Democracy, It's a Bitch

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The Philippines, the very very very very very poor man's Japan, has just recently celebrated their beloved right to vote. Much like in America, contests are fierce, competitive, devisive, cynical, and cost people a great deal. Unfortunately for Filipinos, over there it costs people their LIVES.

This year, elections were relatively peaceful for the archipelago--only 121 people were murdered as bullets flew right beside rhetoric. In 2004, 189 people lost their lives so you could certainly say things are improving--although the votes, counted entirely by hand, aren't tallied yet, so don't go waving your purple finger around Manilla just yet. In addition to lives lost, there have been widespread reports of vote-buying, ballot-stuffing, and other kinds of fraud. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (who has nearly been impeached twice for allegedly fixing the 2004 elections) isn't up for re-election this cycle, but the majority of the House of Representatives is, and if the backers of Arroyo's ex-action star rival Joseph Estrada come into power, then the nation could see a THIRD attempt at impeaching their president. And if elections are violent, just IMAGINE impeachment proceedings.

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