See Quezon Beach, Patikul.  Via Sulu History.

“Call of the Mall: The Geography of Shopping by the Author of Why We Buy” (Paco Underhill)

Marcos established creating a New Society as the dominant discourse: it justified the scrapping of the liberal-democratic order created in 1935; and it was,actually, the justification for Edsa 1 and even Edsa Dos -and explains the refusal of what was once Marcos’ strongest constituency, the middle and upper classes frightened by Communism, to be politically engaged since 2005.Think of it.  Sift through all the reasons people give for not being politically active since 2005, sift through the things people enumerate as everything wrong with this country (oligarchy, etc.) and then sift through what they want -basically, a Year Zero- and what do you have?Ang Bagong Lipunan.Another idea to explore is described in History Unfolding’s entry on Politics and Fourth Turnings:William Strauss and Neil Howe, who wrote Generations and The Fourth Turning, divided American history into periods of approximately 80 years, called saeculums (Latin for a long human life.)…  After the civil war crisis, the High lasted approximately from 1867 to 1885, the Awakening from about 1885 to 1905, the Unraveling until 1929 or so, and the crisis through 1945.

Presidents at play, by Filemon Tutay, July 9, 1949.

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall.  How traditional politicians think and work.

In terms of hilarity and obscenity, this one is the funniest:Which has a continuation:Although this one comes close, and adheres closer to the German dialogue noises:And this one takes more liberties with the scenes:And this just gets too gamey:And this, too techie!

The Nacionalista Party dominated the peaceful efforts to secure independence from the USA, in the same manner that the Congress Party did, in India.A Russian Scholar quoted Gandhi’s praise for the Philippines achieving Commonwealth status and Gandhi said, he would have accepted a similar means to independence if it had been available to his people.We achieved independence in ’46, India in ’47, we are contemporaries as among the first colonized peoples to recover our freedoms without the need to wage war.In the 1950s under Nehru and here at home, we both followed the path of an inward-looking economy. The Philippines and India have both been seeking means to break out of the limits of what the Indians call the “License Raj.”Note Octavio Paz’s comments on historical links, mangoes, chiles, between India and the Philippines, mention the Sepoys who settled in Cainta, mention Ninoy Aquino’s admiration for Gandhi, mention how GMA’s father, DM, opened the windows of Philippine diplomacy and governance to the lessons of the Indians and their democracy.I hope this will be of help in an important endeavor for our country’s diplomacy and economic activities.I followed this up with a second message five minutes later:You may wish to add that even under the limits of colonial rule, in the meetings of Asian diplomats and officials taking place in Washington during WW2, future Philippine diplomats including Joaquin Elizalde, first Phil amb…. Commonwealth [government-in-exile].When Gandhi and Nehru were imprisoned during World War 2, President Quezon attempted to send an appeal for their release through the British Ambassador in Washington, Lord Halifax, but Halifax said any attempt by Filipino officials to communicate with Indian leaders would not be permitted (this is documented in the diaries of Francis Burton Harrison).The two incidents mentioned above predates both Phil.

The family immediately asked the Comelec to make the wife his replacement and news about the death of the old man Ecleo was quashed….  Since most of his constituents lived in islands close to the mainland, however, they made announcements that Ecleo would be visiting the islands to shoot down the “rumors” about his death being exaggerated.  So they put him in a banca on a chair and with fishing line and disguised straps, actually went around the island’s, his arms waving up and down.

The way Amando Doronila sees it, Political scandals undermining the economy, and foreign observers, too, see this snippet:Frederic Neumann wrote in a commentary: “We view the recent political scandals as severely undermining the President’s ability to persuade the Congress to pass new policy initiatives to advance structural reforms …  The scandals will make it harder for the President to advance a new wave of policy reforms, especially relating to improving the underlying public finance sector finances.”Neumann noted that the government had made a commitment to wipe out its budget deficits and was closing in on its full-year deficit target of P63 billlion, with the help of privatization proceeds, but its fiscal performance was “less impressive,” suggesting that more reforms were needed.Seems very different from the triumphalist tones of the President herself, who seems to be crowing that her economic work is done….  Let us reduce conflict, fight corruption, and put the welfare of the ordinary Filipino first,” Arroyo said.Instead, now Arroyo blames politics for causing suicide, murder:Arroyo called on her critics anew to focus on promoting development, this time blaming politics for the deaths of Marianette Amper, the 12-year-old girl who committed suicide in Davao due to poverty, and Alioden Dalaig, the poll official gunned down last Saturday.”Many Filipinos are experiencing poverty since some of the country’s leaders are preoccupied with their self-interests rather than the welfare of the nation.”On the other hand, there are politicians and groups who have no heart and conscience and are ready to use violence to attain their ambitions,” she said in a speech at the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) meeting yesterday in Malacañang.”The preoccupation with politics, past and present, does not promote the stability, policy continuity, security and peace and order that we will need to continue to move our country forward.”But then of course she knows whereof she speaks.

You can read the documents I mentioned over at my entry for today in Inquirer Current.It was good to hear that the attitude towards the ruling coalition was the one adopted by the opposition.  Read (UPDATE 6) Pulido complaint sufficient in form–House panel:The committee’s approval of the motion came a little past 3:00 p.m. or before opposition members walked out after Arroyo’s allies rejected the supplemental complaint filed by lawyer and United Opposition spokesman Adel Tamano to strengthen the Pulido case.Deputy Minority Floor Leader Roilo Golez said the opposition would not participate until the committee accepted the supplemental complaint as an “integral part” of the one filed by Pulido.“It would be very awkward on the part of the member of the Minority to be part of the proceeding because precisely we don’t feel that this is an honest-to-goodness impeachment complaint,” Golez said.“We don’t wish to do disrespect the committee but we’ve already made our position very clear Mr. Chairman — we don’t think it will be meaningful, it would be useful for this committee to deliberate upon what we feel is a sham complaint whose objective is to frustrate an honest-to-goodness impeachment complaint within one year,” he said.“And therefore, Mr. Chairman we’d like to state that members ofthe Minority don’t wish to participate in this proceeding for as long as the addendum and the supplemental submitted by Attorney Tamano is not part of it,” Golez said.But Golez asked the committee to allow a member of the opposition to observe the proceedings.Bravo!  I only wish TV would then cover the further deliberations of the administration coalition as it takes its own Punch and Judy Show to its absurd and inevitable conclusion -leaving the House ruling coalition being the sole source of the political noise the President herself provoked.