Randy David | PUBLIC LIVES Politics is emotional. It is not always about rational problem-solving but about shaping the way people see the world. Leaders like Hitler, Trump, and Duterte gain loyalty not necessarily by delivering results but by reinforcing their followers’ perceptions—of their problems, enemies, and place in the world. These politicians do not just sell a worldview; they … Read more
Sometimes called the “great pause,” the COVID-19 pandemic began in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China. One month later, on Jan. 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a “public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC),” later naming the disease COVID-19—Coronavirus Disease 2019. Nearly three and a half years later, on May 5, … Read more
In times when hope feels scarce, we look back to a moment in our nation’s history when we believed our chance at greatness had finally arrived. Enough time has passed to allow us to assess, with some objectivity, what we got right and where we failed. Knowing this may help us understand why our political … Read more
The impeachment this week of Vice President Sara Duterte by the House of Representatives marks a formal indictment following a months-long congressional investigation into her alleged illegal actions. It initiates her trial before the Senate, acting as a quasi-judicial body. From the outset, impeachment reveals its dual nature. It is fundamentally political, designed to remove … Read more
Last week’s column, (see “The American backlash against modernity,” 1/26/25) elicited responses that seemed to conflate three distinct yet related ideas: modernity, “wokeness,” and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Here, I aim to clarify how these concepts differ and intersect. While these concepts are most often discussed in the West, particularly in America’s culture wars, … Read more
President Donald Trump’s political comeback in the 2024 United States presidential election, though not a landslide, is nothing short of phenomenal. He secured victories in all the swing states, earning a decisive majority of electoral votes and the nationwide popular vote. Additionally, the Republican Party, now indelibly stamped with his personal brand, gained control of … Read more
Fire weather” is a term increasingly used to describe the atmospheric conditions that have rendered California’s recent wildfires uncontrollable. This emerging pattern combines hot, dry air that draws moisture from the soil and vegetation, strong winds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour that drive fire fronts forward and scatter embers across vast distances, prolonged droughts or … Read more
As he bows before his landlord, the Malay peasant bends so low that he quietly passes foul gas in his master’s presence. Thus, the anthropologist James C. Scott opens his seminal book “Weapons of the Weak: Everyday Forms of Peasant Resistance” (Yale University Press, 1985). The peasant’s display of total obeisance conveys what is, at … Read more
South Korea, an Asian country with which the Philippines has shared strong cultural affinities in recent years, is currently grappling with a political crisis eerily reminiscent of the Philippines’ Edsa Dos and Edsa Tres uprisings. The South Korean approach to this volatile moment offers a valuable lens through which Filipinos might reflect on their historical … Read more
Travel has many purposes. The travel writer Rick Steves categorizes travelers into three broad types. First, there’s the tourist, who seeks the excitement of shopping, sightseeing, and snapping selfies to share online. Next comes the traveler, eager for immersive experiences, hoping to blend in as a temporary resident in another country. Lastly, there’s the pilgrim—one … Read more