baratillo @ cubao

George Orwell or Eric Blair is probably known to most of us as the writer of the dystopian novel 1984 and political fable The Animal Farm. On those works alone Orwell will probably be well-remembered. Like most writers he has a great body of work both essays and stories worth a read. One of my favourite had to be about the shooting of an elephant and another was when he tackled the main reasons why he wrote. A worthwhile read and better left to be read in its whole as most things are. Orwell cites ego, the need to point out thing or to bring things to light, to beautify, to record things for posterity, and to persuade. Before I got into this business called blogging, the main source of news for me was the newspaper, tv and radio. Today, It still is … although I find myself more and more reading the newspaper, video, and audio on-line.

If Orwell were alive today he would probably enjoy blogging and being a blogger. A blog is a soap box in the virtual Hyde Park on the Internet and in the Web.

Blogs as Me-zines complement the mainstream media presence both off-line and on-line. You are not just hearing one blind man describing the elephant now you have two or more and because of that it is easier to grasp the situation, as humanely as possible.

Blogs come in all sort and shape. Political and social commentary blogs more so. It is somewhat easy to see the political streak of each blog, you just have to give time to read, digest, and question their ideas.

You will find blogs so partisan in outlook that their analysis has become tainted and biased with their beliefs. In these blogs those they hate are always wrong and the enemies of their enemies are their friends. Nothing wrong with that it is their opinion. The danger is when one is sucked in the hosannas and cursing that is read. To accept without question the ideas or opinions espoused. Still it is important to read it, because the post might contain something vital despite the bile or honey used in the post.

Then you have those blogs that are critical. These are the blogs that not only take a stand but takes time to explain it and takes time to question the opinion of others. These blogs are gems among the sea of political bloggers. It is like reading the works of Cicero alonside the rantings of Goebbels. You may or may not agree with their stand, but at least these bloggers take time to explain why they take these stands and allow valid discourse.

For the Philippine Blogosphere, In my opinion here are a sample of very good political and social commentary blogs:

The Sassy Lawyer’s Journal

Newstand

Philippine Commentary

The Warrior Lawyer

The Daily Dose