National destiny unfolding
01/22/2010
Last Wednesday the Comelec threw out the disqualification complaints against President Joseph Estrada’s candidacy for May 2010. Given the current political mood, this outcome was
predictable. All political blocks have been looking at the elections as a window of opportunity to iron out the nation’s dilemmas, especially those woven by the machinations of foreign and local oligarchs with their minions in “civil society.” Still, the victory can be deemed genuine; it’s another one for Erap Estrada in the nation’s long struggle for redemption from the sins of Edsa II. But complete liberation is still far from our hands. As Sun Tzu says, “War is deception.” We are in a continuing war with the rapacious global and local oligarchs as their plots continue.
The Carlyle group’s lackey who’s also a member of that global mafia is back in the news after he shunned the National Security Council meeting attended by President Estrada — on what errand only the devils of Carlyle know. The Edsa II 10-year project of privatizing Philippine state assets (from everything worth anything: Hydroelectric and geothermal energy production, power transmission, water services, etc.) and re-establishing conditions for the Balkanization of Mindanao has been securely put in place. But the next phase to cement the irreversibility of these conditions by way of setting up a parliamentary system, by re-engaging participation of all major factions in the political mainstream without any possibility of a strong nationalist presidency, is now underway.
Following Comelec’s ruling in favor of Estrada was the election body’s go-signal for Gloria Arroyo’s congressional run. A text brigade news group going by the name, Bayanihan News, while not identifying anyone behind it, reported: “Let Congress take over in case of failure of elections.” I’m wary that this is a prospect — a predicted failure of elections or no proclamation scenario — that will enable Gloria to get elected to Congress to lead a Cha-cha or con-con while the presidential election is being resolved by a tribunal.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), with an extended Ibrado or a new Bangit, will be expected to maintain the status quo. Eventually, the real winner of the elections (Estrada) will still be proclaimed; but with a political fait accompli in the offing. It might be seen as an “everybody happy” formula, but it’s just a “sterilization” of Philippine politics by way of a parliamentary system that prevents strong, independent, directly-elected leadership from instituting radical change: No Hugo Chavez, no Ferdinand Marcos, no Charles de Gaulle — no one to upset the status quo of oligarchy rule under the British-US overlords.
As election is politics and politics is compromise, we can’t, of course, expect revolutionary outcomes. The people can only get what they can as opportunities arise. The revolutionary forces are not yet mature enough for a final move (as Rizal had wanted the Katipuneros to be). The AFP is not ready either. It isn’t the enemy but neither is it ready to be the main ally of the people. The NPA is also not a main force for change but a distraction. We have lost too many wars, too much time, and too many lives in decades past to make any more precipitate moves. The main force is still the people and they can only be as strong if they’re educated and empowered by a charismatic leader.
Sadly, “opposition” poseurs still manage to fool the nation. As Bono Adaza says: “The elite’s candidate has no vision, only television,” referring to the ABS-CBN-backed Yellow dummy. Only Erap has the charisma and vision — the main reason the oligarchy is still trying to castrate him, possibly by shackling him in a planned parliamentary system. And yet, the global conditions for the success of our unfinished Philippine revolution have immensely improved as whatever financial or moral bases for British-US-Nato imperialism have eroded, with new powers dissipating the old unipolar world.
Blair is under investigation for his Iraq War lies, just as America is now disillusioned after one year of Obama. The global oligarchy has never been as discredited: Anthropogenic Global Warming was debunked in Copenhagen; global Big Pharma’s H1N1 scam is under EU investigation; Ukraine’s Orange Revolution lackeys are losing the elections; and the Georgian Rose Revolution regime teeters under the crazed Saakashvili.
The Philippine oligarchs behind the Yellow Revolution are also suffering the same fate as heartless utility rate increases turn the nation against them, and as other “people power” myths melt away in light of historical truth. By the time Erap’s presidential victory and Bongbong Marcos’ senatorial win demolish the old mental regime, different Filipino factions will find the perfect climate for a nationalist consensus. Then, AFP forces and civilian patriots can finally get it together as several South American countries have done.
The nation will then institute currency and capital controls to protect itself from financial attacks, initiate a debt review, and re-nationalize electricity and water services, with rates halved and private companies paid off in bonds. The AFP engineering corps can then be drafted to engage in the rebuilding of agricultural infrastructure, with NGOs deployed to organize grassroots democracy, and all chambers of commerce tasked to revive industry and manufacturing for import substitution. Surely, this isn’t television; just pure, unbridled vision. With charismatic, visionary leadership, and an empowered people, all things are possible.
(Tune in to 1098AM, Sulong Pilipinismo, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21, Talk News TV, Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on “EQ: What’s your environment quotient?”; also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com).... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
ALTERNATE URL: http://www.classicposters.com/commentary/20100122com5.html
| |
