Raoul’s Two Cents: May 13, 2022

I’m rushing this issue. Been away from my office for almost the entire week. Had to work remotely and so I put this whole issue in bits and pieces from different places. I’m watching that clock tick towards midnight as I type this intro. I hope I am coherent because I have no time to correct and just about to drop dead.

Bong Bong

WARNING: Silly, Serious, Sad

Thirty six years ago (February 22 1986) a dictator named President Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown by a peaceful revolution called People Power. He and his family were infamously duped into flying to Hawaii where he later died … rejected and embarrassed. It was reported that he had stashed away 10 Billion dollars (must be in the 100 billions today) in Swiss Accounts but years of lawyering did not return a cent back to the coffers of his beleagered country. I believe the Swiss banks have conveniently kept the loot all these years. (Makes me wonder who was the bigger swindler.) When his reign collapsed unruly mobs crashed into his palace and stole precious pens, paper weights, etc. made of gold. They stole everything except the golden toilets. Imelda’s (his wife) three thousand shoes were discovered. Such sickening oppulence when people were starving less than a mile’s radius away.

A year later, February 25 was declared People’s Power Day – (a national holiday to this day) and there were parades and reenactments. But this celebration died down as the attendance dropped. New paper currencies were printed with the face of Benigno Aquino (Marcos’ political nemesis) insulting the dictator’s family every time they used cash. Sadly, corruption in the Philippines was never uprooted. Even the cronies were never brought to justice. Even the “good politicians” were unable to clean up the mess.

The big news this week is Ferdinand Jr, aka. Bong Bong Marcos, did the unthinkable. He ran for president and won. And for his vice president, he has Sara Duterte, the daughter of the current “devil-may-care” president. It’s Dumb and Dumber for the leaders of the country. These uneducated, deceitful, party-going, scoundrels are going to follow both their Dads’ footsteps.

Bong Bong’s strategy was deceit and brainwashing. His family had the ill-gotten money and there was a new generation of poor voters with no memory of the Marcos tyranny. Thanks to the rebranding machinations of social media spearheaded by Cambridge Analytica — yes, the same company that pushed Donald Trump to power — and paid politicians and bureaucrats who legitimized his candidacy, Bong Bong won by a landslide to the horror of the educated elites.

There are many lessons to be learned. Take your pick. None of them are uplifting and inspiring:

• People have short memories
• It pays to buy your way to an election
• Crime actually pays
• Hire Cambridge Analytica if you want to win an election

TRAINWRECK WORLD

We’ve got the leader of the free world who’s got cognitive difficulties, a modern-day Hitler annihilating thousands of innocent Ukrainians, a heavy-handed yet volatile Chinese communist party experimenting with a zero tolerance for a deadly virus … a virus that has already stretched the rest of the world beyond their reserves. If there ever was a volatile time in the history of the human race, it is now.

Strangely, the lyrics of a popular song comes to mind: “Bye bye Miss American Pie … I saw a Satan laughing with delight, the day the music (sanity and common sense) died.” I know it’s out of context to the original meaning of the song but it seems to fit the visual image in my head.

When they took out the Ten Commandments (a symbol of rules to keep us in check and set necessary boundaries) from our schools what did they expect?

But, as always, there is hope. There is always hope. Scripture is full of prophecy of what it will look like in the end times — so this trainwreck is expected. We always knew about the coming Armageddon … we just didn’t think it would happen in our lifetime. Woe to the world. But for those who believe, there is the rapture and there is heaven where joy will be eternal. This intro is already too long and it’s midnight. So if you are interested in more detail, write me.

But this is just me.

TGIF people!

Raoul

Here are some political cartoons that say it all.

Joke of the Week

Parting Shots

Thanks to Maling of Manila, Philippines

This week, I thought I’d do something different with these memes. Hope you like them.

Thanks to our Sci Fi fan JD of Toronto

Thanks to John of Connecticut