Philippines Local Elections 2013: The Olympics of Pinoy Palamunins

The Philippine general elections of 2013 is nine months away as of writing. Will the coming general elections of 2013 be any different from previous elections? Your guess is as good as mine. It will be another special olympics of trapos competing for the votes of mendicant pinoys.

Just look at all the Pinoy parties – Liberal, Nacionalista, UNA, the party-list groups – is there any substantially distinguishable platform for each of them – in terms of taxes, regulations, open markets, the size of government?

I’ll hazard a guess – NONE. ALL of the existing Pinoy political parties compete to buy the votes of Pinoy palamunins – via CCT subsidy, via the RH Bill and whatever.

Those who do not endorse the CCT or RH bill disapprove of it not because they find that welfare programs are wasteful and useless – but because they have their own pet welfare programs as well.

For short – whoever wins – it will be the same welfare state that hands out subsidies, keeps tariffs high, restricts investments – then offers more dole-outs to “reduce poverty”.

With each of the winning candidates putting in their welfare programs up for funding – it does not take a lobotomy to figure out that the payroll checks of Juan de la Cruz will see higher payroll tax deductions. These payroll deductions will then be used by the Captain-Generals and the Capitan Tiagos to buy the votes of Juan Tamad and screw Maria Clara some more.

The Pinoys of course, their minds stripped of individuality – have abrogated their liberties and delegated the pursuit of personal happiness to the government – much like the North Koreans.

“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living in society, they create for themselves, in the course of time, a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”

- Frederic Bastiat,

WALANG TRAPO KUNG WALANG PALAMUNIN folks.

Sure you get “free lunch” – but what kind of a lunch are you eating?

Beggars can’t be choosers. Perhaps that should be the latest addition to the definition of Filipino/Filipina – “housemaid”, “beggar”.

The “proud pinoy beggar” certainly has a ring to it.

****

P.S. Watch how the current crop of politicians will manuever to:

1. Increase public spending on welfare programs – health, education, agriculture

2. Award the supply contracts of these programs to their cronies.

3. Launder their cut from these supply contracts.

4. Use their cut to buy more votes – on top of the legalized vote buying of the welfare program – a triple whammy!

Which leads to an:

1. Increase in taxes – “sin tax anyone”?

2. Increase in public debt – higher now than ever.

3. Increase in corruption.

Without reducing:

1. Poverty

2. Joblessness

3. Hunger

4. Underemployment

***

Filipino voters got the politicians they deserved – and the Filipinos are now literally under water for it.

Where there is a demand for trapos, it will be supplied.

Can’t fix stupid.

About the Author

BongV has written 476 stories on this site.

• 
  Jack wrote on 18 August, 2012, 22:01

  If Obama can fool one of the most developed, educated, richest country on earth with a “change” slogan then what can poor Filipinos do, thats not enough…Americans elected George Bush not once BUT TWICE ..hahaha….:)

  China is the new super power…….If we think 60/40 rule through, I don’t think we would get a result we expected ‘cos of Chinese dragon.

  If the 60/40 rule goes….The western countries are already in debt, America owns the biggest debt in the entire world..some 1 trillion to China alone…What we could expect from west is mafia banksters expanding credit in the Philippines and raising inflation…They will create a cycle of boom and bust with credit expansion and credit crunch ….Like they have done to Europe and America.

  America & Europe does not even have industries themselves, they outsource it from China..More than 80% of wall mart goods are made in China. Europe is crumbling, Spain has an unemployment rate of more than 20% now

  Only way Philippines can grow is when Chinese industries starts opening up their factories in Philippines. BUT a big but….PH and China are not in Good terms..Like the Banana issue..Chinese government would never allow their industry to set up shops in the PH…They would never want PH to grow economically strong.

  That leaves korea & japan who could significantly change the economy of Philippines but not like China. However, Korea & Japan are bigger trading partners to China….One phone call and these two countries too would not invest much in the PH.

  Give China few more years, when Yuan becomes the dominant currency in the world, China will become like the US, which would threaten smaller countries with economic sanctions. Forget Korea & Japan…China won’t allow countries like Malaysia to invest in the Philippines…

  Once, China becomes the dominant force in the world….once can safely say goodbye to all the enemies of China ….They are just waiting for their currency to go global.

  In short…China is the new US and Philippines is the new Cuba

  [Reply]

  

  BongV Reply:
  August 18th, 2012 at 10:15 pm

  The US has been overrun by lots of immigrants who come from countries who have lots of welfare state policies. When they arrived in the US they contributed to the ranks of the democrats in milking the welfare system. The Republicans are no better – they extend welfare to corporations.

  ***

  The banksters are already in thr PSE. Working with oligarch owned companies. With or without the west – the BSP itself is resorting to stimulus – aka the BSP printing press – which causes inflation.

  The government is also resorting to large foreign borrowings from fiat money printed by Bernanke’s printing press.

  The government is also restricting access to precious metals which serve as alternatives to the fiat money.

  Meanwhile non PSE companies get the raw end.  ))

  The worst of course is reserved for the Filipino consumer.

  Government IS the problem.

  Corporatism is NOT Laissez-faire capitalism.

  ***

  The US designs the products – which are made by the Chinese – which are re-exported to the US

  ****

  When the 60/40 is removed – China can say or think what it wants. BUT, it can’t control other sources of investments – putting all your eggs in one basket isn’t prudent business management.

  [Reply]
• 
  paul wrote on 28 August, 2012, 8:46

  Well local elections around again, my wife’s family will be pleased as the usual Ph1,000 will be paid to whoever votes for them, this year I have told them to hold out for Ph1,200.

  Last time I was asked what my vote would cost, I told them they could not afford me as my cost would be to do a proper job, he has not spoken to me since, I was the winner out of that.

  [Reply]