Thursday, October 06, 2005

Filipino-American Spy Caught by White House

jeeez. what's next? Anyway, here's some background/theory: Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been a close ally of the Bush administration ever since they coincidentally both took office as presidents of their respective countries on the same day (1/21/2001). Like George W. Bush, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's father was also a former president. Furthermore, Arroyo has become an even closer ally of the Bush administration since she offered almost limitless anti-terror support and resources post-9/11... Fast-forward three years to the Philippine presidential election in late 2004: Arroyo was trying to run for another term as president (as was George W.)... She was in serious danger of losing the election to a guy known as Fernando Poe Jr. (AKA: FPJ). FPJ was a very popular action star in Philippine cinema. In the Philippines, popular actors often get elected to public office, since the majority of Filipinos lack the education/critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions. It wouldn't be so bad if these actors-turned-polititians were competent and well-intentioned. Unfortunately, history has shown otherwise (Arroyo was actually just the vice president who took over after the last actor-turned-president, Joseph Estrada, was ousted on 1/21/2001). The sad thing is that FPJ was just as uneducated as the masses who supported him, while Arroyo is a well-educated economist from Georgetown University. Worse still... for most of the 2004 campaign, FPJ held a significant lead against president Arroyo. And this guy was the only candidate who wouldn't submit to a debate. And it was obvious what he was afraid of. There were many reports of FPJ taking crash-courses in economics, law, trade, etc...! Anyway, it seems to me that if Arroyo was in danger of losing the 2004 presidential election to a pea-brained action hero, not only would it have been detrimental to the Filipino people; it would not have been good for the Bush Administration's anti-terror efforts in Southeast Asia. Needless to say, Arroyo ended up winning the election by a very small margin. Interestingly, FPJ reportedly suffered from severe depression and kicked the bucket shortly thereafter. Sadly, the candidate whom I think would have made a fine president, Raul Roco suddenly died this past summer. That makes two out of the six or so major candidates who have died since the election. go figure... It seems like this White House spy was bent on exposing the alleged US government's efforts to rig the Philippine election to keep Bush's buddy Arroyo in power. While this kind of election-rigging may seem unethical, I personally believe that in a country where the masses are poorly educated, elections (and other implements of democracy) are useless. The majority of Filipinos (though not all of them) are just about as intellectually bankrupt as they are destitute, and it isn't necessarily their fault. It is my opinion that the Philippines could benefit from a couple generations of a "Father-knows-best" government or a "benevolent dictator" whilst education systems are overhauled. Anyway, that is just my opinion on what might have gone down in that White House spy case. I can only wonder if this makes sense to those of you reading this! http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=1187030&page=1 http://www.americandaily.com/article/9555

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