State of Denial (Philippines)

Thanks to caffeine sparks for posting this Australian video on the extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Next time someone tells you that the president has nothing to do with the killings, please remember the mutually congratulatory little smirk between Arroyo and “Butcher” Palparan in the second of the videos.

What was so dumb about Arroyo’s eulogizing of the Butcher was that it was almost the only section of the speech in Filipino, as though her speechwriters thought that would mean it would not be noticed by the international media.

Comments

[Shit for Brains]

Looking at it from a cost-benefit analysis, these are what the policy have cost the GMA administration so far...

To murder leftist protesters:
Cost-internationl condemnation, media aggravation, potential for lawsuits, future imprisonment (when her parliamentary immunity expires), increased leftist build-up and organization, more clandestine leftist recruitment and organization

Benefit-less militant action, decreased overt protest action, increase in foreign investments, the appearance of social order from less overt protest actions

I wonder if GMA factored in the future implication of her decision to approve death squads. When her term expires and the veil of parliamentary immunity won't protect her, I wonder if she realized that a future administration unfriendly to her could call for a parliamentary inquiry and summon witnesses that would implicate her for the murders? It won't be far-fetched. It happened to the worst of the murderers overseas: Pinochet, the Camobodians, the Indonesian murder squads in Timor.

I think GMA may have been mistaken in thinking she would have a clout on future parliaments being friendly to her. It looks to me that she could end up in house arrest just as Erap is. Or worse she could end up in a real jail. Not an ideal way to spend the twilight of your years. She was misguided and misadvised on this one.

Stealing is more palatable and easier to cover up for the masses, but killing people creates vengeful widowed and orphans. There's no way these aggrieved will let this pass. I think karma will bite GMA hard. Maybe not in the immediate future, but certainly in the distant one.

[Pragmatic]

Watching these video clips saddened me. So I paused, took a sip from my Starbucks Hazelnut Latte, and then reflected on what I would be doing in the near future. First, I need to find a better DSL provider. Second, remind myself to stop eating out so much so I can save up for a new Ipod. Third, make sure to watch the latest Hollywood blockbuster at a THX Certified movie theater.

Then it occured to me that these communists dont want me to have all these luxuries. They want us all to be equally poor.

The Cold War is over. Capitalism has won.

Oh, btw, Pirates of the Carribean was great. And check out that new IPhone. I want one :)

[Nobody Special]

The Filipino people are not blind. We have a good idea that our government is hopelessly corrupt and serving the interests big money. But (as evidenced by the status quo) most of us have decided to improve our lives by working within the system rather than trying to bring it down (no matter how corrupt and senseless it may be). Revolution is a dangerous business. I am surprised that the self-professed former insurgent father was shocked by this outcome.

The choice is yours. Join them in the mountains and try to organize the downtrodden if you like. But I have a hunch, just like the previous apathetic poster, that its just business as usual for us folks tomorrow.

[Leon]

If you think that this is a Communism-versus-Capitalism thing, then..uhm...yeah, middle-class pleasures can be your anesthesia. Of course, Jovito Palparan will never kill you. But damn, who appointed him to God-hood? He, who is the official party-list nominee of "The True Marcos Loyalists".