forwarded na naman

sensya na pulitika na naman.
Lessons from RP politics From http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=1&story_id=71171 First posted 06:14am (Mla time) Mar 31, 2006, Inquirer

ROBERT FULGHUM learned most of what he really needed to know -- about how to live and what to do and how to be -- in kindergarten. Mine, I learned in Philippine politics. Most of these, just recently.

Some of the things I learned:

1. During elections, the lesser evil isn’t really the best choice. It’s still evil.

2. Voting is a right. Getting counted is a privilege.
3. Calling an election official is not illegal. Wiretapping that call is. The first, a mere “lapse in judgment”; the second, a criminal act.

4. When caught cheating, deny. Then, lie. Saying sorry is the last option. But never ever admit to doing anything. The formula worked for the President, it should work for anyone.

5. You cannot have a thinking President and a thinking Vice President at the same time. One has to be mentally inferior and less experienced to achieve equilibrium.

6. It is easier to oust someone who’s male and powerful than somebody who’s female and extremely lucky.

7. To err is not just human, it’s presidential. To forgive may be divine, but utterly stupid.

8. The pork barrel per se is not evil or corrupt. Lawmakers are.

9. It takes two to tango, but all of two Houses to Cha-cha.

10. Critical collaboration is the stance taken by oppositionists otherwise known as “appointees-in-waiting.”

11. Coup plotters always come in three types: plain adventurist, genuine reformist and former senator.

12. People who were ousted by previous people power revolts should not be at the forefront of another people power attempt. Else, it would miserably fail.

13. Seditious journalism does not guarantee high readership. A police raid does.

14. You want to become a newspaper editor, forget about taking a course in communications. Join the Philippine National Police instead, and strive to be its chief.

15. When anti-riot cops bodily carry you off a rather peaceful rally against your will (as in the case of Rep. Rissa Hontiveros-Baraquel), that’s to safeguard you from harm.

16. If you’re a journalist and you wrote something deemed offensive by a politician, it’s libel. When a lawmaker says something defamatory against anyone, it’s a privilege speech.

17. The State of the Nation Address is when the country’s most prominent and influential liars come together to listen to the country’s biggest liar.

18. When in UP, they are “hard-line activists.” In Mendiola, they are “hardcore militants.” In Congress, they are party-list representatives.

How about you? What have you learned so far?

—LOI REYES LANDICHO, 9F Jacinta Bldg. II, Guadalupe, Edsa, Makati City