Jose Alejandrino 8 hrs · Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a founding member of the Workers Party, managed during his 8-year term as president of Brazil to lift 20 million Brazilians from poverty to the middle class. Here in the Philippines, the poverty incidence continues to grow, despite the governments claim to incremental improvements as shown by its statistics. Having been in government, I know how statistics can be juggled. The proof of the pudding is in surveys taken of how people rate themselves. The latest SWS survey shows clearly the poverty incidence in the country is staggering, regardless of government statistics. The real question is what has been done to reduce substantially the poverty incidence, as Brazilian president Lula has done? The answer is given in the IMF study of Philip Gerson. In the Brazilian case, it took a founder of the Workers Party to break the deadlock. In the Philippines, the rich continue to control its political life and maintain the status quo by marginalizing multi-sectors of our society. There is no difference between the political parties. They are beholden to their family interests or to hidden business interests that finance them. The only difference is those who are in dont want to get out and those who are out want to get in. This is the curse of the current presidential form of government. Under a parliamentary system, multi-sectors can be represented more fully because it brings down the huge cost of campaigning to the district level allowing new faces to emerge as MPs. If the marginalized sectors - workers, farmers, women, urban poor - unite under a single Workers Party, they can be a powerful political force. They have the numbers. All they need is the organization. This is the logical counterweight to vested interests. Like · · Share
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 14:28:06 +0000
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