It seems, at times, we are caught in a time warp. Similar configurations from the past revisit time and again as though to punish those among us hard-pressed to learn the lesson. Some say we could be where we were in 1986 and that the magic of People Power will once again be put to test. It is the same power blocs jockeying for position playing by old rules in this tired old game.
Are we truly stuck in a time warp or are we progressing onto something else? I have, from time to time, thrown my hands in exasperation. I am, like you, too close to the action to discern any real change in the way we conduct our politics. I am, like you, alternately exhausted, befuddled, aghast, bemused. But my current location, that is, my position in our polity, affords me little perspective. Once in a while, however, one might glimpse a glimmer of … something new.
In a comment Jego says, and with reason, that character matters. I say yes, sure it does. I am not, however, entirely convinced how and why it does. This internal contradiction within me has stopped me from endorsing any candidate clearly or strongly. Character matters, but surely other factors matter too?
In Michel Foucault’s The Birth of Biopolitics, he asserts the rise of a new kind of ‘raison d’état’’, a new rationality of government from the eighteenth century onwards. He says there arose in Europe a kind of government that does not derive its reason for being from legitimacy (i.e. its rightness or wrongness) but from its efficacy (i.e. its success or failure). Prior to this new raison d’état, all that mattered was that the governor, the person in charge, was legitimate. His legitimacy is derived from his being ‘good.’ And his being good, in turn, is derived from princely virtues – whether he is just, whether he is even-tempered, whether he is corrupt.
I have bemoaned the fact that we seem stuck at this question of whether our ruler is good or not. In fact the whole discourse of the elections so far has been anchored on perceptions of goodness. This is why I thought Conrado de Quiros’ framing of a good versus evil quite retrograde. There has been little discussion on policy issues. A discussion of policy could allow the electorate to discern whose ‘platform’ i.e. whose master plan might mean success or failure in terms of quantifiables. For example a debate on economic policy might elicit a complicated calculus of what might bring the country out of poverty. After all, corruption, by itself, is not the root of poverty.
Government in our age should be more than just a question of being legitimate or being just. Rather, government should derive its legitimacy and justness from success. And success, in turn, must be based on a calculation, a rationality of what can be measured. Because the end-point of all politics is the attainment of the good life – we might measure that in terms of well-being in various spheres (economic, cultural, social).
So, in the year 2010, is the Philippines stuck in an eighteenth century frame of mind? I think not. Among my peers and people younger, there seems to be a real yearning to find not a prince but a modern governor. This might be why there is, in the blogosphere, a desire for real platforms and for these master plans to be dissected in ‘bean-counting’ detail. This might be why so many among my friends and acquaintances will vote for the person they think is capable even when he has no chance of winning. And for this, I have hope. :-)
Popularity: 1% [?]
“This might be why so many among my friends and acquaintances will vote for the person they think is capable even when he has no chance of winning. And for this, I have hope. :-)”-Sparks
Very poor choice.
Between a capable candidate who is a sure winner and a capable candidate who has no chance of winning,kelangan pa bang pag-isipan iyan?
generational, heh heh heh…. time-generational may explain the difference in attitude between bert & abe versus sparks & miriam.
Then, of course, there is ligaya ( but it may be the stress of planning for a wedding that explains ligaya choosing a less capable candidate – noynoy — over her first choice – gordon). and woman-sanity which explains why ligaya’s mom chooses who she chooses.
I have to say this is the first time Ive read of the ‘If you dont vote for Candidate X, youre insane’ argument. Usually it’s ‘If you dont vote for Candidate X, youre stupid (or evil, or dont care about the country).’
“government that does not derive its reason for being from legitimacy (i.e. its rightness or wrongness) but from its efficacy (i.e. its success or failure)…”
Yes, indeed!
Especially for the most-disaster prone country that is the Philippines, we need a proven, hands-on, problem solver and trouble shooter, who will hit the ground running not praying!!!
Hmmm, Gordon anyone…
try to solve the monolithic industry of prostitution in Gapo first. Then, try to promote sovereignty in our country..
Caffeine_sparks,
With this quote, it is our “HOPE” and to propel forward for the upcoming events that is going to take place, for our Nation.
As with the Apollo 13, it was the greatest “successful failure” mission that ever took place in the NASA mission. It wasn’t a failure, it was a great success. As on this May 10, 2010 election. It will take place as a great mission for our Nation. It did not take a great science to propel them back to earth. It was the mathematicians that calculated their trajectory back to earth, by using the moon gravitational pull.
So as the people of our Nation, are pulling for “The One“
Great article Caffeine_sparks, and I wholeheartedly agree with you. . . And I am for Gibo of course, his policy vision is clearer and I see in him a focused leader who will stick to his goals. It is sad indeed that this whole election campaign has been focused more on personalities and perceptions of good and evil to the disregard of policy positions of candidates, you being a journalist is doing our country a favor by your discerning article. Yes, go for articles like this that aim to educate the people, a true conduit of message for the public good between the power-holders and the true source of governmental power, the people.
“This might be why so many among my friends and acquaintances will vote for the person they think is capable even when he has no chance of winning. And for this, I have hope. :-)”-Sparks
Sparks, I think Mirriam is one of your so many friends. Obvious.
No chance of winning=loser=you have no hope, :).
Hey Bert, Quiboloy just announced his endorsement of Teodoro, that’s 3 million solid bloc of votes right there. No winning chance?
Whaaaat? Quiboloy’s God had finally made a decision? Paktaylo na kami.
But, but, but, Mirriam, what about Eddie Villanueva’s God, and the INC’s God, and the CBCP’s, or J.C. de los Santos’? No decision yet? May pag-asa pa!
A vote for Gibo is a pardon for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Gibo Teodoro is Gloria Arroyo’s pet poodle….
….and how can an ‘intelligent’ man like Gibo even be proud of getting the endorsement of a total looney like Pastor Quiboloy? Sino ngayon ang sira ulo?
Is white the new black?
I say, an endorsement coming from a man wearing a shiny white suit, carrying a white microphone is a dicey proposition.
That 3 million followers would follow one man’s choice is yet another good reason why maybe, democracy is not for the Philippines yet.
No chance of winning; nada, zero, zilch…hopeless, :).
now bert, you really should be more respectful of the under-35 crowd. These group of voters are self-aware not only of their current professional capabilities but also of their future — higher positions of responsibility that they won’t obediently blindly follow elderly advice.
Very shallow-sounding, this vote-for-the-one-picked-by-SWS/PULSE-Surveys you are selling. You should add the deQuiros line — “Malacanang belongs to NoyNoy by right of inheritance”. Or at least say “Noynoy says he is anti-corruption. trust him, he knows what he is saying.”
A vote for Gibo is a vote for GMA. Gibo as president and GMA as Housespeaker. Just the thought of this scenario makes me scared for the Filipino people which means everything will remain the same poor and hungry while the powers at be eat $20000 dinners. Noynoy is our best hope. A lot of youth are voting for Noynoy as well.
Rosa don’t peg your hope too high that if Noynoy is elected, he will be able to jail GMA or feed her to the gators alive, remember Marcos and his whole family, were much bigger thieves and Cory created a whole government agency to recover the stolen wealth, but it has been 30 years, why are we still stuck with EDSA. We know now that nation-building in the form of serious policies and serious house-cleaning of our institutions should have been the focus of government, not revenge.
Our international reserves under this regime are 45 billion dollars, the peso is strong, macroeconomic infrastructure has been developed (don’t tell me that because of corruption, there are still undeveloped roads, of course only 9 years under GMA, Aquino should look at SCTEX), GMA may be corrupt, sure, but not as corrupt as Marcos. Time to move on Rosa and not use hatred and emotionalism in choosing a candidate, time to be rational and I laud this piece that is based on Foucault’s influential book. It is high time our journalists read influential social and political thinkers of our time and adopt their ideas to our current situation.
Go Gibo, you will be our president, whether Bert likes it or not!!!
HA!45 billion dollar reserves on the back of OFWs who toil under the 40 deg heat in Saudi cannot be called progress what with the social cost such as broken families etc. You are acting as an apologist for GMa. Yes we should continue to hate the wrongdoings and corruption since this is correlated to the the poverty that is the lot of the majority of our countrymen. A vote for Gibo means a vote for GMA’s policies etc which he already said he will continue which means we will be exporting more warm bodies to any country who would need an amah should he get elected. The Philippines deserves a change in leadership. It has to start with electing a few good men.
So your candidate will change the policy of sending foreign workers abroad, fantastic, the only reason why we are able to take advantage of globalization at a time that we don’t have developed industries to be competitive is our labor export. Marcos started this policy, it never slowed down during any of the past administrations, at least now, we have BDOs and other sprouting industries on the back of OFWs.
OFWs have always been a part of government policy if you haven’t read yet, but it is only during this administration that we have strong international reserves, don’t be a blind hater, give credit where credit is due. Marcos time saw us with negative economic growth and a burgeoning debt, with zero reserves, thus, a weak peso. Use your head and not your hateful heart!
A president who can reverse the present trend of professional, skilled and non-skilled workers going abroad and converts the the Philippine economy to a robust one such that foreigners will be enticed to come instead of OFW going away is a very good thing to happen. Anyone who will argue against that I think has colonial mentality attitude who just love white christmas in America, :).
I read the Noynoy plans on reversing the flow of Pinoys and Pinas to overseas jobs. The plan is to state that the OFW voters and their families are an asset to the Philippines, and that what Noynoy’s administration will do is : ______________
How will your candidate Bert reverse the tide of people leaving the country, I take it that this is a natural consequence of our underdeveloped economy. Thailand has pursued development on their agri-business and tourism, we should be able to pursue development with a stable peace and order situation and Gibo is right in his policy of deterrence and vision for a professionalized military to entice foreign investors, you can have an educated workforce right here, but with a dodgy peace and order situation, no foreign investors will employ your skilled workers, got it, Bert, Mindanao is where most poverty is, why, that is because of the centuries-old conflict there, we need Teodoro’s policy on increasing our defense budget which is the lowest in the region.
In time, we will be able to employ our people right here, but for now, it will be wishful thinking for the government to keep our people home knowing there are opportunities for them waiting not just in America but anywhere in the world, in this global society of ours. Look at Ireland, the Irish left and worked in America when their economy was in the doldrums, but now that the EU has given them a lot of support, people are staying home. What is Aquino’s plane to stem the tide of OFWs leaving. I doubt he has any. . .
“macroeconomic infrastructure has been developed….GMA may be corrupt, sure, but not as corrupt as Marcos” – Ms. Miriam Quiamco
Eh??
Truly, Ms. Miriam Quiamco must be a genius living in an alternate universe.
But then again, no matter how infinite the number of parallel universes there may be, it is hard to imagine one where Miriam Quiamco, given her faulty logic, lack of analytical skills, and selective amnesia, can be described as sane.
Nay, Miriam Quiamco, is just like jcc or bencard who espouse very LOW STANDARDS, albeit masked with a big vocabulary. These people compromise and rationalise when none are required.
Miriam Quiamco, please drink some laxative. Maybe the ebak will come out of your anus rather than your mouth.
Actually Miriam it is you who has the hateful heart based on how you always bring up hatred in your comments when people just think and put their trust to one who is different from you are campaigning for. Aquino has said he will use education as one tool to eradicate poverty and eliminate corruption which is the foremost reason that investors shy away from investing in Phil. Gibo is forever identified with GMA who has garnered the most negative rating of any president in memory. If a GMA anointed gets elected and all these corruption continue, the average Filipino will just get poorer and hungrier while GMA and friends dine in Le Cirque. Of course the export of OFW will not stop immediately but if the reason why investors shy from Phil. is removed and the battered image of the country is improved, then there will be more startups and businesses that will be put up in our country and Juan de la Cruz need not have to work abroad for menial pay.
Rosa, Indonesia is ranked more corrupt than our country but investors are trooping to Indonesia, 7 billion dollars a year compared to the Philippines of 340 million dollars a year, why, because of peace and order situation in our country. Indonesia has a strong military and uses professional private security forces to solve criminality in the country, has a much higher budget for defense and that is why foreign investors are not shying away despite the fact that it is rated as the second or first most corrupt nation on earth. Let Aquino spell out how his vision on education can solve corruption and other problems of governance, I am sorry, but your candidate just doesn’t have it to be even considered presidentiable!!!!
http://www.weforum.org/documents/GCR09/index.html
On World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness report cited above, business executives respondents were to asked to rate the most problematic reasons for financial investment in a certain country. On Philippines, they cited corruption at 24% as most problematic while instability is only at 8%. As for Indonesia problems due to corruption was given only 8.7% . On competitiveness scale based on different factors such as , Indonesia was rated higher at 54 versus while Phil. was ranked 87 out of 133 nations. Indonesia gets investments because it is rated to be more competitive most notably on financial market innovation, labor market efficiency, business sophistication and innovation. That is why Indonesia is now categorized as a country in transition from a factor-driven to an efficiency-driven economy whereas Philippines is still factor driven. At the factor driven stage, the report says: “Maintaining competitiveness at this stage of development hinges primarily on well-functioning public and private institutions, well-developed infrastructure, a stable macroeconomic framework, and a healthy and literate workforce.
As wages rise with advancing development, countries move into the efficiency-driven stage of development, when they must begin to develop more efficient production processes and increase product quality. At this point, competitiveness is increasingly driven by higher education and training, efficient goods markets, well-functioning labor markets, sophisticated financial markets , a large domestic and/or foreign market, and the ability to harness the benefits of existing technologies. As the report say, corruption is our biggest problem and it needs to be eliminated”.
Think of the effect of corruption in our economics – even if just a portion of the billions that was estimated that we lost between 2002 – 2009 on corruption alone could have been used to start business that will employ people . On a personal note, I have a friend who with his partners backed out of a mining project after they have experienced personally the corruption in our land. Apparently a lot of Filipinos have funds available for investment but they are not investing in Phil. since they see this corruption and are afraid to lose their shirts. Think also about the effect of corruption on national character. Cheating, fixing, lying, nepotism etc. are all negative actions that I am sure you will agree will not strengthen the economic and moral fabric of our nation. On education, a lot of people drop-out after finishing grade six. A more educated Filipino will know more their rights and be more employable especially in areas of high technology and companies that innovate. So Miriam, contrary to what you are saying about Indonesia, Philippines has a bigger problem on corruption which affects our competitiveness which in turn affects investment inflow. I think we should learn can from Switzerland which is ranked # 1 . To quote from the report: “Switzerland’s public institutions are rated among the most effective and transparent in the world (7th), ensuring a level playing field and enhancing business confidence; these include an independent judiciary, a strong rule of law, and a highly accountable public sector. Competitiveness is also buttressed by excellent infrastructure(5th) and a well-functioning goods market (5th), as well as a labor market that is among the most efficient in the world (2nd, just behind Singapore). On the other hand, the university enrollment rate of 47 percent continues to lag behind many other high-innovation countries, placing the country 46th on this indicator. Although gaps are currently being filled through immigration, efforts should be made to boost higher education attainment to ensure sufficient national talent“. I am looking forward to a Noynoy and Mar administration where eradication of corruption is their main goal to strengthen our public and private institutions and improving education is an added goal which we have seen is needed if we are to move from a factor driven economy to an efficiency driven stage and hopefully one day to an innovation stage.
Rosa, Teodoro just did not change street names, he worked on 4 or 5 bills to get rural roads converted into national highways in Tarlac, you know what this means for his contituency, more funds for road development, aka, farm to market roads, he also spent his CDF on electrification projects of his district and he also passed a bill into law, one that protects the rights of the accused (he feels strongly for human rights issues) and he also led an impeachment trial of a corrupt judge based on solid evidence (I researched this too), plus his accomplishments in the DND quietly fighting corruption there and more. Now, what can you say about your candidate in terms of accomplishments and vision of governance?
Rosa thanks, what extensive research you have done, but you have to remember that all those factors you mentioned why investors preferred Indonesia over our country, did not take place in a vacuum, a secure and a politically stable environment brought about all those things. Sure, industrial and sound public policies are responsible too, due to a working parliament, unicameral right, which just reinforces Gibo’s position on constitutional revision, but scholars have pointed to a stable peace and order situation in Indonesia which has brought about a change in its economic fortunes.
Same with Thailand, a country that is even beset with a lot of political wranglings, 9.4 billion dollars a year of foreign investments, again, you can attribute this to Thai’s stable peace and order situation (less proliferation of guns than our country and a strong police force). Thailand’s defense budget is three times as much as our defense budget and with a stubborn insurgency and moslem rebellion, we are certainly not pursuing sound policies on defense. Teodoro articulated a clear vision on this as well. Corruption Rosa willl not disappear even if you elect Aquino, can’t you see he is too weak to even get a law passed in his 12 years in the legislature, how can you hope he will be an effective leader in the executive branch.
Anyway, all the best to you.
And another corrupt country that gets a lot of foreign investments, China, of course we know this country is quite secure for foreign investors.
I don’t know how you can call Teodoro smart with him just changing street names and school names and he has not done anything with the peace and order situation given that he had high official position in his beloved GMA administration. In fact he has shown he has a tendency to pass the buck to other people and never take charge re no preparedness for Typhoon Ondoy when he was the head of the disaster preparedness agency. Likewise Ampatuan massacre when he has not done anything. As for Indonesia, the reason that they are progressing is that there is no corruption that is so endemic and systematic as what we see here in the Phil. I see you have the tendency to change topics when you get refuted re saying that Indonesia is the most corrupt etc and still get investments.
I am not saying that we do not have a problem in Mindanao and that is for another day another discussion, what I am saying is that Aquino is just addressing what leading businessmen and economic institutions are saying is the most problematic reason why Phil. is viewed as having disadvantages in terms of competitiveness which is corruption and they did not say it was the peace and order situation as the most problematic. Again this confirms my view and has seen it before that you have a tendency to post assumptions that have no legs to stand on banking maybe that nobody is going to check? Maybe that is why you teach history which is sometimes revisionist. Now I get it.
Correction, I don’t teach History Rosa, I teach Politics, and the science of governance, and that is why I am very familiar with Japanese public policy success, of course with some history too.
Rosa, read again corruption reports which were just out two or three weeks ago, Indonesia is rated second only to Cambodia or one other country, we are rated 3rd or 4th. . .
Again for a professor, you can not connect the dots. We are talking here of the problem of corruption which has been identified as the most problematic reason for our disadvantaged competitiveness which affects investment according the World Economic Forum report and not just plain corruption. China’s corruption was rated only 7.4% as to being problematic compared to Philippines which has garnered 24% which is telling you that these business executives highly perceive that corruption is an obstacle to our competitiveness amongst 133 countries surveyed and which appropriately Noynoy has targeted to eradicate in his platform. I would put weight in this report that was gathered from more than 3000 respondents who are leading executives in various countries. On a happier note, another survey is putting Noynoy at 42.5% rating now and Gibo declined to 10% so a few more days and we will see a sea of yellow. Go Noynoy.
Wow, by election day, perhaps, Noynoy will already be in the 90s, courtesy of SWS and Pulse Asia. . . Go, go Rosa. If this makes you happy, great, one less happy person on earth, for us, green supporters, we will continue to work hard for our candidate and let’s see on May 10th, we are also quite upbeat about winning the election, but whatever happens, we will not be sore losers.
In all the years I’ve been roaming the blogosphere, this is the most negative blog I have ever seen and read. PANG WORLD RECORD.
Imagine, young/old and smart people, anchoring the hope of a desperate nation whose people are longing and clamoring for hope and survival, on a candidate with no chance of winning. What’s happening to the youth of today? We are doomed!
Pero, teka, baka naman nagbibiro lang si Sparks, nakangiti kasi. Baka ito ang tinatawag nilang ‘satire’, iyon bagang ala Chip Tsao. ‘Satire’ ba ito?
hi sparky, glad your back. sounds like you are a GIBO fan. He is going to win by a landslide. and don’t listen to Bert, he belongs to 40 above crowd which is only 20% of the total votes.. hehehe plus they are divided among ERAP and Villar.
GIBO will win in a landslide. The youth ( GIBO’s bread and butter) , command votes from Lakas kampi, INC, even the hated GMA still has many loyal supporters that will translate to GIBO votes.
Finally, Philippines democracy has mature. It’s time for me to pack my bags and go home to Philippines. At last!!!
If it were not from your blog, I would never come back to a pro-noynoy blogsite infested with men losing their common senses. I hope some of them here will take a psyche test… LOL
Holy smokes! Sparky is into Machiavellian brand of politics and she calls it modern?
She detest the prince for the “capable governor” without realizing that the latter is just as garbed in princely clothing?
What kind of logical somersault is this?
maybe the capable governor is… you know…. capable?
And how arrogant for you to claim that this particular candidate of yours is the only capable candidate.
And capable of what exactly?
Of bamboozling all forms of kabastusan and kawalanghiyaan and justify it in Machiavellian fashion?
I think Lourdes is basing her argument on track records of candidates and Gordon does have a solid one to show, I am of course a Gibo voter, my problem with Gordon when I first heard him speak at Harapan debate was that he was long on rhetoric and short on specific and substantive policy analysis. Only Gibo caught my imagination. . .
Berting Teodoro is lackluster in the executive branch, mediocre at best in the cabinet post.
Horrible choice of packaging, that flying a plane stuff which has nothing to do with wisdom or ability to run a government. I know of a five year old who could fly a plane.
His biggest yoke however is his association with and having been endorsed by that woman with a mole.
Now tell us Madam, where is that hubristic air that you spew and breathe coming from?
You could end up like having eaten a plateful of sweet kamote.
To ligaya, who said this about Gordon (or to anyone who knows Gibo is best candidate but won’t vote Gibo because of surveys):
Under different circumstances, the person I would have voted for is Dick Gordon. His qualifications can be summed up in 5 words: Subic, Wow Philippines, Red Cross. The man’s leadership skills, vision, and passion for service are unquestionable. Now here’s the sad reality: he will not win. Maybe in the future, when Filipinos are smarter, when we have all learned to distinguish performance from personality, Dick Gordon can become president, and a deserving one at that. But today he will not win.
Think again, you really should. If you are basing your thoughts to abandon a better candidate because of the survey numbers, then you should recall that Pilipinas elections 2004 numbers were way off:
Metro Manila. The SWS said that based on its exit polls Mrs. Arroyo would get 34 percent of the votes while Poe would be far behind with 25 percent.
The actual count: Mrs. Arroyo—26.46 percent and Poe—36.67 percent.
The SWS exit polls were way off in many other areas. In Eastern Visayas, SWS said the results would be 52 percent for Mrs. Arroyo and 39 percent for Poe. The actual count showed a close 45.44 percent for Arroyo and 43.32 percent for Poe.
I like one blog that defines SWS as “Survey for the Wealthy and the Stupid”, what about its prediction on FVR victory? To heck with these surveys, they should really be banned because they have been a part of our corrupt system, with out useless media, only good for propaganda and devoid of substance.
You only question the surveys because let’s face it Gibo’s % is still hovering at single digit and has been on a declining trend based on two separate and credible surveys. You should ask yourself why is Noynoy leading two surveys for months now. As Ligaya said, they trust Noynoy more than any other candidate as evidenced by almost 40% rating and find him the most credible and least prone to corruption unlike your candidate who is GMA’s disciple.
GMA disciple as far as this administration has brought economic growth, but he has fought corruption, unlike your candidate who is only now big on corruption issue, but has actively supported Gloria’s policies during his terms as legislator and why not, GMA did promote the interests of his oligarchic family. Come on, Gibo never personally benefited from his proximity to Gloria, if at all, he learned the economic and social policies of this administration which LP candidates now have had an input into. Now, that a lot of GMA advisers have been snatched by LP, you have to worry about continuing to support your candidate, for they will surely be the shapers of policies which will continue the policies of your hated administration.
GMA’s handyman who passed bills to change names of streets. If this is your definition of talino of Gibo then you really have low standards Miriam. Noynoy has the highest ratings because his message of fighting corruption resonates with the Filipinos across the demographic scale and that is why they trust him. As for the GMA cronies, last time I looked they are all there supporting Gibo or Villar.. A few crossed to LP but Ninoy said his administration will be anti-corruption and since his mom has shown that she did not profit from her presidency and Ninoy SALN has shown that he has not shown any abnormal increase in network after nearly a decade in office convinces me that he will be a decent president.
Rosa, here is an opinion piece from Bohol standard that I completely share.
Gordon, a lawyer, called Noynoy Aquino a “do-nothing guy,” citing the latter’s non-performing records at the Senate and House of Representatives spanning more than a decade.
The truth of the matter is that no one hardly knew about Noynoy Aquino until his mother, the late President Cory Aquino, died last year. Was it our fault that we had no idea who Noynoy was?
We didn’t know much about Noynoy simply because he did not make himself known to us. For three terms he served as congressman for the second district of Tarlac. In 2007 he was elected senator. In all the years of his being in public office, Noynoy Aquino was a no-show in many of the important issues that swept the country.
We may as well describe him as a “hear-no-evil-see-no-evil” guy. Unlike his father Ninoy who helped bring democracy back to the country and condemned the injustices during the Marcos regime, Noynoy, as we know him, has been quiet about the corruption scandals that hounded the Arroyo administration.
Came the death of his mother, then the people started hearing things about Noynoy Aquino. Meanwhile, a group of traditional politicians who have their own vested interests started pushing Noynoy to run as president.
Noynoy did not know what to do with the supposed clamor for him to join the presidential race. It is obvious that Noynoy had no plans about leading the country but the people who were behind the clamor have definite plans what to do once their bet would say yes to the call.
For 1 write-up on Gibo, I can throw at you ten write-ups on why people are rooting for Noynoy. Here is one of them
WHY NONOY iIS FRONTRUNNER IN THE ELECTIONS (Barrio Siete blog)
by Melba Padilla Maggay, Ph.D.*
Just days from now, this country is likely to find itself putting to the highest office of the land a man who, just half a year ago, was a most unlikely candidate for president.
Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino, like his mother before him, is without the usual credentials expected of a ‘presidentiable’: he has no executive experience to speak of, no outstanding legislative record, none of the star qualities that catapult men and women into leadership. The only thing going for him is a name, but even this is seen negatively from the perspective of those framed by modernist narratives. Like the more sordid versions of family dynasties that rule this country, it is a residue of a feudal past that is best left behind.
So why is Noynoy a frontrunner in this election?
The simple answer is that Noynoy is perceived as a strong solution to corruption, to the kind of change that people have longed for and fought for at EDSA. In the same way that his mother was a foil to the strongman Marcos, he is seen as carrying on a legacy that had a moral center and a capacity for personal sacrifice for the good of all, as against the absolutely amoral and transactional use of power by the present government.
Recent polls on the qualities of candidates that are important to our people already provide a clue: they will vote for whoever stands against corruption and promises an end to poverty. Competence takes a backseat to these two concerns.
It is not an accident that in this election, Aquino and Villar surfaced as the strongest contenders. The degraded condition of our institutions and the humiliating hunger of our times serve as a defining context, shaping and setting off their candidacies apart from that of the rest. A people’s revulsion against massive corruption found expression and focus in the campaign to draft the reluctant son of a revered political saint. As well, the published rags-to-riches story of a self-made entrepreneur struck a chord in the many who are tired of the usual politicians whose competence is in law and rhetoric rather than in putting concrete food on the table.
For a while, these two issues – the need for a moral center in governance and a solution to poverty – registered in the ratings of the two candidates with almost equal strength. Midway, Villar and his promise to end poverty seemed to be catching up and shaving Aquino’s lead. Until he was tarred by a series of murky scandals, exposed as truth-less and tasteless by propaganda he has stirred himself, whose incremental impact portrayed a man that would stop at nothing in his driven march to power and whose shady sense of the legal and the moral is only a tad less corrosive than that of the present occupant of Malacañang.
At this moment, the tipping point seems to have been reached; the fear of a lawless recidivism at the center of power, — a spectre initially conjured by a ‘Villaroyo’ alliance and, more recently, by charges that echo the reasons why Joseph Estrada was toppled in the first place — has decisively turned popular favor away from Villar and increased the chances of an Aquino presidency.
Studies show that there are at least three C’s that leaders must possess in order to rule effectively: competence, charisma, and character.
Competence is required if a leader is to be respected and followed by those whose expertise and cooperation are needed to get the job done. Charisma is necessary to be able to inspire and motivate people to march to the call of a vision. Character is that rock-solid inner core that invites trust, that shows up in moments of crisis and testing and separates the statesman from the mere politician.
All three qualities are necessary for effective leadership. But the most critical, it seems to me, is character. Competence without character makes thieves and tyrants of us all when possessed with power; the Marcos regime and the Arroyo government are testaments to this. Charisma without character is disaster, as we have seen with the mercifully short-lived Estrada presidency.
The instincts of our people are correct: it is the safest bet to go for someone whose competence and charisma may not be outstanding, but whose character may yet inspire trust in our dispirited people and infuse a moral hardness to our soft institutions.
*Dr. Melba Padilla Maggay is a social-anthropologist and President of the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture ( ISACC ).
We are mired (nabalaho tayo) in the “Yellow Mud” and are high in “Cloud Yellow”…We romanticized EDSA, to escape our present Situation as a Nation. The Oligarchs and Ruling Family Dynasties, encourage this Delusion. So that they can continue to rule. We cannot get out of the EDSA mentality, same way as we cannot overcome our weaknesses…The Land Reform Program is bogged down. Rice and sugar are imported. OFWs are the symptoms of our Illness as a Nation. Same as Mexicans are climbing border walls on the U.S.- Mexican Borders. Just to get a low paying menial job in the U.S. Which they remit to their families back home. Same scenarios, different locations.
Sparks,
Thank you for putting into words the ambivalent-are-we-in-limbo feeling not a few have.
That’s it, I’ll vote effin Gordon.
“Voting Gordon is okay. Voting Gibo is okay, too. As long as not Villar, then good choice”, bert would say. [Or is it tranquil who would say that?]
Hey!! Villar is okay.
I vote for Susan Ople, and if Villar is good enough for Susan Ople,
then Villar gets my vote.
I’m amazed that SWS and Pulse did not see Erap surging past Villar.
“Among my peers and people younger, there seems to be a real yearning to find not a prince but a modern governor.”
Yearning is not enough.
Optimism flies against the grain of values and reality. When a substantial portion of the empowered believe their private gain is more important than the good of the country, you get what you get, a sucking off of the economic lifeblood of a nation. How do you change values when trading in favors is easier than holding to a discipline that demands the hard work of doing the very best?
Young people are traditionally the drivers of social change globally, for their ideals trump outdated ways of doing things. But in the Philippines, young people have been taught to obey, not exercise ambition. Not demand fairness and opportunity from their blood-sucking elders. The evidence suggests they back either words with no action or riots with no sense of how to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. The don’t have the discipline and ambition, themselves, to drive purposefully forward as architects of change. This requires building, not just tearing down.
It doesn’t much matter who is president. Even a well-intended leader is trumped from the getgo by others with power who operate on the principle that the good of the community, or nation, is not as important as granting and collecting personal IOU’s.
The trading of favors is the currency of this nation, not the rewards that come from the disciplines of achievement. It is an ego-centric nation, not an economic-centric one.
Click on my name-link for a more thorough discussion of this trade of favors in the article “A Nation of Traitors”.
Joe
Joe, you are looking at the Philippines from the prism of an individual brought up in an advanced, modern and successful nation. Our country does not share the same historical paradigm as your country and you have to look at how, given our cultural weaknesses, we can rise from where we are into a modern and a thriving nation. The U.S. as I have learned from my teachings of American Culture here is a land of immigrants, a people driven to start anew due to various forms of persecution from Europe and lately from elsewhere; as my French friend would say, a country full of European misfits, and thus, the early leaders of your country did bring to this vast continent, the dynamism of the values of Europe, resisting feudalism and the oppression of the monarchical structures there. To survive, the early settlers, had to be brave and courageous, thus, we have America as it is now, a lone superpower. There is a lot I admire about your country and a lot that I loathe too.
The Philippines did not even become a country without the Spaniards claiming these disparate group of islands as their own. How many Filipinos were there then? Filipinos learned to survive through the centuries only through “exchanging of favors” and being subservient to powers that be. Yes, we had heroes, but they were heroes precisely because while they championed bigger causes beyond themselves, they were trampled upon by the powers with bigger guns and the oppressive images of the Catholic faith. Centuries of this Joe, and that is why we have our culture as it is today. It is not that our young do not question and rebel, we have lot of idealistic young people who have joined the ranks of the NPA, who could be more anti-authoritarian than that, but it is because, here, subservience as a cultural trait is the way to survive, we are not as big a continent as America, we need to co-exist in a typically Asian fashion of suppressing individual ambitions to promote family interests. I am not saying this is right, but what I am saying is that, correct governmental policies to address this cultural weakness and tap the potential of the youth for nation-building are the answer. We can transcend this cultural weakness to move our country to progress just like many Asian nations, we are oppressed by the Spanish heritage of arrogance, sure as Tranquil pointed out, but I believe that modern theories of governance could guide us out of this malaise.
We have a candidate who does not swagger and does not pander to our cultural weakness and instead emphasize the importance of public policies and is clearly an earnest public servant. He has become a symbol of healing and unity, we should vote for him, this will be a beginning of a brighter Philippines. I choose to be constructive rather than join the hate-fest against this regime. Go Gibo, sulong, we are almost there.
Miriam,
I appreciate the thoughtful commentary. I hope you have had the opportunity to read my full blog on this “trading of favors”. Filipinos hurt Filipinos. Wealth and honor, the two main benchmarks of a successful society, are undercut by the trading of favors aimed at promoting private gain and retention of power. Only when core values change, and people hire skill, can the economy become free of its current trap. Young people are cheated of opportunity and careers. I’m surprised they are not more aware of the penalties they bear. It is like racial and gender penalties were in the US, when the right to build a career was cut off by unfair hiring practices.
Joe
I see your point Joe, the problem is so systemic that I do not even know how our core values could be changed. Over time when our economy develops, perhaps, there could be genuine change in values. Just look at this election, people might elect somebody unqualified to the job of being a president, all because he is the son of dead democracy icons, what could be more glaring an example of how “trading of favors” is also at play in these elections. The mother extended a favor to the oligarchs and they are in turn supporting his campaign, to return the favor, Kamag-anak Inc., etc. How to break the cycle of a self-defeating sooo Filipino way of life, I don’t know, maybe we should ask Bert.
Mirriam,
I will be glad to oblige.
One of the major causes of this stagnation is when unconcern citizens continue to root for a rotten administration hated by 80% of the people due to what Joe had aptly described in his writings, such as, “Filipinos hurt Filipinos”, “…trading of favors aimed at promoting private gains and retention of power.”, “When a substantial portion of the empowered believe their private gain is more important than the good of thecountry.”, etc.
The unabated proliferation of this kind of unconcern citizenry will no doubt continue to prod my friend Joe to go on with his unrelenting tirade against the Filipino people here in FV and in his personal blog.
Bert, what a predictable reply. Thanks, this really solves the problem Joe is posing here. . .
Mirriam, you’re welcome.
As to my friend Joe, his problem is his problem, he has more problems with his own people, neither the Filipino people nor I can help with that kind of problems of his, but you, you have the potential of agravating those problems.
While the Filipino people, well, we will manage…with or without my friend Joe’s tirade, :).
Miriam,
Self awareness is step one, and I think the blogging community is a small but growing and important force in this direction. Litigation would be another step, when an individual who has worked hard and diligently for a career gets cut off by a “favored” appointment. That is real damage. Third would be efforts to get the Legislature to pass laws that reflect an awareness of the systematic damage being done by old values.
Thank you for your sincere thinking and expressions in this particular blogging community.
In my own writings, I want to address the distortions that tend to influence how we see things. It is a little nebulous right now so I’ve got to get it pinned down a bit so my good but argumentative friend can distinguish between a tirade (for the sake of condemnation) and insight fused with passion (aimed at self-discovery).
Joe
hahaha. people will read into what i write what they want to read. interesting. very interesting :)
I know it, Sparky, this thread of yours is a ‘Tsip Tsao’ copycat. You’re enjoying it, you’re hilariously crazy pulling our legs, and succeeding successfully, especially the guillible legs of my friends Mirriam, Leytegirl, and Mike H, :D.
BIOPOWER is a still mythical and futuristic capacity of a modern government to regulate all its citizens based on its “POSITIVE” ability as opposed to the “negative” ability (power of giving death) of non-modern regimes. The closest we can get so far (in my own hembel opinion) is a liberal autocracy wherein ensuring civil liberties trumps the democratic right to vote for our governors.
As I implied above, GORDON is the your best choice sparks.
BIO, ladies in gentlemen, is LIFE. ergo “LIFE POWER”
“I have bemoaned the fact that we seem stuck at this question of whether our ruler is good or not. In fact the whole discourse of the elections so far has been anchored on perceptions of goodness. ”
the reason WHY is easy: the president has incredible discretion over powers/spending/appointments. it has powers over legislative and judiciary.
when a position has so much discretion, you NEED to know that the person holding that position will not use these discretionary powers lightly.
alot of the problems with PGMA take the form: even if it [insert scandal/problem here] were LEGAL; was it the right thing to do?
THIS is why character is so important in political positions with so much discretion.
So when we pick our president, we must also ask: HOW will the new president curb his own power, and give it back to congress, and the local executives?
MANY candidates dont give a sh_t about curbing presidential power. Most of them say “i will give [insert group here] money/attention/jobs”.
So, i ask humbly: DOES YOUR CANDIDATE believe in curbing presidential power?
I believe Gibo wants to curb presidential powers and this why he is open to constitutional change, now, now, don’t tell me that it is because he wants GMA to rule perpetually, it is because you are right Gabby D, the president has too much power and he/she can always subvert the legislative bodies, and other agencies of government. We need new legislations to make our government more responsive to making policies work in our land.
OK. i’ll bite.
what is 1 thing that gibo proposed to curb presidential power?
gabbyD: check for any instance and you will not find it.
Noynoy has never said that he will relinquish or diminish the presidential powers of “executive privilege” that allowcabinet members to say “NO! We won’t testify before Congress.”
@lourdes
has anyone asked any of the candidates about executive privilege?
noynoy has a position on executive privilege:
http://www.peoplepowervolunteer.com/downloads/positionstatement.pdf
pls read it.
He is for constitutional revision and a parliamentary form of government with the president to be directly elected by the people. With the outstanding performance of our legislators in solving corruption and other issues of our country lately, this is something a growing number of people are now supporting this.
This “protection of cabinet members from testifying” via Executive Privilege is enshrined in the 1987 Constitution. Now Noynoy says “NO” to con-change. So…. what then?
Noynoy has said a lot of things that he wants GMA to do, like GMA talsik diyan or “GMA — make your cabinet members testify!”.
Noynoy saying “I, Noynoy, promise that if elected, I will make my cabinet members testify!” that is a different sentence. Have you found the sentence?
@lourdes
ang labo ng discussion.
i pointed you to his position on executive privilege. if u read his position, it is CRYSTAL CLEAR that he believes cabinet members ought to testify, under the parameters set in the constitution.
in other words, he HAS said “i will allow cabinet members to testify”. YES. please read and understand naman.
@miriam
a half-baked change in government just shifts the problem from too much presidential power to too much power by the speaker.
can you identify any statement on gibo’s end that he has thought about curbing political power in any branch of govt (either executive or legislative)?
just 1. please.
Gabby D., a constitutional revision to allow for a more efficient working of government is not half-baked change. . .
gabbyD: Noynoy wants the Supreme Court decision to be changed. By saying that, he has left the impression, but he did NOT say that (even if allowed by 1987 constitution) he will NOT extend executive privilege to his cabinet members.
It is like listening to a Tanduay Rum advertisement. Certain things are said and certain things are left to your imagination.
@MIRIAM
its not half-baked IF and only IF its done right.
lets get real: getting it right is HARD.
Just because something is hard to get right, it is not worth exploring, Gibo is for politics that will bring this country forward and is not a lapdog of anyone, not by Danding, and certainly not by Gloria, and this has been proven and this black prop has already been debunked, I am surprised that some comments here are still harping on the lapdog issue.
Is a candidate who smokes 3 packs a day and is fond of night-clubbing with below par performance in government service, judging from 12 years of non-performance in the legislature, in possession of the right character for the presidency? Now, answer me Gabby D. without motherhood and fatherhood statements.
“Several military officers interviewed for this article observed that Teodoro has a tendency to crack under pressure without the help of a close circle, such as what happened during Ondoy. In terms of policy making, he was also known to rely on his military advisers in dealing with the undersecretaries who are senior to him in age, because he felt uncomfortable doing the task.”
From GMA news article May 7 on Teodoro. This just reinforces what a lot of people feel about Teodoro.
If it acts like a lapdog, talks like a lapdog, smells like a lapdog, then he is a lapdog. That is why a vote for Gibo is like saying we are condoning GMA’s corruption. Then we can really say we have returned our vomit. Go Noynoy.
None of the candidates have fully costed the budget impact of the policies and programs contained in their platforms. Thus, a discussion of policy in “bean-counting” style is not possible.
The problem with this idea of a purely rational approach to campaigning is that even if people are presented with a quantum of benefits, they do not always vote in accordance with their interests. Examples of governments that have delivered prosperity and stability and yet have fallen out of favor proves this point. In developing policy, people need a neat story to tie the web of facts and figures together.
That is why some of those capable candidates that you speak of never captured the imagination of the people. They did not have a compelling narrative that intertwines their personal history with that of the nation to provide a reason to elect them based on a vision for its future that they are uniquely capable to deliver. The leading candidates have and that is why they are registering well in the polls. It is the one whose narrative holds up the most under scrutiny that I believe deserves to win.
I am Son of the Queen and the heir to the throne? That narrative?
Everyone has a personal narrative and the problem is with our media, it has created a lot of hype on the Aquino personal narrative, that even the son whose personal narrative so far not been good for this country (for lack of credible track record in public service) has been successfully sold, and mind you, this is not without a cost, half a billion pesos so far has been spent on selling the Noynoy personal narrative, aren’t you scared of this?
We need rational politics now, the media should promote this by discussing policy positions of candidates, we need this kind of politics in the 21st century and not 18th century politics, we should stop being the laughing stock of outside observers who are amazed at our capacity for electing unqualified candidates, so much time has been wasted. . .
There are many ways of course to weave a narrative-for or against a candidate. I am not arguing here in favour of one or the other. The point I am making is that people will not follow a leader who fails to produce a convincing one.
That has to do with the way we are wired as thinkers in the way we make personal decisions. We vote based on our personal narratives. The candidate that provides a national vision and story that jives with our own is the one who wins out in the end.
The 21st Century campaign is very much media driven and spin-dominated. The media helps to magnify or cancel out the narratives told by candidates. The one that is able to manage the media including new media the best often is at an advantage. This is true of both US and British politics these days and is true of the very media savvy Philippines.
It is also true the countries you mentioned have reached maturity in their political systems way before the expensive but mind-numbing influence of television. Poor Philippines, how could we get out of the rut when imperial Manila has got the oligarchic forces fused in with big media interests and can easily sell to us a product that is truly not worth buying.
I have seen same situations like the Philippines in the former Spanish Colonies in South America. Oligarchs, rulers, and landowners lived very well. No middle class. The poor is merely surviving. So, they travel to the U.S. Climb over the Border Fences. Work for menial jobs. Then, remit a part of their earnings to their families, back home. Can you see the similirities of our Filipino OFWs? The Spanish Colonizers imposed this Political Heirarchy to let their Descendants rule as Oligarchs. Rich Filipinos immitated this social heirarchy also; thru political rule in the form of Family Dynasties…
I agree Equalizer, but what about Chile, it has been able to show it is capable of developing despite its Spanish roots, perhaps, we should look at countries with successes in their development agenda in Latin America, our distant cultural brothers and sisters.
Brazil is a rising economy too, what could these countries be doing right to be able to move forward. . .
Some would argue that the political systems in advanced democracies are just as broken. Look at Britain with the MP’s expense scams, the US with its lobbyists. The only difference is that in these Western countries, they have legalised most forms of political corruption.
Cusp, a mature political system demonstrates plurality of opinions expressed in the mass media to educate their voters on the issues that are important to the nation. The discussion of issues is ideas-centered with the whole populace taking part in the debates and discussion. You will never see a media-led emotionalism centered on personalities and family-affiliations of candidates during elections. This is what a mature political system is all about. They don’t have maalaala mo kaya type of TV programming dictating and manipulating heroic images of personalities for the masses to be duped to vote for a nondescript politician (Economist description of Noynoy).
In addition, the discussion of issues and policy positions of candidates is sustained all throughout the electoral process, they present credible pundits to analyze issues, not just one (Casiple to validate surveys) so that people are encouraged to think of what is a viable program of governance. Issues and solutions Cusp are the focus of election campaign not the tear-jerking images presented to the gullible masses to sell a nondescript politician.
Miriam, I don’t think the American media was exactly unbiased in its coverage of the Obama campaign. I think the term was fawning. So is that democracy mature by your definition? You might say Fox News counter-balanced the “liberal” media but by the same token you have a celebrity whose gameshow rates just as highly as news programs as a source of information by Philippine voters.
I do agree that in the 1930s to about the 1970s party manifestos were the basis for political campaigns in Britain so in that sense when you talk of 21st C democracy, you are really talking about the mid-20th C).
Nowadays though, these have taken a back-seat as political campaigns in parliamentary democracies have become more presidential in nature and thus rely more on pomp and pageantry, media hype and spin, rather than substance. And I don’t believe that there has been necessarily a plurality of opinion in two party political systems of the West-the main reason why critics say it is susceptible to corruption.
Cusp,
The media fawned over Obama because, after the inarticulate nonsense of his predecessor, he spoke intelligently and largely meant what he spoke. That is worth fawning over.
Joe
The Cusp,
It’s because we the Americans has been having a watchful eyes on the Filipino Governance, and learning from the best source of corruption. That the Americans finally implemented the traditional “TRAPOS” of governance into our systems. Is what we call “Red Tape.”
Maraming Salamat Philippines…!
It is true Cusp that readership and viewership of inane journalistic topics and TV shows in countries with developed political systems are just as big as they are in our country, the difference is that publications of serious topics which tackle issues in depth and TV shows that do not shun serious and idea-oriented discussions do have big following from the masses as well. Here, you can see plurality of views, what I’m saying is that you can never dupe the masses in advanced democracies into supporting a candidate due simply to his family heritage, take for example the Kennedys in America, they could be compared to the Aquinos in the Philippines, but in times of crisis, the Americans will never look up to any of the members to save the country from its problems.
There are extensive discussion of issues from all persuasions, and people do take a stand based on issues not based on the mumbo jumbo of a candidate’s pedigree. They look at the track record of the candidate and discuss his policy positions and of course his personal profile too, but the media as an institution is more critical and issue-oriented.
I am very impress with your drive there Miriam, as with the Cusp, and with his directive force of nature to rebuttal your presentation. As for EQ, he has an amazing ways of thoughts, it just keeps coming. Then, comes Joe Am, to counter-balance Mr. Obama’s the “Fawning” issues. You must like “BO” really well.
You guys are amazing…!
Getting back to Mr. “BO” Obama
As much as I don’t approve on some of his issues and agenda’s. Not that I dislike the Dem’s. But how meticulous, and articulate with his speech that he delivers. He is also an editor, for his own speech-writer. A very intellect and profound Mr. President.
An exciting expressive speaker, “BO” does attract and stimulate my attention. You are also quite “KOREK” Miriam, we need to balanace our act here on FV.
Thanks Mario, you are such a generous man. . .
@ Miriam,
For starters, Brazil’s popular and populist leader, President Lula has the cojones to go against the country’s economic elite/oligarchs, foreign multinationals, and the United States.
Who has such balls among the wannabes?
Lula despite his public image did not implement most of the radical policies he espoused as a candidate. Rather, he maintained the right of centre policies and social entitlements put in place by his predecessor.
Lula nonetheless has succeeded in where his predecessors have failed, he must be doing something different and right.
In Lula’s country, they have citizens’ streets where people are encouraged to go to special places of learning, sponsored by the government, places where they can learn special skills for free, no one is encouraged to be idle, there are libraries, computer centers in depressed neighborhoods, a lighthouse type of building so that crimes are discouraged.
Government offices have satellite offices housed in one building in citizens’ streets so that everything people need from their government is all within reach, no need to take up a day of travel just to get a marriage license permit, or a driver’s license. With computer technology, everything people need to transact with a government office can be found in one building right there on their streets. Now, Lula must be doing something right as a leader to have spurred this kind of public service for the people.
The programs you mentioned are not as grand or as meaningful as the social welfare programs initiated by Cardoso which Lula maintained. The reason he could afford to maintain them was because of the economic conservatism of his predecessor. Just as many of GMA’s programs are worth being maintained by a more popular leader.
Sometimes, all it takes is a popular leader who connects well with the people with an experienced team running the same set of economic policies and social programs for legitimacy and competence to be married together.
Be careful Cusp, now don’t say anything positive at all about GMA or you will soon find your name maligned here. Yes, and a credible leader will win in the election, and you are right in saying that policies that have worked in the current administration should be continued in addition to workable and progressive policies the new administration will put forward. Now, I agree with you. . .
A family man in the neighbouring community shot his family and then himself. Yet the neighbuours had some good things to say about him. Nobody lives in an all or nothing world and I am sure GMA has good ideas. But if you look at the totality of her rule which is characterized by unending corruption and weakening of a lot of institutions, then someone observing will say enough. Teodoro has been silent and complicit under GMA’s administration and never did he distance himself from GMA till now. Go Noynoy.
Chile improved. Brazil was a former Portugese Colony. Besides, Brazil has some European, Japanese, Chinese and Korean immigrants. Chile has some German and Japanese immigrants who worked as “sleeper cells” by the Nazi and Japanese Militarist, during World War II. They assimilated well with the society. The Former President Alberto Fujimori, who is in jail at present. Was of a Japanese descent…
Fujimori was a Former President of Peru. My mistake…I was thinking of a former Chilean President of foreign descent. But, after the Socialist President Allenda was overthrown by the C.I.A. inspired coup’d'etat. Chile moved forward…
Fujimori was President of Peru.
I corrected my mistake. But, they is awaiting moderation…
Ok saw it now, thanks.
Both Pinochet and Fujimori violated the rights of their citizens while leaving the social structure unchanged relying mainly on the Chicago School of Economics for reforming their economies. Their claim to legitimacy came from expanding the pie, the same way that China’s Communist Party must produce rapid growth to prevent social unrest. Their right to rule came from their efficacy, which I think is at the heart of Sparky’s argument.
The whole French post-structuralist school though that Michel Foucault represents seeks to undo much of the ideas of Western Enlightenment and the very notion of progress. Legitimacy can thus be interpreted in many ways under its teaching.
I personally don’t believe though that legitimacy and competence need to be mutually exclusive concepts. I believe any administration needs to have both in order to survive.
I think Foucault was arguing in favor of a person in power as the source of palpable goodness and not some legal or symbolic legitimacy. Public works as opposed to public perception. This is already happening in many countries in Europe or countries we deem “advanced.” Hindi talaga kasi sanay ang pinoy sa progreso, kaya puro perception lang at popularity.
Kasi CUSP, hindi ka naman magiging kilalang philosopher kung puro reaction ka lang at walang orihinal na pakg-iisip.
LEGITIMACY, in a very advanced society, is neither here nor there.
The voters will give the prize to the man that has the benefit of doubt. It is truly sad that the present crop of Presidentiables have nothing to offer.
This election has most noticeably been one of media generated perception. (Mostly TV)
They have created a knight in shining armor. He most probably will be a lost leader before the year is out.
If Binay is able to pull an upset maybe there is hope for this country. Roxas would be the biggest mistake the country would bestow on itself.
Binay is more global oriented than Roxas? How much influence does a veep has on matters of national economic policies? Will Roxas exercise that much economic clout in Aquino’s term? What is wrong with Roxas’ economics?
even USA newspapers are echoing the surveey/expectations of a Noynoy pluralility win. Washingtnn Pooost:
“He has the genius of the below-average, looking and sounding like someone who does not know how to govern a country,” said Homobono A. Adaza, a lawyer who worked for Aquino’s mother before she prosecuted him for defending rebel soldiers involved in a coup attempt.
“He doesn’t have a clue,” said Victor A. Abola, an economist at the University of Asia and the Pacific. “We may have a replay of the failures of his mother’s government.”
.. .. ..
As the election nears, it appears that a plurality of Filipino voters have decided to trust Aquino. “They know his achievements are not inspiring,” said Arsenio Balisacan, a professor of economics at the University of the Philippines. “But they are tired of corruption. They are willing to take a gamble.”
…. go Gibo, go! Wash Post will understand that many Pinoys prefer a capable leader to NoyNoy son of the Queen.
Better luck next time Berting; when the stink of Gloria’s perfume washes away from your shirt.
Don’t take this as an indication of truth Mike H. Just because foreign media are echoing the one-sidedness of the local media does not make the SWS and Pulse Asia predictions as harbinger of the election outcome. Did you see the rally of Gibo last night, even without the OA yellow sister, 130,000 people came to the rally, and walang hakutan, his army of volunteers will make him win. It is natural for foreign media to take cues from their local counterpart, you know, but the situation on the ground is what is true. The local machinery for Teodoro will deliver the votes, remember GMA won against the most popular FJP because of party machinery, Ramos too won against Miriam S due to party machinery. Erap back then won because, well, he is Erap for the Mahirap. FVR was rated third or fourth consistently by these same survey outfits, but he won. Can’t you tell that party machinery is very important for a presidential victory? In the urban areas, the Gibo volunteers are working overtime and in the countryside, the command votes of local officials will matter in the outcome of this election, despite the mass conditioning of the mass media using only two surveys.
I have been reading a lot about surveys lately and am amazed at how unscientific these undertakings could be. You know what they say, there are lies, damn lies and then statistics. If these surveys used hundreds of thousands of samples like they do in Japan, I would believe that their predictions would come true, but 2,500, oh boy, why not include CIG that uses the same sample size, 2,500 too and has Gibo winning with 29% plurality. This election will bring a lot of surprises, and if CIG loses in the prediction game, then perhaps their clients will think twice about commissioning them to do another electoral survey in the future. Why don’t multinational companies trust the two trending surveys, which both have Aquino relatives sitting in their board of directors.
Gibo has a big chance of winning, but it will be a close race, with many candidates with strong supporters. Go Gibo. And to Rosa, I read the same article on GMA 7, this just confirms my image of Gibo as incorruptible and very capable, he worked hard to continue good programs of government by his predecessor and he is not arrogant, but he is just as effective, he knows in our culture, you have to show those elderly generals, you respect them, you don’t bully to get your way, but you work quietly to get a task done without being a young bully. Gibo may have shortcomings, but he does have accomplishments to show, and what about the son of the Queen?
“Several military officers interviewed for this article observed that Teodoro has a tendency to crack under pressure without the help of a close circle, such as what happened during Ondoy. In terms of policy making, he was also known to rely on his military advisers in dealing with the undersecretaries who are senior to him in age, because he felt uncomfortable doing the task.”
From GMA news article May 7 on Teodoro. This just reinforces what a lot of people feel about Teodoro.
Why is the military supporting Gibo? 39% from exit polls of 22,000 absentee voters. . .
Don’t put too much weight on the opinion of military generals, Jesus, they have long cracked under pressure, what with the nagging insurgency in the country getting stronger. It was a good thing that one corrupt general got jailed from corruption charges under a Gibo administration. This is probably why they are sore and said bad things about Gibo, when the military absentee votes showed 39% support for him.
These generals well, should just spend their leisurely time in their Corinthian Gardens mansions and not ruin the reputation of the only Defense Chief to have the balls to get one of the corrupt ones jailed.
Or maybe these are generals who still love the country and have seen on a first-hand basis how Gibo is ineffective as a leader. Not all the military has been bought you know and I think they will choose our country if put to test. Go Noynoy.
Statistically speaking, Gibo is now verging on being an outlier (42% Ninoy versus 9% Gibo) unless the result is predetermined as in 5votes Aquino and 5 votes Villar = 10 votes Gibo. Any clue or tip Miriam?
Rosa, CIG says Gibo will win. . .
It’s completely delusional for Gibo to think he can still win this election. Maybe next time but not this time.
Family’s wealth depends on Noynoy presidency
By Miriam Grace A. Go, abs-cbnNews.com/ Newsbreak
Posted at 05/08/2010 3:56 PM | Updated as of 05/08/2010 6:06 PM
Will he use his position to bail out the bankrupt Hacienda Luisita?
. . . .
The next president will be appointing a new chief justice, who will preside over a pending case to allow farmers, after more than 40 years, to finally get Hacienda Luisita from the Cojuangcos under the government’s agrarian reform program. Under the next president, too, the final extension of the comprehensive agrarian reform program (CARP) will be implemented until 2014. During that period, the remaining CARP-able lands across the country will have to be distributed to farmer-beneficiaries.
The CARP Extension with Revisions law also does not allow anymore the stock distribution option (SDO) like what the Cojuangcos availed of under the old agrarian reform law.
Inevitably, Aquino’s reason for seeking the most powerful office is doubted; his adherence to family interests, closely watched. While his allies think that he is sincere when he promised at the start of his presidential campaign that he would distribute Hacienda Luisita to the farmers, his critics are convinced that he would bow to pressures from his family—just like his mother, President Corazon Aquino, did.
‘It’s all about Luisita’
. . .BusinessWorld columnist Rene Azurin is convinced that Aquino’s bid for the presidency is fueled by nothing else but his family’s resolve to keep Hacienda Luisita. “It is reasonable to believe that Noynoy Aquino’s presidential campaign is really only about land, about a last-ditch attempt of his family to hang on to their pelf and power,” he said in a commentary.
Citing the mounting debts of the hacienda, Azurin added, “Bottom line: if he does not become president, the family will lose their wealth and power.”
Aquino’s spokesman Edwin Lacierda insisted that “it’s not an empty promise.” He said that in Aquino’s campaign is a group that’s…
“BusinessWorld columnist Rene Azurin is convinced that Aquino’s bid for the presidency is fueled by nothing else but his family’s resolve to keep Hacienda Luisita. “It is reasonable to believe that Noynoy Aquino’s presidential campaign is really only about land, about a last-ditch attempt of his family to hang on to their pelf and power,” he said in a commentary.”
Azurin is spewing crap. Noynoy is a reluctant candidate, he is not mad-hungry for the position.
Spin, spin, spin and more spin…baka mahilo ka na nyan MikeH.
Azurin for a journalist has small minded thinking. If they want to throw mud at Aquino, they can focus on all the possible business ventures that Aquino can make money of HL is just a small deal. Think of all the oil and gas wealth not to mention the metals still on our land? Noynoy and his family has always been upright and never profited from her presidency. The end is getting closer and we are almost there. Time for change. Vote Noynoy.