) genes--and Malagasy in Madagascar have plenty of African genes. However, the typical Malay is still overwhelmingly closer genetically to Asian 'races' such as the Chinese or Vietnamese than they are to Orang Asli/Aetas. Malays in the Philippines, Malaysia, and western Indonesia would not have Melanesian blood. Neither Malays, Polynesians, nor Malagasy would be any more of Australian Aboriginal descent than Nordics or Mayans.

In conclusion, the confusion between 'Austronesian' and 'Australoid' arises primarily due to the semantic similarity between these uncommon, infrequently-used terms, along with bigotry which suggests a (apparently unflattering) genetic link between Australian Aborigines and Malayo-Polynesians.

Neither Austronesians nor Australoids nor any human 'race' in the human race deserves that.

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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

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Review of "Are Asians Racist?"

Although quite dated (1999), this Australian Broadcasting Corporation transcript of a speech titled, "Are Asians Racist?" is in general a superb first overview of East Asian racism for those unfamiliar with the subject, though it--as the speaker acknowledges--only scratches the surface on racism in Asia.

The piece accurately points out that racism is more endemic in Northeast Asia, referred to as North Asia in the piece. Also picked up on is that Japan and Korea especially can be singled out for having large levels of racism that pervades their societies. China is also mentioned in this group, but the criticism is less pointed.

In contrast, Southeast Asia is considered, in the speech, to be less racist than Northeast Asia, but also more communalist; that is, there is a fair amount of discrimination along culturally ethnic lines, rather than genetically racial ones. Malaysia is depicted as the major communalist country in the region, while Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand are portrayed as somewhat less prejudiced about ethnicity.

The speech makes note of the fact that across East Asia the group facing the most racism is that of 'blacks,' who are subject--to varying degrees--in both Northeast and Southeast Asia.

There are a few, relatively minor, inaccuracies, however. For instance, pointing to massacres of ethnic Chinese in the Philippines as being a case of communalism. While some were due to resentment of the Chinese' relative economic success (as a group) in the Philippines, a huge number of those ethnic Chinese massacred were killed because of Chinese uprising against Spanish rule (the Philippines was a Spanish possession from the 1500s to 1898). Although the ethnic Chinese might have been directly killed by Filipinos, it was on orders from Spanish officers and the Spanish colonial government. Nor were those particular massacres borne of nativist resentment against the ethnic 'foreigners,' but were the military response to insurrections which occasionally flared up in the ethnic Chinese community.

Overall, the speech was excellent, and ended on an extremely pertinent point: Asians are human, and all human groups have difficulties surrounding the concept of racism. Asians, Africans, Europeans, Amerindians, etc. all share with each other both their virtues and their disgraces.


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Filipinos Are Asian--Get Used to It.

There seems to be a common misconception in the United States and Asia, and probably--to some extent--in the rest of the world, that Filipinos are not Asian, but are instead Pacific Islanders. Ironically, major proponents of this view are so-called Filipino Americans. That Filipinos are Asian should not even be an issue that is up for debate at all. This article will try to set some things straight.

Geography


The CIA World Factbook locates the Republic of the Philippines as being in "Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the Philippines as, "country E Asia comprising the Philippine Islands; a republic; once a Spanish possession & (1898–1946) a United States possession capital Manila." The archipelago comprising the Philippines is indisputably a part of Asia. Insular Southeast Asia, to be specific. If you don't believe the map provided here, then look at a world map or a globe. The Philippines' direct northern neighbor is Taiwan, with Japan (via the Ryukyus) just a little off to the northeast. China (mainland) is to the northwest. Those are not only considered Asian, but Northeast Asian. Malaysia is to the southeast. And the Moluccas (part of Indonesia) is to Mindanao's south. The Philippines is on the eastern edge of the South China Sea, the same as with Taiwan, insular Malaysia, and Brunei. Yes, the Philippines is located on islands in the Pacific Ocean. Taiwan is an island in the Pacific Ocean. Japan is located on islands in the Pacific Ocean. Korea and China both have islands in the Pacific Ocean. And the bulk of the Southeast Asian population lives on islands in the Pacific Ocean. Yet these countries' peoples are not Pacific Islanders. Nor are the Philippines' people. Filipinos are not Pacific Islanders. From a geographic standpoint, you cannot argue that the Philippines is not a part of Asia.

Ethnicity
The typical Filipino is of the Malay ethnicity, the same as Malaysians, Indonesians, and people in Brunei. Genetically, Filipinos of Luzon (the largest and most populous island in the Philippines) have a genetic affinity with native peoples of Taiwan. In addition to the Malay majority, there are Aeta (who are Melanesoid--which is not the same as Australoid), Chinese, and European minorities.

Filipino culture is easily the most Western of all 'Eastern' countries. However, Filipinos still retain much of their pre-Spanish culture, notably the languages, ranging from Tagalog to Cebuano to Ingorot, which are closely related to languages on the island of Borneo. The Filipino cuisine, while having considerable Malay traits, is heavily Chinese influenced, for instance, lumpia. The copious use of sugar, plantains, and coconut milk in recipes ties the food of the Philippines to both mainland and insular Southeast Asia.

Now, it is the case that Philippine languages are part of the Austronesian (not be confused with Australian/Australoid) language family, which is spoken from Taiwan to Indonesia to Vietnam and Thailand to Madagascar to Hawaii. A few researchers consider Japanese, Korean, the Austro-Asiatic (Southeast Asian), Thai-Kadai, or even Sino-Tibetan languages to be related to Austronesian, either as individuals, or as a great, East Asian language family. However, the spread of this language family (and civilization) was from Asia (particularly Taiwan) to Polynesia (and Africa in the case of Madagascar), not the other way around. Saying that Filipinos are Pacific Islanders is (although the time frame is wider) akin to saying that Northeast Asians are Amerindians; you could argue that Amerindians are Northeast Asians (a stretch), but not the other way around. To use a shorter time frame, saying that Filipinos are Pacific Islanders is akin to stating that Europeans are pan-Americans, or even mestizos, depending on whether or not Polynesians have Melanesian genes; Europeans are not from the Americas, but many pan-Americans can trace their lineage to Europe. Filipinos are not from the Pacific Islands, but many Pacific Islanders can trace their lineage to (what is now) the Philippines.

Ethnically, the Filipinos are Asian.

History

Historically, the case for Filipinos being Asian is strong. The Philippines are considered to have first been settled by the ancestors of the Aetas, who came from Southeast Asia (the Aeta bear similarities to the Orang Asli of the Malay Peninsula--on mainland Asia). The bulk of the population is descended from immigrants from Taiwan, the original Austronesians, the preponderance of whom have now become to be referred to as 'Malay.' (Other Austronesian groups include the natives of Taiwan, the Cham of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, and peoples on China's Hainan Island). The ancestors of the Malay Filipinos arrived a few millennia ago, and brought with them rice cultivation and domesticated pigs, dogs, and chickens.

What is now the Philippines was part of an ancient Southeast Asian trade network in jade from Taiwan being distributed to lands in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. The advent of bronze in the Philippines (around 500BC) and the beginning of the Philippine Iron Age (around 200BC) are considered to have occurred due to contact and trade with Southeast Asia--the short time frame between the smelting of bronze and iron suggests this, along with tin--required for bronze--not being found in large quantities in the Philippines. 200BC is also when some believe first Philippine contact with Indians (from India) was achieved, and trade started. AD900 is the date of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. The writing is written in Kavi, a Javanese (Indonesian) script, which traces it lineage to Indic writing systems. Personally question the authenticity of this artifact. If genuine, then technically Philippine history would begin in AD900 (history begins when there are written records). However, when the Spanish arrived, only Tagalogs were using writing, and that writing was Baybayin (also referred to as alibata), a writing system that was not as efficient at writing down Tagalog as Kavi. Baybayin is considered to have come into existence around AD1200 at the earliest. If the artifact is authentic, then why wasn't writing more widespread when the Spaniards arrived, and why was the writing system not based directly on Kavi and capable of accurately expressing spoken Tagalog in written form?

Anyway, the first Chinese records of Filipinos (from Luzon, or Luzones) are dated to around this time, and the first written Chinese records of the Philippines a bit afterwards. By the advent of the Spanish, Sino-Philippine trade was such that the Philippines were flooded with Chinese porcelain and the Filipinos were no longer mining their own iron ore (though they still smelted and fashioned it). A note about the bad points of globalization: the Philippine pottery industry was retarded because local artisans couldn't compete with cheaper but more sophisticated Chinese ware, and importing old iron instruments or raw iron ore from China was cheaper than mining the stuff in the Philippines. Also, when the Spaniards arrived, the Philippines was in trade contact with Japan.

The Philippines traded with other Asian states and peoples since antiquity, during foreign, Western rule, and still trade with other Asian nations today.

Conclusion

Above, it has been shown that from a geographic, ethnic, and historic point of view, the Philippines and Filipinos are clearly Asian. That is not up for questioning. It is just a fact. Just as much as Chinese, Japanese, or Vietnamese, Filipinos are Asian.

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History: The Roadmap to the Future.
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The Vegetarian Diaries.

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Found this article interesting? Check out:
History: The Roadmap to the Future.
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History: The Roadmap to the Future--Asia.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Europe.
History: The Roadmap to the Future--Latin America.

Or:
The Science Fiction Channel + Technorium.
The Vegetarian Diaries + Biologeel.