Ang Kalatas Volume III September 2013 Issue | Page 25

THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA. September 2013 | Vol. 3 No. 12 | Ang Kalatas Australia | www.kalatas.com.au

| 25

OPINION
A DOSE OF BROWN OPINION (ADOBO)

Elections and caveat emptor
DANNY DINGLE
ELECTIONS are like barometers of human nature. They bring out the best and the worst in people. They lay bare the beauties and the beasts in the political arena, expose the genuine and the frauds, and differentiate those who mouth real policies from charlatans who loudly proclaim their polemical mumbo jumbo. We have seen them all before –politicos of every coat and shade. With the forthcoming Australian Federal elections, expect the good, the bad and

“...We should observe the principle of caveat emptor when we vote. Buyer beware! Or in this instance, let the voter beware!”
the ugly to be unleashed. The spin doctors, bankrolled by the political apparatchiks and interest/lobby groups, will have a heyday churning out media releases that have been desensitised and perfumed. The personal lives of their patrons are cleansed in an ablution ritual such that past sins are made to appear to have been expurgated, and the patrons presented to the public as sanitised saints. Politicians are a rare commodity. They possess certain traits that many of us do not have. They are determined to get elected to achieve power, glory, wealth, prestige. They even use it to perpetuate their families as political dynasties. (Yes, there are dynasties in the Philippines as well as in Australia and elsewhere.) And the noblest of purpose that a politician can possibly utter as part of his or her political plat ??H\???\??HH[?K???]?H?X????x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????]\??&]?\?Z[?[?[SS?T?S???B?H?]H???X?[???[???X?]??]H[??Y?^X[?H???]H]H?[H[?X\?H]Y?\?Y??YH??[[??][?[?? X?X[????YY?H?]HYZ[?\??]?[???X?]??]H\??X?YH??X?[??\?8?'[?R\?[ZX??'H\?]\[?Y[?HZYH??H[???[XY[??X[?H??[[?\??[??[??]?[H??[YY\?H[??Y[?????X?[???\?][\???[HH]\?[H??[][?]H[?Z[?[?[?[?[??]HH?Y??[??RS?Q?XX?H[???[?]??\?HY[?{? YY??[???[[??\?[ZX???YY?H?Y?\??
?Q??H[??[XXZ\?[Z^XZ
?JK???\?H??\?]?H^X?]H?[Y?[?\?Y?[?K???H[H??[???\??H]Y\?[??\?H??[H?XX?H[?Z[?[?[??[Y?[?\?[??Y?[??^H[???\????]\????[X\?[HH?[Y?[?\???? ?X???Y??Q??[??H??[?YY?[H?[\][?H??[?]H?\??\?[???K?Y??[Y?[?\?[????Y[?H???\?H]Y\?[?\?\?\??\?]?YYH?[Y?[?\???][????? ?X??[???\??\?[[??????[???[?H??[??\?Y[[?Y\??H?[Y?[?\???KB?????QQ?U?UUS????'???H\????][??[??\?\????X?]\?H?H???\??\???[??\??X????[??\??[Y?[??[?H]\?X\???]K[?Y?^H?[?X\???]K^H?[??H]Y???K???H??Y\?[?H?]\?[H?H[X[?X\?[?]????]K??'HHX[?[B?[??\?H???[??[??H[??[XX?K?H???]?\???YHX?????H?]?X??Y\????[\?[?Y\??Y????YX?[?\?H??[?YHYXH]?[??X[?[KH??\?X[?YY?[Y?[?\???][??[???]Y??X?K?\??[?[?\?X?H[??PH?]???X??]H]Y8?'?X\??[????X[?[H[?H?[???[[???'H[?\?Z[?YHYXH]H?[\[???\??[??X[?[H\????Z]?X?H[??\?Y?][YK??[HH\?X?X]H\??[?[Y[????[??\?[??XX?H[?Z[?[?[????Y\??Y?\????[?\?\??\??Y[??X[?[K??\??X[?[H?X???^?Y]?[Y?[?\?H]?Y\???][??H?ZY8?'???H\????][??[??\?\????X?]\?H?H???\??\???[??\??X????[??\??[Y?[??[?H]\?X\???]K[?Y?^H?[?X\???]K^H?[??H]Y???K???H??Y\?[?H?]\?[H?H[X[?X\?[?]????]K??'HX[?[x?&\????\???\?H{? [?][H?X?[\?[??]\?K?H[??\?[?Y\???[??H?\?H?X?\?[??[Y?[???\?H\]X[[???YK?X[?[H?X?[YHH?\?Y[????]Y??X?H?X?]\?HH\[[[??X?H[???YY?K???[Y?[?\?]??[?YX??\?HYX[???\??][????H???\?]?H??Y?H?[Y?[?\?\???\??H?]?Y[???\?X[??]\?[\?[?[XY?\?H?H?^H????HXX?H[?Z[?[?[?\?X??\?[??[?\?[?[\?[??[?\??H?[???[[??XY\???\?\?[???X?[\?[??XY?H[????[?]\?[???[Y?[?[??[Y?[?\???][??\?H???&]?H[?H?[X?[??H?X[?[K??H[??X?[\????Y]H?[??H?X]HHX[?[K???YHRS?S?S?Q?H?????]8?&\?[?\??YY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x?&B??[??[??H??\??? ]??[][?]H??[?^?][???YZ?[??\???^\?[??]?\?H^x?&\?H???[??^K?[[???XYH??]?H\HHY??&]?[??XYHX?YY?;? ?X???^HY???]??Y\[??YH?YKH??[?H?]??YY?H?[Y[X?\?\?H?YY??\?H[?Y?H^H?Y?\??H?YY??H?H^H[??KH?YY?\??]?\?[??H?H^H]H?]\?H?YY??Z]?H^H??H?YY??H?H^H\??\?[?H?YY??\??H^H?\???Y[??\?HY??\?\?H[?X\?Y[?H?YY?H??[????\?Y??K?H?[??\[Y???\?\?[?[H[??[??]?\?\?YH????HXY\??\H?\?????]?]?\?\?YH??\?\?K?\?Z[?[?[[X][HX?YH?X??\?H?YY?{? [?H^H?Z[??\?H?????^\?8?'\?H\?H???[????YY??][?[?H8?$?H?XZ?[?H?X] H?H]?]?????\?\?H?H[?H?YYH[??8?'K?\???[??H????H???YYH?YY???K?K[??Z]?[?H?[[??[?[H?][??\???\?[??X??]]Y?[?H[?H?YY?X?Z][???Y[?K[?H?\?\?HH?YY?\??\?[??\?[?Y[??[?H[?H?YY??[;? \??\??[?[?H?\?\?HH?YY??YYY??[?X[?\[][??\???[???]?YY?[[?H?????[Y[X?\?]?Y?[???]?H?Y???X?K???]?[????Y?[????[???H\??H\?HY?\?[\?X?\[???Y?x?&\??X\??[?[??\?H??\?[?^\?\?H?Y?H\??HX[?Y?H??\??]?HH???[?\?[?[?\?HHX]??[[Y\???]\?]]XZ?\?\????H\?O??]\??\??X?]?X?\H??\??]?[???X??\???Y?\??XY[????[??\?Xx?&\??????[Y8?'HXY\??]?]H]x?'K?]?[\?\]XX??\?\?H???XY\???]X?[]Y\??H]?H????[??Y?X?Y[????\?[??&]]?[?]?\?H??H?YZ?Y??H?\??Z[??[Y???HY??\?[?\?X?[??\?\??Y\?\???H???H]?[??H?\?[?\??[?]?[??X[?Y?[Y[????[??\?H?]??[??X[?Y?\??[???Y[???[?[??]?H????[???