deja vu

On the 30th of June, we will have a new president. But the news will start to look like the old and stale as the weeks progress after that much televised inauguration.

This is certainty.

History has always told us that every time an incoming president wins by painting how bad the outgoing president was or that he or she did not do anything, it has always been proven a sort of an omen for a heightened graft and corruption bonanza that's about to come. A graft and corruption bonanza that seems to be bigger than the last one :-)

When President Marcos was elected, he threw everything at President Diosdado Macapagal and how incapable he was and pointed to the fact that it was under President Macapagal's watch that the Philippines got poorer. Look at what happened after 21 years. When President Corazon Aquino became president, ever heard of Kamag-anak Inc? When the FVRamos Presidency was on its last legs, ever heard of the Amari fiasco? And did President Erap ever finished his term? Ooops. He did not. He was driven off Malacanang nga pala. And now it is GMA's turn to be booted out.

Bottom line. Every incoming Administration has harped, and won, on the fact that the past Presidency was a bad one and that under the past President's watch the Philippines lagged behind in the world because the outgoing administration did not do its job.

But that's not my point :)

This well advertised and well sold mindset sets up everyone that the incoming government has to spend huge amount of money on infrastructure to catch up with the world and this is where the newspapers and the network make their money - stories of scandals and of corrupt and greedy politicians :)

Let me explain.

The more we lag behind, the more we have to spend in infrastructure projects. The more we have to spend, the temptation to dip one's hand into the cookie jar called "kaban ng bayan" becomes more unbearable because the amount is getting bigger and bigger because the gap of the Philippines and the world is getting wider and wider. And because the wheels of justice is slow on corrupt politicians in this part of the world, the gap widens which in return sets the next infrastructure projects to become even bigger. Thus, the temptation becomes even stronger. And the media moguls get even richer :)

Apparently, we all drank the Kool-Aid of to play in this world economics, one has to spend.

If we adhere to this logic bubble, then let's, for our own peace of mind and for the next generation, do only small infrastructure projects that will not attract the bloodhounds called corrupt and greedy politicians. Like for example doing our jobs at the most excellent way :)

Maybe, it is this wanting to hit a home-run or this penchant for hitting the 3-point shot to win it all or this wanting to build this marvelous infrastructure projects that's wrong.

I mean, think about it. Maybe the small things matter. I mean just ask your wife or your girlfriend :)

But even if I seem a bit pessimistic, I am hopeful. I will do my part in building a better Philippines so that the next generation will see that not everyone was asleep in the past.

The darkness is the perfect foil for a weak and "insignificant" light. For it is because of the darkness, that one sees this light.

"... why think like mere men?"