“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s
character, give him power.” – ABRAHAM LINCOLN
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A nation populated by empty stomachs is the exact formula for restiveness that results into a proletarian revolution.
Throughout history, this much has been proven by many countries around the world where hunger and poverty stalk the people no end and their respective leaders are helpless to solve their domestic problems.
In South America, Africa, Asia even in Eastern Europe where domestic conflicts seem to have no end, the burden lies with the leadership.
In Sri Lanka, incumbent authorities fled with their loot to countries where they were given safe haven.
Similarly, the Taliban drove away Afghan officials from their perch but not without the latter bringing with them enough resources they stacked away in anticipation of such a critical development.
In South America, Colombia, Venezuela, Nicaragua are three of the poverty-stricken countries that are muddled in their mishandling of government affairs and are rocked by corruption and lawlessness.
Evidently leaders in these countries wanted only to preserve their political interests and stay in power at the expense of their people.
Worse, in Mexico, authorities are in dire straits battling drug cartels in violent confrontations. Drug lords maintain private armies armed to the teeth and are able to seize areas that serve as their territory and bailiwicks.
Close by, Malaysia was submerged by a scandal and incredible controversy leading to the conviction and imprisonment of its former PM and his wife who stole millions of dollars in government funds stashed in a so-called wealth fund.
In South Korea, we were treated to a display of genuine people power when the government, responding to huge street protests, sent to jail two former presidents for corruption and several others in business and industry who were found involved in graft in the conduct of their affairs with government.
Lincoln must be a visionary. His foreword quoted above mirrors today the state of government leadership all over the globe.
Does it not apply to Vladimir Putin – Russia’s president-forever (?) – who seems to be drunk with power as his invasion of Ukraine has dragged on for more than a year without any indication that ti will come to a peaceful end?
What about North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un? And China’s Xi Jin Ping?
How about Iran whiose repressive rule by the Khomeneis have resulted into nation-wide street protests by their own people who previously supported their Islamic fundamentalist government?
All of these four cited countries and their respective leaders have downright ordered news blackout on negative developments within their domestic realms.
Lord Acton, a British historian whose full name was John Emerald Edward Dahlberg Acton, said: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
Mind you, this has biblical basis.
Recall that David who was israel’s king, co-habitated with a married woman – Bathsheba – in a aduslterous relationship. He sent the latter home after impregnating her and gave birth to Solomon.
In our contemporary times, notice that all governments on this planet are collectively buffeted by the winds of change.
The storms in our lives are a result of our own mis-doings and uncanny inclination to achieve things in a jiffy.
People today seem to like – and be entertained by – ambitious (pseudo) poiliticians who make enormous promises – including “turning earth into a heavenly paradise”.
At the same time, after getting hoodwinked, they turn their ire and exasperation on government’s inability to provide them the basic necessities – jobs, income, food and shelter.
In our country, legislators tend to enact laws that create processes and procedures in a knee-jerk reaction to solve the socio-economic dilemma.
As you have seen, plugging loopholes oftentimes results in half-hearted and half-cooked resolution.
The latest oil spill in Oriental Mindoro is a case in point.
The whole country is sent on a tailspin because there is not a working template for this particular situation as if it happened only the first time.
The brouhaha on the price of onions that skyrocketed beyond every household’s imagination was another prime example of how unprepared the government is.
They said the existence of cartels who hoards and manipulate prices of staple items is the culprit. The Senate and the HoR conducted probes but…
No one member of the aforesaid cartel has been clearly identified, charged, tried and jailed.
What gives? (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
