Revolt with care

Philippines is a usual Asian nation. Vested power centers, a history of imperial presence — in this case prolonged basing of the US troops for decades, though now weaned out but a lingering influence remains — and dynastic politics had seen the Marcos family in control of the fledgling nation for over two decades at least. Ferdinand, the father Marcos, and Imelda, the mother Marcos, had been the self-sculptured virtual royalty. As it happens, they had eaten away half of the country’s wealth, proverbially, through most channels available to any developing economy that will receive hand-outs and easy debts. Insurgency, growing public disquiet, and an increasing incidence of poverty in the masses was sufficient to invite a challenge. Benigno Aquino turned out to be Ferdinand’s political challenger but was shamelessly killed as he returned to take on the ‘constitutional dictator’ in what was to be another sham election. A Yellow Ribbon revolution was born.

Benigno Aquino was shot and killed in 1983 as he alighted from the stairs of the arriving aircraft on his return from exile. This began the unrest against the Marcos regime even though he was a favourite with the West and the US, and had served their cause well over the years he was in power. But the people reacted to a continuing state of manipulation of their rights by the ruling Junta. By 1986, it turned into a storm at the head of which the people placed Corazon Aquino — the widow. In a three-day movement during which the streets were massed in most major cities, the twenty-year rule of Ferdinand ended. He fled as the people entered his palaces and cameras displayed to the world the ugly face of the Marcoses’ unhindered and unchecked plunder and amassment of material wealth. Their monies were already stored away. Soon, Corazon came to power and altered the constitution to permit a single term to a President — to their good fortune the amendment is still in place and effective. Corazon stayed on for a term and ended up collecting her share of barbs like in any governed nation in Asia. To conclude, the Marcoses are back in power now with their son Bongbong as the newly minted elected President. The sister is in tow.

What of the people who led the revolution and made it possible for newer authoritarians to find their way to power? They remain used, exploited and neglected. Some things never change. Only the people at the top do and that is for the reason of those structural and formative deficiencies that have now found permanence in what we term ‘the system’. The system delivers to those in authority and, regardless of what sloganeering is employed, the system sustains — no one slaughters a golden egg-laying chicken. The masses have a perpetual fear to contend with though — the likelihood of an impending war with China over Taiwan in service of its patrons to help them keep control of the region and unchallenged in global eminence. Geopolitics to the savvier among us. It is another thing that Philippine’s Yellow Ribbon revolution still stands out as a glowing tribute to people power even if the people in it remain lost and disabused.

The Iranian revolution of 1979 was also borne out of the outrage of usurpation of resources by a royal family — the Pahlavis. Reza Shah had been the King for thirty-eight years and was obsessed with keeping power as he became exceedingly suspicious of his courtiers. He strengthened his intelligence and secret-service apparatus to keep an eye and smell rebellion. The state was fully sponsored and supported by Western powers who turned Pahlavi’s Iran into an effective outpost. The trigger that turned the applecart was ideational but the causes were socioeconomic and power driven. The people rose against the regime following the Ayatollahs who had exiled themselves abroad — to France — under a well-articulated guise of saving from religious persecution. Reza Shah had no choice but to flee. He ultimately met a fate of an international pariah who no one would let bury on their soil.

The Ayatollahs remain firmly in power on the back of a very strong Mukhabrat (intelligence) and the ruthless Republican Guards. Iran is the most sanctioned country for decades now and cannot trade freely with another nation. Its wealth of oil and gas is only stealthily sold in barter trade in a small circle. Its currency stands devalued without a worth as its people bear the burden of increasing poverty and denigrated privation. True, the imperialist forces stand defeated and ideational supremacy reigns supreme but any value that life brought to the people who thronged the streets for the Ayatollahs stands largely degenerated. The Ayatollahs remain in power and live a privileged existence behind the façade of simple living. People once again were the easy suckers, though, as revolutions go, these two can easily be counted as two successful models for a change of a system with another. The elites change but the ordinaries remain ordinaries.

This takes us to Sri Lanka and how people power prevailed over elite power. The Rajapaksas were thrown out but replacements are difficult to come by. Their principal opponent, UNP’s Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was the Prime Minister, also tendered his resignation — he has now been chosen the President after considerable prevarication. Any effort at finding a replacement cabinet isn’t finding any takers despite an existing parliament. None wants to stake their reputation in the face of the people’s wrath. The problem is not that a President or a Prime Minister are the missing links to Sri Lanka’s predicament, it is an empty treasury that disables any government from returning Sri Lanka to normal life. An economy which should have sustained a society was instead loaned to borrowed debt frittered, wasted or stolen in due course. Soon the edifice crashed. Life has come to a standstill. There is no oil, food or medicine in Sri Lanka because none can be bought. There is no money. Ranil too will have no money in the treasury. That’s the dilemma. Yes, the elites have their havens and will move there sooner or later but a people’s power would prove to be as useless in finding Sri Lankans a viable existence as a nation.

So, this clamour for people to rise like those in Sri Lanka is a moment open to deliberate ponder. We are a seriously distorted and deformed economy and society, and a mere change of heads on top will do zilch as is the case in Sri Lanka. Even in the Philippines and Iran, the masses are reeling under economic stress. Those that plundered must meet their fate, but before the law. Yet a society and an economy must find its dollars to offer balance and equanimity. If not, people power will only be an exhilarating exhibit without substantial change to people’s own lot. That’s the dilemma. Royalties, Chancellors, Czars, Popes, Ayatollahs or elected Kleptocrats will find their way to the riches. Those that it shall miss will be the ordinary masses used as fodder in tales of glorious revolutions and what became of them. The people, their power expended, always remain unchanged. Answer? Revolt with care.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2022.

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