In search for the true beauty of life
Can man lead a life in which he can see
and realize the true beauty of life?
Our institutions should challenge the intellect, touch the heart, show the path the citizen should take, and enlighten the man on the street.
The Parthenon stands proudly as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, Nashville's premier urban park. The re-creation of the 42-foot statue Athena is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals. (Internet)
As I watch, read, and listen to various topics regarding the penultimate thesis, "Quo vadis, Homo sapiens?" (Where is human going?), scenarios came flashing like an imagery in travelogue. All boils down to a challenging search, "Can man lead a life in which he can see and realize the true beauty of living?"
Dr Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog
The Parthenon represents "the supreme effort of genius in pursuit of beauty." (Aris Messinis / AFP/ Getty Images)
The Parthenon stands proudly as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, Nashville's premier urban park. The re-creation of the 42-foot statue Athena is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals. (Internet)
As I watch, read, and listen to various topics regarding the penultimate thesis, "Quo vadis, Homo sapiens?" (Where is human going?), scenarios came flashing like an imagery in travelogue. All boils down to a challenging search, "Can man lead a life in which he can see and realize the true beauty of living?"
o The whole world holds its breath against the current Coronavirus Pandemic with tens of thousands infected daily with the deadly disease, accounting to 40 million cases to date, and almost 1 million mortality. In spite of this global crisis, regional and national conflicts and unrest are growing in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, in fact in practically all parts of the globe, experts believe as apparent consequence of the trauma of the disease, notwithstanding the difficulty in complying with strict and conflicting policies in its control. Worst is the fact that there is known vaccine that can guarantee the end the pandemic.
Children are most vulnerable in the protracted Syrian crisis. They are among the 4 million displaced Syrians living in refugee camps outside their country, and on the run barred from entering other countries.
o Terrorism is today's enemy of the world. Terrorists are claiming for a state of their own, The Iraq Syria Islamic State or ISIS. The tentacles of terrorism have grown widespread even before the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center, NY. As a boundless, invisible organization founded on hate and destruction, it undermines the present world order, particularly capitalism. We have our own share of terrorism in the Philippines and it is a serious one. Year 2015 was highlighted with the upsurge of terrorism. Today it remains as the most critical element against attaining lasting peace in Mindanao.o More than conventional weapons, terrorism is employing biological and chemical warfare – and not remote, nuclear weapons - the very tools used by the superpowers themselves against “enemies.” These weapons are around us and may be right in our backyard. It is not remote that the Philippines is in the target list. With the state-of-the-art of weaponology war is going to be fought by remote control using sophisticated drones both in air and sea. Drones.
o Polarization is not limited to politics; it extends as well to religion, reminiscent of the Dark Ages, when people were pitted against each other by their faiths. The Middle East has not recovered from religious conflict as an aftermath of the Arab Spring people's revolution in 2014, so with the persistent border conflicts.
Happy faces. Participants in an ecology seminar, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas with author as speakero Mass evacuation of Overseas Workers principally as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, and secondarily those who are in the war zone have nightmare stories to tell. Hundreds are dying far away from their home country and families. Two things our country loses everyday: tremendous cost of evacuation and virtual drain of dollar flow from the remittances of the OFWs.
o To worsen our fear the world has plunged into climatic episodes, first El Niño, a climatic phenomenon characterized by extreme drought. Spontaneous forest and brush fires are occurring in Australia, US and Indonesia. The Philippines had poor harvest in rice and corn in the last two years. And now La Nina, characterized by extreme rains in the dry season has set in and is expected to continue until next year.
o Food security as key to maintain our economy is difficult to attain, what with 10 percent production shortfall in rice, 30 to 40 percent in corn? We also fall short in the production of meat, poultry, fruits and vegetables. Yet we have IRRI and UPLB, the alma mater of scientists of foreign countries that now export agricultural products to us in exchange for the knowledge they earned.
o For a rich agricultural country such as ours, the need for a huge buffer stock is ultimate recourse since it is feasible to build one from local harvest. But this is not the case. We have been importing rice in the tune of 1.5 million MT to maintain supply-demand balance and to provide buffer stock, from Thailand and Vietnam, and a part from China, Pakistan and India.
Imported rice from Vietnam
o It is a paradox that in this modern age of medicine, one of the leading causes of death in US hospitals is doctor’s error, chiefly wrong diagnosis and over treatment. Yet we are going to embark into a new field of medicine, gene therapy. Are doctors really prepared for it? The current COVID-19 is the top cause of death worldwide, both treated or untreated in hospitals.
Among the ten major causes of death in industrialized countries are those associated with the good life such as heart attack, severe depression, accidents, diabetes, and the like. What is good life then?
o On the other hand millions of people die every year from the ancient scourge of mankind – tuberculosis, respiratory diseases, infections, childbirth, and many other diseases associated with poverty and malnutrition.
o The lack of doctors and healthcare exacerbates the suffering of millions more, especially the children, who are victims of malnutrition and poverty. We witness the growth of slums, and a runaway population, and we stand there unable to alleviate their plight.
According to Susan George in her book, How the Other Half Dies, people either have too much or too little, traced to human nature and the institutions he made. Because it is a question of governance, man holds much faith in his ability to solve the problems of his society. But the UN has not lived up to the expectations of the world. The EC is too regionalistic, so with ASEAN. But the holding of summits and conferences attests to man’s immanent goodness, and in spite of our limitations we have gone a long way towards progress.
Indeed science has definitely contributed to man’s success to this point. But to where does science ultimately lead us?
Let us consider these issues.
o Sixty percent of us Filipinos live below the poverty line.
o Exodus to cities and abroad seems unstoppable. COVID-19 has slowed down the trend.
o There is breakdown in peace and order.
o Loss of species is rampant, but loss of entire ecosystems is more damaging.
o On the other hand millions of people die every year from the ancient scourge of mankind – tuberculosis, respiratory diseases, infections, childbirth, and many other diseases associated with poverty and malnutrition.
o The lack of doctors and healthcare exacerbates the suffering of millions more, especially the children, who are victims of malnutrition and poverty. We witness the growth of slums, and a runaway population, and we stand there unable to alleviate their plight.
According to Susan George in her book, How the Other Half Dies, people either have too much or too little, traced to human nature and the institutions he made. Because it is a question of governance, man holds much faith in his ability to solve the problems of his society. But the UN has not lived up to the expectations of the world. The EC is too regionalistic, so with ASEAN. But the holding of summits and conferences attests to man’s immanent goodness, and in spite of our limitations we have gone a long way towards progress.
Indeed science has definitely contributed to man’s success to this point. But to where does science ultimately lead us?
o Sixty percent of us Filipinos live below the poverty line.
o Exodus to cities and abroad seems unstoppable. COVID-19 has slowed down the trend.
o There is breakdown in peace and order.
o Loss of species is rampant, but loss of entire ecosystems is more damaging.
(Philippine Eagle, now critically endangered)
o Values seem to be taken for granted.
o Conditions in the slums are virtually sub-human.
o Forty percent of our youth do not practice their religion.
o Ignorance and illiteracy is prevalent – and increasing.
o Government service is generally poor and riddled with graft and corruption.
o Diseases can develop into epidemic proportion as in the case of bird flu and SARS. COVID-19 and allergy have reached global proportion.
It is an open-ended list of issues science should address itself. But we can not wait too long.
Global warming is stirring the cauldron of the world's climate and local weather as well. More and more natural and man-induced calamities at increasing intensity such as the earthquakes in Haiti, Peru, and Japan with a new record of 8.8 on the Reicher Scale. Hope dims and faith may not hold on for long. As the world prays, "the hall is silent."
Questions unresolved todate: North Korea’s nuclear program has emerged as a new threat to the region and to the world. But South Korea, which is expected to reunify with the North soon, is apparently undisturbed - seemingly so with certain countries. Will US apply stricter sanctions on North Korea? Will it apply its formula of allowing Iran to develop nuclear power for peaceful means in the case of North Korea? Is Japan considering re-armament? What is our (Philippines) stand with these developments? Is this the beginning of a third force? As the world waits, "the hall is silent."
Where is peace and quiet for man and his society?
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Related Articles in this Blog avrotor.blogspot.com
Search i The Riddle of theSphinx – Are we in our sunset as a species? It is a discourse showing how vulnerable is the human species toward extinction – a vulnerability of his own making.Also search, Bioethics – Expression of Values. It is a first hand account based on the author’s own experience in making a crucial decision in bioethics. Bioethics has expanded into various disciplines from its former confines in medicine and healthcare. It challenges a critic a deep responsibility - that ethics and virtue must go together.
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Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) Dr Abe Rotor and Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB AM, 8-9 evening class Monday to Friday
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