What is there to be so happy about?

IT seems once again that those in power in the Philippines are living in La-La Land, even more disconnected from the reality that a majority of Filipinos are struggling to make ends meet. Although Filipinos are always being described as happy-go-lucky, friendly and fun-loving, this characterization of a nation is often used as an all-encompassing stereotype to block out any outbursts of discontent.

Massive corruption both in the government and the military, as witnessed by the avalanche of corruption charges against Major General Carlos F. Garcia, and the never-ending spiraling in the costs of basic utilities such as electricity, cooking gas and water, have left many Filipinos with less money in their pockets and a dented sense of pride.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo keeps insisting that the country's fiscal crisis, which she was so eager to cry wolf over just a few weeks ago, is now manageable. This despite the fact that the Philippines still has one of the weakest economies in Asia. Now her press secretary, Ignacio Bunye, has been dishing out upbeat advice in radio interviews, telling Filipinos to be less materialistic at Christmas. While it is true that Christmas celebrations have become increasingly commercialized by merchants eager to sell more goods during that period, Bunye's comments were offensive because so many Filipinos don't even have the economic means to be materialistic in the first place even if they wanted to.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri also joined the happy bandwagon, saying on the radio that the economy was doing well: "Our incomes on a per capita basis are improving; oil prices, food prices have gone down slightly and will be in adequate supply this Christmas."

The militant group Bagong Alyasang Makabayan reacted quickly, suggesting that Bunye should take up a new job writing sappy, upbeat greeting cards for Hallmark. While it is true that worldwide prices of crude oil have been easing slightly following the US elections last week, they are still in the 50-dollar a barrel range, well above the 25-30 dollars a barrel range that they had been in for years before.

I can understand those in power trying to put a brave and optimistic face on the country's condition. But to do so when things are so obviously not going well, just smacks of propaganda. Filipinos are not stupid, and lying to them isn't going to suddenly improve the economy. The working poor will realize things are looking up when they find more money, or even some money, left in their pockets after paying all of their bills. Until then, President Arroyo and Bunye would do better to keep their pipe dreams to themselves.

Bush won because of the terror factor

MANY post-US election observers have been claiming that moral issues, such as gay marriage and abortion, were what fueled the re-election of President George W. Bush. While they may have helped propel more evangelical Christians to the polls than before, careful analysis of both Republican and Democratic voters found that for Republicans the war against terror was their highest priority, while for Democrats it was the economy and health care, followed closely by the war on terror.

I read an analysis of voting returns by Paul Freedman, associate professor of politics at the University of Virginia, in the online magazine Slate that showed that gay marriage did not make this election for Bush ("The Gay Marriage Myth," ). Although it is true that the 11 states which passed gay marriage ban initiatives on Nov. 2 all went to Bush, a closer look shows that many Americans who voted for Bush did so as they didn't want to change leaders in mid-war against Al-Qaeda terrorists.

The Republican party was once again successful in scaring many voters by raising the specter of gay marriage turning the US into a veritable modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah.

Bush's sleazy election campaign manager Karl Rove was the creepy person behind such a move, proving once again that the Republicans are dividers and not uniters. While it is true that the average American is not yet prepared to accept gay marriages, it is also true that he or she has become much more tolerant of gay people, and that most Americans support civil rights and unions of gay Americans.

Why the Republican party would be against gay marriage, which by definition means two people of the same sex being devoted and faithful to each other, is beyond me. You would think that they would approve of that, rather than the unabashed promiscuity that has often characterized the gay male community worldwide.

I still think that Bush is trying to blur the line between church and state, is going to try and appoint a conservative to the Supreme Court, and wants to push back abortion rights of American women. He has clearly signaled his intentions, and those who insist otherwise are only trying to fool us.

The Democrats need to regroup fast and not give in to the strong urge to pander to the more conservative voters.
Democrats should frame their politics in the issues that are dear to them, such as economic fairness, women's rights, more rights for minorities, and human rights and freedom for oppressed people around the globe.

The American values of freedom, liberty and equal rights are what made America a beacon to so many around the world. If the Republicans succeed in pushing back the rights of Americans, the country won't be able to lead the world anymore

Comments or questions? E-mail the author at rasheed@arabnews.com