Why GMA is Not Obama: de Quiros Strikes Again
THE inspiration for this one comes from the epidemic of hypertension and heart disease that struck this country in the wake of something Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said last Thursday. I know this from the text messages that inundated my cell phone immediately after that from friends and strangers hoping to ease their affliction by unburdening their reactions to it on me in the most unprintable language.
Asked if Malacañang felt referred to by that part of Barack Obama’s inauguration speech that said, “To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history,” Ermita said, not at all. “Our President is ahead of Obama and probably, I would think that if there’s anything to be learned, it should be President Obama learning from President Arroyo.”
Hence, this. GMA is not Obama because:
When Obama became president by virtue of the vote, America and the world stood up and cheered. When GMA became president by virtue of People Power, the Erap horde and the Edsa throng sat down and jeered. On his first day of office, Obama sparked an Obamamania. On her first day of office, GMA sparked a Kleptomania. Obama came to power by forswearing power, or the kind of power George W. Bush wielded, and giving his countrymen to dream of change. GMA clung to power by coveting power, or the kind of power Ferdinand Marcos wielded, and giving her countrymen to settle for loose change.
To set foot in the White House, Obama spoke to the voters straight from the heart. To plant her foot in Malacañang, GMA spoke to Garci straight from the gall.
When Obama was inaugurated, lights blazed and flashbulbs flashed as he waved to the crowd and a multitude was prevented from breaking through to the inauguration grounds and overrunning it from uncontainable joy. When GMA was inaugurated, darkness blanketed the earth and a world was hush as she waived every protocol, being sworn in in the dead of night to make sure a multitude was prevented from breaking through to the inauguration grounds and overrunning it from uncontainable wrath. Obama swore his presidential oath on the Bible Abraham Lincoln carried with him. What Bible GMA swore on, only she and Hilario Davide know (rumor says it was an inverted Cross).
Obama fumbled his oath, though what his mouth got wrong his heart and mind did not. GMA never fumbled her vows, though what her mouth got right, well, she had vowed earlier she would not run. Obama repeated his oath for good measure. GMA never repeated her oath for good riddance.
When Obama was sworn in as president, he had the goodwill of America and the world behind him, a beacon of hope amid stormy seas, while George W. Bush had the curses of America and the world behind him, and looked ready only to duck any shoes that would come flying in his direction. When Reynato Puno is sworn in as president, he will look the first and GMA the second—if GMA is still around by then, shoes being the last thing she might expect to find flying in her direction.
When Obama says as the new president of America, “For those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you,” the world applauds and the terrorists and slaughterers are cowed. When GMA says as anti-drugs and environment czar, “For those who seek to spread befuddlement and hardship by drugs and the poisoning of the country, we say to you now that our spirit is strong and we will defeat you,” the drug-dealers and loggers are elated and the people are dismayed.
When Obama delivered his inauguration speech, people kept awake partying all night. When GMA delivers her State of the Nation Address, insomniacs are cured. When Obama tells Americans and the world about his plans for meeting the global challenge of an economic meltdown, his audience believes exactly what he says. When GMA tells the Filipinos about her accomplishments not least in meeting the personal challenge of a moral meltdown, her audience believes exactly the opposite.
Obama gave Americans a lesson in history, reminding them of where he himself came from, someone who rose to the most powerful position in America on the strength of American democracy. GMA gives Filipinos a lesson in amnesia, stamping out every vestige of Edsa II on its anniversary, thereby making the world forget—or so she thinks—where she came from and how she rose to the most powerful position in her country. Obama’s answer to the worst crisis in American history since the last half of the 20th century, which is the Great Recession, is to stay the course, the course charted by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the course of democracy. GMA’s answer to the worst crisis in Philippine history since 1986, which is her being there, is to stay on course, a course charted by Ferdinand Marcos, the course of coarseness and brazenness.
Obama is the cure to the Great Recession, GMA is the cause of the Great Depression—in more ways than one.
Obama promises that those who cling to power through corruption and deceit will know they are on the wrong side of history. GMA promises that those who help her cling to power through corruption and deceit will know where their bread is buttered. With Obama, the last shall finish first, with GMA the first shall finish last.
Obama made his father proud; GMA, well, I leave that to the admirers of the late Cong Dadong.
Obama is long on principle and short of patience with injustice. GMA is tall in her tales and short in everything else.
Obama is as white as the dawn’s early light. GMA is as black as the moonless night.
*In bold: Just for emphasis.
*Conrado de Quiros strikes again with his infallible wits and humor! Personally, I was dumbfounded, totally flabbergasted with Ermita's remark that US President Barack Obama has to learn something from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo!
What was he thinking?! Was he high on ecstasy, drunk or has he simply lost his minuscule common sense? His illusory and fabricated comment is pure and simple hogwash!
While Obama's persuasive and forceful speeches enlightened America and made them hope and see a better future for their nation, Gloria's pestering and hollow words of promises disheartened Filipinos, she only made them realize that the country's progress will remain as bleak as white crow as long as a dwarf pretends to be president.
When Obama won the election, he stood firm on his ideals and now aims for change. When Gloria seized power from an equally unapt executive, she forgot her ideals and resisted/endorsed change for the furtherance of her term.
Obama has not even been president for a month but apparently he already have the unwavering support and faith of his people. Gloria has been president for what seems like seven years of famine and drought in this God-forsaken soil, the only thing she got from the people are their ranting and pleas for her to abscond her throne.
I know it's somehow faulty to compare a novice president to a veteran one, but every sane and critical person would know that Gloria has nothing to be proud of in front of a phenomenon like Obama! In fact, she has so many things to be ashamed of - what she did to this country and her resonating lies! She should learn from Obama, that's more like it! While I anticipate Obama's succeeding policies and programs for America, I only envisage Gloria's demise as the pompous and ineffectual villain in the comic book entitled the Doomed Saga of Philippine Politics.
*Never mention that again, Ermita... You don't want the CIA hunting you down, right?
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