"It must not be perfection one seek in some bygone age in history but the lessons in the human endeavour for it. Hide not our recriminations, rather, learn from them." ~Jore Balce
"Judges are meant to ensure the integrity of a trial's information flow and pass the sentence and juries are entrusted to deliberate beyond any reasonable doubt the verdict based on evidence and procedure." ~Joffre Balce, October 27, 2019
"Just as the physical sciences must question tradition and religion, so must social science that involves universal principles of mutual respect and equality in rights, the duty of care and dignity of risk must question the practice of the physical sciences." ~Joffre Balce, April 29, 2020
"Just as there are enough nukes to end civilization more than once, there's enough money to end hunger, illiteracy and homelessness." ~Joffre Balce, May 9, 2020
"Justice requires confronting injustice. Humanity requires confronting inhumanity." ~Joffre Balce
"Knowing that the US rather gave one Balangiga Bell to Korea than return it to Filipinos, despite being allies, breaks my heart." ~Joffre Balce, July 27, 2017
"Knowing the pain of being wrongfully accused, refuse to do the same to anyone. Honour before victory." ~Joffre Balce, #VoterEducation
"Let history no longer be written by the victors but by the truthseekers, truthsayers and peacemakers. Let the powerful not upstage the people themselves." ~Joffre Balce , 20 November 2018
"Life. You let it happen or you make things happen. Either way, it's both mystery and surprise." ~Joffre Balce
"Life and Death. Victory and Defeat. Gain and Loss. Pride and Shame. Light and Dark. Good and Evil.
The duality of life are like the two wolves on Loyola's Coat of Arms. Are you one of the wolves fighting for what is in the kettle or a noble of Loyola, able to generate and share abundance so there is more than enough for all, even for the wolves? Or are you from the rival principalities that fear there is only scarcity and that the wolves will become hungry and ravenous then turn on you?" ~Joffre Balce, August 1, 2018
"Like the best carpenters don't blame their tools, the best politicians don't blame the people." ~Joffre Balce
"Looks like the UN does not want to have the standards they apply on others to themselves. No wonder the planet resembles a Third World country more than a First World one." ~Joffre Balce
"Many from EDSA may have abandoned
The colour of yellow they had once loved
Donning others like black, white, red or green
So a tarnished image may seem again pristine.
Or out of opportunism or political survival
Switched party loyalties for reasons so banal.
Others constant to the principles involved
Did not go astray but simply evolved
To open new horizons, reluctant yet bold
Those no longer yellow but turned to gold."
~Joffre Balce
November 8, 2018
"Many times, the stories people tell are a window with which to peer into their very souls." ~Joffre Balce
"May the world discover cooperation that produces synergy to replace the competition that worsens scarcity." ~Joffre Balce
"May we uncover and examine more cradles and schools of inhumanity and close them forever." ~Joffre Balce
"Minds clouded in hate can't expect to think straight; hearts mired in desire, fail to love any higher." ~Joffre Balce
"Monopoly increases scarcity, privatising utilities exacerbates it. Cooperation generates synergy, mutualising utilities enhances it." ~Joffre Balce
"More weaving the various parts of the elephant we as the blind touch so that, in our mind's eye, we can approximately visualise reality in its entirety." ~Joffre Balce, January 10, 2022
"Most applicable and appreciated by those with the courage and discerning wisdom to peer into the mirror and remove the beam from their own eyes first before removing the speck from the eyes of others." ~Joffre Balce
"Mutual respect and self-respect enhance and not diminish, each other. It begins with the control of self to desire to control others." ~Joffre Balce, April 27, 2021
"Nations who either obsess or forget the past and with no vision of the future are impoverished in the present." ~Joffre Balce
"Natural law is the final judge. If I’m wrong, I learn. If I’m right, the wise learn and sadly only the fool is worse off either way." ~Joffre Balce
"No amount of swearing will ever express the true rage of a people whose agency and sovereignty has been stolen by leaders who blame them for mediocrity." ~Joffre Balce
"No social justice without historical justice. No human rights unless there is association in equality. The struggle of the First Peoples of Australia is the struggle of all oppressed peoples." ~Joffre Balce
"Not everything of value has a price. Not everything that has a price is of value." ~Joffre Balce
"Nothing like a Royal Family to show the world the difference between dignity and drama, showcase and love, leadership and politics." ~Joffre Balce
"Nothing works better than a red flag versus foreigners to distract people from the socioeconomic injustices that aggravate the stress of the middle working class and those already marginalised by the state and corporatocracy." ~Joffre Balce
"On the importance of integrating play and schoolwork-homelife balance in child education and for adults to never lose touch with their inner child." ~Joffre Balce
"Our very existence provides currency under our very noses. We call it time." ~Joffre Balce
"Over time, I measure power less by wealth, information and might but more by earnest learning, empathy and detachment." ~Joffre Balce
"Part of enlightenment is realising that what one has is enough and one doesn't need what one doesn't have." ~Joffre Balce
"Peace is certain in the graveyard too." ~Joffre Balce
"People afraid to confront their history and the changes ushered in despite them have truly reason to fear. You don't have to say much. Just watch them panic." ~Joffre Balce, 6 October 2018
"People only want peace on terms wherein they control everyone and everything else." ~Joffre Balce
"PEOPLE POWER is no one's property, no one's monopoly. It is timeless, universal and can happen at any moment or place where people assert the truth of their equality in rights granted freely by nature so each may have the dignity to be all one can be. I have not given up on that promise. Neither has the promise given up on me." ~Joffre Balce, 25 February 2018
"People should best learn to leave the innocent children out of the political maelstrom their elders create. Allow them to choose their own path, excel and help build a better world on their terms." ~Joffre Balce, May 10, 2017
Photo credit to the owner
“People who can't differentiate the hierarchy of evidence and the hierarchy of authority won't know if they live in tyranny.” ~Joffre Balce
"People who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it. A cliché but true still." ~Joffre Balce, August 22, 2021
"Pity the naive who allow themselves to be unwitting blind instruments of their ideological rhetoric." ~Joffre Balce
"Poetry is the creation of, by and for the soul." ~Joffre Balce
"Poetry is to words as music is to dance." ~Joffre Balce
"Policies are more important than the personalities behind them who are less important than the vested interests that motivate them." ~Joffre Balce
"Politician provoke apprehension. Spinmeisters trigger reaction. Educators inspire proaction." ~Joffre Balce
"Politicians that have turned tail from the prospective exposés of a whistle-blower -- a self-confessed mastermind willing to reveal the masterminds behind her -- were never really sincere about their rhetoric." ~Joffre Balce
"Politics without principle leads to the end of civilisations." ~Joffre Balce
"Ponders that the fulfilled life is more a perspective than an ideal, more a decision than an ambition and more to be acted upon than to be just thought of over and over." ~Joffre Balce, 9 June 2009
"Propaganda compels one to take a side and hate another. Philosophy works to define a problem truthfully to form a lasting solution." ~Joffre Balce, 2023
"Relationships should enhance each other's freedom and not restrict it." ~Joffre Balce
"Remembering the happiest moments in life is when you bring joy to those whom you love." ~Joffre Balce
"Respect existence or expect resistance. Corollary is true. Expect resistance when you respect existence." ~Joffre Balce
"Rights are disrespected by those who sincerely believe that electoral fraud is needed in case voters elect the "wrong" candidate." ~Joffre Balce, on Suffrage: Justice For All (April 2018)
"Sadly, economic coercion begets violent conflict." ~Joffre Balce
"Scarcity arises not because there is not enough for everyone but because everything will never be enough for some." ~Joffre Balce
"Sheep are made to fear wolves that eat their fill by protectors who sell their wool and mutton for profit." ~Joffre Balce, #NessunDorma
"Silent waters run deep but when they become turbulent, they are a marvel to behold." ~Joffre Balce
"Slowly, it is becoming clear to Filipinos and probably the rest of the world.
The enemy is not Duterte. It is people and forces that have inhibited development so much that one country after another overtook the Philippines since 1946. The system has made enormous wealth for a select and knowledgeable few but continues to impoverish millions keep naive and ignorant and gave rise to economic rent-thieving, politically sponsored syndicated corruption and organised crime. You know who you are. People are getting to know who you are too." ~Joffre Balce (July 15, 2018) #HistoryIsOurWitness
"Society declines when the ostentatious, criminal and celebrity are emulated and the diligent, intellectual and sage are demonised." ~Joffre Balce, 26 August 2024
"Some pass on stuff to their children. Others leave principles to live by, traditions to cherish and a name they can take pride in." ~Joffre Balce
"Strike at the heart of the problem, then you can tell the symptoms which still must be dealt with from the causes." ~Joffre Balce
"Striving for virtue brings humanity closer to peace than all the levers of control that one group exerts over the rest." ~Joffre Balce, 17 March 2024
"Technology doesn't replace people. People who use technology replace people who don't." ~Joffre Balce
"The best clients don't buy to own stuff but to share lessons and stories behind the experience." ~Joffre Balce
"The call of adventure is singing in the wind ..." ~Joffre Balce
"The correct fiscal policy ensures that a society that upholds its essential rights is not just necessary but affordable and pays for itself." ~Joffre Balce
"The coming elections may divide people along partisan lines but has the potential to unite all who are sick and tired of the "same old promises and rhetoric" and thirst for reform." ~Joffre Balce, 17 October 2018
"The Condition of Labour is a reflection of the state of social justice." ~Joffre Balce (July 2019)
"The Difference Between Civilization and Empire is one being an association based on equality in rights in the impartial application of the rule of law to uphold the self-determination of the individual. The other thrives on inequality, hierarchy, privilege and the motivation through fear the exploitation of naivete and the programming of thought." ~Joffre Balce
"The Global North must end their delusions and lies that their problems are the rest of the world's and admit they even caused some." ~Joffre Balce
"The greatest enemy of scientific methods isn't ignorance but vested interests who invest in fear and ego to define the problem set." ~Joffre Balce, April 27, 2021
"The most beautiful thing about dreams is when you see them come true, even if it is some other place and time. It spoils the fun of naysayers." ~Joffre Balce
"The myth of every and any Empire is a claim of moral and ethical superiority over the conquered." ~Joffre Balce
#HistoryIsOurWitness
"The next generation must always strive to be better than the previous. The previous generation must never insist that the next generation is their clone." ~Joffre Balce
"The only failure is that we fail to learn. The only success is that we learn to take the next step." ~Joffre Balce
"The people who want to cut your leisure and retirement also want you to work longer and entrust your savings in their hands." ~Joffre Balce
"The Philippines needs People Power -- a discerning, reflective and critical thinking kind -- now more than ever. Actually, the health of the world is at stake here. Remember, big Pharma and allies in the military-industrial-financial-entertainment complex will fight back more viciously over time." ~Joffre Balce, February 2018
"The plot thickens. Even in madness, there is method. Some people place a price on loyalty." ~Joffre Balce on Andres Bautista, COMELEC Chairman's visit to BBM in Ilocos, 29 August 2017
"The progress of civilization should be an increase in self-employment, leisure and participation and not in debt, insecurity and marginalisation." ~Joffre Balce, July 2018
"The scale of homelessness throughout Australia is indeed due to mental health ... of the politicians and the vested interests they serve and not of the homeless." ~Joffre Balce
"The success or failure of democracy is not in the victory or defeat of your candidate but in the electoral process' integrity." ~Joffre Balce
"The systematic pillage of the Earth serving a minority who make scapegoats out of the deprived many isn't civilisation but Empire!" ~Joffre Balce
"The view I offer is neither the left wing's nor the right wing's but the bird's." ~Joffre Balce
"The world can be a better place at no one's expense or loss. It is the truth. Calling it a platitude doesn't finish its value to the sincere." ~Joffre Balce
"There are a number of conflicts of interest involved in commercialised elections and political appointments thereafter to Constitutional bodies -- loyalty to parties, businesses and law firns can be quite tricky." ~Joffre Balce, March 6, 2018
"There are two economics: one begins and ends with scarcity, the other reminds us to create wealth and serve one another with abundance." ~Joffre Balce
"... there is a gnawing thought haunting many Filipinos that the very system, the power structure and syndicated corruption that replicates itself outside government and permeates business and religion, is too overwhelming for a good President to handle. This is why it is ripe for Filipinos to be involved in discussing the Constitution is a soul-searching chapter of history." ~Joffre Balce, #HistoryIsOurWitness
"There is always more to life than meets the eye!" ~Joffre Balce
"There is great poverty in the world and even greater inequity because behind every great wealth is a great crime. The super rich just don’t want to get caught how they do it." ~Joffre Balce
"There is no justice where there is no mutual and reciprocal care. Injustice arises where mutual and reciprocal care is lost." ~Joffre Balce
"There's nothing like the company of the succeeding generations." ~Joffre Balce, on my Family, December 8, 2021
"Those who are deluded that they learned the lessons of history will try to apply and repeat them ... but fail miserably." ~Joffre Balce
"Those who think out of the box are often misunderstood by those who think inside the box." ~Joffre Balce
"Three generations in a flash. Being with family is the best part of any journey." ~Joffre Balce
"Tis an age and a global economy where identities and people's very souls can be bought and sold save but those money can't buy." ~Joffre Balce
“To be free is to be capable of thinking one’s own thoughts - not the thoughts merely of the body, or of society, but thoughts generated by one’s deepest, most original, most essential and spiritual self, one’s individuality.”
~Rudolf Steiner (Philosophy of Freedom)
"To be scientific about religion
To be religious about science
Are, in practice, both dogmatic
When faith, hope and love aren't beliefs
But how one forms character and integrity
And when the search for the truth,
Wherever it may lead
Requires courage, calm and humility
To face the possibility that one can be wrong."
~Joffre Balce
"To have been slapped on the other cheek is to have been treated as an equal by the oppressor. That's the context of turning the other cheek." ~Joffre Balce
"Treat your headspace as your home where guests critically poking into every nook and corner are unwelcome." ~Joffre Balce
"True leaders don't pander to the crowd but sincerely inspire them to think for themselves." ~Joffre Balce, #VoterEducation #ElectionsPh2022
"True warriors for social justice will never bow to masters responsible -- either by complicity or participation -- for social injustices and inequality in the application of rights in the world, regardless of what realpolitik presents as an excuse." ~Joffre Balce
"Trusting a billionaire invested in big pharma to advise on health policy in a pandemic is like trusting a billionaire invested in arms to advise on peace policy during war." ~Joffre Balce, May 9, 2020
"Ultimately, it is what's within in us that can truly either edify or destroy us. Forces outside us are incidental in comparison." ~Joffre Balce
"Veterans risked their lives to defend the nation. Isn't it RIDICULOUS to rob them of a respectable retirement in civilian life?" ~Joffre Balce
"Vilification is a manifestation of an inferior mind that does not wish to #DeepenTheConversation but to herd a 'sheeple'." ~Joffre Balce, May 9, 2020
"Waging war vs. crime is no crime unless the criminals are in charge of the battlefield." ~Joffre Balce
"Waging war vs. poverty is not a radical act unless it threatens to restore equality in rights." ~Joffre Balce
"War is when you you are made to pick sides. Revolution is when you seek the truth for yourself. Peace seeks a win-win result." ~Joffre Balce
"What is treason? What is good faith? How much should you know? Where does one's rights to privacy end and the duty of transparency begins? On whose shoulders does the burden of answering these questions lie?" ~Joffre Balce
"When and where there's mutual respect for dignity, liberty follows. WIthout it, liberty of one is lost to the gain of the other." ~Joffre Balce
"When conspiracy theory turn out to be conspiracy fact, scapegoats are sacrificed on the altars of the powerful." ~Joffre Balce
"When laws are so repressive that mutual respect for human rights is impractical and enormous wealth and power results from a lopsided rule of law, Anti-Terror Laws will only compel people to take sides but not solve the problem." ~Joffre Balce
"When one dies alone and all family and friends who should have been there in life outpour sympathy, regret and guilt is deep tragedy." ~Joffre Balce
"When there is social justice and mutual respect for each other's human rights, no anti-terrorist law is necessary." ~Joffre Balce
"Whether virtuous or genius, moral and intellectual ascendancy are subtle as they are dangerous excuses for tyranny and control." ~Joffre Balce
"With technology liberating humanity from the vagaries of nature came the enslavement of the many through monopoly and exclusion." ~Joffre Balce
"Working for social justice is never an offence except to those who gain from social injustice." ~Joffre Balce
PERSPECTIVE
"The common denominator between health and the law is procedure. Vaccination used to require medical diagnosis as integral to the defence of civil liberties and human rights. Moreover, the manufacturers' liability was likewise a check to ensure that the patients' rights take precedence over an enterprise's entitlement to a legitimate and fair profit. …
Sometime in history, the landscape of the rule of law has changed and such checks have been waived. The state has acquired the mandate to vaccinate without free prior informed consent and pharmas have been spared legal accountabilities to patients that may have been harmed by their products and services.…
It begs the questions why it has all changed and has it all been worth it? If raising such questions and issues are unreasonable, please let me know why." ~Joffre Balce, #DeepenTheConversation, May 10, 2020
~•✿•~ ~•✿•~
"When do a people rise to defend a Constitution? If and only if the Constitution has defended their rights as much, nothing less.
When do a people rise to challenge it to the extent of changing it? If it has only defended the privileges of the wealthy and powerful before anyone else's." ~Joffre Balce, #HistoryIsOurWitness #DeepenTheConversation
"When poverty and fear knock at your door, love and logic fly out the window. Thanks for the life lesson which I amended, Tatay.♥️" ~Joffre Balce
"When the presence of a disease is directly proportional to profits, then there arises a conflict of interest." ~Joffre Balce
"When will we learn that the way to tyranny is by disguising a rule by ultimatum as a democracy where there still is a choice?" ~Joffre Balce
"While the fool can't always learn from the wise, only the wise can learn from the fool always." ~Joffre Balce
INTERESTING DREAMWORK
Let's see how far this baby will go.
Just wanted to share a dream I had where I found myself in a lab and in a conference with researchers looking for an antibody and I just blurted out, if CoViD-19 came from bats and bats seem immune to the virus they passed on to humans, shouldn't we be looking into the bats as the course of immunity than the monkeys that share their habitat or the humans who eat them?
They all just silently gawked at me with jaws dropped, stood up and left the conference room. It was a comical end to the dream.
~JB, May 10, 2020
ATTRIBUTED QUOTES
"Ideas, memories and noble aspirations outlasts property or a person's life. Invest in them by sharing them." ~Gregory Saggi
"The best sword is kept in its sheath." ~Sonjuro
"When ambition ends, happiness begins." ~Thomas Merton
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THANK YOU
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