How do you wish someone well who doesn’t deserve it?
How do you wish someone to both fail and succeed?
As Marcos Jr. officially becomes the 17th President of the Philippines, these mixed emotions are at the forefront. On the one hand, the most corrupt Filipino dynasty is back in power.
If karmic retribution were real, the Marcoses would be either in jail, exiled, or worse. The family’s newest statesman is, in the words of President Duterte, a weak leader, a spoiled child. In his father’s diary, a lazy, entitled heir.
By all accounts, he is a 64-year-old man whose destiny is dictated by his mother, who shows little to no remorse for his father’s atrocities. He is a Marcos, not in skill, achievements, or political insight, but only in name.
But at the end of the day, he is the President of the Philippines.
And the Philippines is trapped in record debt, soaring fuel prices, and looming inflation. The peso is at its weakest in nearly 17 years, tagged as the worst among Southeast Asian markets.
One does not need to be an economist to feel the effects in our lives. It’s a reality that even the most skilled pro-Marcos vlogger will have difficulty downplaying.
A (begrudging) show of faith
What kind of person would we be if we wished for the President’s failure? Regardless of who won, Filipinos will live or die by the actions of their leader and their advisers.
Will we be so selfish that we’re willing to see people go hungry or unemployed, just so we feel justified in saying, “AHA! We told you so!”.
Whatever ill will that exists precedes the welfare of Filipinos. We respect the people’s will, even if the results show that Filipinos never learn their lesson, and that the cycle of questionable governance will continue until we realize we deserve better.
We begrudgingly say, “Good luck, Mr. President.”
It’s possible the overwhelming majority, comprised of the poor and marginalized, sees something that we don’t. The results are a wake-up call: liberal and idealistic stances need to be reined closer to today’s realities, with one ear on the ground while reaching for the stars.
In an election that upturned established ideals and questioned the morals of a nation, there is one certainty: all eyes are now on Marcos Jr. The pressure is massive, the criticism will be swift, and actions will define generations to come.
Let’s hope he delivers, for everyone’s sake.
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Source: we the pvblic
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