What people can do but take for granted…

 by Snake

“We must act now  because it is the right thing to do. We must act now because we have other things to do,” said  US President George W. Bush lately during his State of the Union in Congress.

In Darwin, there’s a saying that goes, “Not today, not tomorrow (but now).” 

In the premier University of the Philippines, a timeless adage goes, ”Kung hindi  ngayon, kailan pa?” (If not today, when will there be?) 

A Spanish adage almost shares the same thought, “Do not put on tomorrow what you can do  today,” (as if maniana habit  has nothing to do with one’s legacy.) 

And countless more reminders on people’s  struggle with time and almost loss that zeal and energy to put up what  can be accomplished now. 

But Sun Tzu, the great Chinese strategist may not fully agree along this line. He is more of a realist than a fatalist because he makes sure everything is in their proper perspective, meaning if circumstances do not allow, then he has its fall back position and wait for the ripe and right moment to unleash its power or grab an opportunity at the first instance. In short, he emphasizes right timing in every execution  by way of rushing if the situation allows or retreating if it need be. 

The Book of Eccleciastes  would even consider that everything has its right place in the right time. 

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” (3:1-8) 

There is a time to be merry, there is a time to be sad. There is time for almost anything. 

In times of peace,  people find time to disagree with one another on what  to do with it.  

In times of war, at least everyone must agree that it should be over soon. 

Rome was not built in one day.  Even the Great Pyramid of Giza was neither.  Had they ever not cast the first single stone,  there would have been no great civilization to speak of. 

We cannot just rely on what other people can do for us.  “Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?” (3:22) 

Now is a time to get all acts together to crystallize what  they would deem best for their own people. 

But there can’t just be lip-service to erect monuments. 

In most democratic countries especially in the so-called  TWCs (other political writers use the term “Developing Countries”),  they toy around the  concepts of democracy by consenting to Machiavelian precept of the “end justifies the means.”  While they would invoke democracy as a  government  system, they are tempted with too much freedom to play tricks on the electoral system  through shenanigan forms like  vote padding, vote buying, vote switching, vote shaving, etc. Sometimes the credibility of elections have become at its worst. 

The beauty of democracy is the people’s empowerment to  choose among themselves who would be their leaders through the institution of elections.  So that the exercise of the right of suffrage is the most sacred act of a citizen who  partakes in charting his/her country’s destiny.  But it’s not simply a matter of choice.  Ideally, as in the United States, the voters are guided not by the popularity of personalities like in a beauty contest but are guided by the concrete course of actions, party platforms,  and sort of advocacies by  the  respective competing partisanship during the process.  If  everything losses originality then by the  tested character of  the personality to lead his people unselfishly and without any hint of negotiorum gestio (unauthorized management) or solutio indebiti (unjust enrichment). (Roman Law)

But it would take awhile to reach political maturity.  Some countries  after having been independent for  many years ago  and    remained wallowed in the morass of poverty  are generally  those countries whose leaders are either corrupt, whose  civil servants are  consenting and whose people are  tolerating.  

Unlike the US, some democratic countries have popularly adopted the multi-party system.  Sometimes this is good because  it can accommodate  as many varied interests as there are. Isn’t it in diversity there’s unity? But  more often than not, multi-party system  would encourage  different coalitions and oft-crossing of party lines or turncoatism.  So that, anyone can put up a  political party over night  and still can court a coalition of parties under her umbrella.  

Whatever party system one country has,  political  maturity is  vital.  It relies on the ability of her people to look into and behind what is being presented to them as would be panacea for all their troubles.  Popularity counts in an election but sometimes  it does not do good without  clear-cut party principles and convictions. 

Sometimes, the beauty of democracy is its irony.  It  does not serve its purpose when the people are not given enough choices or when its outcome would have been manipulated.  It happened in some countries only to find themselves being duped and before they can  make a step forward,  more often than not, they  made two step backwards. 

Sometimes, it’s better to learn from others mistakes than committing the same mistakes by themselves. The pain could be minimized if not avoided. 

And soon  East Timor will find her rightful place in the Jeffersonian tradition of a democratic country. 

It’s now or never! 

N.B.: The author is a professor in Political and Social  Sciences at the University of the  Philippines (Clark Field) and is presently working as a peacekeeper in his capacity as public information officer, PKF. (Mar 2, 2001)