Sunday, January 21, 2007

Dude, where's my country?

Or more to the point, where is my country going?

Not a lot of people manage to get the time or energy to really think about where their country is going. Between trying to make a living and actually living, there is scarcely space or time in any day to dwell upon the state of affairs of the circus we call government.
Sure, the economy seems rosy right now. But if you really think about it, what does it really mean to have an dollar exchange rate of 48 or 49 = 1? What does it mean to you and me that the Philippine Stock Exchange is at an all time high? I don't have the money to buy imported goods and I don't have enough money to buy stocks. It's all French to me.
Okay, suppose that it did matter. Why should the government bandy these figures about and celebrate it?

When I was working at RTVM (Radio Television Malacanang) around ten years ago in 1997, the dollar exchange rate was roughly 26 or 27 to 1. The stock exchange figures were thoroughly bullish. That was the economy during Ramos' time. We just had the APEC Summit and the Centennial year was there.

That was a year to be really proud about, sadly that year came and went. 1998 came with the Erap Presidency and while the masses were jubilant over having elected 'one' of their own into the highest position in the land, I and a couple of other friends and officemates were saying 'Good grief!'

It went all downhill from there and this is not to say that I would've wanted old Tabako to continue on for another six years (it wasn't a bad idea at that time and there was all sorts of good reasons for it).

Erap fell from power and there arose Gloria. Though it would have been a relief from the loveable buffoon's bungling, the manner in which she rose to power led many to question if we were in fact still operating under the 1987 Constitution -- I think we weren't.
After three years of Gloria came the 2004 elections. And still, we're wondering if she really is supposed to be where she is right now? Did she really win? More to the point, did she win fairly and lawfully?

It really depends on who you ask. But whoever you ask, don't ask a lawyer.

In anycase, just look around and see what's happening. Local government (Governors and Mayors) are being taken out of their offices, media organizations and practitioners are being Holy cowed or pigged, people are under employed or still unemployed despite the government propaganda of generating 1 million jobs a year -- what a racket, the cost of living is at an all time high, crime is rampant, corruption is the norm, the country's ecology continues to deteriorate...

Is there a way out of this? Is there a way out of this?!

There is literally a way out and God Bless those who have a literal mind about things. When they heard that they should work to 'change their country', they literally packed up their bags and changed their country. Millions of Filipinos are abroad right now (3 of my siblings and my mother are in North America).

I don't have the means or inclination to work abroad, so that option is closed. So what do I do?

---- more to follow ---
conversations with Dick Gordon and Mar Roxas on the state of affairs.
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