Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Anti-antipinoy

I'm very rarely affected by blog posts. I always approach them with the perspective that it's someone else's opinion, and the fact that it was published is not an affront to my sensibilities should I find myself disagreeing with it. In fact, I'm often appreciative for the disconnect, as it allows me to see things from a different perspective and gives me a better idea of the big picture.

An entry on antipinoy.com, however, has irked me a little.

It's not because the author seems to think the idea of pride through association doesn't exist. In the article, the author claims to not feel personally proud whenever Manny Pacquiao wins a big fight. The author feels proud for Pacquiao enjoying the fruits of his labor, but it doesn't make him/her proud to be a Filipino. It's was Pacquiao's effort, after all, and solely his.

Valid as this perspective may be, I find it hard to believe the author doesn't feel a quark of national pride when Pacquiao's fist is raised in victory. We always feel some semblance of personal pride when someone we associate with succeeds at something. It's why proud fathers go "That's my boy!" and why a school cheers for its varsity team. Pacquiao hits a particular nerve with the common Filipino – this is someone who rose from poverty to achieve international success. Like most Filipinos, he dropped out of school because his family couldn't afford it. He moved to Manila in search of better things, but found himself living on the streets. Had he not endured through adversity and pursued boxing, he never would've made the Philippine National Amateur Boxing Team, and never would've caught the eye of one Freddie Roach. He literally changed his poverty-stricken life, the life of the common Filipino, by working hard, persevering, and getting a little lucky.

When Filipinos feel proud when he wins, it's because he was one of us. He was every child you met on the streets, asking you for money. He was that doe-eyed dreamer who told us, every time he got drunk, that he was going to make it someday. He's the typical Pinoy who eats hotdogs with rice and sings far more than his talent should allow. That's why we associate with him, and that's why we go "That's our boy!!!" when he stands triumphant in the center of the ring.

I won't make any sweeping generalizations, though. Not every Filipino associates with Pacquiao, and I assume the author of the antipinoy post doesn't, either. I can see why he doesn't feel that personal pride during a big win. No qualms there.

My problem isn't even with the ridiculous assertion that associating ourselves with Pacquiao is a foolish thing to do, especially if we want to better ourselves as a nation. From the post:

And to associate ourselves with him is foolish thing to do. Discipline- Manny has it; our nation knows no law. Hard work- Manny has it;our nation is in a deep sea of mediocrity. Focus- Manny has it; our nation doesn’t know where to go, thanks to our president. Coaching- Manny has it; our nation didn’t listen when we educate them to vote intelligently and here’s our by-product:national shame. Training- Manny has it; our nation has it but it was only a loose cannon to them. Winning attitude- Manny has it; our nation has this attitude of being a loser and they are contented with it.

The number of logical fallacies is appalling. From exaggeration ("our nation knows no law"); to dramatic aggrandizing ("our nation is in a deep sea of mediocrity"); to biased assumption ("our nation doesn’t know where to go, thanks to our president"); to non-sequitur ("Coaching- Manny has it; our nation didn’t listen when we educate them to vote intelligently and here’s our by-product:national shame"); and further violations of those previously mentioned.

The most glaring fallacy, however, is the assumption that majority of the Filipino population is composed of hypocrites. The only way associating ourselves with discipline, hard work, focus, coaching, training, and a winning attitude could be foolish is if we were the opposite. You may call me naïve, but I'd like to think that CNN Heroes of the Year, mothers who get their families by on less than 100 pesos a day, and individuals who willingly spend lonely years working hundreds of miles away from their families to be breadwinners are lazy buffoons content with mediocrity. Even if we lacked these characteristics, seeing Pacquiao as a role model as described in the antipinoy article isn't foolish. It's actually quite commendable, as we recognize what we need to be better Filipinos.

I won't fall into the trap of sweeping generalizations myself, though. For all I know, I could be naïve, and majority of the Filipino population could be as rotten as the article implies. We could all be foolish for associating ourselves with such a hard worker. I'd prefer to keep my assumption that we're most likely a mix of the two, and that it isn't generally foolish to identify ourselves with Pacquiao. Again, no qualms – I don't really know if I'm necessarily more correct than the antipinoy author, or if I'm just kidding myself.

My real issue with the post is that is bears many characteristics of what we would call, in the vernacular, a "whiny bitch". I won't assume anything about the author, so the "whiny bitch" statement isn't directed towards him/her; it's directed towards the article itself. For all its complaints and criticisms of feeling proud for Pacquiao, its implied hypocrisy, and the sorry state of Philippine sports, it doesn't provide a solution; not even a ridiculous one. It's all just words put together to say "This all sucks".

There are no recommendations for any of the issues. In regard to the "illusion of pride", all the post offers is a rather condescending (in tone) reality check that illustrates the obvious fact that Pacquiao isn't going to be fighting forever. When he retires, the article asks, who are we going to use to hide our national dysfunction? I understand that this should be the impetus for readers to stand up and say "We will have no need to hide!", but saying it is much more effective than implying it. The article says the Philippines' national sports program sucks, but doesn't say what could make it better. Again, it's all implied, and the meaning is hidden within negative remarks.

The post, without a concrete message of empowerment, is akin to a bully who makes fun of you for being stupid. He's not helping you; he's crushing your self-esteem and instilling long-lasting psychological issues before you're actually spurred to action. This is assuming, of course, that you're actually spurred to action and don't end up just resigning to the fact that you're stupid because he says so. Bullying works both ways, and so do posts like this one. Not everyone is going to be defiant; some readers are going to accept that Filipinos are mediocre and they might as well live with it.

It's one thing to point out a nation's faults, but stopping there is disgustingly irresponsible. It bears a tone of hatefulness, of disdain for one's self. "Anti-Pinoy", indeed.

It's a shame, too, as unpopular opinions like the post's have an important place in the grand scheme of things. We all need to see things from as many perspectives as possible, as a nation or personally, if we are ever to improve ourselves and the situations at hand. I assume this is the reason for antipinoy.com's existence; if it isn't, it should be.

Because of this, antipinoy.com needs to do a few things better. It's got to make sure the logic is sound in each of its arguments, preferably backed up by solid facts. It also has to make it a point to offer concrete solutions in every post; as I explained, implying one simply isn't enough. Most importantly (and ironically) antipinoy needs a little more perspective in its posts. I understand the site is founded on personal opinions, but there's a line between conviction and bias – conviction is informed and cannot argue against itself. Complaining with conviction, even if it turns out to be in error, opens minds. Biased complaints close them.

I don't want another whiny bitch on the Internet.

19 comments:

  1. It's a shame you don't get the point of the

    articles in Antipinoy.com. They speak the truth.
    I for one did not watch the boxing fight because I don't like boxing. So therefore, I did not feel the national pride that Filipinos like you felt after he won. Does that make me unpatriotic? No, sir.

    It's not good when you put a boxer like Manny on a national pedestal just because he managed to put our country on the map. I'd rather our country be known for scientific innovation or something that will make a positive impact on humanity.

    I don't mind it if sports enthusiasts celebrate his win but to say that he should give the entire nation national pride is shallow and misguided. It gives the wrong signal to the young generation. It makes our society anti-intellectual. Shouldn’t we promoting reading books and hard work on other pursuits in enriching our mind instead?

    You said so yourself that Manny just ended up boxing because he had to make a living when he found himself with no other choice. This proves that boxing is a poor man's sport. It won't be long before he has to retire because his body can only take so much beating. We don't even know what permanent damage boxing has already done to his body. Just try to read up on what eventually happened to Muhammad Ali.

    Please read this article:

    Good news Pilipinas: why being in denial will not keep tragedies away.

    http://antipinoy.com/goodnews-pilipinas-why-being-in-denial-will-not-keep-tragedies-away/

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  2. It's a shame you didn't get the point of this post. I made it very clear that I was relating to this one specific post, and how its construction is detrimental to the spirit of antipinoy.com.

    Did I say that antipinoy wasn't telling the truth? No sir. I was saying that this specific post makes its arguments via logical fallacies. It's the way that the post was written that is the issue, not the points itself. The construction of the post makes it very hard to drive a point home, since it's shrouded with illogical statements.

    Did I say that NOT feeling any pride for Pacquiao was anti-patriotic? No sir. I just said it was hard to believe that a Filipino wouldn't feel a sliver of pride, given how Pacquiao is so easy to relate with as a Pinoy.

    Did I say we should put Pacquiao on a national pedestal? No sir. I simply explained why it's perfectly normal for the common Filipino to feel pride whenever he wins. There is nothing wrong with that. It's the degree to which one feels pride that's the issue, but it's a completely separate issue from the point I was making.

    I can't help but feel that there's a elitist air to this comment, given the line "boxing is the poor man's sport". The common Filipino IS the poor man. Perhaps antipinoy and its readers need to get more in touch with BEING Pinoy rather than criticizing it.

    "Filipinos like you" - are we not both Filipinos? Don't distance yourself from the average Filipino. We learn and evolve together. Like I said, we all need to share our perspectives; clearly, this one antipinoy reader doesn't get that.

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  3. "Filipinos like you" - are we not both Filipinos? Don't distance yourself from the average Filipino.

    If the average Filipino doesn't want to be critical and question things, I don't want to be near them. And guess what? They aren't doing what was mentioned in the former, hence the reason for AP's existence!

    BTW, rebut the argument through the central point, and not through the 'tone of the argument'. It would make you look better, as opposed to this whole 'their message can't get out to everyone well enough' shenanigans. Everyone bites at happy slogans during the presidential election of 'kung walang kurupt, walang mahirap' but they have neither seen any of the two things promised to them.

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  4. Excuse me, but you said here:

    "Valid as this perspective may be, I find it hard to believe the author doesn't feel a quark of national pride when Pacquiao's fist is raised in victory."

    I happen to be one of those who don't feel national pride when he wins. Boxing is nothing to me. He is just an individual who is good at what he does. His win does not mean that every Filipino is a winner. The state of our country is proof that our society is mediocre. Other countries produce great sportsman like him all time and their win does not become a national spectacle. Can't you see that because we can only produce one excellent sportsman like him, we cling on to him like our life is dependent on it?

    The country is in this state because the Filipino people in general don't have their priorities right. Most Filipinos are starstruck ignoramus. Don't forget that the Filipino people vote for their public servants, which means that the people get the government they deserve.

    Mark my word, P-Noy will not be able to accomplish anything significant during his term. A lot of people are disappointed at his performance. Even some of his supporters are already vocal about it.

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  5. I hear you. The thing is, not feeling even a tinge of pride at Pacquiao's victories is unrealistic. While all the fuzz can get on your nerves, it's nice to know a Filipino is making it out there. And I think, for a country that's full of people ready to switch their citizenship at a moment's notice, having people say: "Go Philippines!" is refreshing.

    Anti-pinoy is just prissy. Poor man's sport? What's this, America in the 1930's?

    If we're going to follow the advice (can't say logic) of the article not to be proud of Filipinos who've made it big because our government had nothing to do with it, then we also cannot be proud of the following Filipinos: Jose Rizal (Europe-trained thinker), Lea Salonga (America-trained singer), Andres Bonifacio (reader of foreign political books), Lisa Macuja (Russian ballet trained), Juan Luna...

    It's a long list.

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  6. @Jay
    Did you read my post? I want LOGIC and RECOMMENDATIONS from antipinoy, not a rebuttal of their claims. Otherwise, I wouldn't have mentioned that I could be wrong, nor would I have assumed the author's stance regarding pride and the foolishness of associating with Pacquiao. I'm not saying every post on the site is guilty of this, either - just this particular one. It's a downright shame if more posts like this pop up on antipinoy. The site should watch itself.

    Read the post without bias. You'll understand that I'm not rebutting the argument, but the tone itself. Rebutting it through the central argument would have been stupid on my part, since that's not what I'm after.

    @Anonymous
    I can quote myself, too!

    "I won't make any sweeping generalizations, though. Not every Filipino associates with Pacquiao, and I assume the author of the antipinoy post doesn't, either. I can see why he doesn't feel that personal pride during a big win. No qualms there."

    Did you gloss over the fact that I acknowledged the author of the post might not identify with Pacquiao, thus not feeling any personal pride? Why bother defending the lack of pride? WHY BRING NOYNOY INTO THIS?

    By the way - sportsmen do become national spectacles. Just ask any NBA team who's won the championship and visited the White House.

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  7. By the way, Anonymous, ever hear of THE OLYMPICS and THE WORLD CUP??? I'm sure the big winners there weren't celebrated by their countries.

    That was sarcasm, by the way. I'm not sure if you can detect it.

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  8. At least you can call the basketball team a "team" effort not an "individual" effort.

    The problem with our own post is you don't have a point talaga. You seem to understand where the author of the article from Antipinoy is coming from but you also cannot believe that he does not feel the same as you do for Pacquiao's win. You don't have the monopoly of patriotism. Being proud of Pacquiao is not a true measure of patriotism.

    It's obvious that there are a lot of people who find it so bizarre that people think that Pacquaio is already a national hero just because he won the boxing tournament. Just in case you didn't know, boxing is where you will find some of the most corrupt organizers. It's not the cleanest sport.

    I don't care if you call me elitist. From your article I can tell that you have a narrow minded view of the world anyway.

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  9. Just like to say that I am in full support of this kind of writing. The internet has long been overpopulated with people who say nothing but "BAW!!!" at everything. I'm often guilty of this myself.

    So keep up the good work.

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  10. After typing a long-ass comment, strong reaction really, my browser restarted and thus every letter went down the drain. Let's see if I can do this again:

    Dear anyone who support anti-pinoy,

    Let me refer to you Boyd Shafer's articles on Nationalism, wherein he posits six virtues of Nationalism. One of which he states that Nationalism is the sense of pride towards a fellow citizen---or for a better word: kababayan. Mr. Shafer also include a sense of community: a community with one goal, one desire, one idea of nationness.

    Perhaps his virtues are pedestrian, really. That most of virtues he proposed are very general prescriptions as to what nationalism really means. But how can you deny that in the several hours of the Pacquiao, you can say that Filipinos showed a sense of nationalistic support for Pacquiao. Those who cheered showed a sense of pride albeit some would consider it a misplaced idea of it. In those few moments, Filipinos (those who supported at least) wanted the same thing: for Pacquiao not to lose.

    How can you not consider that a sense of nationalistic pride? It's pitiful because it is like refusing to celebrate the good moments of being a one with your nation. Instead, you said that the moment is absurd and therefore must not be commended.

    Sorry, Marco. Perhaps I got much too ahead of myself. Thank you for writing this article. :) hope more people read it. :)

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  11. Maraming typographical errors sa comment. PLZ to overlook. Thanks.

    Forgive me if I am wrong but I am sensing that your proposed celebration of Nationalism include the following: 1) If we won anything related to Science or perhaps something "cultural" and "artistic." 2) If we achieve something politically "progressive" 3) Something intellectually driven.

    When you celebrate your country, you embrace everything about it. Same as the Mother/father-son analogy written above, the moment that your son does something wrong or undesirable, you don't deny him and say he is not yours.

    Why can't you just accept the 'accusation' that whoever wrote the article has a very myopic idea of what "nationalism" should be.

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  12. @Anonymous
    I do believe that you need to read this post without bias, too. The point I'm making is this - antipinoy posts need LOGIC and RECOMMENDATIONS outside of simple complaining. If the site is meant to open minds, it 1)Needs to appeal to the intellect; and 2)Offer constructive solutions to the issues at hand. The post linked in my own post does neither. It gripes, and nothing more.

    Let's illustrate this in an example: Imagine you're in a workplace. Your boss conducts employee evaluation. At the end of the workday, he gathers everyone around and tells you you're inefficient, and you're bringing the company down. Nothing more. THAT'S what the post I linked is doing.

    On the flipside, a CONSTRUCTIVE boss could tell you what exactly makes you inefficient, be it your laziness or your inability to meet deadlines. He could also illustrate how this behavior is affecting the company in the big picture. He could then offer advice on how to improve yourself; perhaps a timer at your work area.

    Do you see where I'm getting at? Do you see the point? It doesn't matter if I agree with the views on antipinoy or not - I've already acknowledged that all views play an important role in discourse. What matters, however, is HOW these points are made. Simple complaining DOES NOT DO ANYTHING to improve the plight of a nation. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, something some commenters here appear unable to accept, DOES.

    By all means, let antipinoy tell us what's wrong with the Filipino people. I see no problem there. Hell, the writers could even be right. What matters is that antipinoy is CONSTRUCTIVE in its mission.

    Regarding sports, what of Michael Phelps? Are his NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED achievements also a team effort? I suppose all achievements are team efforts, if you count in the coaching staff and trainers.

    I invite you to prove me wrong. Unlike some people, I will actually take the points you make into consideration if they are backed up by sound logic. At this point, however, I fail to be convinced.

    Are you seriously calling ME narrow-minded? I, who disagrees with certain points of the post, but took the time to understand the reason behind them? I, who has no qualms (as I stated twice) with these opposing views? I believe it's safe to say "No". I merely presented an opposing perspective to what antipinoy published, something that you ironically aren't dealing with very well. Open your own mind before calling someone else narrow-minded.

    I didn't want to do this because it often seems insulting, but I feel it's necessary to summarize the points for you:

    1.I don't give a shit whether or not it's "right" to feel national pride when Pacquiao wins. People will feel what they feel.

    2.I do give a shit, however, about unpopular opinions, and acknowledge that they are necessary for progress.

    3.Unpopular opinions, if they are meant to sway the public AT ALL, need to be LOGICAL. If I were to say that people shouldn't be visiting my blog because it corrupts the minds of the innocent, I'D BETTER HAVE A DAMN GOOD REASON TO SAY SO. I should also be able to back it up in a way that would convince others.

    4.Criticisms are NOT helpful if they don't have RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT. This particular post in antipinoy did not have that. It's just whining.

    By the way, stop hiding behind anonymity. Have some CONVICTION in your statements, will you?

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  13. to those overzealous fans who are celebrating Pacquiao's victory, where the heck are they last August 23, 2010?

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  14. Why drag the hostage debacle into this?

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  15. Marco said:

    "This particular post in antipinoy did not have that. It's just whining."

    Ikaw pala ang hinde nagbasa ng maige. If you read the intro to the article itself,it actually says that that particlar post is not from the regular writers of Antipinoy. It was just a comment from an FB thread on the AP site which was posted by the moderator of AP.

    Antipinoy is full of recommendations. You can't accuse them of being counterproductive by just reading one article. Unfortunately, the article you were referring to is not even from an official AP writer. It was just from an AP fan who was giving the writers a thumbs up.

    Here's something I highly recommend you to read. This should enlighten you why the Philippines is still Asia's laggard: http://bit.ly/azACyl

    South Korea: the country that the Philippines could have been

    http://bit.ly/azACyl

    Excelling in sports will not bring us economic prosperity. Panandaliang saya lang yan pagkatapos balik na naman sa dating ugali. Mas maigi pa to work hard in excelling in science and technology.

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  16. @Anonymous
    That doesn't eliminate the fact that the people behind antipinoy still saw fit to publish the post, regardless of the lack of constructiveness. Thus the recommendation that EVERY post on antipinoy make it a point to have recommendations.

    Note that I directed my opinions mostly on this single post, not antipinoy in general. In fact, the only comment I made about antipinoy in general was that it should serve the very important role of counterpoint to the popular opinion, something that is marred by published items such as the one in question.

    Now, I ask you - is it not the same that antipinoy chose to publish a comment from one of their readers as an article, as it were if someone from their own writing pool wrote it? Sure, the source may be different, and the writers of antipinoy may shake off all responsibility for the poorness of the post, but it was still antipinoy itself who deemed the comment fit to publish. There must be a sense of responsibility behind the publishing, given antipinoy's mission.

    Perhaps some commentary from the antipinoy staff after the original comment would have made it more palatable. Instead, what we have is an illogical piece that serves to feed mob mentality via the unpopular opinion.

    Again, I'm not contesting the opinions. I may share an opposing view of the matter (which I explained), but I also accept that not everyone will share my point of view (which I also explained, dear anonymous commenter). Keep the sports out of this particular discussion, and limit it to the fact that antipinoy published something rather irresponsibly, and should make sure not to do so again.

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  17. @Anonymous
    Take note - publishing a reader's comment may dissolve antipinoy of the CREDIT, but it doesn't dissolve them of the RESPONSIBILITY of posting it.

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  18. Hi. I'm Daniel Joseph T. Castro, the author of the post that you commented. I like to thank you for sharing your insights on my post, although it was quite negative.I will respect that anyway. But what I am trying to say is to put Pacquiao's victory,patriotism, and nationalism on a proper perspective.

    The patriotism and nationalism that our mainstream media sells is not true. It make us put to that state where our nation's pride revolves around Manny Pacquiao and Charice Pempengco and not through our own collective effort.

    I also observe this lesson from Pacman. Hard work is not enough to get to that fame state. That's where the term "smart work" enters. If you would notice. During Pacquiao's amateur days, he's method of fighting was a "bara-bara" one. He punches rapid as it is there was no tomorrow. Until he went on the world stage. Thanks to Freddie Roach, a foreigner, he learned more about the techniques of boxing and discipline. The point is "smart work" combined with "hard work" makes a person even more effective and utile. You can work so hard but without the knowing your work description, the output will be a failing one.

    With regards to my logic, I admit that I am not good at it. I am just an opinion maker, not a Socrates or Aristotle. The fact is, I wrote this post based on the obsevations of Filipino behavior during Pacman's fight. So for the logic, I leave it up to those experts at it.

    Also, I just want to clarify that I am not an official AP writer(which the anonymous commenter has just),but an AP fan. It was used to be a comment on their previous post. Kung hindi nila nagustuhan at naunawaan ang post ko, edi sana hindi na lang nila pi-nost sa AP. I just amplified their sentiments on this issue which I found out that it is true.

    Marco, the reason of AP's existence is not drag down our country or a person, but to encourage Filipinos to rise up as a mature nation. As a nation not easily blinded by the mainstream pop culture. As a nation who thinks big, does big, and dreams big. As a nation who puts democracy, nationalism, and patriotism on its proper context and perspective. That's Anti-Pinoy's all about.

    Now, if you still can't agree with this. It's your choice.

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  19. Hi Daniel,

    Thanks for commenting. I was actually hoping to get you on here. I don't think I was short on saying this, but I guess it bears repeating one more time - I do understand, even appreciate, what antipinoy is all about. I've mentioned more than once that the unpopular opinion - what the site presents most of the time - is important in growth. I totally get it.

    I hope you also got my message that it wasn't enough for antipinoy to just publish a criticism, regardless of whether or not they wrote it. I'm not criticizing anyone's ability as a writer, simply what's missing in your post.

    If I were an antipinoy editor, I would have thought the responsible thing to do was to add commentary to your post. I would have elaborated on the parts that lacked logic, clarified the stance on pride, and offered recommendations, such as curbing the degree to which we feel that pride. That way, everybody gets it.

    Your comment is very helpful, in that it clarifies to readers what exactly was wrong with the sense of pride coming from Pacquiao's wins. You touched on how mainstream media can overblow things, how the pride in general can be misproportionate. That's a lot more helpful than simply saying it's foolish to feel pride. Rather, it's foolish to feel too much pride, and that's something I can agree with. We all need to put these things in perspective.

    Regarding the logic, I don't blame you. Again, I am directing things towards the published version of the post, which the moderators of antipinoy had full control over. You weren't expecting to be published, so it's okay that you didn't try to elaborate on the logic. The moderators, however, should have seen this, realized that their website needs more logic in its posts, and elaborated on your views. That's perfectly acceptable.

    If you were doing your best to convince your readers to think the same way, wouldn't you do the same? It's the intellectual way to sway someone's opinion. If anything, I think that's what antipinoy is trying to appeal to - the intellect. To publish an opinion - even one that isn't their own - without logic or recommendations is something that the moderators should not have done. The publishers should have added the necessary depth.

    Again, thanks for commenting. I hope we learned something from each other. :)

    P.S. Thanks for being a lot more rational than some anonymous posters.

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