David Haldane

California, Philippines

Journalist, Author and Broadcaster at Freelance

Columnist, Feature writer at The Manila Times

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Articles

All flights delayed while Israel saves the world

6 days ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

I expected to be writing this column from Israel. All the t's were crossed and the i's dotted. Tickets had been purchased, and my visa approved. In fact, I was literally packing my bags when I first heard the news. That Israel had attacked Iran, and all flights were canceled. Had it happened two days later, I'd now be stranded in Tel Aviv with the wailing of sirens and explosion of missiles ringing in my ears. Instead, I'm in California glued to the news. Which is astounding.
Greta Thunburg: Entertaining the world

1 week ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

I promised myself not to write about her again. Greta Thunburg, the child activist famous for her attention-grabbing antics, both infuriating and strangely comical.
Reinventing the language

2 weeks ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

It all began when liberals started calling themselves progressives. That happened in 2008 as Barack Obama ran for president promising strong federal action against "systemic" inequality and in favor of social justice. I thought it a little presumptuous at the time, implying that only Democrats favored progress. But the term quickly caught on and so I relaxed, assuming it would soon disappear. Instead, the rhetorical voodoo spread like wildfire.
The Filipino diva bringing Californians joy

3 weeks ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

It was as if a strange new vibration had entered the room. It swept across the floor and penetrated the walls. It seeped into the atmosphere, permeating the air with an energy both powerful and rare. And, sure enough, nearly everyone inhaled deeply, breathing it in until they became irrevocably infected. Then, they stood up to dance, laugh, and sing. "It means so very much," Raquel Montes said of the almost magical explosion of joy in building number two.
Camping out in Trump's America

3 weeks ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

The tension began at the airport. We had watched recent events unfolding in America from our veranda overlooking the Philippine Sea. Namely, the ascension of a new president radically different from those who'd come before. Now we were re-entering our homeland for the first time since Donald Trump assumed office and wondering what was in store."Passport please," the immigration officer said to my 14-year-old son standing just ahead of me in line.
Joshua reaching for the sky

1 month ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

Her first instinct was to pray. A young Filipina with us on our annual pilgrimage to Southern California, she was touring the famous Joshua Tree National Park when the sight of a Joshua Tree stopped her cold. "May I pray under it?" she wondered. "Of course," my wife replied, "but why do you want to?""Because it's in the Bible," the young woman said. And so we paused as she raised her arms to the blue heavens stretching out far above.Which, not surprisingly, is how the prayerful tree got its name.
Darkened rooms

1 month ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

Ok, I'm impressed. At the risk of sounding narcissistic, let me just add that it's not something external impressing me, but my very own self. Not my present self, mind you, but the self I was half a century ago. I mean, what a cool and curious young fellow that was. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. Continue OR See our subscription options. Already have an account? Log in here
What I hope for in a new Pope

1 month ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

It's almost never suitable to speak ill of the dead. Especially when the dead you're speaking of is a beloved pope. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. Continue OR See our subscription options. Already have an account? Log in here
To believe or not to believe?

2 months ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

I have never been a staunch believer. Nor am I a confirmed atheist. Instead, I have consistently chosen the path of least resistance, i.e. the firm conviction that it is impossible to know whether God exists because both profound belief and atheistic denial are simply matters of faith. Register to read this story and more for free. Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. Continue OR See our subscription options. Already have an account? Log in here
Israel thriving in the Philippines

2 months ago | manilatimes.net | David Haldane

This was going to be a column about Middle Eastern politics. How suffering Gazans had finally risen against Hamas, the fanatical terrorists who started a war they couldn't win, subjecting their civilian constituents to unfathomable death and destruction. How, despite the threat of torture or worse, those brave dissidents had bared their souls in a plea for rescue and salvation. And how, though it was clearly too little too late, their actions sent the world a message of hope.