“Our forerunners did their best.”

That’s not an original. Here’s the full quote: “Our forerunners did their best for the times in which they lived. It is time we did ours.” [“What a Reckoning at the Supreme Court Could Look Like,” Ezra Klein, The New York Times, 10th Oct 2022]

“We treat American government’s creaking, cracking structure with a strange mix of awe and fatalism; either we think it is heretical to question, or we’re so pessimistic about the prospect of change that we don’t even bother. But to dive into the history of court reform, as the commission does, is to be reminded that human minds imagined the Supreme Court and made and remade by human hands. We honor the idea of the American experiment, but we have lost the spirit of experimentation that made it work. We did not discover, finally, the ideal structure for the Supreme Court in 1869. Our forerunners did their best for the times in which they lived. It is time we did ours.”

Then consider: “Former House Speaker Paul Ryan said he was ‘sobbing’ as he watched the 6th Jan attack [on] the Capitol. In his new book, “Thank You for Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission,” journalist Mark Leibovich said Ryan told him, “I spent my whole adult life in that building. I saw my friends, a lot of cops, some of my old security detail – I’m still friends with a bunch of those guys. It disturbed me, foundationally.”

“In June, Ryan said more House Republicans would have voted to impeach the former president after the attack on the Capitol if they had the “guts” to do so.” [“Paul Ryan was ‘sobbing’ while watching 6th Jan attack on Capitol, the upcoming book says,” Merdie Nzanga, USA TODAY, 11th Jul 2022]

What’s the point? As the blog never tires of raising, freedom, and democracy demands personal responsibility to pursue the common good. And it presupposes that perfection is not of this world. The thought of “perfection” reflects binary or dualistic thinking when the world is in “living color,” not black and white.

It is a dynamic universe – in constant motion and expansion.

And Franciscan theology comes to mind. Recall the Vatican’s battle with the Copernican theory that triggered the Scientific Revolution – the Sun rather than the Earth is at the center of the universe. And the inquisition and condemnation of Galileo Galilei, a suspected heretic who became the “Father of Modern Science.” [Wikipedia]

The controversy stood the test of time and why no pope took the name of Francis until Pope Francis. In other words, it explains why the conservative wing of the Vatican continues to battle. The excellent news is that Franciscan theology stands for and preaches non-binary thinking. Translation: Christ preaches neighborly love and community – as in the common good.

Consider: “We humans are connected to the universe,” “Webb Telescope Reveals a New Vision of an Ancient Universe,” The New York Times, 12th Jul 2022.

“The universe was born in darkness 13.8 billion years ago, and even after the first stars and galaxies blazed into existence a few hundred million years later, these too stayed dark. Their brilliant light, stretched by time and the expanding cosmos, dimmed into the infrared, rendering them — and other clues to our beginnings — inaccessible to every eye and instrument.

“Until now. On Tuesday, the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful space observatory yet built, offered a spectacular slide show of our previously invisible nascent cosmos. Fledgling stars are shining out from deep cumulus clouds of interstellar dust—hints of water vapor in the atmosphere of a remote exoplanet. Ancient galaxies carpet the sky like jewels on black velvet.

“Their sum is (a) a new vision of the universe and (b) a view of the universe as it once appeared new.

“That was always out there,” said Jane Rigby, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and the telescope’s operations manager. “We had to build a telescope to see what was there.”

“The Webb telescope — NASA’s vaunted successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, 30 years and $10 billion in the making — is equipped to access this realm of cosmic history, study the first stars and galaxies, and look for nearer, potentially habitable worlds.

“We’re looking for the first things to come out of the Big Bang. The image of a distant star cluster revealed the presence of still more-distant galaxies spilled across the sky. The light from those galaxies, magnified into visibility by the gravitational field of the “cluster,” originated more than 13 billion years ago.

“To look outward into space is to peer into the past. Light travels at a constant 186,000 miles per second, or close to six trillion miles per year, through the vacuum of space. To observe a star 10 light-years away is to see it as it existed ten years ago when the light left its surface. The farther away a star or galaxy lies, the older it is, making every telescope a kind of time machine.

“Astronomers theorize that the most distant, earliest stars may be unlike the stars we see today. The first stars were composed of pure hydrogen and helium left over from the Big Bang. They could grow far more massive than the sun — and then collapse quickly and violently into supermassive black holes that now populate the centers of most galaxies.

“The most striking image was of the Carina nebula, a vast, swirling cloud of dust that is both a star nursery and home to some of the most luminous and explosive stars in the Milky Way. The nebula resembled a looming, eroded coastal cliff dotted with hundreds of stars that astronomers had never seen before.

“We humans are connected to the universe. We’re of the same stuff in this landscape.”

And Saint Francis saw that much earlier or before humankind invented the Webb telescope. It explains why he understood the oneness of creation, the photosynthesis phenomenon being a great example. And why he is beyond binary or dualistic thinking.

On the other hand, we Filipinos are parochial and insular. We value hierarchy and paternalism and rely on political patronage and oligarchy; ours is a culture of impunity.

We like to think Asians must come together – as in we went to bed with China – despite its bullying in the WPS. But our confusion is insidious. For example, we can’t recognize that we are undermining freedom and democracy by applauding Duterte’s EJK. Or do we give Putin the benefit of the doubt because the West turned Ukraine into an existential threat to Russia?

Wasn’t it Russia that invaded Georgia? And also Crimea?

China and Russia are autocracies. Are we Filipinos closer to tyranny than democracy – given our value of hierarchy and paternalism?

In other words, in the hierarchy of human needs, those closer to the “basic” or physiological and security and safety needs are predisposed to embrace tyranny? Why? Because democracy presupposes personal responsibility to pursue the common good – a higher level need.

Over the course of the blog’s existence, we have seen three presidents, PNoy, Du30, and BBM. Still, we are perpetual optimists. We wax poetic every time we have new leadership.

Yet, the headlines remain intact: “Marcos Jr.’s big promises to the Philippines face economic reality.”

Why? We have a structural problem that we can’t grasp.

Industrialize. Industrialize. Industrialize.

“It was amusing to read so many misinformed opinions from otherwise intelligent observers regarding President Junior’s veto of the law providing “perks” for the Bulacan airport economic zone. They thought the airport project, which had already broken ground, was a goner.

“That’s because Ramon Ang of San Miguel is an enigma to policy wonks and business rivals. He doesn’t make business decisions the way they do. He takes risks others won’t dream of taking. It’s partly jealousy too. They can’t accept that the upstart Tondo boy, who has not taken an economics course and with no MBA from some fancy foreign business school, is doing better than they are.” [“Airport economic zone,” Boo Chanco, DEMAND AND SUPPLY, The Philippine Star, 8th Jul 2022]

Consider: “THE NEW growth targets set by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s economic team are achievable if the government will continue to reopen the economy, address its debt burden, and pursue aggressive infrastructure spending.

“The Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on Friday approved the medium-term macroeconomic assumptions and fiscal program for 2022 to 2028. The DBCC set the gross domestic product (GDP) growth target at 6.5-7.5% this year, lower than the 7-8% given by the previous administration. However, it expects a 6.5-8% growth from 2023 to 2028, higher than the previous administration’s assumption of 6-7% from 2023 to 2025.” [“Marcos economic team’s targets achievable — experts,” BusinessWorld, 11th Jul 2022.]

That is what the blog calls logical yet linear and incremental thinking. And it comes from a lack of experience in development to match our neighbors.

Let’s bring it up one more time: “The economic development of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone took off explosively. The region’s GDP grew from just over US$8 billion in 1980 to more than US$89 billion in 2000 and US$221.2 billion in 2005. During that period, the average real GDP growth rate in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone exceeded 16 percent, well above the People’s Republic of China’s national figure of 9.8 percent.

“Since the onset of China’s reform program, the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone has been the fastest-growing portion of the fastest-growing province in the fastest-growing large economy in the world. In the process, a region that was once largely agricultural has emerged as a manufacturing platform of global importance. It is a world leader in producing electronic goods, electrical and electronic components, watches and clocks, toys, garments and textiles, plastic products, and various other goods.” [Wikipedia]

Why is that over our heads? Answer: Our caste system – expressed in our value of hierarchy and paternalism – consigns us to mediocrity.

“One source of new investment is the foreign direct investment community. The Duterte government showed little regard for the rule of law by raising the effective corporate income tax for extant PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) locators from 17% (the equivalent of the 5% gross income tax by Department of Finance calculation) to 25% without adequate compensation. The PEZA investment commitments have been falling ever since.

“Perhaps for potential PEZA locators, a 17% corporate income tax offer for ten years (Vietnam’s offer) would be assuaging.” [“It’s a race between the economy and the debt,” Raul V. Fabella, Introspective, BusinessWorld, 10th Jul 2022]

What to do?

Why can’t we execute Arangkada and the scores of industry road maps we proudly created?

Consider: There is “analysis” and “leadership,” yet they are not mutually exclusive — but are two sides of the same coin.

Moreover, the blog often distinguishes the “real world” and the “academic world” or ivory tower. 

Or why beyond “analysis” is “analytics.” Take the “vital few” or Pareto, for example. Has our crab mentality dropped us into the maze of the “trivial many” that execution is our Achilles heel?

In other words, forward-thinking brings about lateral and creative thinking beyond logical yet linear and incremental thinking.

Think of the (1) jeepney, (2) comprehensive agrarian reform program, (3) 4Ps, (4) OFW phenomenon, (5) call centers, (6) party-list system, and (7) Mandanas law, among others.

They respond to the “here and now.” Sadly, this universe is in constant motion and expansion. It explains why the world has left us behind. For example, this century demands innovation and global competitiveness.

Recall that the blog often references my experience as a practitioner and mentor of innovation, that it is beyond R&D – and it is not for innovation’s sake. Innovation must respond to human needs. And as our neighbors demonstrated, nation-building is beyond economics – and why the rest of the world holds them in awe as economic miracles.

Then think of the hierarchy of human needs. Beyond the physiological, security, and safety needs are “community” or social needs. Why have our neighbors put poverty in the rearview mirror?

What’s the point? As the blog never tires of raising, freedom, and democracy demands personal responsibility to pursue the common good. And it presupposes that perfection is not of this world. The thought of “perfection” reflects binary or dualistic thinking when the world is in “living color,” not black and white.

It is a dynamic universe – in constant motion and expansion.

Why are we accepting for the economy to grow by 6.5-8% annually from 2023 to 2028? Indeed, that’s better than 7%.

Consider: The average real GDP growth rate in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone exceeded 16 percent, well above the People’s Republic of China’s national figure of 9.8 percent.

"How can the Philippines grow higher and faster? Thru rapid industrialization and expanded export earnings, says Ang. He thinks the country can easily generate $200 billion in exports annually, from the disappointing $60 billion to $76 billion in recent years." ["A $200B export plan," Tony Lopez, Virtual Reality, manilastandard.net, 8th Jul 2022]

In other words, we must move beyond binary thinking that keeps us to a percentage GDP growth target and instead set a $200 billion goal in exports per the above article.

“Our forerunners did their best for the times in which they lived. It is time we did ours.”

Gising bayan!