Saturday, July 16, 2005

 

Economy and Politics Do Mix

As the Lady President's worst nightmare winds down, it is almost inevitable for all of us not to wonder just what the heck is coming up next. That same familiar disruptive and almost comical performances of a bunch of folks inside and outside of politics are almost over.... thank God. The whole thing did look like a circus from a distance. There were a few pockets of professional conduct observed but the activities of a great majority of the players gave one the impression that he was watching a lot of teenagers afflicted with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) .

I always thought that the Lady President was doing a fairly decent job in moving her reforms forward considering all the odds. The economic reform was being addressed well. Let us not forget that this President took office with the Philippine government debt being in the billions of dollars. The annual maintenance of the debt ate up our meager national income. There simply was not enough money around to boost the economy with. The VAT was one of a few good solutions to this problem. The VAT naturally met resistance from the citizens. It is a tough but necessary measure to revive the economy. The World Bank hailed the decision to implement the VAT as a forward-looking step. Other advanced economies around the world echoed that opinion. Sure, for the poor citizens , it means additional burden to them. And I don't blame them one bit for thinking that way. Why should you pay additional taxes to revive the economy when your tax money may just end up in the pockets of thieves in government? Excellent argument!

Thus the fight against corruption. The fight against corruption was starting to gather speed. It was not moving as fast as we would want it to but it was moving forward. Once again we had the World Bank donating something like $300M to fund the government's fight against corruption. The European Community bankrolled another effort by the government to curb corruption. And this was being spearheaded by Hong Kong's corruption buster Mr. Tony Kwok. It took him seven years but he was successful in reducing the island-nation's corruption to manageable levels. The Lady President hired this gentleman to deal with our corruption in the Philippines. That was a solid step in moving this anti corruption drive forward. Bigger and bigger heads were rolling . A general, some directors , department heads and more were being arrested, jailed or charged with wrongdoings. Journalists who exposed corruption were being systematically eliminated. These were sure signs of a lot of crooks inside and outside of politics getting increasingly nervous. As the drive to kill corruption continued, the Lady President was also in danger of stepping on bigger and bigger toes. The disruptive lot had to find ways to get her where it hurt her the most. Mike and Mikey were easy targets. She had to be the biggest target.

So, when the first opportunity to railroad her came up, they wasted no time. When the first news of the 'new crisis' in the Philippines started rolling in, it was full of the same demands for her to step down from the usual crowd. One character who led the rally in Makati was known to have been charged with corruption prior to the crisis. What better way to stop corruption proceedings against you than to disrupt the system that is behind it. Some were presidential candidates during the last elections (sore losers). Even Corazon , God bless her, lost her wisdom. I still don't know what her agenda was. I heard someone from our own island supplied 'the tape'. Another sore loser. An NBI deputy director who was recently sacked for wrongdoing made the news about the tape public. And of course there were those groups who are permanently afflicted with ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) who are eternally opposing positive reforms. Almost everyone had an axe to grind. And they had fooled many to back them up and join rallies and all sorts of noisemaking.

Gentlemen, I don't know about you but I supported and continue to support the Lady President and proudly so. This President's biggest crime was to try to beat some life back into our dead economy. Her second biggest crime was to try to kill corruption. If you wanted reform, who do you know in the ranks up there who can fill her shoes and continue to do the dirty work for you? Well, looking at the lineup of jokers and knuckleheads who jumped up and down trying to get her to step down so he/she can take her place, I did not see any who came close to being qualified. Most were highly egotistical, power hungry, politically greedy and lowlife morons.

Credit goes to the wise during the past 'crisis'. Not to Ramos although he helped save the Lady. He has his political ambitions and wants the Parliamentary form of government so he can take another crack at the top position . He will be good as an adviser. The citizens of Greater Manila showed some maturity by displaying some restraint and not getting duped by the losers. The Bishops killed the ADHD and ODD-afflicted's last hope at a quick power grab. God bless the Bishops.

A comment on the Parliamentary form of government: Our present form of government would have worked fine. It was how we governed that was not fine. If the future Parliament, if we have to have it, can get rid of the pork barrel in congress, 'Conversion' in our military and every sort of corruption medium , we would do much better. Why did we have to hire Mr. Tony Kwok of Hong Kong to rid our nation of corruption when we have a few hundred bright men in congress who were previuosly hired to do this job? EXCELLENT QUESTION! Why aren't our men in Congress able to kill corruption? Another excellent question! If these 'bright' men cannot advance our reforms which our nation badly needs, what are they there for? That is a powerful clue as to where we should look at if we have to find those that need to do some stepping down from office! If you are not helping to kill corruption which is the biggest single problem that the nation faces, you need to take a long walk and make room for those who will! A change in the form of government will not be as effective as a change in the hearts of the men who run and govern our country. A change in the hearts of these men so that they will eventually learn how to make themselves accountable in their handling of the financial responsibilities that the citizens have placed in their hands. Anything less will not work. Parliament or no parliament.

Joe Joson
California

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