Never again (?)
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of Martial Law, and no one paints as vividly the situation then and now as Conrado de Quiros. In yesterday's column, he recounts the situation during the Marcos years. Today, he highlights the similarities between the period before Martial Law and the situation we find ourselves in today.Perhaps most stark among these is the fact that back then, people who came from elite classes, let the President get away with these things, thinking it wouldn't affect them.
The business community, chief of them foreign investors, certainly applauded (Martial Law), alarmed by the rallies that were getting more strident by the day and finding in dictatorial rule the ideal conditions for making business, namely one that guaranteed low wages and high profit. The only time they would complain was when Marcos started stealing from them.
It certainly affected them, as it continues to affect us today. A college history professor of mine, Prof. Diestro, once told us that we were part of this society's elite, that is, the intellectual elite. We hold this country's intellectual capital, and too often, we take this for granted.
We end letting people in government get away with doing the wrong things thinking it wouldn't affect us. Just how recently was it that we let the incumbent president cheat her way to victory while raising nary a peep because we didn't want some other candidate to win? We let her get away with that, what would keep her from getting away with so much more?
They say those who do not read history are doomed to repeat it. I used to think it was just a funny joke from Prof. Diestro's class. I guess I don't think it's so funny anymore.
9/22/2004 5:34 PM -- 
Ardythe Santos says:
Things are a lot different way back then. There was a lot of improvement that martial law brought upon. check out my analysis. Nevertheless, we are all entitled to our own opinions.
9/22/2004 11:40 PM -- 
says:
While I was reading about Marcos's campaign in Prof. Teodoro's article on Martial Law, it was as if the columnist was desribing very recent events. Napaka-familiar!
--Julian
9/23/2004 4:06 AM -- pinky says:
No, nothing's funny anymore as far as our government is concerned. But, at the risk of sounding too bright-eyed, it's up to you, me and all the so-called "intellectual elite"-- and the masa, come to think of it-- to put our brains to good use and do something tangible, in calculated, not unwise moves.
