The model for the public intellectual includes, preeminently for liberals, I think, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Sad news that he’s passed away. I’d only started the reading the first volume of his autobiography, “A Life in the Twentieth Century : Innocent Beginnings, 1917 – 1950″ (Jr.”, Arthur M. “Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur M. Schlesinger), a kind of human monument to the liberal life, who, as Taylor Marshal points out, didn’t vote for Jimmy Carter because he found him too conservative (and the best the conservatives can do is promote Conservapedia).The classical historian Michael Meckler wishes Schlesinger had been more grounded in classical antiquity. A fond appreciation by Evan Thomas comes out in Newsweek. An anecdote from 2004 from Josh Marshall -how he tried to explain what a blog is to Schlesinger.
Perhaps trumpeting everything is peachy was a bit premature. After some bargain hunting yesterday, the market decided to drop some more, today. The peso, too, continued its slight dip. Is it just me, or is government’s pointing to OFW remittances and downplaying the overall importance of the stock market, a bit of a retreat from its past talking points?
(Here’s hoping consumer groups monitor power rates to see if rate drops last as long as guaranteed: 10 month in Luzon, 18 months in Mindanao, visayas for 3 months, and at the biggest drop, 31 centavos per KWH, seems to me pure electioneering in the President’s bailiwick right there).
Slate Magazine tries to pin down the causes for the selloff in the US market, and it thinks it wasn’t really about China:
U.S. stock markets have routinely shrugged off negative information during the recent bull run. What made yesterday different? This time, the signs of a slowdown – not a recession but a slowdown – are clearly evident. The plunge in durable goods orders indicated that the manufacturing sector may be in danger of recession. (Thankfully, the U.S. economy relies less and less on manufacturing for growth, which is why a manufacturing recession may not trigger an economy-wide one.)
And the twin turbines that have driven the U.S. economy in recent years are clearly sputtering. When housing is doing well, it stimulates a great deal of economic activity, creates jobs, and makes people feel wealthier – and hence more likely to spend. When housing is doing poorly, the opposite holds. And as today’s new home-sales report confirms, housing is still struggling. Prices and home values are down marginally, but when assets are encumbered with huge amounts of debt – as houses are – it doesn’t take much of a decline to make an impact. (If you put 10 percent down on a house, and it declines 10 percent in value, you’ve lost your entire investment.)
Second, and more important, there has been a precipitous decline in the business of housing-related credit. In recent years, cheap and abundant mortgages have allowed people to buy ever-more-expensive homes with little money down and to borrow against homes they already own to expand and renovate, thus fueling consumer spending. The huge volume of so-called mortgage-equity withdrawal, Alan Greenspan and his Federal Reserve colleague Mark Kennedy have argued, has been a significant contributor to the late consumer-spending binge.
Here, too, the trend may no longer be the economy’s friend. Interest rates are still low. But with subprime-lending operations failing, and with big banks taking big hits to their mortgage portfolios, pressure is mounting among regulators and investors for lenders to become more parsimonious.
Anyway, in finally accepting an opposition challenge to debate, the administration wants to keep the discussion to the economy, while denying the other side any opportunity to discuss inconvenient truths (that the opposition would do well to focus on). This is typical (and comes from an appreciation on which side its bread is buttered). As the Inquirer editorial today puts it (referring to something else),
The thing is, the President could answer all of these questions with grace and intelligence, but she always chooses to question the motivations of those posing them, always espying dark shadows behind the queries, and always demanding that the questions be made along her own line of inquiry, which is predictably favorable to her government. She does not only want to be President, she also wants to be stage manager.
Meanwhile, the Vice President is methodically, but quietly, building his own power base for 2010. JB Baylon points out the attractiveness of Ang Kapatiran.
WTF Department: Danton Remoto, according to an interview he had with Twink Macaraig, didn’t file his candidacy for senator. So he can’t run for senator. And the Comelec has rejected Ang Ladlad’s bid for party list accreditation. Which leaves Danton mulling over running for congressman in the 3rd congressional district of Quezon City. So that leaves me and faithful reader of this blog in the lurch, doesn’t it? Neither of us can vote for Remoto for senator. Which leaves me back to voting for Kiko Pangilinan, I guess…
Technorati Tags: Blogging, elections, history, ideas, philippines, politics, president, Senate
Danton did not file his candidacy? so anong ginawa niya noon sa COMELEC?
Is Twink aware that his/her name is a gay term?
On power rate cuts –
Sabi ni Gloria – “(It) is a clear and compelling reason for all of us to stay the course we have begun, and not be be distracted by the pullback of destructive politics.”
But Napocor boss Albano “affirmed the Napocor’s justification that the power rate cuts were attributed to the reduced generating costs due to lower fuel costs and a stronger peso.”
So that makes Gloria responsible for the reduction of world oil prices. And that makes her the most brilliant and most powerful political figure the world has ever known and that list includes Jesus Christ and Ophrah Winfrey.
And what did she say about the strong peso? “…the eight million Filipinos working abroad whose remittances buoyed up the economy, giving ‘a solid picture of economic stability relatively impervious to the vagaries and glitches in the world economy.”‘
So the peso stays afloat because of eight million life preservers.
Still the ex-school marm castigates the opposition – “While our detractors can continue to scrape the bottom of the barrel for old worn out issues, we are concerned with the issue of a modern Philippines fighting for the peoople and lifying them from poverty.”
Kasi po mam, every time we look at the bottom of the barrel we see your face.
Perhaps trumpeting everything is peachy was a bit premature. After some bargain hunting yesterday, the market decided to drop some more, today. The peso, too, continued its slight dip. Is it just me, or is government’s pointing to OFW remittances and downplaying the overall importance of the stock market, a bit of a retreat from its past talking points?
you know, i’ve never really understood why we worry too much about the state of the peso and in fact cheer whenever it strengthens against the dollar.
could an economist please explain it to me? seriously?
this is my little understanding of the matter: what does happen when the peso is weaker? ofw’s purchasing power goes up. exporters’ earn more. hence electronic manufacturers, furniture makers, mango exporters etc. etc. can earn more money. on one hand, when the peso is weaker against the dollar, prices for imports— electronic equipment, oil, just to name a few go up. the reverse happens when the peso is stronger.
i still scratch my head… why do we put more stock in the exchange rate over economic indicators like the unemployment rate, the underemployment rate, the non-performing loans of banks, the price of power and electricity, how balanced the budget is.
twenty years ago, my parents bought a piece of property in quezon city. they estimated that they were going to pay for it for two years. it was 1983 and the exchange rate fell and they still tell this story from time to time. my father and my mother were able to pay in full that property because they were earning in dollars, were able to pay for the property faster than they anticipated. my point is this: in a land where almost everybody has a relative who sends money from abroad, shouldn’t you cheer that the exchange rate would be weak against the dollar?
and oh, i wanted to share this from Greenspan who was quoted by the new york times saying: “By the end of the year, there is a possibility, but not a probability, of the U.S. moving into a recession.â€Â
with our country’s strong trade ties with the US, does this mean, PGMA’s much “vaunted” handling of our “economy progress” is once more threatened?
“Kasi po mam, every time we look at the bottom of the barrel we see your face”. – MB
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Ganyan kayo ka paranoid kay Gloria, kaya kahit saan kayo tumingin mukha nya ang nakikita nyo!
Danton running for Congressman instead….( actually I know this very well because he posted it in our yahoo group)
Now that saves me a trip to Phil Consulate in Manhattan.
Rego,
“Ganyan kayo ka paranoid kay Gloria, kaya kahit saan kayo tumingin mukha nya ang nakikita nyo!”
Hindi naman. Nakikita lang namin siya sa bottom of the barrel.
Looking in from the top kasi kami.
Remoto was a guest in an ANC show devoted for “the other candidates” and he didn’t file? Jeez.
the MERALCO refunds were also timed during the month of apr, may, june of 2004, IIRC.
mali na naman… last na
edit: pwede pang sumali si danton remoto as a replacement candidate.
John, I read from Dr. Bautista’s blog that they were trying to lure Danton Remoto.
Pwede siyang tumakbo as a replacement candidate for Ang Kapatiran kung myembro siya ng Ang Kapatiran. Taga Ang Ladlad si Danton. Siguro if he switched to Ang Kapatiran, pwede yan.
Tatlo lang ang Senate Candidates ng Ang Kapatiran: Adrian Sison, Martin Bautista, at Zosimo Paredes.
They were able to file their certificate of candidacies for the senate national elections before the February 12, 2007 deadline.
Pero hindi pwedeng idagdag si Danton (para maging apat sila) dahil hindi siya nakapag file on time. One of the three will have to drop out to make way for Danton’s Senate candidacy.
But Danton can run under Ang Kapatiran as a congressman. Pero bakit pa? Danton can easily run for congressman as an Ang Ladlad candidate.
I was thinking sana of replacing Kiko with Danton Remoto too.. Oh well.
Another thing, Ang Kapatiran and Ang Ladlad may not mix. The conservative Ang Ladlad is the Party of God. Matatanggap ba ng mga conservatives na ito ang mga ipinaglalaban ni Danton, like gay rights and gay marriage? Hindi ba ang turo ng Catholic church ay “kasalanan” ang pagiging gay?
ito pa ang criticism ni raul pangalanan sa ang kapatiran:
kung mag join forces nga ang mga catholic conservatives na ito at ang openly liberal gay candidate, that would be wowoweewa… high five!
oops again, What I meant was, the conservative Ang Kapatiran is the Party of God
Here’s the post of Danton in our yahoo group as of Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:58:10 -0800 (PST)
Dear Theo,
Regarding this senatorial bid:
I just came from two TV shows today. Yesterday, I came from one TV show and two AM shows. I get lots of email and text messages all over the country. Media is helping us. Thank you for your support.
Although, from our end, we will still push for Ang Ladlad’s accreditation as a party list. Pag ayaw ng Comelec at natalo din sa Supreme Court, I have no other recourse but to continue the Senate run OR run for third district of QC as a congressman.
I am committed to run in this election. Kung matalo, meron pang 2010. I am still young, unlike the other candidates who are older than Moses 🙂
Thanks,
Danton
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From: “Danton Remoto” Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 01:51:26 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Campaign funds for danton remoto
Dear Friends,
Ganda has kindly set up a paypal account for my political campaign. Eto po siya:
http://angladlad. paypal@blogspot. com
After being in national tri-media (TV, newspapers, radio) almost every day in the last two weeks, I will begin going to the provinces next week. We need funds for publicity materials, airfare, and fuel. I will be staying in hotels and/or houses owned by friends and/or relatives.
I hope all of you can help. This is an important and historic campaign — the first gay political campaign in all of Asia!
Thank you,
Danton Remoto
“Hindi naman. Nakikita lang namin siya sa bottom of the barrel.
Looking in from the top kasi kami.”- MB
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Alright, from the “top” what did the opposition do to improve the economy, to lessen hunger, to lower the poverty level, to improve the education situation….national security or just name any area where they have positive contribution the past two years. Sige nga!
Rego,
unang una – si gloria ang executive, siya ang dapat magpakita kung ano talaga ang nagawa niya in addition to raising her net worth from 6.7 million in 1992 to 82 million in 2004.
ikalawa, kahit gustuhin man ng opposition ng opposition, katulad ng pagpasa ng minimum wage law eh binabara naman ito ni Gloria.
Samaktuwid, si Gloria ang dapat magpaliwanag kc nasa kanya ang poder para makatulong sa bayan.
Nasa kamay ni gloria ang human rights, anf pagpapagawa ng classrooms at hiring ng teachers, ang health care at iba pa.
So yan argumento mo ay, sa madaling salita, PALPAK.
Manuel,
Samakatuwid wala kang maituro na positive contribution ng kampo mo. Walang nagawa ang opposition in any areas that needs to be improved. So nagsayang lang ang bayan nang pinasweldo sa kanila. At ang pork Barrel…..
I second that.
I second what manuelbuencamino said.. naunahan ako sa post.
6 years…. 6 years….
Read the Phil. economic stats, digest it. After that take a deep breath and bilangin mo ilang unexplained death.
Yan achievement ni GMA.
And remember the opposition approved bills needed by GMA for her economic policy.
There are just so many alibis for poor and non performance.
Eh kung si Gloria nga binara na , hinarass , at binully ng oppsistion. Pero look at her, Shejust continue ddoing his job.
Kung hindi maganda ang mga policies ni Gloria. so why not initiate some bills that will make the teh cpuntry better.
Reklamo ngreklamo sa patoluy ng pangingibang bansa ng mg mga Filipino. Pero ano naman ang nagawa ng opposition para mapigilan mag karoon ng maraming trabaho sa Pilipinas?
Ayaw nyo sa EVAT sa a way to stabilized teh fiancial status ng bansa. pero ano naman ang alternative proposal
ng opposistion para hindi na itaas ang EVAT????
Hindi man langba makapag pasa ag oppsistion ng Bill to increase the salary of teh teachers or anything that wil improve the quality of education?
Extra Judicial Killings? ano naman ang nagawa ng opposition to curb the insurgency problem ng bansa.
Ang oposisiyon ay tumutulong pabulaanan ang mga kasinungalingan ni Gloria Arroyo at ng kaniyang mga galamay. Mahalaga ito dahil ang katotohanan lamang ang makakapagbigay ng matatag na haligi sa pag-unlad ng ating bayan.
Party of God in Arabic is Hezbollah.
“Mahalaga ito dahil ang katotohanan lamang ang makakapagbigay ng matatag na haligi sa pag-unlad ng ating bayan.” -CVJ
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Pero makakaiwas ba ang opposition sa katotohanan pag tinanong sila ng taong bayan kung ano ang nagawa nila para maayos ang problema sa edukasyon, economy, insurgency, kalusugan, environment, electoral system???? Turo ng turo kay Gloria eh ano nga ang nagawa nila??
Opposition ang author nang Anti-Money laundering law (Sen. Lacson) research mo na lang kung ano ang effect nun sa economy natin.
Rego,
“Pero makakaiwas ba ang opposition sa katotohanan pag tinanong sila ng taong bayan kung ano ang nagawa nila para maayos ang problema sa edukasyon, economy, insurgency, kalusugan, environment, electoral system????”
Anonga ba ang nagawa ni Gloria?
1. GDP growth? Mas malaki pa ang gowth rate ng Bangladesh!
2. Education? Don’t build more classrooms and hire more teachers. Just use the classroom twice or thrice a day and make the teachers work double or triple shifts.
3. Jobs? Export labor and count one hour of work in a reporting period as full employment.
4.Insurgency? Patayin yun hindi kayang lumaban pero kung lumaban, tulad ng nangyari sa MNLF kamakailan, at naghostage ng general call it hosting instead of hostage crisis.
5. Kalusugan? Mag-issue ng PhilHealth cards na may post election expiry date.
6. Environment? Open the mining industry to big business, forget about the Guimaras oil spill and release chinese fish poachers.
7. Electoral system? Absolve Comelec commissioners from bidding scam. appoint Garci lieutenants in ARMM region, make the MoA between AFP and Comelec flexible.
I must admit hindi na accomplish ng opposition ang kahit isa dito sa mga kapuri-puring achievements ng idol mong si Gloria.
Pasiensya ka na hanggang turo na lang kami pagdating sa mga bagay na ito.
I second what manuel buencamino said.
Dagdagan pa natin ang mga accomlishments ni Gloria
1) Extrajudicial killings.
2) Pagwaldas ng Marcos deposits
3) Fertilizer scam ni JocJoc Bolante
4) Libel cases ni Mike ‘Pikon’ Arroyo sa media personalities
did you know that the starting salary (or take home pay) of a government teacher (aide), nurse or an engineer is almost at the level of a (private) enlisted man ? now don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any qualms with our defenders of democracy and peace and order. but isn’t this administration of la gloria on the verge of militarization?
xavier, after more than a hundred years of the muslim insurgency in the south, it’s only now that we are finally making some headway to finally find a solution. I’m not saying we’re close to one, just that we’re making some headway. the armed and violent leftist rebellion is another fact that people from the cities fail to understand is hurting the country because we are so far removed from it. they have been around a long time too (50 years?)- a REALITY of life in the boonies.
how can you say we are on the verge of militarization when our military is so far behind our ASEAN neighbors? our military is still using WW2 planes for goodness’ sake!
how you equate soldier’s salaries with militarization is what really dumbfounds me. soldiers are willing to lay down their life for their country, unlike the rest of us. they have families they need to feed just like you and me.
Manuel and Supremo,
Talgang bang mahirap sagutin ang tanong kung ano ang nagwa ng oppsition nitong mag nakaraang higit na dalawang taon? At kailangan nyong sagutin ang tanung ng mga nagaw ni Gloria….
O sige e rephrase ko ang tanong. Hindi kayo kumbinsiido sa mga nagawa at ginagawa ng administrasyon ni Gloria. Ano naman ang mga positibong nagawa ng opposition?
Sabi ni Manuel:
1. GDP growth? Mas malaki pa ang gowth rate ng Bangladesh!
>>>> So ano naman ang ginawa ng opposistion para malapasan ng Pinas ang GDP ng Bangladesh??
2. Education? Don’t build more classrooms and hire more teachers. Just use the classroom twice or thrice a day and make the teachers work double or triple shifts.
>>>>>So ano naman ang ginawa ng opposition para mag karoon ng maraming classroom at para hindi na gamitin ang mga classrooms ng twice or thrice a day.?
3. Jobs? Export labor and count one hour of work in a reporting period as full employment.
>>>>> so ano naman ang ginawa ng opposition para magkaroon ng marming trabaho sa Pinas para hindi na icount ang one hour work as full employment?
4.Insurgency? Patayin yun hindi kayang lumaban pero kung lumaban, tulad ng nangyari sa MNLF kamakailan, at naghostage ng general call it hosting instead of hostage crisis.
>>>> So ano naman ang postibong ginawa ng opposition tungkol dito?
5. Kalusugan? Mag-issue ng PhilHealth cards na may post election expiry date.
Again, ano naman ang positibong ginawa ng opposition larangan ng kalusugan?
6. Environment? Open the mining industry to big business, forget about the Guimaras oil spill and release chinese fish poachers.
>>>> Again ano naman ang positibong ginawa ng opposition para mapaganda ang nag hihingalog mining Industry ng Pinas at ng mag karoon naman ng trabaho at kita ang
minerong naiwan sa Pinas?
7. Electoral system? Absolve Comelec commissioners from bidding scam. appoint Garci lieutenants in ARMM region, make the MoA between AFP and Comelec flexible.
>>>>>> Again, ano naman ang positibong ginawa ng opposition para maiwasan ang mga pandaraya na katulad ng Garci Tape?
Dagdag naman ni Supremo:
1) Extrajudicial killings.
>>>> so ano ang positibong gianwa ng opposisyon para na matigil ang extra Judicial kiliings?
2) Pagwaldas ng Marcos deposits
>>>>> so ano ang ginawa ng oppsisyon para magastos ng maayos ang mga recovered Marcos wealth?
3) Fertilizer scam ni JocJoc Bolante
>>>>> Ano naman ang gianwa ng opposistion para maparusahan si Jocjoc. Alam ko Si sentor Magsaysay ang nagpursue ng issue na eto kaya nakasuhan si Jocjoc. Pero yung mga issue na hina highlight ng opposition may nangyari ba?
4) Libel cases ni Mike ‘Pikon’ Arroyo sa media personalities.
Ano naman nag gianwa ng oppisition para paprotektahan ang mag journalist from unnecssary Libel cases?
Alam nyo pwede kayong mag bato ng magbato ng issue kay Gloria pero hindi pa rin kayo makakiwas sa taong bayan pag naghanap sila nag mag nagwa ng oppsistion.
Opposition ang author nang Anti-Money laundering law (Sen. Lacson) research mo na lang kung ano ang effect nun sa economy natin.– Francis
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Maganda etong sagot mo Francis! Patunay eto na mali yung sinsabi ni Manuel na hinarangan ni Gloria ang mag bills na sponsored ng opposition. Kung talgang makakatulong ang bill na inisponsor ng mag opposition senator hinapprobahan naman ni Gloria.
Subalit Francis, kelan pa ba ang Anti Money Laundering Law napproved. Ang pagkakalam ko matagal na eto. before 2004 presidnetial elction pa yata. Kasi alam ko eto yung pinangangalandakan ng kampo ni Lacson noon tumakbo sya sa pagka pangulo. Unfortunately, the peopel, hindi naniwal ang taumbayan na sapat na ang nag iisang bill na eto para iboto si Lacson sa pagkapresidente. Di nag ba kulelet sya?
Ako hindi ko mamaliitin nag efforts ni Lacson para sa batas na eto. Pero sapat na ba yan na accomplishement para sa kanyang anim na taon sa senado? Magkano ba ang sweneldo ng bayan kay Lacson sa anim na taon nya sa senado? Tapos bigbigyan lang nya tayo ng isang bill? Lugi naman yata ang bayan sa kanya ah!!!!
Pano na doon sa area ng edukasyon, kalusugan, environment, job creation lalung lalo na insurgency, extra judicial kilings, military reforms, at anti terrorism dahil military man sya ah . May nagawa ba sya? Tapos mag aambisyon pa syang maging pangulo?
Cocoy, I am not an economist but i can give you scores of benefits to our country whenever the peso gains strength against the green buck. Just to cite a few: the mind-boggling foreign debts that all the predecessors of PGMA (most notably, marcos) accumulated over the years are payable in U.S. dollars. Until recently, we could barely afford to pay just the interest alone, and have to sacrifice and cut down essential expenditures, i.e. health, education, defense, let alone public work spending in insfrstructures, to avoid default. The recent surge in the value of our currency made it a lot easier for us to pay not only the interest, but also tiny portions of the principal. Moreover, we have to depend less and less on foreign borrowing and thereby give hope to the generations that will come after us. I leave it to your imagination to comprehend the beneficial effect of all these to our country in terms of our national economy.
It is an unfortunate fate that we, as a nation, is totally dependent on foreign oil to sustain a semblance of civilized existence. Oil is purchased in $$s, so a strong peso means we can buy more for less. In fact, importation of essential things we need at a more affordable cost is now a reality.
Of course, there are drawbacks especially for dollar earners and Filipino exporters. But then, we can’t have it all, can we? As a U.S. pensioner, I feel the pain but I would rather see our peso in complete parity with the dollar than having it in double digit to one. As one tired cliche goes, “no pain, no gain”.
rego,
so ano naman ang HINDI GINAWA ni Gloria dun sa mga napansin namin?
Maganda ejemplo nga ang Anti-Money Laundering Law kung bakit kahit na ano pang magaling na batas ang ipasa ng opposisyon kaya pa rin babuyin ni Gloria.
Bakit nga ba hindi gumagalaw ang anti-money laundering agency para pabuksan ang mga accounts ni Nani Perez? O ni Joc-joc Bolante? O nung anak at bayaw ni Gloria pagkatapos na may tumestigo na siya mismo ang nag-abot ng jueteng payola sa kanila doon pa man din sa kamara ng Batasan?
Tulad ng pinaliwanag namin sa iyo ng paulit-ulit, nasa kamay ng executive ang pamamalakad ng bayan. (Take note: Executive hindi executioner.) Pati nga ang pork barrel ng mga kongresista at senador ay nasa kamay ni Gloria ang pag-release.
Huwag ka na magbulag-bulagan. Kitang-kita naman ng lahat ng tao ang malaking kulugo sa mukha ni Gloria eh ipagpipilitan mo pa na beauty mark yun.
What ish yur froblem?
buencamino, ang hirap sayo, kung hindi ka kumakain ng shit, nagpapaniwala ka sa mga haka-haka at walang basehang bintang ng mga kaparis mo. wala ka namang nakukumbinsi kundi yon ring mga katulad mo na puro dilim ang nakikita at may mga bulok na kaisipan.
Kailan ba kayo magsasawa sa kahihiyan? Mula sa inyong pagkatalo nuong 2004 hangang sa sunod-sunod na kapalpakan sa inyong impeachment at “oust-Gloria” kabalbalan, hindi pa rin kayo magpakatino. Matuto naman sana kayong mahiya, o wala ito sa inyong bokabularyo.
MB, I agree with you that the executive leads – to prosperity or distruction! Rego, alam mo na iyan, diba? Lalo na ngayon na majority ang partido ni gloria sa kongreso, hinde mapagkakaila na na kay gloria ang kapangyarihan.
Ang oposisyon naman ay reactive – parang baga iyong pulis na laging huli ang saklolo. Nevertheless, huli man daw at magaling, sumasaklolo pa rin. Of course, maraming traydor diyan. Yong kaapilyido ni gloria, yung dating tsu-tsu ni fpj, at si anga. Marami pa diyan, mga espiya kaya lagi na lang 2 – 5 steps ahead si gloria.
rego, naniniwala akong sincere ka sa pagtangkilik mo kay gloria. I am convinced that nothing will change your mind about how good she is. Kataka kung bakit inaakala ng iba rito na mayroon ka pang ibang view ukol sa kanya. Saan ka pa e kinakausap ng dios si gloria.
realist, realist…. simple lang po ang tanong ko ano ang positibong nagawa ng opposition para sa ikauunlad ng bayan. yun lang po….ngayon wala eh wala sagutin na lang po ng diretsahan.
manuel,
naiintindihan ko po ang ibig sabihin ng executive at executioner. pero naiintidihan mo rin kaya na ang isang bansa na katulad natin hindi laman binubuo ng executive kundi meron din legislative at judicial. ngayon yung opposition na kampo mo ay nasa legislative.
O sige irephrase ko uli ang tanong. anu ano legislative actions ang nagawa ng opposition para sa positibong pag usad ng bansa sa mga larangan na binabanggit mo:
1. GDP growth ( economy)
2. Education
3. Job creation
4. Insurgency
5. Kalusugan
6. Environment
7. Electoral system
Naka ilang sagot ka na pero wala ka pa ring nababangit na nagawa ang opposition ah!. Turo ka ng turo sa mga kakulangan ng administrasyon. Pero ano naman nga ang nagawa ng opposition para mapunan ang kakulangan ng administrasyon at may positibong impact sa buhay buhay ng karaniwang mga mamamayan? Ba tumatanggap din sila ng sweldo na katulad ng mga nasa adminsitrasyon ah…
Wala ba talaga?????
What ish yur froblem? -MB
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Wala naman pong akong problema. Nagtatanong lang po dahil sabi nyo po makatingin kayo from the top. So habang nasa top ka { at nasa bottom ako 🙂 baka kako may nakikita ka na positibong nagawa ang opposition para umusad ang bansa…
Pero parang lumabas po yata na kahit sa pinaka top view na kinaroroonan mo eh walang rin po kayong makita at kanina mo pa pinaikot ikot ang mga reply mo?
rego, ito ang hirap sa sagutan ukol sa administration at opposistion: parehong dalawa ang sides ng bawat issue at hahaba lang ng walang katuturan dahil both sides have made up their minds. At hangat both sides ay sarado isip sa issues, there will only be arguments, no discussions.
Halimbawa ang pagungkat ng oposisyon ng garci tapes na sagutin ni gloria ay positve sa kabutihan sambayanan. That is one view. But sa tingin ng iba e pangulo lang, di ba? So, point is, maaring walang acceptable answer to your question.
This is the same tactic ni gloria, sagutin ng tanong ang tanong, kalimutan ang unresolved issues and unite for progress. Iyan ay mahirap lunukin.
Bakit hinde ni gloria sagutin ang at linawin ang garcie tape issue. Bakit hinde niya bigyan layang tumistigo sa sinado ang mga opisyal na mga kinalaman sa mga mkalukohan nangyari noong eleksyon? Ano kinatatakot niya?
Sa tingin ng nakakarami maraming tanong ang kailangang sahutin ni gloria at ng kanyang administraion. Mga tanong na tinanwag ni gloria na tanong ng oposisyon.
Mabuti pa siguro, mag EO na bawal magtanong. Sa ganoon lahat ng magtanong e maging kriminal.
rego, realist,
Ano naman ang “positibomg GINAWA” ng opposition . . . mali yata ang dating ng tanong.
In a democracy, the role of the opposition is to oppose the policies of the party in power lalo na if the policies being enforced are hurting the interest of the community. The reason for it is that kung sila ang gumawa o gumagawa, that would mean the opposition is already the majority or the party in power. Pero kaya nga sila ay nasa opposition lang kasi minoridada pa sila. Para gumawa sila, kailangan nilang talonin ang partidong nasa puesto and remove them from office. Ngayon, habang nasa minority sila, tunkulin ng opposition ang batikusin ang nasa kapanyarihan o ang mga kakulangan o kapalpakan ng nasa kapanpanyarihan (katulad halimbawa yung tungkul sa Hello Garci tapes). Tunkulin din ng opposition to provide alternative policies para maypagpipilian ang taong bayan at kung sila na ang nasa puesto, iyon ang gagawin nila. Dito indispensable ang tunay na debati bago mag-eleksyon.
Muli, ang tanong “Ano naman ang ginawa ng oppostion†is rather naïve because it is obviously unfair especially in multi-party system that is currently obtaining in the Philippines where a coalition of minor parties may be formed to attain political power. In such a case, the ideology of certain coalition members expectedly may vary on many issues, but upon attaining power, there’s better likelihood for disparate interests to converge on one side of the political spectrum, like protectionism on one side and globalization on the other.
Abe,
Finally, I got a comment with more sense….
I can agree with you that the question maybe naive, However the question is very common among the voters. If you will notice this also the line being used by the administration because they know very well that the people will be asking the same question that will help them decide on whom to vote for. So the opposition must be very ready to answer the same question during their campaign.
The way the rabid anti Gloria like Manuel, CVJ, Francis and realist answer the question is very disaapointing. They seem to be evading the question. They just cannot do that when they campaign for the opposition. The opposition camp shoudl be ready to deal with that kind of question. No matter how naive it is.
I can also agree with you about the role of the opposition and that is to oppose the policies of the government especially those that will be disadvantageous to the nation as a whole. That is why they are called opposition di ba? And a country can never be democratic without opposition.
However, opposition’s responsibility doesn’t stop there. An effective opposition should also present clearly the alternative to that policies that they are opposing. A very good example is how the Democratic Party in the US midterm election presented their plan on what to do with the Iraq. Ang mga katulad nito ang hinahanap ko sa opposition natin and im sure a lot of people too. Pero wala eh! All I am hearing is how bad and poor the administration is doing.
Come to think of it, does the opposition really took their some time to analyze why their goal to remove Gloria did not a happen at all in the past 2 years. Not even with an oversensationalized Garci issue and amillion of issue sthey thrown at Gloria? Yes they are outnumbered in the congress but they can rally the people into the streets and create people power like what happened to the Erap impeachment. But even their goal of people power is not happening at all. And what is the common reason? there is no clear alterntive that is being presented to the people!
We have opposition in the senate and in the house. So if the oppsition believe that EVAT will be hurting the people why dont they come up with another bill that can raise money without hurting the people. They made a very big deal of the Garci Tape so why dont they come up with an electoral reform bill that will prevent or even lower cheating in the election. They saw that the Phil health card that were issued by the admistration to have a expiration date after election why not push for a bill that will provide Phil health card to everyone with out an expiration. They criticized the lack of classrooms why not put provision in the budget that will require the administration to set aside a portion of the national budget for building classrooms. Or better yet use their Pork barrel to build schools. They conducted so many inquiries and hearings on the different issues that they highlight against the administration. so what happened?
The oppsistion just have to present their psositive contributions to the progess of the country and better alternatives to the people. Other that, they are no better than Gloria at all.And consequently the Gloria will beat them again in this coming election.
And I will expect them to cry that they are cheated again!
rego,
one problem i think is that aside from the national democrats and akbayan, everyone else has pretty much the same economic policies. plug the holes in the budget with the vat, keep the funds managers and rating agencies happy by keeping expenses down, don’t raid big business, etc.
that is why even during the 2005-2006 period, the mainstream opposition generally supported the passage of evat, the anti terrorism law (which is more necessary perhaps for investor confidence than it is for national security), etc. there is no difference in economic policy because in today’s globalized world, the options of any philippine government are limited.
so first of all you at least have to give credit to the opposition for not obstructing the absolutely essential bills while doing its best to block everything else that was irrelevant -and unconstitutional. remember, the opposition brought to the supreme court the things that, had they been left unchallenged, might have derailed things even more by leaving the country wide open to a unicameral, parliamentary, one party dictatorship. even in the case of protests, when business complained in makati, binay clamped down on protests and rallies.
next, you have to realize that the opposition is more divided on what it stands for that what the administration is divided. part of this was the survival question: easier to settle differences if you’re fighting for your life; harder to agree on what to do to make mrs. arroyo accountable. it also depends which group you talk to to figure out why the president kept power and efforts to make her accountable failed. i can think of several”
1. the president has a stronger will and isn’t scrupulous about how she wields it, but realized she had to coddle the upper class while frightening the middle class (a task helped by the opposition, which frightened the middle class);
2. she kept the police even when she wasn’t sure of the military;
3. she never allowed any gathering to last longer than a few hours; and she made sure anyone planning to gather knew they would face maximum resistance, not even the rules marcos, cory, fvr, and estrada respected vis a vis protests were respected.
4. the cpp-ndf were visible from the start and the red flags turned off people: and so, the public (including parts of the opposition) breathed a sigh of relief when government agents proceeded to exterminate the left ; too many estrada-era leaders turned off people; the president’s anointed successor, the vice-president, turned off many people as to a possible succession; the catholic church faltered; the opposition ignored fvr and fvr in a sense, check-mated cory; the afp was divided; the president clamped down on media and businessmen opposed to her, and starved her opponents of funds; she was clever in using the national treasury to buy the support of the house, and breaking every rule, written and unwritten, to marginalize the senate.
so what we have now is an opposition that is uncoordinated and in many ways, unattractive, because it cannot give an economic alternative because in many ways, there is no alternative in terms of grand economic policy.
the real question is whether the country lost many opportunities because the president went for broke in 2004 and the result was the country almost going broke -and how she knew pushing the country to the edge of bankruptcy would result in the evat, which everyone had to support or be blamed for ruining the country. with the evat in hand, she could keep the main budget devoted to government expenses (see the bear sterns analysis from 2005), while evat would pay patronage, including the pork barrel releases to keep her impeachment-free.
the alternative the opposition can’t seem to explain in economics gobbledygook, is that the country could have done much better if the country didn’t have a president willing to bribe her way out of trouble. and that all things being equal, no one should apologize for wishing we had a legitimate government, that didn’t have to keep engaging in distractions such as an irrational charter change effort (a purely economics-minded and not survival-obsessed admin would have pushed for amendments to economic provisions, for example, and left abolishing the senate for later or never), or putting out public-relations fires like the ones being caused by media clampdowns and extrajudicial killings.
and the administration has big-ticket expenses lined up: amending the constitution, round 2, and guaranteeing the president’s immunity past 2010. the president’s economic achievements are in danger precisely because even her most prudent and responsible policies will always be set aside, if the political needs require it. the best that will happen then, is more of precisely what she claims she wants to avoid -the boom and bust cycle.
the predictable and growing remittances of ofws is making the economy free of the boom and bust cycle pressures of the past. day in and day out, the dollars and pounds, etc. will come in; business is happy. there already seems to be a national consensus that since there isn’t a clear successor, people power is too risky and besides too much time has passed so a young population doesn’t know what it’s about or requires. so, consensus is, we stick to elections, and only elections, to achieve whatever.
but this leaves the last point: does anyone reasonably believe that a massive cheating operation isn’t in place, that leaves nothing to chance? and that after solidfying its power since 2004, that only the administration is in a position to cheat? and it will cheat -but it may not have to cheat as much as it expected because yes, the opposition coalition is undisciplined, uncoordinated, unimaginative, and too full of prima donna leaders.
but i think the disagreement here begins with the questions we ask of each other. the admin questions are completely one-sided, in that they ignore how the president has gambled time and again, just as the opposition questions ignore, as you point out, how it’s wasted opportunities time and again.
mlq3,
Are you lamentating about “wasted opportunities” for the nation while GMA grabbed every opportunity to lie, cheat and steal, damaging much of our social institutitons.
The tragedy of having Gloria as captain of the ship of state in the midst of a very unstable and uncertain global (economic) situation is that she is steering the ship towards the high seas (globalization) while wrecking havoc on the ship of state from the inside.
parang dalag, pag ayaw mahuli, pinalalabo ang tubig. dalag kayo diyan.
“Pero yung mga issue na hina highlight ng opposition may nangyari ba?”
…..eh paano, hawak ni Glueria ang gobyerno. She does hocus-pocus. pasip sip din sa military, huh!
Indeed there were lots of opportunities lost because there
were threats (destabilization attempts, coups) that the government have to deal with before it can move on. The opposition is one of the those bringing the threats instead of taking advantage of the opportunities.
Does that mean that given the situation and the opposition is in the helm of the government, they would adopt the same solution?
Or they have really nothing to offer a solution since their efforts are not for the country’s advancement but were purely wasted in seeing this government to collapse.
rego we’re not blurring the answers or the question. It seems you need detailed point to point examples…
Magsimula ka dito:
Research mo ang story nang budget for fiscal 2007 from first version to the approved version and makikita mo kung sino magulang. Masyado mahirap kasi i type ung hinihingi mo eh sorry po.
We’re not rabid anti Gloria if we were, the executive branch would be wiped out by now.
Let’s just put it this way if your satisfied with GMAs performance I have no problem with that, but I am not, so I am demanding MORE from her.
Voting GO makes me feel secure that my rights will be protected by noisy legislators and the Executive branch will not abuse their super mighty super powers.
We have been in military conflict with the NPA for the past 40 years, kailan natin babaguhin ang systema nang paglutas dito? Hintayin natin lumagpas ang 100 years? para maganda tingnan sa history? 20000 armed men rebelled for 100 years… against a modern army.
Hindi kami nagbubulagbulagan sa ginagawa (achievements) nang Executive branch, it’s just that they’re bragging economic gains, in my opinion and analysis she’s just riding the upswing a normal phenomenon. And for me kulang pa ung mga bandaid na nilagay nya sa nagdudugong economy natin.
At karapatan nang bawat Pilipino to demand more from the public servants.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2007-03-04&sec=4&aid=11188
Manolo,
Nice reply. I like it when you step out a little bit from your biases and write more objectively. Make your blog more attractive to everyone. I will rebutt your some of the points you raised as I reply to other comments.
“At karapatan nang bawat Pilipino to demand more from the public servants.”
This is what Rego is expecting from the opposition as well.
Research mo ang story nang budget for fiscal 2007 from first version to the approved version and makikita mo kung sino magulang. Masyado mahirap kasi i type ung hinihingi mo eh sorry po.- Francis
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ayaw mo pa kasing i point para mapadali ang usapan eh. Mahirap i type o wala kang maitype?
Tanong ko sa yo. Sino ba ang gumawa ng budget? Di ba ang congress at senate at hindi si Gloria? So pano mo ipapasa kay Gloria yan eh nag execute lang sya ng budget na dinefine ng senate at congress. Maraming opposition sa senate at congress ah!
Walang problem kung gusto ng maiingay na public servants its healthy for ademocracy Kung talagang gusto mo ng ingay eh bakit hindi na nagiingay ang mga opposition habang dinideliberate ang budget? Eh di sana na solusyunan na yung issue na binabato nila kay Gloria as far as issues like lack of classrooms atbp budget related issues. Mas maganda sana kung magingay sila doon sa tamang forum at sa tamang panhon para mabawas bawasan naman ng kaguluhan.