Kdavy,
OT RE: "During the cold war our friends were dictators who cared least for their citizens (Shah or Iran, Ferdinand Marcos, Saddam Hussain, Noreiga (sp?), Samosa, and many of the kings and Emirs."
Ferdinand Marcos was a Dictator alright He amassed wealth no question about it but not from the coffers of the government but somewhere else. There were talks about Gold from the Loot of the Japanese in WWII.
Early in his rule he was well loved. He instituted Land Reform that made the Marxist Communists happy so as to to lay down their arms; the only communists left now are the ones that operate like bandits, too lazy to work an honest living, getting Tax or protection money from the poor folks. Marcos also originated the drive to let industrious Filipinos many of whom belong to his Ilocano Tribe (I belong also to that Tribe) to find work abroad. Maybe the reason why he stayed too long in office is that most of the people who were most likely to be against him were happily working abroad and sending money to their folks back home.
Marcos may have caused others to die secretly (nobody could prove he killed anybody). If he didn't care about civilians, he could have ordered those thousands of people on the path of his tanks killed all of them so he could maintan power. You see Filipinos have a way of getting rid of their presidents peacefully (successfully tried 2 times now): --- they stay on the path of the tanks, praying, singing, laughing and offering roses and food to the soldiers. In other countries, all the people on the path of tanks would be crushed to death.
Actually Marcos was too sick (undergoing kidney dialysis) during the last few years of his regime. Some other people were ruling the country those times.
You see, when you get old and weak no matter how they love you before you will be reduced to nothing. Many former powerful leaders have the same fate. |
