‘Greed and Glitz’
Krauthammer compares the Marcos family’s plunder of the public purse to that of local U.S. politicians. He ignores the most significant implications of the corruption story--as do the reporting and commentary of the U.S. press, television and radio that I have been able to observe. Here are the questions that no one is raising:
1--What is the extent of political corruption in the Philippines beyond that of its First Family? Surely the thievery of Marcos’ friends and political allies must add significantly to the estimated one-third of the national budget stolen by Ferdinand and Imelda.
2--What difference did this misuse of public funds make to needy Filipinos in terms of services and goods, employment and standard of living?
3--Why haven’t the present and preceding administrations with their very expensive intelligence services, apprised Congress and the people how much of the billions wrung from U.S. taxpayers was being stolen?
NICHOLAS V. SEIDITA
Northridge
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