I had lunch with a senior businessman, a member of the ancien riche, whose businesses never had anything to do with government contracts or supplies. He is now semi-retired and spends his remaining years in golf courses or vacations here and abroad.
"Business is so bad," he declared over our double-boiled sharks fin soup, "so I cannot fathom how she (the doña, who else) could mouth those phrases about a strong and growing economy". "The malls are empty except for gawkers enjoying the air-conditioning, cinemas are empty, most restaurants get filled up only during paydays, and only places like these that cater to those who have expense accounts get proper business," he explained. (We were in the Chinese restaurant of a five-star hotel.)
"Sa totoo lang, this country has had close to a decade of bad business," he said, referring to the Asian recession of 1997. "Since then, business never really bounced back to life. Sure the stock market gets perked up by hot money, and locals like me ride on the crest, but that does not benefit the ordinary man, let alone the small businessmen who constitute the real economy," he added. "The domestic economy is all consumption, fuelled by OFW remittances. Imagine 8 million OFW’s, multiply that by an average 5 members per dependent household. That’s half the population!". Indeed it is...
The senior businessman explained, this time over scallops and broccoli, that "FVR had a strategic vision for the country. GMA is nothing but survival tactics."
I told him that GMA seems unable to comprehend the bigger picture, and I have always written about how she is a tactical player. She lives by the day, and each day is just a propaganda spin.
"Exactly,", he punctuated. "She uses government funds not to pump-prime the economy, but to pump-prime the pockets of corrupt politicians and her generals. You guys file another impeachment complaint, and she will pump-prime the congressmen some more. It’s a merry-go-round for corruption, but the economy is not reaping benefits", he added.
GLORIAGATE in Pictures? More from Malaya.
Referendum o Snap Elections? Kung yan ang pagpipilian, then I prefer referendum. So does the PDI editorial, according to MLQ3:
I believe there is a broader consensus-one which crosses socio-economic lines-on a solution to the present problem. That is, a presidential election of some kind. The Inquirer has proposed a referendum; many others have called for a snap election, whether involving the President or not, but aimed at one thing: to finally achieve an indisputable mandate for whoever the country sees fit to have as chief executive.
Kasi kung referendum, once the voters give the thumbs down to GMA, may panibagong election ulit to determine who will replace her. I think that is the better option.
Conrad de Quiros is putting up a concert this Thursday, at the Sunken Garden at UP. It's called "Never Again! Concert for Freedom." The concert starts at 5:30 p.m. You can also help them with the funding for this concert by clicking on the link to get the details on how to contribute.
Malacanang falsifies data on unemployment numbers -- Ibon
"Opposition" leader Ed angara thinks the country has 2 choices: Cha Cha or Junta?
Why don't you stick your false choices where the sun don't shine, Eddie boy?
Of course, yung constitution ang may kasalanan kung bakit may GLORIAGATE at hindi si GMA, kaya dapat yung constitution ang palitan...
And finally, sabi ni Joker Arroyo: "Political Opposition has become Irrelevant"
The elite forces of the uniformed services have supplanted the political opposition as the real opposition group to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The political opposition has become irrelevant in the power equation, splintered, squabbling, with neither the power nor the high ground to unseat President Arroyo.
As the recent crisis unfolded, it ws evident that the President never thought of the opposition as the power to reckon with. Uppermost in her mind always was the loyalty of the AFP and the PNP.
Had the Scout Rangers, Marines, and the PNP’s Special Action Forces succeeded in disrupting the chain of command, a command structure without which no real army can exist or operate, they would have put up a military junta manned and controlled by them, it would have been goodbye to the Constitution and representative democracy.
As history shows, military juntas do invite some civilians to join the junta to give it a civilian face, but as mere figureheads. Once the military have tasted power, they would not give it up until another military junta unseats them, a revolving door military junta, so we become a banana republic.
The power equation now is this: the administration is in the saddle while segments in the military would be the main opposition group that will try to unseat her. The political groupings have become passé.
Well, that's his opinion. Anyway, should we thank Edsa Dos for giving us Arroyo and politicizing the military? Since Arroyo's a huge fuckup since 2001, maybe we should restore the last democratically elected president we had para wala nang legitimacy problems--si ERAP. Whaddaya say, Joker?
He thinks those opposed to arroyo are "weak" and "marginalized. well, the marcos opposition was emasculated and marginalized for 20 years too, joker… big deal...
the senate is pretty much marginalized too, thanks to EO 464. Siguro kasalanan rin yan ng opposition.
And except for a few, most in the mainstream media are intimidated by the Arroyo admin and are willing to toe the admin line even before PROC 1017... kasalanan rin ng opposition yan, I'm sure.
btw, when are you going to stop fence-sitting and tell arroyo to resign na, you fcking coward?
UPDATE: Sabi ni joker, "walang moral high ground" raw ang opposition para patalsikin si GMA.
So I guess that makes it okay for GMA to steal the elections then huh, joker? See, this is the kind of attitude from the pro-arroyos that allow GMA to get away with murder.
Maybe joker is confused.
erap may not have the moral high ground back in 2001, but the anti-GMA opposition including the FPJ camp, lacson, the roco camp and bro. eddie v. HAVE THE MORAL HIGH GROUND over arroyo over the 2004 GLORIAGATE scandal, since sila ang biktima ni ARroyo sa nakawan ng election.
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