The election season is getting hotter by the minute, starting off with revelations coming from an unlikely source–Mar Roxas showing his weaknesses when he revealed that Erap invited him to be his running mate and calls for Noynoy Aquino to run as prexy. What is most disappointing is the emergence of so-called “patriots” or “nationalists” who remind us of what we supposedly owe them.
One candidate, who figured in a high-stakes double cross a few years ago, reminds us of his “patriotic sacrifice”. Thinking about it–what was his sacrifice in the first place? We owe him nothing. He went out of his shell when the stakes ran to the billions and he does not have enough to moderate the greed. That was the truth. And surely, it was never a sacrifice in the first place. It was a high-stakes pressure play, to force the government to reject that contract.
True patriots never ask for something in return. For this candidate, he asks us to vote or support him in his national candidacy in exchange for his sacrifice, when that sacrifice gave us nothing.
There is also this candidate who reportedly survived a state-sponsored assassination attempt, but now attends numerous events and large-scale demonstrations unscathed. He has not declared his intention yet, but, surely, we, the people, will again be asked to support his candidacy. Come to think of it, what actually make him different from the trapos, except probably his small army of nuns.
True patriotism requires nothing. True patriotism gives us a vision, not illusion. Pick one among these aspirants who really sacrificed something for the country, and you’ll find yourself scratching your head and saying, ” Wala na bang iba?”
Popularity: 1% [?]
Pat,
The picture this paints are wannabees shouting “Para sa bayan” with their right fist punching the air while the left hand is in their pant pocket counting the campaign contributions they are pocketing…
Parang laban ni Pacquiao, “Para sa bayan ito!”, pero ang pera kanya lang, heheh.
Bogus patriots tend to be voted in by other bogus patriots. Hope they quit the patriotism stuff since gets emptier and emptier every time.
“They” won’t quit the patriotism stuff because “sacrifice-for-country” is curriculum in elementary, high-school and the first 2 years of college. You can guess the candidates de-stress love-of-Jesus-and-the-Pope because of the Buddhists, agnostics, Muslims and Iglesia ni Kristo among the voters.
“They” gotta do the patriotism stuff, else they get asked questions about the uninteresting things like the Mindanao Problem, agrarian reform, jobs-jobs-jobs and mid-level corruption at government offices.
Estrada ‘99.9% sure’ of running for president
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr. Inquirer Visayas
First Posted 18:08:00 08/25/2009
ILOILO CITY – Eight years after he was ousted over corruption scandals, former president Joseph Estrada said on Tuesday he was “99.9 percent” sure of running for president in the 2010 elections.
“It seems impossible now that the opposition will field only one presidential candidate. There is a 99.9 percent chance that I will be running for president,” Estrada told a press conference on Tuesday … … …
“Wala na bang iba?” – is really such an interesting question to ask.
Given the field of presidentiables, offhand, one can say, they are all trapos (traditional politicians, no exception) and had done nothing during their full enjoyment of 3 terms in Congress or full terms as senators, as the case may be.
We can do the math. For instance, how many classrooms can a P200 million produce or how many patients could get treated with the same amount?
It is said that annually, P200 billion is siphoned off because of corruption and another P200 billion is siphoned off in uncollected tax revenues.
All told, P400 billion is financially hemmorhagic, isn’t it?
Our Leaders have no VISION for our country in general. Remember that
Political Promises are like Pie Crusts. They are made to be broken
and to be eaten. I see the Aspirants just want to be elected using
the Politics of Personalities; and Politics of Political Promises.
Which had gotten us into our dismal situation.
What we want to question: WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR US, VOTERS ?
HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE OUR SITUATION ? Platforms are needed to be Debated, Discussed and Deliberated. We have to see if you and us
can Realize them. Or they are just like any other campaign promises
“Bibinkas in the Sky”.