An Education

Children should not be taught based on faith and dogma, to not question assumptions and established worldviews. Children should be given the tools for critical thought and the means to acquire knowledge. To constantly reexamine received thought and question assumed moral ascendancy.

Southwest Airlines: If it* matters to you, it matters to us.

Southwest Airlines criticized after incidents involving Middle Eastern passengers

Southwest Airlines: If it* matters to you, it matters to us.

* Includes bigotry, racism, and fear towards Muslims (Sunni, Shia, whatever they're all the same), Arab-speakers, Iranians, headscarf wearers, people who request halal meals, non-hipster men with beards, and anyone who might look like they could've shared a falafel wrap with someone less than 6 degrees of separation from ISIS.

What ticks terrorists

The fundamental motivator of terrorism is not religion or ideology or money. It's self-righteousness. The firm belief that you are right and those who disagree with you, necessarily, wrong. Every dictator who ordered a massacre, every bomber who blew up a public space, every zealot who slew a heretic believed it was for the greater good, a righteous cause. Believe in your own righteousness and you can justify any atrocity your heart desires.

On the Bangsamoro

If it were up to me I'd grant the Bangsamoro outright independence and not mere autonomy. There has just been so much pain and injustice over the centuries. For them, Manila is an occupying power the way the rest of the Philippines saw Madrid, Washington, or Tokyo.

I'd like the peace talks to prosper just like anyone, but I can't see it happening under these circumstances. Too much bad faith. I'm also not sure if MILF are the right people to be talking with-- they have too little control over BIFF/PAGs/lost command/etc. (not to mention ASG) that a deal with them will not really end any of the hostilities (cf. MNLF 1996). It's not like MILF are the sole representative of the Bangsamoro, even if they fancy themselves to be such.

I say just let them go. Give them the vote. Give them the right to self-determination.