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A bit about me:
Filipino gay man who lived in CA and NYC from 1998 to 2003. Currently back in the Philippines as a direct result of the Chimp's tax-cuts-for-the-rich-and-no-jobs-for-the-poor economy. Suffered through Election 2000 and 9-11, thankfully with a Democratic boss to commiserate with. Been lurking at DU since 2001 (starting from Jeffords' defection, effectively ending a self-imposed news embargo, which was my way of dealing with the mind-numbing shock and heart-wrenching hurt caused by the treasonous Dec. 12, 2001 SCOTUS decision), posted for a while, and gone back to lurking.
Until now.
(That makes two of us now, Clown King!)
dArKeR, your rather curious defense of Estrada left me no choice but to come out of the woodworks, and try and paint a clearer picture of what you have chosen to bring forth to DU for discussion.
I am not a fan of Arroyo, much less her sycophantic affinity to the Chimp. But the Philippine Supreme Court has ruled right after EDSA II that her ascent to the Presidency was legal, and swore her in thereafter. As we all remember from the Selection 2000, the Supreme Court pretty much has a final say on legal matters, whether we like what they have to say or not.
Now on the matter of Arroyo's support for the Chimp war, it's safe to say we both agree that it is ill-advised and downright deplorable, and indeed, she will be judged by history, I hope not in a revisionist way, but in a just and righteous manner.
Now, one other thing I noticed from your posts, it seems to me that you honestly and earnestly believe that Estrada was/is a victim of injustice, that he is getting the shorter end of the stick.
Now I will not even go to your politically incorrect (to say the least) generalizations about Asian countries (i.e., "bribery/pay-offs is the accepted way of doing business", as if Halliburton got all its government contracts fair and square?). But I will tell you this: I knew Estrada, Estrada was my president, and he Sir was no Ramos, nor Aquino, not even Marcos (who was at least intelligent, much like Nixon, but both were no less crooks of course).
Estrada is the Philippines' very own Chimpy.
He is stupid, incoherent, an unrepentant drunk, a chronic gambler, a maniacal womanizer, and UTTERLY UTTERLY INCOMPETENT. He is a college drop-out with only his mediocre acting stint as his only qualification when he entered politics and won as mayor, eventually becoming a valuable Marcos crony. Estrada, like Chimpy, was, and still is, arrogant and unapologetic, always ready with a taunt to his enemies and an empty macho rhetoric to rile up his illiterate supporters. Does this sound familiar?
(Google him, or search the archives of our leading newspaper www.inq7.net)
Now, I think it is to the credit of the Filipino people that they rose up to this collosal joke of a leader, right after his cohorts in the Senate, during his impeachment hearing, voted not to open an envelope containing damning evidence of his financial shenanigans. How glorious would it be to see a popular uprising against the Chimp on US soil (I had to qualify, since there were/are already plenty of popular uprisings against the Chimp on numerous countries all over the world)? Then again, let's be careful what we wish for, for we'd have Cheney ascend to the Presidency. I shudder.
So, Sir, or Ma'am, I don't know how much you know about Philippine politics, but pardon me for saying that you don't know much if you can point fingers at Aquino (who restored our democracy after 20 years of the Marcos dictatorship) and think at the same time that Estrada is squeaky clean (or deserves to be let go just because 'all presidents did this or that', which is in itself an irresponsible statement). Estrada is on trial right now, and I could only pray to Goddess that those in power right now finally get the political will and the moral maturity to do what South Korea did to its former presidents-cum-plunderers, put them in jail where they belong.
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