People, it would appear have very short memories and it is this which prompts me to write my blog this morning.
It was Edmund Burke, a renowned Irish philosopher and statesman, of the sixteenth century, who once pronounced; "Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it". As a quote it is probably one of the most bastardized quotes ever. Many have taken it and re-applied it to their own personal agendas. Still 300 odd years on, it rings as true today as it ever did back then.
What prompts this focus on history and its importance to us today? In the past week I have seen one television interview (with Imee Marcos) and read three separate commentaries on social media that are attempting, in my humble opinion, to rewrite history. We are being told that the years from 1965 to 1986 under the Presidency of Ferdinand Marcos were great years for the Philippines. Further, that in those 21 years, great achievements were made in this country in education, social change and in technology and infrastructure. We are now being told that the excesses of the Marcos regime and his family were nowhere near as bad as they have been portrayed.
It was Edmund Burke, a renowned Irish philosopher and statesman, of the sixteenth century, who once pronounced; "Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it". As a quote it is probably one of the most bastardized quotes ever. Many have taken it and re-applied it to their own personal agendas. Still 300 odd years on, it rings as true today as it ever did back then.
What prompts this focus on history and its importance to us today? In the past week I have seen one television interview (with Imee Marcos) and read three separate commentaries on social media that are attempting, in my humble opinion, to rewrite history. We are being told that the years from 1965 to 1986 under the Presidency of Ferdinand Marcos were great years for the Philippines. Further, that in those 21 years, great achievements were made in this country in education, social change and in technology and infrastructure. We are now being told that the excesses of the Marcos regime and his family were nowhere near as bad as they have been portrayed.
The Power Behind The Throne Mr Marcos and his good wife Imelda, we are now led to believe, were misunderstood and that their actions were for the good of the Filipino people. When I read this stuff I recoil in horror. Can our memories really be that short? Do people genuinely believe that a murdering, thieving, lying, ruthless, incredibly corrupt Government led by Mr Marcos had the best interests of the Philippine people at its heart? Are we really all that gullible? In short, is this an orchestrated propaganda campaign to lift the Marcos name, in the Filipino psyche and to rewrite history.
The fact that Imelda Marcos, a co-participant and some would say the driving force behind the throne of Ferdinand Marcos, can still sit in the 'People's House' the Congress of the Philippines and represent the Second District of Illocos Norte...coincidentally not her home district, but that of her late husband, and a seat previously held by her son Bong-Bong Marcos, is in my mind scandalous. Sadly that is the nature of politics in The Philippines. That she is the second richest congressperson behind, of course, Manny Pacquiao should be an even greater reason for horror and disgust. Did that wealth not come off the backs, the blood, the sweat and the tears of millions of poor Filipinos? Clearly Filipinos are the most forgiving of people...a trait that will always make them vulnerable to scalawags and rascals.
I would ask people to remember that MANY of these supposed great infrastructure projects of the Marcos era were not promulgated with the needs of the Filipino people in mind. They were created for one reason and one reason alone...to enrich the already wealthy supporters and allies of the regime. There is a reason, for example, why so many cement factories made billions during the Marcos era. They were owned by supporters and allies of Mr Marcos and they received Government contracts in much the same way as children receive lolly's at a lolly scramble.
I can accept that if it is the will of the people to continue to elect known thieves, liars and celebrities as their politicians, then so be it (see my previous blog). That is the nature of democracy. What I cannot do, however, is sit idly by whilst the Marcos Clan, their cronies and their political allies attempt to rewrite history.
The fact that Imelda Marcos, a co-participant and some would say the driving force behind the throne of Ferdinand Marcos, can still sit in the 'People's House' the Congress of the Philippines and represent the Second District of Illocos Norte...coincidentally not her home district, but that of her late husband, and a seat previously held by her son Bong-Bong Marcos, is in my mind scandalous. Sadly that is the nature of politics in The Philippines. That she is the second richest congressperson behind, of course, Manny Pacquiao should be an even greater reason for horror and disgust. Did that wealth not come off the backs, the blood, the sweat and the tears of millions of poor Filipinos? Clearly Filipinos are the most forgiving of people...a trait that will always make them vulnerable to scalawags and rascals.
I would ask people to remember that MANY of these supposed great infrastructure projects of the Marcos era were not promulgated with the needs of the Filipino people in mind. They were created for one reason and one reason alone...to enrich the already wealthy supporters and allies of the regime. There is a reason, for example, why so many cement factories made billions during the Marcos era. They were owned by supporters and allies of Mr Marcos and they received Government contracts in much the same way as children receive lolly's at a lolly scramble.
I can accept that if it is the will of the people to continue to elect known thieves, liars and celebrities as their politicians, then so be it (see my previous blog). That is the nature of democracy. What I cannot do, however, is sit idly by whilst the Marcos Clan, their cronies and their political allies attempt to rewrite history.
For 14 long, painful years this country was strangled by the economic rape of the ruling elite. When Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972 he assumed absolute and complete control over the destiny and direction of The Philippines. During those 14 years there was a succession of political assassinations, illegal detentions, torture and the simple mass disappearances of opposition or political activists. Now you try and tell me that the wives, the husbands, the children and the other relatives of these people consider the economic progress made by this country during Martial Law was a fair recompense for the loss of their loved ones.
Now, many economists would indeed argue that the best political mechanism to lift a developing nation out of poverty, is a benevolent dictatorship. The economists argue that a benevolent dictatorship allows decisions on resource allocations to be made quickly and efficiently. This is true...BUT HERE'S THE CRUNCH! No dictatorship, benevolent or otherwise has ever stayed benevolent for long. In 1887 Lord Acton, in a letter to Bishop Creighton stated: "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
Most, if not all dictators started off with good intentions. After all, Mussolini made the trains run on time...even Hitler created many great things for Germany. He got employment back to the people, with his great industrial war machine. But all people who crave power and the wealth that goes with great power will inevitably fall to the human nature of greed. There is little doubt in my mind that one Ferdinand Marcos, his family and his cronies succumbed to that belief that only they could be right...only they knew what was right for the people.
Now, many economists would indeed argue that the best political mechanism to lift a developing nation out of poverty, is a benevolent dictatorship. The economists argue that a benevolent dictatorship allows decisions on resource allocations to be made quickly and efficiently. This is true...BUT HERE'S THE CRUNCH! No dictatorship, benevolent or otherwise has ever stayed benevolent for long. In 1887 Lord Acton, in a letter to Bishop Creighton stated: "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
Most, if not all dictators started off with good intentions. After all, Mussolini made the trains run on time...even Hitler created many great things for Germany. He got employment back to the people, with his great industrial war machine. But all people who crave power and the wealth that goes with great power will inevitably fall to the human nature of greed. There is little doubt in my mind that one Ferdinand Marcos, his family and his cronies succumbed to that belief that only they could be right...only they knew what was right for the people.
NZ Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon It's called megalomania and it is the most common form of political disease anywhere in the world. The Philippines is no less immune to megalomania than say New Zealand. In 1974 New Zealand also had a leader who came to the conclusion that he was more powerful, more important than anyone else in Parliament. He came to believe that only his opinion counted. His name was Sir Robert Muldoon and he displayed all the classic symptoms of a megalomaniac...distrust of others, suspicion of motives of others...in short paranoia. Fortunately we had an electoral system that allowed us to easily remove him from office, which the people did in the 1974 elections. Sadly, for The Philippines, it took the People Power Revolution of 1986 to remove their megalomaniac from office.
My point of this blog is simple...do not allow a recitation of the achievements of Ferdinand Marcos, his lovely wife and his cronies to cloud the memory of what those 14 years of martial law and ruthless dictatorship did to this nation.
My point of this blog is simple...do not allow a recitation of the achievements of Ferdinand Marcos, his lovely wife and his cronies to cloud the memory of what those 14 years of martial law and ruthless dictatorship did to this nation.
When I talk to the young people of this country it disturbs me that they really have no concept of their political history. They know of "People Power" of course, but they have very little idea or concept of what prompted the people's revolution. They know a lot about the early heroes of the first republic...Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emile Aguinaldo, and others, but I find their understanding of and appreciation for the years of Martial Law, to be sadly lacking. This is a clear gap in the current education system. It was those years under Marcos that shaped where we are today and we must never allow the passing years to dim the evil aspects of that regime.
I don't for a second suggest that The Philippine democracy is anywhere near perfect. It is still beset by self-serving cronyism that puts wealth and power far above service. We only have to look at the current PDAF scam debacle to realize that as a democracy we still have a very long way to go. What I do suggest is that what we have today is far, far, superior to any dictatorship. At least we can hold those who have cheated us, accountable. For that we need a strong Leader (we have one), a strong Justice Secretary (we have one), a strong Ombudsman (we have one) and a strong leader of our Court System (we have one). The fact that three of those four leaders are woman, just adds to my certainty that in this issue justice will eventually be served on these greedy, corrupt people.
I don't for a second suggest that The Philippine democracy is anywhere near perfect. It is still beset by self-serving cronyism that puts wealth and power far above service. We only have to look at the current PDAF scam debacle to realize that as a democracy we still have a very long way to go. What I do suggest is that what we have today is far, far, superior to any dictatorship. At least we can hold those who have cheated us, accountable. For that we need a strong Leader (we have one), a strong Justice Secretary (we have one), a strong Ombudsman (we have one) and a strong leader of our Court System (we have one). The fact that three of those four leaders are woman, just adds to my certainty that in this issue justice will eventually be served on these greedy, corrupt people.
Winston Churchill Winston Churchill once famously said; "Democracy is the worst form of Government - except for all the others that have been tried from time to time." I'm a great believer in that statement. Until something better is discovered I would rather live in a democracy, no matter how imperfect it is...than any other form of autocratic rule.
We must not forget, or allow others to sanitize, the past. It was what it was.
Learn from it and vow to never allow it to be repeated!
We must not forget, or allow others to sanitize, the past. It was what it was.
Learn from it and vow to never allow it to be repeated!
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