The Steel Butterfly Eats the Beatles

you guys are killing me with these

Dear Readers,

It seems like Imelda Marcos has been terrorizing people her entire life. Even the Beatles. This story is amazing because it's so true. She really did rule everything. Yes, Ferd was also a dictator of sorts, but it was old Melds who was the real hench-woman.

At one time in the Phlippines, I too was terrified when a person with more power than I (I had no power at the time, only my wits)) took advantage of that fact, and did harm to me. When you are raised within the walls of corruption, it's all you are and know. And I feel sorry for him now. ......NOT!

Yes, John Lennon is correct in the interview, when he said he could not speak to the press out of fear for hisd life. You are terrified when you're surrounded by so many broke and dodgy Filipino police and security. When you're in trouble in the the Philippines, just shut up. Smile and always be polite. Try not to grease any palms, but that will be very hard. From my own experience, the Makati police made it very clear that I would have to give them 'something' in order to get back safely to my hotel. And the Beatles were extorted from too. They had to give back their concert earnings. It's obvious that the Philippines was a terrifying place back then. Imelda's ego was and remains so preposterous, that only a partial lobotomy could fix her. Or even an entire one. Post mortem of course. Imelda loves to get everything for free. And she claimed in later years that it was a 'gift' to her people. What was a gift? Imelda eventually got all the money from the concerts for herself. I mean, this bitch was a complete nut job! As long as Imelda is alive, the country will never truly be free of her many years of thievery and tyrannical nature . She truly was a monster in pretty dresses. I love the documentary I've been showing on the blog. Imelda admits it all by herself. You can feel her disgust for the poor. It's in her eyes. It's in her blood. I know the Philippines will be a better place when she's gone. Along with a few others as well.

the beatles concert ticket from 1966

I suppose the great thing about the Beatles, is that they could joke about this incident afterwards and because they knew deep down that the dumb asses in the Philippines back then would not have had them killed or actually harmed in any way. The Filipino authorities are masterful in their game of 'scare the living shit out of you' techniques. When they were used upon me, they were VERY effective. It's almost like they are trying to make you cry, so they can 'get off' with the power. Stroking it later in the CR thinking about how manly they are. When in reality, they are just a bunch of corrupt ass holes who will always hold the Philippines back.

Corruption is still so completely overwhelming in the Philippines. The top ten families run the show, and the corruption trickles down from the top and eventually makes it way into every nook and cranny.

The police are not paid enough so many of them are indeed corrupt.

No one is paid enough. The police? Teachers? Nurses? Journalists (real ones)?

So few people have a real say.

Quiet voices.

the interview

from wikipedia-

In July 1966, when The Beatles toured the Philippines, they unintentionally snubbed the nation's first lady, Imelda Marcos, who had expected the group to attend a breakfast reception at the Presidential Palace. When presented with the invitation, Brian Epstein politely declined on behalf of the group, as it had never been the group's policy to accept such "official" invitations.

george harrison being interviewed

The group soon found that the Marcos regime was unaccustomed to accepting "no" for an answer. After the snub was broadcast on Philippine television and radio, all of The Beatles' police protection disappeared. The group and their entourage had to make their way to Manila airport on their own. At the airport, road manager Mal Evans was beaten and kicked, and the band members were pushed and jostled about by a hostile crowd. Once the group boarded the plane, Epstein and Evans were ordered off, and Evans said, "Tell my wife that I love her."Epstein was forced to give back all the money that the band had earned while they were there before being allowed back on the plane.

john lennon and paul mccartney

Beatles Interview: Returning To London From Manila 7/8/66

ABOUT THIS INTERVIEW:

While in the Philippines, the Beatles had been invited to Malacanang Palace by Imelda Marcos. The Beatles have stated that they never agreed to appear at this reception. They remained unaware of any problem until the next morning. As they turned on their hotel television, the Beatles learned of accidentally snubbing the First Lady by not appearing at the palace. The Beatles also found that the government-run media was now fueling a firestorm against them via television news reports of the snub. There was a scene at the airport as the Beatles attempted to leave the country.
This interview finds the Beatles at Heathrow airport in London, returning home and describing the events that had taken place in Manila just a few days earlier.

- Jay Spangler, Beatles Ultimate Experience

______________________________

Q: "At the airport, did they come up and start physically threatening you?"

PAUL: "We got to the airport and our road managers had a lot of trouble trying to get the equipment in because the escalators had been turned off, and things. So we got there, and we got put into the transit lounge. And we got pushed around from one corner of the lounge to another, you know."

JOHN: (impersonating, and demonstrating by shoving Paul repeatedly in the shoulder) "'You're treated like ordinary passenger!! Ordinary passenger!!' ...Ordinary passenger, what, he doesn't get kicked, does he?"

(Beatles laugh)

PAUL: (laughs) "And so they started knocking over our road managers and things, and everyone was falling all over the place."

Q: "That started worrying you, when the road manager got knocked over."

PAUL: "Yeah, and I swear there were thirty of 'em."

Q: (turning back to John) "What do you say there were?"

JOHN: "Well, I saw sort of five in sort of outfits, you know, that were doing the actual kicking and booing and shouting."

Q: "Did you get kicked any?"

JOHN: (giggling) "No, I was very delicate and moved every time they touched me."

(Beatles laugh)

JOHN: "But I was petrified... I could have been kicked and not known it, you know. We'll just never go to any nuthouses again."

Q: "Would you go to Manila again, George?"

GEORGE: "No, I didn't even want to go that time."

JOHN: "Me too."

GEORGE: "Because we'd heard that it was a terrible place anyway, and when we got there... it was proved."