A stranger told me, "I wish I had your courage. I want to write the same things you do - about how, in society in general, our country in particular - has two types of people. A ruling elite who can change things but won't, and a working class who want things changed, but can't do so. Hmm....maybe that's why I can't write - because I feel I have everything to lose. They say 'give a man a mask, and they'll show you their true face.' That's why you started TP?"
TP: Don’t be. I have nothing but time to lose. I started TP with my real-life identity concealed because I want people to read my articles and focus on them, not on who wrote them.
Stranger: I see.
TP: Hence the meticulous citations in every TP article.
Stranger: Message over the messenger.
TP: Yup. I even listen to Binay every now and then. Kahit baliw siya.
Stranger: Hehe. Part of me feels, if he can do the best job, even he takes a few millions, parang ok lang.
TP: But he won’t be contented with just a few million, so meh.
Duterte and the Oligarchy
Stranger: Poe will win methinks.
TP: It's 50-50 at the moment.
Stranger: With Duterte?
TP: Duterte has the people, Poe has the power. He's broke while she's got the richest man in PH to back her up.
Stranger: Wow. This may be the last chance we truly get to elect someone worthy.
TP: Yes, actually. There's only 1 in those 4 who’s not part of the oligarchy. Only one in 4 who's not politically corrupt [READ: Corruption and the Presidentiables].
Stranger: I read your posts haha - I absolutely agree. But Symantec will rig the elections.
TP: That's possible, but yesterday's Alabang is a bad omen for them. Like a seriously, terrifyingly, disconcertingly bad omen.
Stranger: I have to read up on that... one sec please.
TP: LOL ok.
Stranger: All I'm getting is drug news.
TP: There's a media blackout of course.
Stranger: Or are you talking about the rally?
TP: Yeah. There were around half a million in EDSA 2. Duterte has at least 30% of NCR's 11 million.
Stranger: And yesterday?
TP: There were about 20000 yesterday, it’s not even the center of NCR. It was not a dress rehearsal, but it sure was a sign. If people are that passionate and they realize they got cheated, their numbers will exceed Edsa 2. Considering there's legal precedent for "People Power" [SC GRs 146710 et Al: Estrada vs Arroyo], this will be fun if Duterte is cheated.
DUTERTE IN ALABANGAerial View from ALABANG.. Mayor Duterte Sortie :-)Aerial Pilot by Jj Maghirang
Posted by CinEmotion Digital Films on Saturday, April 9, 2016
Stranger: Ninoy won’t make Marcos' mistake. Unlike Marcos, he can actually order people shot.
TP: Well, interestingly, I was thinking of that. Plaza Miranda, Hacienda Luisita. But Kidapawan makes it more difficult for him. He's already on the international non-profit HRW's radar [Human Rights Watch].
Stranger: Hmm.
TP: He got away with lumad killings because nobody cared. Now, people do [READ: AFP Kills Lumads].
Stranger: I hope people aren't...desensitized. So the question now is… will it be cheaper for the oligarchs to *silence* du30 - or work with him for the next couple of years?
TP: That assumes they can. The problem is that Duterte can inspire the common people, unlike the other 3.
after rally po yan sa filinvest alabang ngayon gabi bawal po daw magkalat sabi ni mayor duterte.
Posted by The amazing rody duterte on Friday, April 8, 2016
Stranger: So if he goes Ninoy-mode...
TP: Nah...I think Duterte is not stupid, there's might be reason why he said 3-6 months. He won't go down without a fight. If I were in his shoes, I will eliminate all the corrupt oligarchs in that timeframe, so they can't do what you said.
Stranger: Hmm…that's a lot of chaos.
TP: Yes. but wouldnt that be fun? That is, speaking from the POV of a political observer.
Stranger: Yes it would. :-)
TP: Basically, we will have our French Revolution. How fitting is it that Les Miz is in Solaire right now?
BRIEF: The French Revolution was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799. The Revolution overthrew the French monarchy, established a republic, experienced violent periods of political turmoil, and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon that rapidly brought many of its principles to Western Europe and beyond. Inspired by liberal and radical ideas, the Revolution profoundly altered the course of modern history, triggering the global decline of absolute monarchies while replacing them with republics and liberal democracies [Livesey 2001].
Stranger: Hahah! You're in Davao though (allegedly). I’ve never been there.
Les Miserables: Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men?
TP: Nah, I am somewhere else. Davao is just too inconvenient and laging brownout per Mindanao Power Crisis [MB] so why the fuck would I wanna stay there right now. LOL.
Stranger: Is it? I didn't know hehe. Hmm.
Alan Peter Cayetano and Leni Robredo
Stranger: VP debates tomorrow. Any comment?
TP: Yeah, but not really interested. To be honest, the VP’s only real job is wait for president to drop dead.
Stranger: Ah, then that's the deal.
TP: Lahat ng sasabihin nila don, drawing. VPs have no real executive powers to begin with.
Stranger: Leni will win.
TP: Well, in an ideal world I'll go Cayetano. Leni lost me with the "Pineda Defense"[Rappler]. But she's my 2nd choice… still a lesser evil when compared to Marcos and Escudero. My final choice depends on interpolated survey results right before exit polls, for the lack of any other metric.
Stranger: But if LP can't win with Roxas, they'll just seat Leni, then...
TP: Leni is too nice, she refuses to say no. Even if injustice is happening in front of her.
Stranger: Hmm. I think her husband was on to something.
TP: #TsinelasLeadership? Her reputation is from sacrifices na pinahihirapan lang ang sarili niya.
Stranger: Haha. True that.
TP: But in as far as going against the corrupt and the powerful, her record is blank. The problem with the Filipino is that he's so fixated at the trees, he fails to see the forest.
Stranger: So, you're saying her sacrifices are from turning down luxuries, not from exerting effort doing something...inconvenient.
TP: What she's doing is inconvenient for her, kudos to her on that. But she hasn’t shown anything that suggest she's capable of making zero-sum decisions. Like, this over that when the choices involve opposing parties. At first, I didn't blame her because politically speaking, she was born yesterday.
But when the opportunity to do so came (Pinedas), she failed. On Pineda vs Panlilio, we all know Panlilio is the good man. Leni sided with Pineda.
Stranger: Well, that was probably the smartest choice. Or at least, the safest.
TP: Yes, I agree. But that's not a leader. That's a political chameleon. We already got enough of them in government. At this rate, Leni is morphing into a Loren Legarda [Luntiang Pilipinas].
Noong una, Loren chose environment as focus because it’s safe. Lumads and mining weren't big issues in 1998. Then came the Lumad killings, and she suddenly fell silent.
Stranger: Haha. Hmm…
TP: Ewan ko kung saan nang committee sya ngayon. Remember those cheesy street signs na "I think I shall never see..."?
Stranger: That was hers? The ones along SLEX?
TP: Those were hers. Luntiang Pilipinas. Where are they now? Wala na yata. Meron pa siguro, pero wala na yatang Legarda na epal sign.
 |
| Shit like these. |
Corporate Altruism
Stranger: I have more faith in corporations to do good, actually. In the sense that, they're almost sub-contracting government work.
TP: This is probably true if you are talking about rich corporations, but not if you’re referring to wealthy corporations. Wealthy and Rich are two very different adjectives. Have you not learned anything from the Subprime Mortgage Crisis [Wharton]?
Subprime Mortgage Crisis Explained in 11 minutes.
TP: Elon Musk's companies do good. Seems, however, that everyone bigger than it doesn't.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks about sustainable technology.
Stranger: I remember - but that was runaway greed bought on by banks, methinks. The PLDT group for example, provides something along 20-30% of tax revenue to government - in return for providing water, electricity, and date to people.
TP: How about Monsanto [BC.edu]? Philip Morris congressional Lobby [Rappler]? San Fucking Miguel Corporation [TP: Coco Levy]?
Stranger: Ok, I rescind that to - "more faith in corporations to effect CHANGE" then. Hahaha.
TP: PLDT? At the cost of monopolizing PH Internet. Sued SMC for 700mhz band [News5] that eventually scared Telstra away [Rappler].
Stranger: Ah, yes, well. Profit margins. Hehe.
TP: PLDT is doing what Rockefeller did 100+ years ago… underselling to kill competition, then putting things back to the way then were [History].
Stranger: well, Rockefeller was kind of merciless at absorbing anything...
TP: Ugh.
Stranger: Politicos need corporate money. Else, they'd be more vulnerable to crime lords, religious groups - or their political rivals.
TP: Politicos are already are vulnerable to those, just look at Mar Roxas [TP: Campaign Planes]. Or even Grace Poe, whose life is so intertwined with San Miguel that her husband works in it, and she even owns shares of that goddamn company [TP: Poe Connections]
Stranger: Wouldn't corporate cash help them fend of undue influence?
TP: *sigh* how? Money is like sex. There’s never enough of it.
Stranger: Let's say a religious group wants a bill passed, they pay the candidate that supports them.
TP: Corporate $$$ to fend off corruption is just like a band aid to help heal a torn limb. Or maybe worse. It may even accelerate necrotizing [TP: Miner Crony].
Stranger: But a rich candidate wouldn't be as...cheap?
TP: No. Corporations today are already bribing politicians via corporate lobbying. What is your proposal but a legitimized out-in-the-open version of what's already there.
Stranger: Wouldn't that make things more transparent? Hmm. Let’s say you get elected to office. Mayor, of a province. Jueteng lord approaches you, gives you a bag of money. You say “no.” If you don’t take it, he’ll kill you though. What do you say to that
TP: Or why don't we eliminate that culture altogether by redistributing political power? What you're suggesting is overhauling a 50 year old car. It's time to buy a new car.
Stranger: Ah there. I agree. But changing the ENTIRE power structure is a question of capability, more than sincerity - how, in the world, are people already accustomed to power, going to just "give it up?"
Although yes - Du30 can start the process… with federalism, maybe…
Ano ang Federalismo?Ang plano ni Rody Duterte : Federalismo*This is not a paid advertisementNote: By default, facebook turns on the subtitles. If you don't like having the subs you can just turn it off
Posted by Plainly Simple Studios on Thursday, April 7, 2016
TP: Or by death. Or by banishment. Whichever works. And why not accelerate the process? LOL.
Stranger: They have successors. Haha…
TP: There are ways.
Manuel Roxas’ Technocracy
Stranger: This is brilliant…
Thinking Pinoy wrote in a old article:
"My only issue is this: I see Roxas as someone who can “refine” and “enhance” our institutions pero the public will not be able to appreciate it because they don’t understand what Roxas is doing and Roxas is incapable of making them understand."
You still wouldn't mind Roxas winning?
TP: That was in November before I discovered everything else...
- Wharton [TP: US Ambassador]
- Lumad Killings [TP: AFP Kills Lumads]
- Mining Cronies [TP: Mining Crony]
- Patronage Politics [Inquirer]
- False Propaganda [TP: Fact Check]
- Megalomania [TP: Roxas' Achievements], et al.
- Economic Blackmail [see video below]
That notorious Roxas 4Ps ad.
Stranger: Gotcha. You still think he's the technocrat for the next generation, though?
TP: What is a technocrat?
Stranger: You used that word before…
"I feel that Rody is in a better position to unite this country because people look up to him. Yung technocrats, maa-appreciate yan siguro by the next generation. Mar, I feel, is ahead of our time. Too ahead. Kasi teh, si Mar, parang magulang na nagpapainom sa anak ng Tempra. Gagaling ang lagnat pero mapait. Si Rody, yung taho vendor na tatay na kahit nahihirapan ang anak, inspired ang anak na mag-aral. Why? Because Roxas is a genius, but he fails to inspire."
TP: Yes I know. Rhetorical question yon. Kukurutin kita e.
Stranger: LOL. Sorry, missed your inflection please use #rheto.
TP: A technocrat is someone who has a habit of appointing people to positions based on their relevant technical/technological competence. But Mar recommended MRT's Vitangcol [Spot.ph]. He also okayed Abaya, [Rappler]. Mar also asked support from various pol dynasties [TP: Corruption] but that implies he supports them too. Quid pro quo. Q.E.D.
Stranger: Ahahah.
TP: So no, Mar Roxas isn't a technocrat.
Stranger: Ahh… trapo then.
TP: Yes. Essentially a trapo with better packaging. Some people say his PR team is shit, but it’s actually decent. Given everything he did, Roxas still manages to put up a façade. So kudos to his publicists.
His major 'accomplishments' are: BPO, Cheaper Meds, Wharton, Economic Growth. I have debunked Cheaper Meds [TP: Cheaper Meds], same with Wharton [TP:Ambassador], same with Economic Growth [TP: Economic Growth].
Stranger: I've also heard that the BPO wasn't to his credit.
TP: Only BPO is left. But BPO boomed when he's already a senator. Even if I hate PGMA, It was Gloria who made BPO happen [MB]. Besides, BPO will inevitably happen even without government incentives. Cheap labor and more-tolerable-than-bumbay-accent English are incentive enough.
Essentially, all he’s done in the past 2 decades is piggybacking. Duterte was actually right when he said Roxas is a pretentious credit grabber, too bad 3 minutes in a debate ain’t enough to explain why.
Stranger: Hmm
Rodrigo Duterte
Stranger: You've met Duterte? In person? Is he really that inspiring?
TP: Once in 2010. He doesn’t inspire me. I am brutally immune to emo shit. Instead, the people of Davao inspired me. Not the city, but the culture that developed among its people. I lived there for a couple of years or so. Living there literally restored my faith in humanity.
Stranger: I read they're good people - the kind that "help" each other? But why? Was it through fear?
TP: They are a people who trust each other.
Stranger: Huh? Maybe I should visit.
TP: Duterte made it possible.
Stranger: But you lived there "for a couple of years," meaning it takes that long. Hmm…
TP: It took me a week to realize that. Two years is too long. Have you heard about the "The Prisoner's Dilemma"? The crux is that a sub-optimal scenario happens because of lack of communication, but Duterte became the link with Davao's residents as the actors. You get what I mean?
Prisoners' Dilemma Explained in Two Minutes
The Prisoner's dilemma forces you to choose between what's best for you as an individual, and what's best you as a part of a group. Because of lack of trust, you choose selfishly. But in Davao City's case, Duterte served as the catalyst for trust.
In Davao, ‘wag magtapon sa kalye kasi alam mong hindi nagtatapon ang iba, wag magyosi sa kalye kasi alam mong hindi rin magyoyosi ang iba. Etc. Etc.
In Manila, magtatapon ka kasi hassle maghanap sa basurahan at magtatapon lang rin naman iba.
Stranger: He's the exemplar?
TP: Yes, but that's just one. As I've said, he inspires trust. He can make people believe in him. So when he asks something from someone, people trust that he will require the same thing from everyone else, i.e. naniniwala ang sinabihan niya na hindi siya malalamangan. He even lets cops pull over his daughter Inday for overspeeding.
Stranger: Thank you for the chat.
TP: Duterte's style is anchored on the concept of absolute equality. Duterte doesn't inspire me, but I am inspired by the fact that he can inspire the common Filipino.
DUTERTE CAYETANO MOTORCADE SUCAT PARAñAQUE TO CAA LAS PIñAS"MAYOR DUTERTE HINARANGAN SA DAAN"Ito ang traffic na madaming natuwa..Napatigil ang lahat at mainit na sinalubong ang Agila ng Davao.Isang buwan na lang Election na sa Pilipinas kabahan na mga kalaban ni Duterte sa Pagka Presidente..Subukan nyong mandaya makikita nyo ang rebulusyon sa Pilipinas..Note:17 minutes running time motorcade lang ito..I share natin ito at paabutin ng million views..Videographer Sahad Andal JrRhonel Christian Aerial Pilot Michael Andres Subido
Posted by CinEmotion Digital Films on Saturday, April 9, 2016
Stranger: It was deeply enlightening.
TP: You’re welcome.
_____
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