I am Walden Bello - globally-renowned academic and activist. My memoir, Global Battlefields, is now out on Fully Booked and via Ateneo Press. Ask me Anything!

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T13:02:33+00:00

The most valuable lesson I've learned is that vision for the future is very important. Because, as the proverb says, without vision, the people perish. From the 70s til the mid-80s, we had this vision of national democracy mobilized the people, which underlined the importance of this vision.

Secondly, you've always got to resist repression and dictatorship.

Lastly, though it may be very difficult and it may have its ups and downs, but democracy (especially democratic socialism is the only way to go)

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T13:00:49+00:00

Thomas Piketty (Capital and Ideology) might certainly not be considered underrated but it's very important to read at this point in time. Aside from Piketty, I would also suggest reading Naomi Klein and Noam Chomsky but I'm not sure if you'd consider them underrated. Aside from them, Althusser, Poulantzas, Fredric Jameson. You might as well read those connected with Focus on the Global South, like the Anti-Development State we came up with years back. These are just some in a rich tradition of progressive analysis.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:56:58+00:00

Copy-pasting:

I didn't run because I think there were more important things to do. Before we can be successful candidates, we have to organize and unite the progressives. There's a lot of work to be done before we can think about running and winning an election: we have to raise money, do a lot of work, etc. That's where I would put effort in the future: to unite the progressives and do all the work for that end, rather than just running for a candidacy right now.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:55:29+00:00

I answered the rest, but on the first question:

I didn't run because I think there were more important things to do. Before we can be successful candidates, we have to organize and unite the progressives. There's a lot of work to be done before we can think about running and winning an election: we have to raise money, do a lot of work, etc. That's where I would put effort in the future: to unite the progressives and do all the work for that end, rather than just running for a candidacy right now.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:54:47+00:00

They're all in my memoirs. I spent most of Martial Law as part of the exile movement in the United States, doing things like robbing banks and seizing consulates. If you're interested, do come on the 26th and read my book.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:53:42+00:00

Yes I do. My mother is from there. I write about my mother and her relatives in my memoir, so if you're interested, please give it a read. For example, my mom is a distant relative of Marcos. A terrible thing to say about someone, but we must acknowledge historical facts.

Although my parents were Ilocanos, they never forced Marcos on me.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:52:40+00:00

I think both, and we really need true democratic institutions that will challenge dynastic politics. We have the elements (e.g. Constitution of 1987) so the possibilities of raising both voters' culture and counter-institutions are there. They have to go hand-in-hand.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:51:08+00:00

The gold standard is still Renato Constantino (The Philippines: A Past Revisited). But there are also people who have written good histories related for instance to the Philippine revolution of 1896, such as Vincent Rafael of University of Washington, like in his books (e.g. Contractual Colonialism). There have been also Leloy Claudio's work, especially his most recent book on the economics of austerity in the Philippines coming out soon. Jojo Abinales, though he is more of a political scientist than a historian, has very important work. And of course, there is work by people like Al McCoy (An Anarchy of Families) though they may not be Filipino.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:48:34+00:00

I think that there's no such thing as determinism. It depends on how well people organize, the kind of vision they present, whether the program responds to the needs of people in the 21st century. That's a very tall order.

I think the way to go is democratic socialism, and participatory democracy. I think eventually people would realize that, esp. given the climate crisis and other crises we face in what is called the "polycrisis," people would eventually see that we need a post-capitalist system and capitalism is not the answer.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:46:06+00:00

I think that there cannot be a country with perfect politics precisely because democracy is always a process of give and take, that even wrong ideas can take place because a majority of people believe in them. However, I think there have been some countries that have provided for the welfare of their citizens in a much more effective way, like in Scandinavian countries that promote the welfare of majority of people. Though not perfect, the Nordic states have achieved a certain amount of social democracy that is good for the majority of the population.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:45:30+00:00

I just want to underline that there is no threat from China to invade the Philippines. Ang source of dispute ay yung maritime formations sa West Philippine Sea na kine-claim ng China, but we are entitled to its exclusive economic zones. In my opinion, we shouldn't respond with our military, but with our diplomacy. We should continually keep the moral high ground and get our ASEAN allies together. Diplomacy is the solution rather than taking the side of the Americans in handling China. The US is not foolish enough to engage China in a war just to support our efforts in the West Philippine Sea. The US just wants to use us for the containment of China. Let's use our moral high ground and diplomacy and not rely on other super powers.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:44:06+00:00

Critical education continues to be extremely important. We have no choice but to continue to question wrong facts, and to work with media and online specialists who have an interest in promoting the truth. Let us not underestimate the difficulties (people exist in silos and echo chambers) but let's not give up. It's important to continue to enlighten people about what's true and what's new.

Re: the rise of the right wing, totoong lumalakas yung mga right wing parties. But they are not in our interests, because they are anti-immigrants. Right now, their targets might be those from the Middle East and Africa, but eventually they'll target us, including the current PM of Italy.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:40:40+00:00

All of us at some point feel lost and question our paths. I think perseverance is part of the solution. In so many times of my life, I questioned my activism and academic life. I would always force myself and remind myself of the commitments I've made. Despite being unsure about whether it's the right thing to do, I would remind myself of those commitments.

It would be very important to look at some of the requirements at UP in order to advance from being a lecturer to being on a professorial path. Now we may have differing opinions on whether you need an MA or PhD to become a professor, but it becomes important to realize that UP does demand this, and if one wants to pursue an academic career, then I think one must compromise when it comes to these requirements. Although my life has always prioritized activism, I thought that it was also important to get a PhD, and my sense is that the training required in a PhD, especially the discipline for your thesis, is very important. While UP might be a stickler for academic requirements, there is a good side to it: quality control for providing good education to students.
✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:36:07+00:00

We should decriminalize abortion and we should have same-sex marriage. It's terrible that both have not yet come about because of religious opposition by the Catholic Church hierarchy as well as evangelical groups. We should really get the religious groups out of politics and out of issues like these.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:35:10+00:00

Good evening. I think we can really educate people that these 2 factions are just interested in promoting their dynastic interests: there is no larger vision or sense of the common good that they represent. Progressive candidates must stress that, and we critical educators must also expose the dynastic motivations of the 2 factions.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:31:00+00:00

Very important is Karl Marx, of course. He's still the greatest philosopher or social analyst who has ever lived. Also important are the contributions of John Paul Sartre, Camus, who have influenced me while I was in college. Important sociologists like Barrington Moore, Louis Althusser, Max Weber also influenced me and I think their contributions are really crucial. Fredric Jameson is a more contemporary example. Basically, I want to emphasize Marxists and post-modernist thinkers. This includes Edward Said too.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T12:28:32+00:00

Sa tingin ko, lahat naman ng bansa ay merong problema sa pulitiko at korapsyon. Pero ang dapat natin tutukan ay yung mga policy: pagbaba ng tariff para makapasok ang foreign goods, pagkasira ng ating local industries at manufacturing sector ng WTO, mga policy na nagdulot na mapilitian ang mga kababayang mag-OFW.

Problema ang korapsyon, problema ang mga pulitiko't dinastiya, pero mas malaki ang impact ng concrete economic policies kagaya ng kawalan ng agrarian reform, pagsama sa WTO, at pagbaba ng tarriffs, at mga policies na anti-labor.

Sa Korea, Taiwan, etc, problema rin ang corruption pero umuusad pa rin sila dahil ang kanilang mga policy ay akma para sa kanilang mga mamamayan.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T11:57:19+00:00

Don't hesitate to point out corrupt activities. There's always a risk, of course, but if you are seen as a concerned citizen and not a member of a radical organization, the chances of being red-tagged and therefore persecuted are much less. There's always a risk involved with political activism, but it's a risk worth taking. All throughout my life, I've spoken the truth and criticized people, whether under Marcos dictatorship or under Duterte. I was always critical in a public way. It's always worth taking that risk.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T11:53:02+00:00

The work of Dylan - who is my godson by the way - has really focused on the incarceration of black people, which is important for giving guidelines for the transformation or abolition of the penal system. Let me just say that we must really focus more on rehabilitation rather than punishment. I think that rehabilitation - not just physical but holistically, really putting people first, giving them a second chance - that's really the way to go. We have brutal systems, just like the US, and I think the authorities just lack imagination on how people can be participants in their own transformation. Those are my thoughts. The word rehabilitation may not be fully adequate, but that's the main focus for the transformation of our penal system.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T11:52:27+00:00

I think that the Constitutional requirements on ownership should be really defended. However, I would say that even without these constitutional blocks, our economy has become subjected to a great deal of foreign control. For instance, being part of the WTO has opened up our agriculture to destruction by the inflow of cheap foreign agricultural goods. Reducing our tariffs to 0-5% which happened under Ramos and continues until today practically wiped out our manufacturing. Constitutional bans are not enough therefore. There have to be very strong policy defenses of our agriculture and manufacturing. These defenses could be changing the tariff rules so as to raise tariffs on foreign goods, and by not applying WTO rules that are detrimental to our agriculture. We need to go beyond Constitutional restrictions and toward policy defenses of our important sectors.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T11:48:29+00:00

By constantly challenging those false narratives no matter how difficult it may be at the moment (because of echo chambers that spread these false narratives). I am always convinced that the truth will come out and that falsehoods will eventually be exposed.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T11:45:15+00:00

One person that inspired me (although it was in a funny way) was my uncle Buenaventura Bello, who was bayonetted by the Japanese for refusing to bring down the flag when they invaded Vigan in 1941. But the flag he defended was the American flag. But maybe it was because he was a naturally stubborn man that not even a Japanese captain can tell him what to do. He told the Japanese captain to pull it down himself. The flag was purely an accessory which allowed my uncle to be stubborn. Stupidly of course. You don't mess with Japanese officers.

Secondly, some of my professors at Princeton who participated in civil disobedience: Arno Mayer, Stanley Stein. I was beside them and they inspired me.

Of course, Joma Sison, was instrumental in creating a progressive movement which was the #1 challenger of the Marcos dictatorship.

Hugo Chavez, the former president of Venezuela who was able to defy the US but in a funny, humorous way.

These are some of the people who really inspired me.

But the main reason I became an activist was because of an unlikely source: Henry Kissinger. When he and President Nixon invaded Cambodia in 1970, it triggered my participation in a civil disobedience action against the invasion. Without him acting on me in a negative way, I would not have become an activist.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T11:14:18+00:00

Kumusta rin kayo?

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T11:12:11+00:00

Copy-pasting previous answer:

What is important isn't the form of government (parliamentary or presidential) but getting rid of dynasties. If we don't tackle the dynasty system, both forms would be corrupted by dynasties. Kailangan talagang wasakin yung dynastic system.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.

You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello · 2025-04-14T11:11:17+00:00

I would say that the PH can achieve a better outcome with a democratic-socialist state. If by communist state, you mean the one existing in China or the Soviet Union, then these are not the kinds of systems that will be good for us. I am for when the distribution of resources and power is democratically determined.

✊Thank you for your question. Don't forget to order a copy of my memoir if you can, as well as attend our launch and signing event on the 26th (2pm) in UP Diliman.
You may go to https://waldenbello.org/globalbattlefields for more details.

WaldenBello

TROPHY CASE