I found out recently that public flavour-of-the-month presidential candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr had upgraded his website. The new website is far glossier than the original one that I trawled for information and cited as reference back in the 30th of August. The URL I used for reference for the rather sparse summary of Aquino’s platform I made back then pointed to what was then the “platform” section of his website:
Unless Aquino considers the following information that appears when you click on the above link (as of this writing) as one that describes his candidacy platform, I’d say the section simply vanished into digital thin air.
I wonder sometimes in which direction we measure progress by. Ben Kritz wrote — also back in the 30th of August — about “The Non-Platform of Noynoy Aquino“. At the time, he was referring to the following information that appeared in what is now a phantom section of Aquino’s website:
I [Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr] am determined to continue the fight started by my father and my mother to see that democracy takes root and is strengthened in our country. This cannot happen in a government that serves the interest of the powerful few. We must strengthen the institutions of government so that they truly serve the interests of our people.”
In the light of attempts to weaken our democracy, I therefore stand to;
1. Strengthen the Senate as an independent branch of government;
2. Continue to hold government to account for its excesses and misgovernance;
3. Resist Charter Change if done to serve the selfish interests of the few and if the process circumvents that prescribed by the constitution;
4. Oppose all attempts to impose a repressive government, and more importantly; and
5. Be the voice of the powerless and the oppressed, those who do not have access to our government and are, thus, victims of injustice.
If it weren’t for the rather tragic timing of Aquino’s Web revamp, I’d say with the aim of injecting a bit of humour in this rather interesting situation that:
Aquino had today gone from having a non-platform to having a gone-platform.
But the timing is indeed tragic, made tragic by the disaster recently wreaked by tropical cyclone Ondoy upon Luzon — a tragedy that Aquino’s machinery exploits to the hilt seeing that it’s been made the centrepiece of his now glossy website…
… as if a call to a continuous ode to heroics says anything about how one might perform once their bums start warming that coveted seat in Malacanang. It is that characteristic Filipino inclination to pervert otherwise noble ideas. In this case, the whole concept of Web 2.0’s user-generated content approach: Contribute your stories of Ondoy heroics folks! And read all about it, re-published on my website!
I can’t help but highlight yet another irony that escapes the collective mind of the Philippine political establishement and its cadre of “expert” analysts.
Aquino’s glossing up of his website and the disappearance of the only section in it that would have housed the only semblance of substance underpinning his candidacy is symbollic of our society. In the same way that the flurry of property “development” that characterised the last several decades of Metro Manila’s history added a veneer of gloss over the metropolis that masked a hideous infrastructural rot, Aquino’s website “improvements” reflect our society’s march to progress:
Paatras ang asenso
(Progress in reverse)
Indeed, Noynoy Aquino does after all represent the collective aspirations of the Filipino people.
(1) The premier metropolis of the land sits on a decrepit waste disposal system and its residents continue to stuff it with their refuse; and,
(2) Aquino’s candidacy rests upon a decrepit national mindset that is further being polluted by his misguided handlers and the cadre of promoters that surround him.
Hindsight, however informative, is quite useless though. Although we now have the benefit of the Ondoy disaster’s revealing Metro Manila’s rot at its core, we will most likely have to wait for Aquino’s six-year term post 2010 to unfold before the vacuousness of his candidacy is revealed.
Get Real Philippines 
whoa, so you criticize his previous platform, and now that its being updated, you criticize him too?
whoa…
Updated? You mean REMOVED.
Ignoy will HAVE to post SOMETHING sooner or later (unless he prefers to be the laughing stock of the year when everyone else comes out with his platform), but for now he stays with the original strategy and augments it:
(1) First exploit his dear mother’s death and his late father’s memory; then
(2) Exploit people’s suffering and selflessness during the Ondoy calamity.
Ignoy and his campaign strategists have no shame!
Here’s a soundbite:
We campaign with no shame. Just remember the name – igNOY.
For real change to occur, we have to win first (using all methods at our disposal).
Once seated, Noynoy will transform our nation and you will see that the end will justify the means!
Six years from now, I will say: I TOLD YOU SO.
You will say: I’M SORRY. I WAS WRONG.
And I will reply: WHO REALLY WAS THE ANTI PINOY?
You sound like the Jolog Queen: win first, decide what to do later.
But you’re right, Noynoy will transform the nation. I hope I still have friends at the embassy to deny you the visa you’ll be desperately seeking at that point to escape the disaster.
Transformed into what? A larger scale Hacienda Luisita? How lovely. Get real, dude.
Six years from now you’ll be wanting to leave the wasteland of Ignoy’s making while wearing your proud pinoy feel-good apparel. Then I’ll say: I’m sorry, I was wrong… NOT.
Yes, I am the Anti-Tanga.
Parallax,
If I may quote Lolo Abe: “What does your gut tell you?”
My gut tells me that Noynoy will win.
My gut tells me that you know Noynoy will win.
So you have two choices:
1. Be miserable and continue hating Noynoy
2. Accept Noynoy as your president and help him rebuild our country.
Please seriously ponder upon Choice Number 2.
Who is the Anti-Pinoy really?
Bayanihan, you give new meaning to the term shit-for-brains.
Indeed, YOU are the antipinoy.
Note: We’re not miserable. We’re letting you embarrass yourself. Haha!
@paralax
he will have to put something up. he may be working on it. a platform is tough to formulate; and requires meeting with your party and your team, and your backers.
@GabbyD:
Let’s say you’re Noynoy. If you have something great going for you, something that legitimizes how people put you up on a pedestal, you’d show it, especially if you’re on a campaign and out to get even the intelligent vote.
In the real Noynoy’s case, because he doesn’t have that something beyond pedigree and winnability due to the electorate’s small-mindedness, he drops the platform section altogether in the hope that if it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. It’s an inspection sort of thing. What can’t be seen might not get caught. In his website, rather than unintentionally emphasize the emptiness of that section, they removed it altogether.
Manuel Buencamino can yap all he wants about Noy’s honesty, but this specific manner of handling Noy’s campaign is the ultimate contradiction to whatever honesty there is in Noynoy that MCB peddles around.
And the only way the supporters could rationalize their visions of clueless Iggy is through Abe Margallo’s preferred mode of “thinking” – with one’s bowels. Perhaps there’s just no other (odor-free) way of doing it.
=========================
@Bayanihan:
The Philippines is not some Decepticon for clueless Iggy to toy around with.
I got two words for you:
Platform, Plez.™
filo,
we dont know that he’s not developing a platform now, as we speak, and that he dropped webpage that contains his platform coz it was his senate platform, NOT his presidential platform.
i’m glad his website is being revamped, understandably, the platform will (should) come in later, ONCE its been formulated.
Filo,
We don’t need no stinking platform. That’s a concept best appreciated by a very small minority.
You and I know that Noynoy will win with or without your vote. So what’s the point in asking for something that doesn’t mean anything anyway?
A vote for Noynoy is a vote against the Anti-Pinoy!
@Gabs:
I didn’t say he’s not developing a platform right now. Heck he “developed” one while partying with Raymond Gutierrez during Pepeng’s visit. Yahu.
===========================
@Bayanihan:
Of course you don’t need no stinking platform.
You don’t have the intellectual capacity to use it anyway.
Nor does Ignoy have the intellectual capacity to make one that made tangible sense even in his senatorial campaign.
So it suits your very own utak ng tilapia, little boy antipinoy.
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It doesn’t matter. Noynoy will win anyway. Sinumulan ni Cory, tatapusin ni Noynoy.
Are we ready to be transformed from 3rd World to 1st World status?
Yes! The Filipino can!
Sumali na kayo–join!
Maybe YOU can, but Ignoy can’t.
He has to ask Kris first.
Look dude. Its happening and its gonna be great.
Do you really wanna be on the wrong side of history?
After his presidency, we might have to rename a province after him or something…
Wish in one hand, sh*t in the other, see which one fills up first.
There you go again. Hindi pa nga ibinibigay ng mga Aquino sa farmers ang lupang sa kanila talaga (Yoohoo! Hacienda Luisita flashbacks for the clueless amnesiacs please!), now you plan to name a province after Ignoy? Aysus! Wrong side of history my *ss.
omg you are one delusional son of a bitch.
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Is Noynoy really the only hope for this country? People who believe so merely demonstrate being resigned to inaction and not thinking out things more thoroughly. They still want a genie to save them from evil, when in fact it should be saving them from themselves.
Chino,
Ika nga ni Kuya Manuel: “That Noynoy is the one who will set things right.”
He also said: “Hope is hard to kill.”
Want details? Go here: http://filipinovoices.com/beavis-and-butthead
It goes both ways. Some pin their hopes on Noynoy, while others not on Noynoy but on someone better. Both are hard to kill, that’s why one must find objective ways to resolve this in one’s choice of candidates.
Sabi ni Kuya Manuel: “Noynoy has sponsored bills. And the bills he sponsored were not bills to help his companies. Those bills were for workers rights, human rights, more checks and balance on the executive, more controls on graft and corruption among other things. I’ve outlined his legislative record in an earlier post. As to co-authoring bills, well that only means he knows how to work with people.”
But you probably already this just as you know, deep in your heart, that Noynoy is the best candidate among the known aspirants. Perhaps only Manolo Quezon could surpass him–now that man would really make a GREAT president.
Even Gloria has a more impressive record for the underdog prior to her seeking “higher office.” Those bills of Noynoy, comparatively way fewer as they are, were hardly enacted into law, and thus shows how ineffectual he is, sorry. This internet campaigning your Kuya Manuel try to do for Noynoy could not withstand the challenges presented to it, and he did not defend his views with dignity. Even with my minimum expectation, he fell seriously below par.
The aggressive marketing/campaigning you guys do for Noynoy gives one a sense that it is driven more out of desperation & by hate towards the soon to be past admnistration rather than hope. This is not at all similar to the “hope” that Barrack Obama used in his campaigns (Barrack substantiated it by calling upon the great history of achievements of the American people).
Our votes are too sacred to be wasted on vaporware promises.
Speaking about Obama, during the campaign, didn’t Hillary Clinton’s camp also state his LACK of Executive Experience? I also distinctly remember them making fun of the few Senate Bills he co-authored. Furthermore, didn’t former President Bill Clinton himself say that: “Voting for Obama is like rolling the dice?”
Now, even you will have to admit that the criticisms towards Barack and Noynoy are quite similar? Both have limited experience. Both have thin resumes. But both have excellent CHARACTER!
Support Noynoy. Support the honest man. God is on our side!
Oh yes, and Barack is indeed suffering from this lack of executive experience in terms of his inability to enforce or put into effect policies and programs he’s been promoting, along with a serious drop in public approval ratings. He is using his charisma by appearing even on talk shows, but it seems to be waning a bit. Some are already going to the streets to protest. The American public are even a very patient, cooperative, pro-active, & resourceful people. Now imagine Filipinos who tend to be timid, maliciously suspicious & contentious, & inclined to expect too much from their leader(s). Pinoys also are quicker to go out on the streets to protest. Whoever would be vice-president if Noynoy becomes president (and this to me is quite likely) should be ready for anything.
“Character” tends to be a subjective and unreliable yardstick. The only thing going for Noynoy right now is the hype created from the death of his mom (which his promoters exploit and milk dry). I just hope Noynoy doesn’t spoil the legacy both his parents left us as well as the “Aquino” good family name.
Unless you wish to tell me something you know & we don’t, why presume that none of the other candidates are not as honest?
If this fanaticism towards Noynoy is matched & justified by him having clear plans of action (read: platform–that should of course be concrete and sound) then you might be a tad more convincing. Even Barack went beyond mere hope and charisma by presenting definite plans-of-action regarding the economy that made many root for him rather than McCain. (It was even “challenged” by Joe-the-plumber.)
People have been burned several times now. We need to be convinced and not just persuaded–We want to vote with our heads & not [anymore] with our sentiments. If you want “hope” alone to carry you through, you may as well go to terrorists who are driven by fanatical sentiments of hope, but could not effectively justify it with reason. And BTW, they also believe God (Allah) is on their side.
Peace.
But the terrorists will lose because they are praying to the false God.
Christianity will prevail because we worship the One and Only true God, through Christ who was sacrificed to save us from our sins.
Who is your God?
So, did God give Noynoy some kind of divine revelation?–Sounds kinda creepy–Why would God be on the side of Noynoy rather than on someone like, say, Eddie Villanueva?
We need someone who’s hard-nose on facts. Especially, someone who’s pragmatic & able to spur businesses in our country (call centers & SM cannot hire everyone.) Perhaps, someone who knows how to deal with infrastructures that businesses rely on, and someone able to fix that flooding over the country considering how many businesses are ruined because of that and the expected increase in storm frequency. Intangible “hope” needs to be backed with tangible results.
Over the internet, you are dealing a lot with more educated middle to upper class people who can afford an internet connection, who are less superstitious and less prone to believing claims of divine anointing like you make. You may want to use that method of persuasion with the masa whom you’d rather meet on the streets. See, Noynoy is already “winnable.” The nagging question is “what direction would he take, and how would he perform if he does get elected president?”–Could he (or his spinmeisters) keep this song and dance? Would he sow more discontent and make people take to the streets to oust him (backed by the rest of the middle class whom you still need to convince)?
Kuya Manuel is a shill. Describe what “set things right” means, exactly. Try to use practical, quantifiable measures this time — remember, people can’t eat “hope” or buy shoes for their kids to go to school with “rightness”.
BenK,
There is no need to resort to name calling. To be fair, I also disapprove of Kuya Manuel calling you a “twinkle”–whatever that means.
Back to our discussion… In “The Audacity of Hope”, Barack Obama states that HOPE is a prerequisite for meaningful change to occur. Why is that? Because before we move forward, we must be able to envision better circumstances–that things indeed can improve. HOPE is the spark that lights the fire of change. Without HOPE you cannot have change because people have nothing to look forward to.
Your pessimism is exactly what holds us back. Cynicism kills the imagination and takes away our creative potential to come up with solutions to rebuild our country.
Who is the Anti-Pinoy now?
@Bayanihan: In that Beavis & Butthead debate your Kuya Manuel ran out of arguments and began resorting to completely inappropriate language in clear violation of FV blog owner Mr. Nick Tingog’s much invoked but poorly implemented Comment Policy. Each time he tried to throw in the last word he dug up a deeper hole for himself, which is why even his pal Bert abandoned him for a while until the smoke cleared to reveal that there was nothing your Kuya Manuel could do to end up on higher moral ground in the debate. A man so lost and conflicted in his own supposed values can’t peddle hope to those who THINK.
To see a sampling of your Kuya Manuel’s not-so-proud moments (which is in no way exhaustive if you check that Beavis & Butthead article right now because he has added more embarrassing comments), CLICK HERE. You might want to quote him using those and show your true colors.
Yeah but you are only showing one side of the story.
To be fair, you also need to show the comments of the other people heckling, baiting, and making fun of Kuya Manuel. They were treating him like an idiot. Sino ba ang hindi mapipikon?
“Ika nga ni Kuya Manuel: ‘That Noynoy is the one who will set things right.'”
Hahaha. It’s just like guessing the lotto numbers for next year. I’d like to see those numbers hit.
Chino,
I don’t need to have psychic abilities to guess who the winner will be next year. We all know that it will be Noynoy. So are you ready for Real Change? Are you ready for the Filipino’s Great Leap Forward! Let’s do it man. The time is now!
I think what you say comes from blind fanaticism, man. You also display the overoptimism and illusion of invulnerability from groupthink. Can’t blame you, but hope you don’t get too suckered in.
@Chino F: This Bayanihan guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He obviously has never read that Mao’s Great Leap Forward was a monumental failure resulting in something like 40 million deaths due to hunger in China. The Chinese of Chairman Mao’s time had so much hope too, but hope alone couldn’t feed those who needed to be fed. Mister Bayanihan should go have a Great Leap Forward all by himself (or maybe with his Kuya Manuel) and not drag more people along his foolish antipinoy adventure.
Chino,
Overoptimism was the same argument thrown at Obama’s supporters. Fanaticism is often the label attached to people who try to stop the inevitability of Global Warming. Despite their best efforts, it is likely to happen, but do they give up? No.
Keep on dreaming. Keep on hoping.
What does you negativity and cynicism provide? Nothing. No hopes. Nothing to strive for. Apathy.
Who really is the Antipinoy now?
Filo,
We don’t have a billion mouths to feed. Thus I do not see the same massive starvation that would kill millions like in China. If you are against progress–I cant stop you. But please don’t hinder us who are trying to make a difference.
Who really is the Antipinoy now?
Bayanihan, you miss the point again. For the sake exposing your flawed logic, let’s use it shall we? What you’ve just said is that there won’t be 40 million deaths due to hunger here because we don’t number a billion like China back in the 50’s; you’re saying there will be proportionately fewer deaths because we are smaller in number. Let’s see. 40 million divided by 1 billion equals 4%. So for Pinas, the proportionate 4% (who on basis of ratio as used in Bayanihan’s logic, will starve to death owing to the great leader’s incompetence in economics) of 90 million in population is 3.6 million. So, erm, Bayanihan is okay with 3.6 million deaths due to famine here, as long as it’s Noynoy who gets seated, never mind why.
I’m not against progress. I’m against your vaporware, your triumphalism, and your unsubstantiated and even contradictory assertions. You even claim to be trying to make a difference but you contradict yourself by saying:
That’s hypocrisy right there written all over your face, and it’s no surprise, because you stand for a candidate who lets vulnerable people believe he’s everything he is not. I’m sorry but every time you ask who the antipinoy really is, many commenters here are smart enough to know that it is you.
Maybe we’re approaching this from the wrong perspective…. Based on prior election results, the majority of Pinoys don’t really care for PLATFORM as much as they care for PERSONALITIES. While I understand that the whole purpose of platform analysis is to come up with a traditionally intelligent discussion about the Philippines’ vetting process, this might be too similar to urinating in the wind. There’s so many economic and socio-political tracts emanating from AIM/ATeneo/UAP/UP etc but these almost always never register in the Pinoy public’s consciousness. At the end of the day, elections are won and lost in the Philippines through symbolism and appealing to lingering feudal mental relics.
Maybe the whole “platform analysis” approach should take this reality into account since facts should drive theories, not the other way around.
Scroll up. I made that point earlier.
Platforms are best appreciated by a very small minority.
And to be realistic, there are many issues that are not easily digestible by the common man (free trade, employer’s rights, incentives for foreign corporations, raising taxes, cutting services, etc). The first candidate to speak freely of the hard decisions to make, to ask people of the necessary sacrifices to move forward, will be the first one to lose.
The hard and cold decisions are best made behind closed doors. What matters now is winning the favor of the uneducated majority. If you don’t play the game right you lose to the one who panders first. The times call for pragmatism folks.
Lets win this one for the people. Don’t be on the wrong side of history!
Just because it’s always done that way makes it right? There’s such a thing as change. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
BTW, Bayanihan, if you look up “shill” in the dictionary, you’ll see that it is not merely an epithet, but means “assistant to a peddler or swindler who encourages passers-by to make a purchase or bet, while maintaining the facade that he is just a bystander and not connected with the former.” So in other words, I called MCB a paid hack for Ignoy. You might be one, too, because if you really believed in what your saying (as opposed to just saying what you are [possibly] paid to say), you would be able to give a rational reason or reasons why. Which you can’t do. All you have are your stupid triumphalist exclamations. I suppose it’s possible you are as dumb as you sound, but I like to think better of people than that, so: if you are not as dumb as you sound, are you a paid hack, too, or do you have some sensible reason for your personal choice that you can share?
Platitudes and sloganeering.
Class, do a research on Emperor Caligula’s father.
Would that be his biological father who was assassinated when he was young? Or are you referring to his foster father who had so much to do with fucking up his mind?
But how is Caligula relevant to Noynoy or the Philippines?
You might as well let me do research on Genghis Khan, Rasputin, or Taras Bulba.
So am I supposed to be impressed by your exotic knowledge on Roman history?
We could discuss, for example, the poor monetary and fiscal policy of the Roman Empire which led to hyper inflation and, it could be argued, to its long term demise. But what’s the point? Big effing deal…
Oooh, very touchy.
Ikaw ba yan, Kris?
Uncle Pinoy,
Bayanihan accused you of the exact thing he committed in a big way. What a joke, right?
And if we do scroll up we’ll see that Bayanihan likes to mention things he doesn’t understand just to sound intelligent (like oh, the Great Leap Forward that was a huge famine-causing experiment due to Mao Zedong’s economic ineptitude).
While he keeps asking who the Anti-Pinoy really is, he fits the bill more and more with every attempt not to look like it.
Bayanihan,
Sorry but you have to try harder. You’ve been challenged already by a few of these gentlemen to prove your candidate is one of substance. Until you meet and overcome that challenge you will not have made a strong case for Noynoy.
Caligula was made emperor on the strength of his biological father’s reputation and the great love of the Roman people for him.
So any politician on Earth from this point forward that uses his biological father’s reputation can be compared to Caligula???
Even if that ridiculous assertion will be entertained, you miss more facts:
1. Rome was a superpower that conquered neighbors. The Philippines is a 3rd world country that has to adhere to a global economic system it has no control over and it also has to work within the framework of International Law (and the agendas of various super powers).
2. The Emperor can do whatever the fuck he wants. The President of the Philippines has to contend with the Supreme Court, Congress, The Media, The United States of America, The World Bank, IMF, MLQ3’s blog, etc.
3. Upon the assassination of both of Caligula’s parents he was placed under the very close watch of the Emperor and isolated from everyone. Upon Ninoy’s assassination, Noynoy still had Cory, Cris, the Cojuancos, friends, etc.
Shall I go on?
You are so owned dude. You clearly have no appreciation or insight into history…
My point is: because he is the son of Ninoy and Cory, great Filipinos both, will not make him a good president. Which seems to be your premise.
And please mind your language. the use of the F-bomb negates whatever point you try to make.
And oh, you forgot another important difference between Noynoy and Caligula. Caligula wore a toga.
Tawa naman diyan, Bay!
Which part, Uncle? The part about where he didn’t want the job of Emperor, didn’t know what to do, and asked the Senate if he could just do part of it, or the part about his universal unpopularity at his death that had both the Senate refusing to vote him honors and the mob yelling “To the Tiber with Tiberius!”
His memory was salvaged by the fact that his adopted son and successor was an even bigger douchebag than he was.
But hey, if that’s the parallel you’re drawing for Noynoy, yeah, I’ll go with it.
Actually, the accession of Caligula is a matter of some debate. Gemanicus’ popularity is a plausible explanation, but the fact that Caligula was in a position to inherit the Empire was due to Tiberius — had he not put Caligula where he was, Caligula would have not had any chance to be Emperor, popular or not.
And he generally turned out to be a douchebag. So I’ll still go for the parallel.
Is that how you would deal and talk with people who disagree with you and your candidate? Huh, Mr. Democracy?
No. Your assertion that Noynoy (or any other political figure on Earth) that uses his father’s reputation can be compared to Caligula is utter ignorance.
See my explanation above.
Why is that ignorance? Caligula did use his father’s reputation, to cover his own manifold shortcomings. Ignoy is using his father’s reputation, as a substitute for his own lack of strong reputation. It’s a fair comparison, and one of many that could be made: the sons of Charlemagne, Henry VI (that’s actually a damn good comparison to Ignoy), Wilhelm II, hell, even GW Bush.
The second helping is, historically, very nearly always a big disappointment. Maybe you’re the one who should be thinking about not being on the wrong side of history.
Hey, Mr. Taras Bulba! Come back… I apologize. I was just jerking your chain. If you want to get into political discussions here you gotta have to take some on the chin. You honestly believe in your candidate and I respect that. The posters here are basically asking what Noynoy’s platform is. That’s all. Platitudes and sloganeering do not work here because the posters here are smarter than those in pinoyexchange.
So, please come back. Let’s discuss this.
Your “joke” is no different that Rush comparing Obama to Hitler.
There is no humor to be found there.
Pikon ka kasi, eh. When somebody dares to challenge your way of thinking you get offended. Why? Are you untouchable? Should we be careful with what we say about you? Ha?
You listen to Rush Limbaugh? What did he say comparing Obama to Hitler?
U.P., it’s hard to argue with someone who’s “deceived by the masses” and who’s “bought into the idea.” 😉
I originally thought Bay was a legitimate member of Noynoy’s campaign, but after having read his earlier posts I think he’s a kid who just likes Noynoy. Kawawa naman as he may have thought we were ganging up on him.
Either he’s hardcore brainwashed or he’s just emo. I hope further down the road he keeps reading this blog so that he may eventually be enlightened, you know, until he gets to finally piece it all together.
Eto na lang, Bay:
What’s Noynoy’s plan for the Phlippines?
Uncle Pinoy and Bayanihan,
Just be careful about using historical parallels when “analysing” current affairs. There is a term coined by Nassim Taleb: narrative fallacy which describes how an outcome is explained using historical events that are pieced together into a contrived causal chain. It’s kinda related to the saying: Knowing the outcome corrupts the evidence. Historians tread a very fine line between falling into narrative fallacies and seeing history for what it is — the unfolding of events in a way that originally had no knowledge (much more any regard) for future ramifications.
So if you guys are gonna get into a heated argument about the use of Caligula as an analogy for Noynoy’s plight today, perhaps reflect a bit and consider whether it is really worth the trouble. 😉
Benign0 – the only point I’m making is that don’t sell the son for the parents’ accomplishments (“Inumpisahan ni Cory, tatapusin ni Noynoy”). ergo, the comparison with Caligula. An extreme one I admit, but a valid one nevertheless. I am trying to have pareng Bay put down his pom-poms and answer what everyone, including you, is asking: what’s Noynoy’s platform?
I’m rereading my replies and it can be misconstrued as a tad needling, so I apologize.
Bay, I might even vote for Noynoy for lack of anyone else to vote. I just want you to concretize it in this blog. This is a solutions blog where people post their 2 cents. Eh, kung panay “Great Leap Forward” ka lang, eh di pagalingan na lang ng slogan, di ba? Even that is not original.
Ayun lang. Make Noynoy proud of you – convince the voters, don’t bully them!
No need to apologise, u.p. I also take the same view you describe. In fact we have noticed in this monumental battle of this post’s sister post on Filipinovoices.com between Noynoy supporter and all the rest that all the pro-Noynoy folk have to show are pompoms. One commenter there even called Noynoy’s pitch to his constituents as “emotional blackmail”.
Like you I am not necessarily against Noynoy. But as the most likely winner in the 2010 elections, we as voters need to work him hard, for that matter voters must make their politicians work hard for them. And the only way to do this is raise the bar in terms of what we expect of them.
That’s true, but I don’t think this particular comparison runs afoul of Talib’s rule. History is sprinkled with enough instances of a son being promoted on the basis of his father’s reputation and achieving poor results that do not meet expectations (and in different eras and vastly different cultures) that it can be said with some confidence that the probability of any new ruler being successful on that basis is quite low and very possibly nil, regardless of the culture or context.
There have been exceptions, of course, there always are. There is my favorite example, the Daleys. Louis XIV, perhaps (although much of his glory can be attributed to the efforts of Cardinal Mazarin). What sets the exceptions apart, as we have all been pointing out for months now, is that they have a clear plan and vision on their own. The family reputation supports the objective attributes, not the other way around.
Gawd, maybe Nonoy’s still consulting his sister on what his platforms will be. Also, what kind of statement is Sinimulan ni Cory, tatapusin ni Noynoy? Ano ang sisimulan at tatapusin? Away pulitika na naman? Kaya naman we never move forward e. Ako ay anti-bobong Pinoy.
You forgot “tanggalin ang tiwali, itama ang mali”. That’s a big help, too. As if it’s something new and bold. I don’t speak Tagalog very well, and even I think that’s a lame attempt at a catchphrase.
“Tanggalin ang tiwali, itama ang mali” is already A GIVEN for ANYONE who will be elected. Why should any candidate get points for DOING THE MINIMUM REQUIRED? Filipinos have gotten so used to overpromising underdelivering pols that they’re now impressed by the one whom they think will do the minimum required of the job. Isn’t that pathetic? Is this why Noynoy looks good to so many people?
Theory: For Filipino culture that witnesses/experiences failure everyday, mediocrity is favored (because “at least” it’s a non-failure, supposedly).
But then I’m not even convinced Noynoy will be mediocre. He looks like he will fail in a big way. He doesn’t even have a mind of his own.
Exactly. I showed it to my wife (who obviously speaks the language better than me), and she laughed. She said, “First of all it sounds stupid, they were trying too hard to make a rhyme. Second, so what? That’s like going to a job interview and when the boss asks why he should hire you, you say, ‘Because I’ll punch in on time.’ It’s a given. So that’s all he’s got?”
Unfortunately, yes. And not even that much, really, because without an actual PLAN to deal with the ‘tiwali’, how effective can he expect to be? Or does he believe his piety is so enormous it’ll just slough off on everyone around him?
@ben
“As if it’s something new and bold”
does it have to be new and bold? new and bold isn’t his claim.
Absolutely.
It’s like the moronic way that presidents “order” the police to “expedite” resolution of a high-profile crime — as if resolving crimes in the fastest way possible is such an exceptional output that requires an executive order to implement.
This is explains why we couldn’t get rid of political dynasties in our country. Pinoy obsession with name brands extends into the political sphere.
Oh sure. Manolo Quezon. That’s really aiming high.
Don’t look now, but I think the ultimate in Pinoy brand names might pull an upset on Noynoy & co.
Erap.
LOL! This Bayanihan guy reminds me very much of an acquaintance of mine who supports Trillanes. Just glaringly anti-admin and will support anybody who goes against the admin, even if they haven’t a shred of intelligence.
The wise decides. The fool follows public opinion.
Noynoy Aquino is not just a fool but a total idiot for letting the masses decide on his behalf. We do not tolerate half-hearted leadership brought only by speculations of a clean governance.
Politics in the Philippines is dirty. Let’s face it, no matter who sits at the palace, Filipinos will still be able to find flaws to whoever is the current president. Corruption is inevitable and you say we choose the lesser evil I say you’re choosing the lesser incapacitated.
Better be evil but can deliver than a good for nothing who can’t even decide on his own. He cannot even choose to have his own family yet alone run an entire country. We can avoid personal matters if only he has proven himself to be a successful political figure who has revolutionized the country’s governance.
But what has he done? Technically more embarrassing than a website with no platform page, he simply has not improved a single aspect towards Philippine’s development.
What a total waste being the son of well-meaning and intelligent parents who has done more than offering their life for the Filipino nation.
We need a strong leadership to battle out problems facing our nation today and tomorrow. Let the future generation not suffer from weak decisions made from a pet leader. Please vote not from the heart but from the mind.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=179189173265
Nuf said.