Campaign season has begun.
And I’m not talking about the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, which will be held on November 2, 2026—yes, on All Souls’ Day.
I’m referring to the 2028 presidential election. The All Souls’ Day connection would actually be more appropriate there, with the souls of Ninoy Aquino and former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. probably rising from the grave if ever a LenBong tandem—former Vice President Leni Robredo as presidential candidate and President Bongbong Marcos as her running mate—were to become a reality.
But that’s not what the Pinoy is thinking about nowadays as government offices begin their four-day workweek to save energy. No, not the energy of government employees—energy as in fuel.
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, here’s the breaking news: tensions are rising in the Middle East, a region that happens to be a major source of the world’s fuel supply. Countries involved or affected include the U.S. (as usual), Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Yemen.
World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon—plus countless other conflicts—should have taught the world by now the painful truth captured in Culture Club’s “The War Song”: “War, war is stupid and people are stupid / And love means nothing in some strange quarters.”
War is stupid. And people are stupid for allowing themselves to believe that war can solve conflicts.
Remember how quiet the world was during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns? It wasn’t the kind of quiet anyone dreamed of. But it was the most recent global experience humanity went through—and it should have been enough to remind governments how precious life is.
We stayed home, wore face shields and face masks, practiced social distancing, and lined up for vaccines. Everyone wanted to remain alive.
Yet barely six years later, there are people who want to annihilate human beings with missiles and drones.
John Lennon’s “Imagine” comes to mind: “Imagine there’s no countries / It isn’t hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for / And no religion too / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace.”
But there is money in war. There’s no money in peace. “Imagine,” kumbaya, and meditation are luxuries for monks living in isolation.
There has always been a lingering fear about when and how World War III will begin. For me, the COVID-19 pandemic was already the third world war. For war freaks to wish for another one is beyond my understanding—I simply cannot fathom why.
Preserving life should always be humanity’s priority.
Unfollowing high-carb Facebook pages is my way of practicing the “out of sight, out of mind” principle as I continue my carnivore health journey. No reminders of high-carb goodies, please—except for MiMo Cafe, which is always worth its carbs. If only countries could do the same: unfollow the countries they dislike instead of attacking them with missiles and drones.
