[FORUM] So exactly what is wrong with Manny Pacquiao running?
(NOTE: The following post is an exercise in taras-chi. I won’t state my arguments directly and will instead raise the points contrary to what I believe. I would want you to arrive at your own conclusions, then let’s see where we agree. Thus, it is very important that you comment and participate.)
After my rant that did not mince words, I sobered up, sat myself down and thought, “So exactly what is wrong with Manny Pacquiao running?”
Here are my thoughts.
A lot of us can answer this question reflexively. We can also be intellectual about it. But let’s be honest. A lot of us can also separate Manny Pacquiao the boxer from Manny Pacquiao the politician. And isn’t it his right to run?
We concern ourselves all the time with protecting our democracy. We are afraid when the government infringes on our privacy, property and life. We are unforgiving of politicians who misuse government resources for their own gain.
However, isn’t it just a big a sin — in a democracy — to deny a person his right to run for office?
When we allow people to run freely, then that is also one way we protect our democracy. We wouldn’t want a political environment where people are terrified to run. So why stop the Pacman? For that matter, why stop all those artists who want to run for office?
In every election, there will always be undeserving candidates. But isn’t that why we vote? So that we filter out the good from the bad?
Unless you’re a dear friend of the Pacman, we really can’t judge his character. His disadvantage is that he is such a public figure and thus all his words are subject to public opinion. We’ve heard his comments about his opponents and his feelings about our nation and thus with so many words thrown into the public, Manny is trapped in an argument he isn’t aware of with people he doesn’t know.
People have decided that he should never run for public office even before the question of him running for public office was raised.
And so now, he decides to run.
Whether he wins or loses will be a matter of how well he stands up in the court of public opinion. Thus, there is really nothing wrong with Manny running. He deserves to run just like any other eligible to run.
The voters will make their choice, and our democracy will live on.
[...] Join the discussion on exactly why the Pacman shouldn’t run in this post here. [...]
haaay.. the pitfalls of a “democracy”.
Jun, mismo.
Decision making is a talent both born with and gained. It is honed through experience, the most important part of which are mistakes, gained through learning. Since Manny Pacquiao can win fast (I’m assuming), we can see that he can learn quick. That’s a good point. He’s not so well-versed in the world of politics, and may get manipulated by some bureaucrat into a sock=puppet. That’s a bad point.
The people have lived with bad regimes they have voted for for long enough; mistakes which equates to experience, which further equates to a good thing. It might have been cases of cheating (corruption does not affect only the rich, but the poor vote-counters as well), but it could have easily been because of poor judgment. So that may be a bad thing (bot the corruption and poor judgment — in fact, corruption is just a manifestation of poor judgment).
After voting for many actors and other notable public figure (many of which have political backgrounds as well), people have grown cynical and have equated actors with poor administration. Highly corrupt, they say. Nobody can blame them if they instinctively push away Manny Pacquiao, but they fail to see beyond what is superficial.
As a test of good judgment, will the public resort to the tried and true politicians who have been messing around with them over the years, or will they take a risk with someone slightly different (Manny Pacquiao’s background as a hardened boxer from the provinces makes him so)?
Although there are many other points to consider, that is just one of the many viewpoints a person can tak, and I do not actually patronize it. I prefer to think that Manny Pacquiao cannot run for office because the moment he begins to run advertising campaigns, some foreign dignitary flicking through his five-star hotel’s television might mistake his tagline (knowing Filipinos, I can bet will be an obvious trying-to-look-innocent play on his last name — just look at some recent movie titles and that cheesy Pichay thing) for a swearword, directed straight at him. That will cause lots of problems, and as Erasmus put it (I give thanks to Wikiquote): “The most disadvantageous peace is better than the most just war.”
Just a quick reply before we go out of town: Maybe there’s nothing wrong with Manny Pacquiao running, but there might be something wrong with Manny Pacquiao winning.
Oh well, we’re in a democracy: prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Frances, indeed. And that most people take running and winning together says another thing.
Chanting the word congressman on manny’s last fight only proves that filipinos are nothing but idiots, we only let the world to know that only the caliber of manny that we can have to write our laws, hey be ashamed, i hope the people of general santos will think twice before they will vote for him…Manny your a boxing champ pero mahiya ka naman hindi para sayo ang kongreso di ka nga makasagot diretso at maayos sa mga tanong sa iyo tatakbo ka pang congressman… mag isip ka wag yabang ang ipasok mo sa ulo mo. Bigayan mo naman ng kahihiyan sarili mo, pamilya mo at higit sa lahat ang bansa mo….
He should never run…because he is a boxer, not a politician. He is a hero only in Philippine sports. It is pretty evident that there is a motive for his candidancy.
It is pretty evident that there is a motive for candidacy.
A postulate in politics.
I don’t think that Pacquiao should run for the upcoming election year 2010… He is a boxer not a politician. If he wants to re-enter and be brave enough to accept any possibilities like failing AGAIN, he should let go of his boxing career… being part of a local government needs much of your time, so if he can’t get rid of his boxing career then, never mind running.. anyways, he still needs to be trained to be qualified enough to run as a congressman..