Let’s hope candidates don’t monkey around, play with fire

It seems to be a symbolic coincidence that the next Philippine elections will be held in  the Year of the Fire Monkey. What’s the connection?

Politics, which originally comes from the Greek word “polis” (citizen), has evolved in meaning and is now also described, fairly  or unfairly, as “a game of the devil.” If a game of the devil indeed it is, it must be a necessary evil.

“No man is an island,” so goes a song. Man as a social animal cannot live alone. In fact, the Holy Bible tells us that God Himself realized it was not good for man to be alone and so He created woman. The next thing we learn  is that he had commanded the couple “to go to the world and multiply.” And thus, we have a society of men and women, of human families, of various nationalities and citizenships, and a whole mankind.

Every man and woman is inherently endowed with a separate intellect and a free will. Thus, the need for a ruler or a group of leaders—elected and/or self-appointed—to maintain peace and order for their mutual survival and benefit. Some ancient Greek philosophers subsequently came up with the idea of “democracy,” which is generally understood to mean “the rule of, by and for the people.” But technically and for practical purposes and as common sense tells us, people cannot govern themselves; they have to have a ruler or a group of leaders, never mind if these rulers are self-proclaimed or elected.

Democracy, therefore, as the rule of, by and for the majority, is more of a legal fiction than a reality. Similarly, that all men are created equal is just a matter of faith.

Here begins the “conflict of free wills” either among those aspiring to rule or among the incumbent leaders of the people. Here we witness the ambition, the competition and struggle for power, initially presented to the people by the so-called politicians or public servants as a desire to serve the public but which in time is surreptitiously converted into cash, I mean, self-service.

That is precisely why politics is often described as a game of the devil, now tolerated or helplessly accepted by most people as a necessary evil, which easily thrives in a poor and ignorant body politic—a fact already manifesting even now as the nation prepares for the 2016 elections.

Given all these realities, it may be a cause for worry that our hotly and ridiculously contested elections will be held this year, the Year of the Fire Monkey. Filipinos are generally a banana-eating people. Sometimes, our country is even referred to as a banana republic for whatever reason. But it is said that a banana a day keeps the doctor away and, perhaps, also gives our politicians enough energy to monkey around with our democracy the whole day.

Let us just hope and pray then that the candidates in the elections this year will refrain from eating bananas even just for the duration of the election period, lest they monkey around and play with fire.

—AMAY P. ONG VAÑO, [email protected]