OFFBEAT MAIL

The recent execution of China's head of the food and drug safety agency was a real eye opener for other Asian countries and elsewhere in the world to emulate. Perhaps, it also about time that laws against drug traffickers and dealers should be crafted to allow for their execution, even its against the will of God. According to the bible,, it is inhuman to execute any person just because he had done something terrible on this earth. Now, we can see the clear distinction between a christian country and China, whose belief in God is a myth. Records showed that China's policy on certain crimes committed by its citizens are met with harsh realities as what happened to the chief of the food and drug safety agency, whose primary task is to safeguard food and drug production in China. It wasn't the first time that China did it. There were a lot of times in the past when the government had executed hardened criminals, too. The question now is whether this type of harsh manifestation...

A hot and sensitive issue to tackle, indeed. This is one reason why other people just don't want to get involved. Or are they pretending to be ignoramus on the subject matter that is causing so much stir the world over. In the first place, why bother at all to get involved on such a hot topic? We should be aware that racial discrimination is so flagrant, especially in Europe, where the royal families have took roots for centuries before its influence on the political system has ebbed out after many decades of existence. Exactly, nobody knows who was behind the propagation of this ungodly practice, which all the more tends to take sides on those who have excellent physical and mental attributes. Is racial discrimination meant for those who are ugly, and those who are handsome since birth, or whose birthrights have descended from the royal bloods in Europe or any countries in the West for that matter, have carved spots in heaven? While those who are not, are surely doomed to hell? So...

Have you ever wondered why so many people are attracted to the cities? Not strange at all. It could be that some of them just wanted to feel how it's like to be in the cities, with all those amenities and conveniences all around. Unlike in the rural areas, life is drab and laid back. But why trade simple living or fresh foods to eat and air to breath for chaotic and polluted atmosphere in most cities? As people are pulled to the cities, space gets constricted thus leaving the cities more densely populated. With the cities already bursting at the seams, more people are added thereby straining the delivery of quality basic services intended for those who need them most. As the city population grows, accommodation for housing facilities become problematic. Without a place to stay, rural migrants are forced to squat in slum areas, particularly along the creek or river banks that are not fit for humans. And what do you expect when squatter colonies take shape in these areas? With no ame...

Time and again, it is frustrating to hear that some unscrupulous people were reaping huge profits at the expense of innocent women, whose only intention was to land a job for them to improve their lives and that of their families. Instead, they ended up as prostitutes in some brothels in some parts of Asia, which is against their will. How do these unscrupulous people perpetrate their modus operandi? First, they pick a newspaper where they would advertise their phony vacancies abroad. When the applicants start coming in, they would screen each and then required to submit some more papers for the processing of their visas. After the selection process, each successful applicant is asked to cough up money as placement fees, and those who do not have cash are forced to pawn their properties or make some loans from friends and relatives just to come up with the agency's placement fees. The Philippines, along with the rest of Asian countries, has not been spared of this problem. Most oft...

CNN Anchor Lou Dobbs seems to be myopic when it comes to analysing the statements made by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, when she suggested to the federal government to increase the H1B visas from a low level to about 115,000 per year. No matter how he espoused to stop any attempt by legislators to increase H1B visas is already in the hands of the federal government as to whether it is appropriate to do it or not. After all, the ball is in the hands of the federal government at the expense of the corporate world's business interests. If private corporations can cut down overhead costs by importing cheaper foreign immigrant labor, it is their prerogative and not for the media or anybody to decide in their behalf. Perhaps, some of us may have failed to realize that what is happening right now in the nation's labor market is the effects of globalization. If many Americans were affected by this dilemma, there's nothing to blame than globalization itself. Why would corp...

Why would someone pull a trigger on anyone who is only trying to follow the dictates of his heart? The case of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is no exception. After news reports came out in the papers that he's having a secret affair with a Hispanic TV newscaster, it seemed nobody wants to get close to mayor anymore. And as if he has done something terrible that calls for people to rise up against what he did. If falling in love for someone the second time was the choice taken by the mayor, what's wrong with that? If his only mistake is to woe the heart of a woman he feels got his attention, why not? After all, the mayor like those others in public service, is just a rational man who has the tendency of finding happiness in another woman's lap, so be it. Was it impossible for a vegetable multi-millionaire to tie the knot with the late playboy mate Anna Nicole Smith? Whatever the good mayor does at the moment is just fine with anybody else, unless dirty or suspicious...

East Asia has shocked the world when at least 10 of the region's emerging economies have showed significant economic growth, registering at 8.1 percent last year, the strongest so far recorded by the World Bank in the past 10 years. This means that the region's impoverished sector has constricted, as against previous figures recorded prior to the financial crisis that hit the region in July 1997 that caused many share prices to tumble as portfolio investments sagged, in favor of other more stable markets outside the region. Independent economists said this positive development was never expected as the region is still reeling from the impacts of the financial crisis. But this time, the region is much wealthier than ever before, confirms the World Bank's East Asia & Pacific Update, emailed to this writer. Despite this, they have expressed worry that along with this success comes the many challenges for countries that are avoiding the middle income trap, says the bank...