Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Short memories

What we are seeing now is the clearest sign that in any upheaval, to the victor go the spoils.

When Gloria launched her own coup d’etat against Erap in 2001, she had her own left and right “tactical alliance”—this much is already part of history.  Dinky Soliman, the first member of her cabinet to be announced, was most probably already thinking up and doing the many gimmicks she is doing now, as part of the so-called “civil society.”  When her coup d’etat succeeded, the criminals took over government.

In law, there is a theory of non-liability that is premised on the existence of a crime but no criminal;  it is called an exempting circumstance.  In a coup d’etat, it appears that success is an exempting circumstance;  for certainly, no one will prosecute the successful coup stagers as they would have taken over the government already.  There is a crime but no criminal—well, at least none that can be prosecuted, during their tenure.

Gloria should remember her history and she should stop being so hypocritical, if this is not a genetic trait on her part (if it is, then she should try very hard to not be so hypocritical).  The left and right tactical alliance she is decrying now is taken from her own playbook.

Those who do not remember the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.  

     

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