Special to the Mirror by Metty Pellicer. Metty Vargas Pellicer, aka Metty Pellicer, Fiameta Vargas, Fiameta Pellicer, is a grandmother, mother, woman, and doctor. Born in the Philippines in 1942, she immigrated to the U.S. In 1967. More of Metty can be found on:
http://mettypellicer.com and Http://ithinkiammiman.blogspot.com
I love to travel and have been on all seven continents from Antarctica to Zanzibar in Africa, and including the South Seas, and Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Taiwan. Last I counted, I’ve visited about one hundred countries and at least five times as many cities. I’ve been to most of the states in the U.S, Alaska, and Hawaii, except for Nebraska, Rhode Island, Kansas, and Vermont.
Traveling the world is an important way to understand other cultures because they are often much different than the filtered perspectives we receive here in the U.S. Too many Americans travel only for entertainment, to view beautiful monuments and scenery, and don’t go beyond the Americanized tourist establishments into the real country surrounding them. Many don’t even try the food of that country or region. Traveling and immersing yourself in other cultures expose, very quickly, how limited our perspective is and how incorrect many of our assumptions are.
For example, I now look at India and Indians with greater empathy. Where before I viewed them as too aggressive and self-serving in their pursuit of social mobility, I now view their competitiveness as a survival tool in a country with over a billion people and limited resources. I have been to many poor and rich nations and am able to see that they/we all have very similar features in the way we live, our values and more. The good and the bad are nearly the same everywhere. When you are able to experience other countries this way, it makes clear that America needs to stop imposing its culture on others who don’t want it.
I was born in the Philippines and became a U.S. citizen, naturalized in 1980. I left the Philippines in 1967, the first among my family to immigrate. I escaped the Marcos regime, but my younger siblings had to endure it. My parents believed that sending all of us to the USA would give us the best opportunity to pursue our dreams. My background and the amount of traveling I have done has allowed me to see behind the curtain of American foreign policy in ways that the average American citizen is not exposed to. In other places, there is no curtain to pull back. America’s policies are much more blatant abroad. Most of the propaganda effort about what ‘America stands for’ is spent on its own people, so the people will continue to believe in the illusion of its greatness and fairness and benevolence.
Unfortunately, the USA is viewed as a bully in many parts of the world. Much of this is because the US feels it is superior to everyone else and carries “We are the greatest nation on Earth!” with it wherever it goes. When we interfere with other countries, it’s framed in a sort of ‘we are coming to help whether you like it or not’ fashion…which means, the USA will tell them how to live and what they can and can’t do in their own country. This is a difficult negotiation for other nations that know we are all interdependent and still see the U.S. as a land of opportunity.
This is no secret to those who live abroad because so many have been on the receiving end of US-led interference. They have experienced it first-hand. Most Americans cannot imagine what it would be like to have an outside culture and power come to one’s country and begin dictating how you live, what you do, how you do it, take your resources, impose religion, enforce government structure, and potentially kill many innocent civilians along the way. The closest one could have a faint approximation of this experience is to travel and stay more than a week in a non-urban location in a non-western country such as Iran, or, Japan, Malaysia, Bhutan, or Borneo. or Israel. One is completely a foreigner in these countries, and one can experience disorientation and complete loss of reference point, and that is without incorporating a personal danger element into the experience.
Immigrants feel this way more or less when they first arrive in the US. Now if you could think you are in your country and someone powerful comes to dictate how you should comply with its rules because of war or national agreement, how would you react? There are many direct experiences of this for people of other countries. Because of what they have endured, the sentiment is that the U.S. comes in pretending to be a savior, then takes the country’s resources and its soul.
The deals we make are too often unfair and humiliating to the country on the other end of our bargains. The U.S. became involved in the Philippines during the Spanish-American war after it got involved in Cuba. Both countries were fighting a war of independence from Spain. Both made a deal with the USA to fight the common enemy but the U.S. betrayed the revolution in the Philippines. At the Treaty of Paris, the U.S. acquired the Philippines together with Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, Marianas, American Samoa, St. Thomas, St. John, etc. They gave Cuba its independence after a brief military occupation, mostly to serve the business interests of the elites of both countries, but decided to “civilize and Christianize” the Philippines, according to then President McKinley, a rationalization of its expansionist goals.
Never mind that the Philippines had been Catholic under Spain for two hundred and fifty years already! Much of the modern civilization progress promised served the oligarchs and the revenue from extracting minerals, wood products, sugar, tobacco, etc., went into very few pockets…not to the people of the Philippines.
Although Spain had primarily left the Southern Philippines alone, an area with many Muslims, the U.S. adopted an aggressive policy toward those citizens. They attempted to ‘civilize’ and control them, similar to their treatment of Native Americans. They enforced relocation and gave the land to the northern settlers for the oligarchs’ pineapple plantations. The Muslims of Southern Philippines have not forgotten that to this day and are still fighting a guerrilla war and trying to secede.
I have always viewed the USA from the lens of what it did in the Philippines. I had no illusions. On the balance sheet, it is still the land of opportunity for the bright, for the talented, for the beautiful, for the brave ethnic or colored person, and for White people, they are several steps ahead already, and so of course. It is a land of opportunity for them also. It is much harder for those who are ‘less intelligent’, mentally ill, disabled, or ‘unattractive, who look different than White. Still, those viewed by this society’s framework as ‘lesser others’, can do better here relative to some other nations because their rights are protected by laws and they can demand redress if violated.
Unless Trump succeeds in revamping immigration, the USA is still the best country for an able bodied, talented and bright immigrant to fulfill his/her dreams.
But we must remember that the picture of how possible this is, how likely it is, how easy it is, how fair it is, how safe it is, how ‘just’ The USA says it is, are still predominantly illusions made of words. Those words are an idealism for the country to strive toward and that idealism attracts people to come here. For most, those words are still far from reality.
I have worked hard and succeeded in this country and I contribute greatly to my community. I am a Doctor of Medicine and a specialist in psychiatry and child psychiatry. I am Board Certified and had a large private practice with a multidisciplinary staff of psychologists and social workers. I had three offices and was the President of the medical staff, head of the child and outpatient program, and clinical professor in the College of Medicine. However, I have certainly been met with inappropriate challenges.
When I interviewed for admission to the College of Medicine in the University of the Philippines in 1962, the Secretary of the College asked why I was “wasting a slot in the college when it could be filled by a young man; that I will just get married and then stay home and not practice”.
He then suggested, “Why don’t you work in a bank or become a stewardess? There you will meet rising and successful young men and you could get married and stay home to raise your family.” I was nineteen and these statements made no sense to me, but I managed a trite response, “Oh no, sir, I assure you, I’m committed to practicing medicine and serving humanity!” I got in. Years later, I learned that women with higher GPA’s were denied admission in favor of men with lower achievements.
While practicing medicine in the ‘women are equal’ U.S., I have experienced an elderly, white, southern man who refused my service and asked directly for a white male doctor. I have also noticed that, when I have meetings with parents, often the father will have a hefty set of question about my diagnosis and treatment plan.
I have come to find that my male counterparts rarely encounter this level of questioning. So, I realize that these men are not asking these questions to learn more the diagnosis; they are grilling me harder to prove my knowledge as a female doctor. They are setting a higher bar for me to earn their trust and respect.
The election of Donald Trump has put a spotlight on sexism and nearly every other ‘ism’ in this country. It is upsetting to see that it isn’t just men holding women down. This election displayed the number of women who uphold and perpetuate sexism toward all of us women without even being aware of what they are doing. I have spoken to women who talk about Trump like they are middle schoolers with a crush on a teen idol. They act as though they’d actually feel flattered if Trump grabbed their butts or ‘you know whats’.
They express hatred for Hillary because they see her as sanctimonious and judgmental without similar insight into themselves. There are women who want to be like Melania, or Cinderella, or Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady and could not understand why other women would like to be different.
Too many women have been cultured to dislike self-made, ambitious women like Hillary, because her power and accomplishments threaten their place with men who view them on a pedestal or she makes them feel as if their lives lack something. There are often women who will say things like, “My husband let me do everything I want to do, I don’t need to be liberated!”
In many ways, I feel that things are the same as they were before the election. The difference is that Trump spoke the rhetoric openly and then was rewarded with the Presidency which gave license to closet haters…those who had been more careful to say things behind closed doors and to refrain from physical acts of hatred… to hate openly. They feel they have national support, are a larger group than they are, and have accomplished some sort of take-over.
This is creating a dangerous situation for the majority of Americans. And what is dangerous for most would be complacency. Letting things happen and hoping that it will change. But change does not happen unless one does something about it. Not voting is the most dangerous of all behaviors.
We must beware who will be writing the history, from whose perspective it will be viewed. We need to examine how history is being taught to our children. For too long, history has been taught to advance the propaganda of the nation. Too often the nation’s message is the propaganda of the oligarchs which is heavily weighted to their interest.
Nobody learns from propaganda. If action is needed, it is in education. We need to have level-headed, non-political agenda driven groups examining school curriculum. Take the case of the school teaching creationism as the origin of the universe…Federal oversight will be needed to stop some states from spreading nonsense such as this and polluting the minds of the children who will lead the world’s future.
Loss of true history will allow it to be repeated. History documented by the dominant sector without mention of the contribution to the story of the other sectors on the margins will not give a true image of the people it is telling about, it will be fragile and will hasten the weakening of its society.
And we may be repeating the history of the fall of the Roman Empire if we are not vigilant in preventing the rise of forces that will topple this empire today much like the ancients. Ii terms of cyclical phenomenon, the US is due for disintegration if nothing is done to halt the forces that contribute to its demise. The Trump era is hurtling us further and quicker to our destruction.
What are the conditions that are being played out now that cost the ancients their empire and every other sovereign greats since?
The rise of the oligarchs is at the head, where power and fortune are concentrated among a few, whereas poverty is gaining more numbers among the nation’s citizens. Lack of empathy for the situation of others who may be different from the dominant few, and this sets the stage for otherness, and therefore justifies the actions of those who rule them. Loss of trust in institutions, corruption, political instability, loss of relationships, loss of community, and most damning of all is complacency and reliance on wish-fulfillment.
We can learn from the actions of the German populace, how their attitudes towards nationalism and behavior promoting self-interest allowed the rise of Hitler. So I see the protests as healthy, but certainly education about the issues and self monitoring of one’s attitudes and beliefs and how these shapes one’s choices and actions and taking an active decision towards the common good and finding the expression in shared goals, not just self-serving insular, isolationist, individualistic tribal short-term goals.
This requires courage to know oneself and own up to one’s prejudices, but once uncovered the wisdom to appeal to one’s higher aspirations for nobility of character.
The human aspiration to be noble is being eroded systematically and we need to seize the soul of the nation from descending into hell. We need average men and women to act heroically, and the hero is in all of us, we must believe that or else we lose hope.
About the Author
America’s “Heroes” will be voting TRUMP on November third!
YES!!!!!!!!!!!
I will be voting for President Trump on election day. Keep America Great! Trump 2020!
As a brilliant commentator recently posted in another drivelatious diatribe –
WTF?
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For the record.
1 – Mr. Trump has governed as a middles of the road (R) president with the exception that he doesn’t bow to the mob, which drives the Left crazy. (Short trip, I know)
2 – Any and all “isms” are characteristics of the Left and in true Alinsky fashion, then blamed on the right.
3 – Hundreds of minority professionals, athletes and entertainers of both sexes are outspoken in their support for Trump. His support in the minority communities rises by the week. He’s at roughly 20% approval from blacks and upwards of 45% from Hispanics.
Are ALL of these people delusional? Liberals, including here on the CCM comments page, think they are, but reality has never been the strong suit for the Left, considering minorities and women who think for themselves to be defective. nay, DEPLORABLE.
You really do not know the corruption Hillary Clinton is involved in as well as Joe Biden . Trump is equally guilty . Trump and The Clinton’s were and probably still are friends . Both had or still have buisness deals together . Clinton’s were at Trumps wedding . Unfortunately this government is all corrupt. It needs a full overhaul. Cannot be a run as a place for the elected officials stay too long in government it was not intended that way.
I have female doctors and have no problem with them . Gender does not play into how I decide in any situation I am involved with if you are qualified for the job .
Lotta suppositions there.
Any facts?
The survival of our republic is dependent upon an indictment of Barack Hussein Obama. Obama set precedent by weaponizing federal agencies like the FBI, IRS, and DOJ and using these weapons against his “enemies.” Either this precedent needs to be changed by punishing these criminals for their illegal actions or Trump needs to be allowed to do the same. I prefer that we return to constitutional sanctity and force government back into it’s proper role; this absolutely involves punishing Obama and his entire cult so that this sort of travesty never happens again.
If the USA is such an awful place, why are you still here?
Nice article, but why on earth would you post it here, at CCM?
Note: I don’t know, maybe because it’s a nice article?
“Note: I don’t know, maybe because it’s a nice article?”
Wrong audience. As one can easily see by the comments. It’s like publishing a pro 2nd amendment open carry article on a anti gun discussion board. Is a waste of time.
Where do you get off, Sorin, being the judge of what is a waste of time or not a waste of time?
And why do you automatically assume that publishing a pro 2nd amendment open carry article on an anti gun discussion board would be a waste of time?
You have to ask ? Sorin believes in free speech if you are in total agreement and wants to shut off your opinion otherwise, or so it certainly appears. Doesn’t have enough of an open mind to become part of the melting pot of all inclusive American ideas.
He is not an American and never will be.
That is what is called “democracy” by people such as Sorin.
As for me, I was trying to be polite by giving Sorin an opportunity to justify himself serving as a censor of ideas in here and their free exchange.
The proper place to post a pro 2nd amendment open carry article would be on an anti-gun discussion board.
“I am sorin varazu and I GET TO DECIDE WHAT PEOPLE SEE AND READ AND NO I’M NOT A TOTALITARIAN OR A FASCIST.”
He would have had a real hard time on the shore in the eighties, bless his heart.
” I GET TO DECIDE WHAT PEOPLE SEE AND READ AND NO I’M NOT A TOTALITARIAN OR A FASCIST.”
You might want to take some vitamins for your comprehension issues. I merely questioned the wisdom of spending time posting this article on this website, given the audience. I stand by my assessment, if was a waste of time.
God bless America, ain’t it, Sorin, and a hot slice of apple pie with vanilla bean vanilla ice cream on top along with it that you now live in a country where not only are you able to publicly state all the things you think are a waste of your time, a by-now quite lengthy list by my last count, but you’ll actually have people like me stepping up to the plate to defend your God-given right to think most things under the sun are a waste of your time, like making any kind of positive contribution to this discussion as opposed to pulling a “Corn Pop” Biden here, dismissing everyone who doesn’t hold to your point of view a “dreg of society!”
“Nice article, but why on earth would you post it here, at CCM?”
It’s called Freedom, Sorin. That thing to which you are allergic.
Enjoy your chains.
You can’t comprehend nuance, eh. I didn’t tell anyone what to do, nor do I suggested in any way that saying or not saying anything should be outlawed. What I did say was that posting a thoughtful progressive pst here is a waste of effort.
Problem is, the whole article is “nuanced”.
There is a Nazish tone throughout it and, as we’ve seen throughout the last four years, there are no facts to back up the accusations.
As for facts, in Nazi Germany an author such as this would have been a wisp of smoke from an oven chimney by now.
FWIW, we’d have a lot better chance of reaching some sort of accord between Left and Right if the LEFT would read about actual Nazis, absorb the horror of that ideology and then stop using the “Nazi!” pejorative to describe fellow American citizens who hold a perfectly valid, yet DIFFERENT opinion.
History also shows this country has always done best when running plays between the 40 yard lines.
Everybody gets something, nobody gets everything.
“History also shows this country has always done best when running plays between the 40 yard lines.
Everybody gets something, nobody gets everything.”
Well, I hope we get back there. Otherwise we’re screwed.
Which is tres, tres arrogant of you, since you cannot possibly know that to be universally true.
It might be a waste of time for you, as so very things seem to be, to post in here, but that is all you speak for, which is yourself.
And why is posting even needed?
What about just reading and absorbing?
Don’t you think that that is why it was posted in here in the first place, for people with far more intellectual horsepower than you seem capable of mustering up to read and cogitate on?
And you sound very much like the “Corn Pop” Biden supporter that you are there, Sorin, accusing the readership of the Cape Charles Mirror of being “dregs of society,” as “Corn Pop” himself has called them.
“Well, I hope we get back there. Otherwise we’re screwed.”
Considering most all professional political observers, both left and right, admit that we’ve been drifting left since the ’70’s I have a feeling you might not be happy with the pendulum in the middle.
What I’m saying is, liberals have gotten too used to an off center pendulum. For it to return to “normal” would mean some of your most cherished shibboleths, such as unrestricted abortion, unrestricted immigration, slavery reparations and removal of the 2nd amendment, would need readjusting.
Based on the last four years, I don’t think you can do it but maybe…………
”For it to return to “normal” would mean some of your most cherished shibboleths, such as unrestricted abortion, unrestricted immigration, slavery reparations and removal of the 2nd amendment, would need readjusting.”
Contrary to what you seem to think, most people voting democrat (note I didn’t say liberal) don’t believe in unrestricted abortion, unrestriced immigration and abolishing the 2nd amendment, much less slavery reparations.
“Contrary to what you seem to think, most people voting democrat (note I didn’t say liberal) don’t believe in unrestricted abortion, unrestricted immigration and abolishing the 2nd amendment, much less slavery reparations.”
Thought you might say that, so I checked in with Gallup for some numbers:
Unrestricted abortion – 50% of Democrats
Unrestricted immigration – 56%
Gun confiscation – 70%
Reparations – 20%
So, except for reparations, half or more of Democrats do in fact hold radical positions compared to the general populace.
A comparison of where the center of each party was 25 years ago and where it is today show that while the (R) party center moved only slightly to the right, the center of the (D) party shifted far to the left.
Some of the questions asked;
Do the poor have it easy because they can get government benefits without doing anything in return?
Then – 63% of (R)’s agreed, 44% of (D)’s.
Now – 65% of (R)’s agreed, 18% of (D)’s.
Can people who want to get ahead can do so if they work hard?
Then – 73% of (R)’s agreed, 65% of (D)’s.
Now – 77% of (R)’s agreed, 45% of (D)’s.
Is racial discrimination is the main reason many black people can’t get ahead?
Then – 26% of (R)’s agreed, 39% of (D)’s.
Now – 14% of (R)’s agreed, 64% of (D)’s.
Is the best way to secure peace through military strength?
Then – 44% of (R)’s agreed, 28% of (D)’s.
Now – 53% of (R)’s agreed, 13% of (D)’s.
Do corporations make too much profit?
Then – 43% of (R)’s agreed, 61% of (D)’s.
Now – 43% of (R)’s agreed, 73% of (D)’s.
Should homosexuality be discouraged by society?
Then – 58% of (R)’s agreed, 42% of (D)’s.
Now – 37% of (R)’s agreed, 37% of (D)’s.
Thus, the mantra among (D)’s and the press that (R)s are the party of racist, sexist, xenophobic, right-wing extremists while Democrats are the centrists is simply not true, and in fact, quite the opposite.
“Unrestricted abortion – 50% of Democrats
Unrestricted immigration – 56%
Gun confiscation – 70%
Reparations – 20%
So, except for reparations, half or more of Democrats do in fact hold radical positions compared to the general populace.”
The devil is in the details Ray. It matters a lot how the question was asked. I would guess you would guess radically different responses if you asked this :
Would you want your abortion right restricted or unrestricted?
Vs
Do you think there should be restrictions for late term abortions?
I know that you think all Democrats take pleasure in aborting “babies” but for the majority of people , religious or not is a very difficult decision and a lot goes into making that decision.
Same goes for guns. I vote democrat. I own a shotgun. I might at some point want to own a few more guns, depending on the circumstances. The way I would answer a poll on “gun confiscation” would depend a lot on how the question is phrased.
“The devil is in the details Ray. It matters a lot how the question was asked.”
I agree! Woooooeeeeee! Do I see a meeting of the minds? Well, SOME minds anyhow, some minds put a lid on things earlier every day. 😉
So.
When asked who their preference is for president the polls tend toward Biden, 55-58%
When asked who they think will win the election the polls are exactly the opposite, 56-58% for Trump.
It indicates a lot of people are unwilling to admit they will vote for Trump. As I’ve said before, considering the violent threats against his supporters, who could blame them?
I will relate a recent personal experience to demonstrate.
I received a phone survey from Gallup right in the middle of the BLM riots. It was a lengthy questionnaire all related to the unrest. Lots of questions about BLM itself, (D) and (R) responses to it, as well as Mr. Trump’s handling of the crisis.
It was very even handed and on first light, I felt the questions were not trying to lead the discussion as in a “push poll”.
However.
The questioner was a young black woman easily recognized by her speech patterns. She was courteous and dispassionate throughout the exchange and I commended Gallup a the end of the exchange for their screening and training program that produced such a professional questioner.
Now, as you are aware, I have no problem voicing my true opinion since I’m not any of the things I’m generally labeled by the Left, but as you can imagine, there are plenty of people who would “shade” their responses in this situation producing wildly inaccurate polls.
The point being, it is not only how the questions are asked but who asks them…………..and more important, why does the polling firm use certain questioners in certain situations?
I mean, this is not the first poll I’ve taken with Gallup so they have my demographics and they have a huge number of employees. To accurately gauge the sentiment of the country, how hard would it be to match up the demographics of questioners with questionees?
My thought is that they subtly want to push opinions without seeming to or they have lousy computer programmers…………and how likely is that?
Back on point.
The second set of data points about which party has moved further left or right is not subjective since it was the same question was posed 25 years apart.
The shift is significant and contrary to the general consensus that (R)’s have become right wing extremists, it turns out (D)’s have strayed a lot further to the left.
PS – The comment section here sucks. You can only reply back and forth about 4-5 times and then the reply button disappears forcing people who want to continue a discussion to resort to quoting each other in out of sequence responses.
C’mon man! 🙂
“When asked who their preference is for president the polls tend toward Biden, 55-58%
When asked who they think will win the election the polls are exactly the opposite, 56-58% for Trump.
It indicates a lot of people are unwilling to admit they will vote for Trump. As I’ve said before, considering the violent threats against his supporters, who could blame them?”
I am not drawing the same conclusions as you do from this. The way I read it is that 55-58 prefer Biden but 56-58 think Trump will win. Not sure why do you think these are incompatible conclusions. But the main argument is uncontested. The way the question is formulated makes all the difference.
“I received a phone survey from Gallup … It was very even handed and on first light, I felt the questions were not trying to lead the discussion as in a “push poll”…. However. The questioner was a young black woman …. She was courteous and dispassionate throughout the exchange and I commended Gallup a the end of the exchange for their screening and training program that produced such a professional questioner. ….. so they have my demographics … how hard would it be to match up the demographics of questioners with questionees?
My thought is that they subtly want to push opinions without seeming to or they have lousy computer programmers…………and how likely is that?”
So you think Gallup should call you using a white male employee? Well, technologically that is obviously possible, but somehow I think that would be very wrong. Probably illegal too. Does that mean Gallup would have to hire people based on their speech patterns?
“The shift is significant and contrary to the general consensus that (R)’s have become right wing extremists, it turns out (D)’s have strayed a lot further to the left.”
Or an argument can be made that the whole world made a shift towards the left, so the center moved.
I disagree with the argument that the republicans became extremists. I think there were always extremists on both sides, they just became emboldened by the current political climate.
I think a normal person that feels sick should be able to go to the doctor, without the fear that it will ruin them financially. I think people that act/are crazy should not be allowed to own guns. I think people who are not in a position to raise children should be able to decide to have an abortion in the first trimester without being hassled or made to travel hundreds of miles or have to take of several days of work. I think social services help us all, by providing assistance to those in need and in the long run, reducing crime and increase the quality of life for the society in general. I fail to see how any of this makes me an extremist.
(Spoken in a low voice so as to not upset Raymond Otton and get him to howling and raving like a maniac): Raymond calls you an extremist, Sorin, because he is not right in the head, and doesn’t know any better.
I’m frankly surprised that you actually take his lunatic ravings seriously to the point of where you think you have to explain and justify yourself to him.
“I think a normal person that feels sick should be able to go to the doctor, without the fear that it will ruin them financially. I think people that act/are crazy should not be allowed to own guns. I think people who are not in a position to raise children should be able to decide to have an abortion in the first trimester without being hassled or made to travel hundreds of miles or have to take of several days of work. I think social services help us all, by providing assistance to those in need and in the long run, reducing crime and increase the quality of life for the society in general. I fail to see how any of this makes me an extremist.”
If that’s how you really feel, then no. Problem is, you have defended some positions that were more extreme then the ones you say you hold.
At this point I’m pretty sure it was due to the heated rhetoric we’re all exposed to here on the CCM. I mean, we have a crazy ass troll jumping into every conversation with heated, vitriolic prose and that would get under my collar too if I wasn’t convinced he is on a long slow slide into full blown dementia.
Maybe you and I can get past it, ignore the troll and find some common ground. As I’ve written, this country has always done best between the 40 yard lines. Everyone gets something, no one gets everything.
You’re a head case, plain and simple, Raymond.
There is but one troll in here and its name is Raymond Otton.
“If that’s how you really feel, then no. Problem is, you have defended some positions that were more extreme then the ones you say you hold.”
For the most part, that’s how I feel. And while I obviously can’t speak for all democrats, that is how the large majority of the ones I know feel. The issue here is that we got to the point where we assume the worst of each other. I support red flag laws for instance (or at least the concept, it obviously depends on how they are worded) you (the conservatives) read that I support gun confiscation. While that is technically correct, I do support gun “confiscation” with very narrow parameters, you see it as some sort of bridge towards universal gun confiscation. It also works the same for the abortions issue , in the other direction. Even if conservatives suggest an otherwise reasonable restriction, prochoice see it as a bridge towards overturning roe.
“Maybe you and I can get past it, ignore the troll and find some common ground. As I’ve written, this country has always done best between the 40 yard lines. Everyone gets something, no one gets everything.”
That would be nice.
Dr. Pellicer, thanks for the lecture. I wouldn’t know how to think were it not for you. If you are a proctologist I like to make an appointment as soon as possible.
BTW:
“Too many women have been cultured to dislike self-made, ambitious women like Hillary, because her power and accomplishments threaten their place with men who view them on a pedestal or she makes them feel as if their lives lack something.”
There is NOTHING self made about HRC. Not. One. Thing.
Had she married Clem Kaddidlehopper, we’d not know her name.
Sounds to me you had the worst experience(and I’d hardly call it that) at your Med School in the PHILIPINES. From a non-American.
BUT, I really wonder why you object to parents asking questions. Gee, I guess we don’t have that same global lack of concern for children down yet. So sorry……….not.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, your knowledge, and your perspective. You not only have an extensive education, and have traveled the world, but you also put much thought into your commentary. I learned from you, and you have also given me some points to ponder. I appreciate your interesting perspective.
Sorin Varzaru says
OCTOBER 16, 2020 AT 1:56 PM
“History also shows this country has always done best when running plays between the 40 yard lines.
Everybody gets something, nobody gets everything.”
Well, I hope we get back there. Otherwise we’re screwed.
‘We’ who is ‘WE’ ?????
You better go on home, your momma’s calling you.
OHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Looks like Quid Pro Joe did exactly what the criminals
at Burmisa hired his son Hunter to do. Shut down the investigation. The rotten apple doesn’t fall far from the
rotten tree. Taking bribes from America’s enemies is what the Biden Crime Family does best. In America they have Twitter, Farcebook & Gargle covering for them. The MSM is ignoring the biggest story in America … what’s up with that ?
Vote RED
Remove Every Democrat
Part of my learning experience from these musings would be that I have counter musings to them. I have now been educated to the reality that we not only have white American privilege getting lost in a sea of guilt trips, but we have privileged Phillipino Americans getting lost in that same sea of guilt as well.
Her family wanted her to escape the Marcos regime and go to America. She becomes a Dr, has the ability to travel the world, and in my opinion doesn’t even realize that the beauty she sees in other countries, is also right here, but Metty fails to be able to see it. That being the case, if she didn’t learn it living here, how could she truly learn it, or the proper perspective on a brief visit elsewhere ? Vacations, no matter what brush you paint them with, are vacations and not real life.
For example, and from her own words, “I now look at India and Indians with great empathy. Where before I used to look at them as too aggressive in their pursuit of social mobility, I now look at their competitiveness as a survival tool”.
Were you judging them Metty ? Isn’t that for God and little children ? Or do you practice racism ?
Earth to Metty ! India is a democracy. Did you get the memo ?
Perhaps part of the problem is that we have not kept a close enough eye on our schools. The ones Metty says is the best way for people to find more equality. Much of our school system has become too socialist and does not properly teach all of our democratic ideals.
I certainly was not there at the time, but one thing I do know about the Philippines, is that there was no one there when MacArthur had to leave in the 40’s who was happy, and no one complained when he returned and freed that place from Tojo. For sure, some of our influence there was then forced during a war time. There has been plenty of time to fix that in the last 75 years. Is THAT Trump’s fault ?
Some people look at Hillary Clinton and her power one way, and others look at it another. That’s America. Personally, I don’t mind her ability to gather strength and power, but it was the kind of power and the way she used it. You cannot forget that was a central factor in here political story. Apparently, as a socialist or democrat you have blinders on for that part.
Another side of that coin is, do not lose sight of the fact that quite possibly, in her case, she could not have gotten her education and rise to influence anywhere else. Isn’t that the reason Metty emigrated ?
I could go on and on and on and vehemently challenge so many statements made here, but I do not have the desire to be as vociferous as Paul.
Personally I think some of the criticisms are just not well thought out.
Here’s one for you. In her medical practice, male parents ask more questions about her diagnosis than females. The assumption is that men trust her less than women. Really ? Well, is it possible men are simply a tad more aggressive and less shy so they ask more ? Is it possible the diagnosis is based in socialism ? Too many possibilities exist to question it all as we only know it’s a very vague statement from her. How about this theory with regards to that ? The AGES OLD QUESTION …….Do men trust women ? Where did Adam get the first bite of the apple from ? Well placed trust there? Just sayin…… I figured that would stir some folks up. HA !
Just what the heck is this assumption that “the U.S. is due for disintegration if nothing is done to halt the forces that contribute to it’s demise. The Trump era is hurtling us further and quicker towards our destruction”.
WHAT ? ! ?
WOW ! OH Yes, now I get it, he and “The Forces of Doom” have taken over D.C. from Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics is telling us that The Good Dr. is giving us the promotional lead in to the first edition. GOOD GRIEF.
I guess this is all formed by the grief, despair and guilt from her knowing she left her family behind in The Philippines. Guilt formed by the fact that American heroes went back there and helped a hell of a lot more for the entire country than she would even selfishly not do for her family. Even with the education, privilege, opportunity and money she got from earning her Doctorate. She did not rescue the rest of her family. She travelled instead to learn all about how to feel guilty in America. Great plan. No wonder there is much selective memory here.
A leader’s most important job is the safety and security of the nation. Democrats delayed Trump’s closing of travel w/China and made the China virus worse. He harmed us how ?
Democrat governors put the elderly in with covid19 patients and ignorantly killed many of us disproportionally in those states.. You want more of that ? Follow Bidens lead with the flu virus when he was in charge. He helped drain the ppe stockpile and never replaced it. THAT was a big help. He was just lucky that was the flu and not covid19 because Biden and Obama made no helpful decisions to seriously change policy to slow the problem. Gheeeezus. are you paying attention ?
Democrat Biden dealt with and helped his son Hunter to entwine himself with oligarchs that we are being told here we should avoid, but she says Trump is the problem.
Please note that the democrat party is telling us not to listen to this, and they are telling us it’s political mumbo jumbo, but they are not denying that the trips, business dealings and “unofficial meetings” took place. Smoke and mirrors folks. Biden has been selling influence. Just like Hillary with her foundation.
The entire Russian hoax was a cover up for Hillary’s e mail problems which are much about her influence peddling while she was Secretary of State. She was then replaced by the tomato oligarch, John Kerry, whose relative went overseas with Hunter Biden to peddle influence. A seamless diplomatic transition so to speak. What a tangled web they weave.
So dems held Trump’s feet to the fire, claimed he peed on a hooker, wasted millions and all these years of Americas life, and Trump is the problem. When in actuality he simply peed like the rest of us.
Yup. I got that memo too.
I think the Dr. of Psychiatry needs a psychiatrist. but of course that is only because I am a bigoted, misogynistic, white male of privilege, and don’t you forget it.
Trump 2020
Any one of Trump’s children in 2024 and 2028.