Friday, February 24, 2006

Politics: You stay classy, Manila.

It was a heady time twenty years ago. The Philippines looked to stop being the world's largest exporter of dictator jokes and the world's largest importer of Maude Frizon pumps. Perky and sincere Cory Aquino was large and in charge. Marcos' staff of graft-riddled ward heelers would be forced to go ply their trade in some other third-world single-party hell hole, like Chicago...

What a difference two decades makes:


You got your basic vote-rigging, rioting, coup-plotting, army-mutinying, islamic insurgenting, dragging-political-opponents-out-of-the-hospital, tear gassing, ballot box stealing, graft, corruption, and all-around misery back in spades. Heck, there may even be gen-yoo-wine commie guerillas hiding out in the hills with the fanatical Japanese holdouts. All we need now is a funny-looking guy with big shoulder boards and a wife with a shoe fetish, and the long-dry punchline pipeline can start flowing again...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry to say, but the PH.gov has been a running joke since Ramos ended his term and my former countrymen voted in Estrada. Arroyo is no better, and spineless to top it off.....

Anonymous said...

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss