Winners and losers

The American-led air strikes on Afghanistan are losing points for the world coalition against terrorism. Apparently, the Taliban is winning the propaganda game against the United States. The Taliban’s public display of innocent civilians allegedly killed or hurt by the missiles and bombs from American and British planes and sea carriers has stirred up growing mass actions in various places, especially in Muslim countries.

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The video footages of Afghan children fighting for their lives in poorly-equipped Afghan hospitals can only invite anguish and sorrow. To Muslims who know no better, they simply cannot fathom why America and its allies are doing this to people from the Islam world. And their rage, fanned to blinding heat by fanatical Islam leaders, can only set back the world coalition’s effort to attain their military objective against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden.

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The best thing that can happen to America and its allies, insofar as the psywar game is concerned, is to have the air strikes attain their goal at the soonest possible time and with the least civilian casualities as possible. The sooner the air strikes come to final conclusion, the easier it will be for America’s allies in the Middle East to placate their enraged populace.

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All streets led to the storied Araneta Coliseum in Cubao last Tuesday afternoon for the long-awaited Ateneo-La Salle basketball championship match. Thirteen years had to pass before fanatics in blue or green were given the chance to witness another memorable encounter between the basketball league’s fabled teams. And the Ateneo-La Salle fans were not disappointed, for the game was breathtakingly close, until Ateneo collapsed in the dying minutes of the encounter.

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The Ateneo-La Salle battle was a rare event at a time when sadness and dejection are commonplace in our country. For some brief moments in the day, it made thousands forget the stress and woes that beset them. Yes, for over an hour, Cubao echoed with shouts of jubilation from both Ateneans and La Sallites. It was only after the game was over that tears flowed out from the Ateneo dugout, and sadness overcame the Ateneo side of the domed arena.

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What was noteworthy, though, about last Tuesday’s epochal match between the archrivals was the absence of rowdiness and violence after the basketball encounter. During days of yore when Ateneo and La Salle met in battle for the coveted NCAA or UAAP crown at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, rocks and stones would be thrown, car windows would be smashed, and street battles would rage between the feuding fanatics of the two schools. Thank heaven, last Tuesday, reason rather than emotion prevailed before, during and after the epic match.

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Despite hard times, the Good Samaritan Foundation is going to continue "Operations Christmas Joy", that yearly project where we visit the children’s charity wards of Metro Manila hospitals and distribute gifts, food and other items to the sick, indigent children confined there during the Christmas season. The project was conceptualized and broached to us Dr. Manuel Chua Chiaco Sr., the Lux in Domino awardee of the Ateneo de Manila University, a medical doctor by profession, and a philanthropist at heart.

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Since "Operations Christmas Joy" was first implemented about seven years ago, with the Senate Ladies as our initial partner, the Good Samaritan Foundation has been staging it year by year, come rain or come shine, during times good or bad, during every Christmas season. And it was truly satisfying seeing the smiles and joy that radiated from the faces of the sick children who have to be inside hospital wards instead of playing in their homes with their loved lones.

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As usual, the Good Samaritan Foundation is seeking the assistance and charity of kindhearted people who could provide toys, assorted food and snack items, coloring books, or any other things which poor children would relish to have as Christmas gifts. For those who would like to help, please contact Alex Dinoy of the Good Samaritan Foundation, Tel. Nos. 716-1399 and 716-1499, or at Unit 1-JRM Arcade, 80 Ramon Magsaysay Blvd., Quezon City, right beside the Caltex gasoline station alongside UERM Memorial Hospital. My staff is ready to pick up donations from places not so far away from the heart of Metro Manila. Thanks a million, and God bless.

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PULSEBEAT: The Ortigas Avenue-Felix Avenue junction at Cainta is one of the busiest intersections traversed by tens of thousands of vehicles every day. Nowadays, traffic jams are a daily hassle in that intersection because of several deep potholes at Daang Cainta in front of BPI branch, and also in front of the Cainta Public Market along Ortigas Avenue Extension. The craters have been there for more than a month now, and the repair workers from the Department of Public Works and Highways have not been there. Where are they? Receiving their salaries but doing nothing? . . . Many of the 5-star hotels in Makati City have occupancy rates that are so low. This only demonstrates the sorry state of Philippine tourism, which is supposed to be one of the "sunshine industries" in our country. One wonders how long the tourism slump will happen. . . Because of the unstable economic conditions in the United States, many balikbayans in American have decided to forego with their yearly visit to the Philippines during the Christmas season. This is another dampener in our country’s effort to shore up dollars for our economy. . . From Cleofe Bartolome, a STAR reader: "I feel depressed about our country. Our country has become less human. Seldom do we find honest individuals, specially among those who are running our government. The Senate has turned into a circus. If only they can be honest and true to their job, our country can be a better place to live in."

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THOUGHTS FOR TODAY:

Every little deed of kindness you do
and every little word of love you say
bring not a little but a great joy to many.
Spend this day giving great joys.

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Nay God inspire you when you feel down,
encourage you when you feel like quitting.
and guide you when all things become confusing.
Have a sacred and blessed day!

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My e-mail address: <[email protected]>.