“A sequel is an admission that you’ve been reduced to
imitating yourself.”
(Don Marquis, humorist)
I’ll bring into play a sequel of the treasure hunter flash
fiction story I tapped in my previous article and won’t challenge Marquis’
judgment call.
“Every sequel needs to be bigger and better.” (Jason
Statham, actor)
This, for me, is the real challenge.
Previous episode…
In
the end, as darkness swallowed the landscape, only one figure stood triumphant.
The treasure was finally claimed but at a heavy cost. The echoes of betrayal
reverberated in the silence, a chilling reminder of the treacherous nature that
lurks within even the most outwardly innocent souls.
And
so, as the stars twinkled above, casting a cold gaze upon the scene, the
treacherous tone of this dark tale lingered, a warning to those who dare to
tread the treacherous path of ambition and greed.
The
sequel…
He
started to dig, slowly and cautiously. He dug deeper and deeper until he hit
something hard. He cleared the dirt and saw a wooden chest. He gasped and grinned.
He had found it.
He
lifted the chest and opened it. He expected to see gold and jewels, but he saw
something else. Something that made him scream. Inside the chest was a bomb. A
bomb that was ticking down.
Sounds like a crazy story, right? Well, it’s not. It’s
a metaphor for how some leaders fail because they don’t expect and are
overwhelmed by the presidential bomb -- the huge responsibilities and challenges of the job.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump was like a treasure
hunter who was running away from his troubles, such as legal
investigations or financial losses. Tipped
off, he got wise to the fact about a buried fabled treasure – the presidential throne
-- that could solve all his problems and even make him richer and more
powerful. He bunched up a loyal clique who lapped up his quest and rooted for
him in digging up such fabled treasure. He ultimately laid his fingers on the
treasure and claimed it as his own, only to trigger its detonation.
WHAT WENT WRONG WITH TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP?
Driven by a selfish and greedy motive to seek the
presidency, rather than by a noble or altruistic one to serve his country, he failed to grasp a clear vision for his leadership, other than to boost
his ego and status. Despite the U.S. being the most powerful nation on the
planet, he did not care about the world. As he famously said in his inaugural
speech: “From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first.”
Flying in the face of reality, he downplayed
the problems and challenges that the U.S. faced, such as the Covid-19 pandemic,
the economic crisis, the social unrest, and the foreign threats. Distorting
facts to suit his narrative, he blamed others for his failures and took credit
for others’ success. As he famously said in response to the Covid-19 pandemic: “It’s
going to disappear. One day -- it’s like a miracle -- it will disappear.”
Failing to adapt or innovate change, he clung to
outdated or inefficient policies, practices, or ideologies that did not match
the changing needs and demands of the Americans or the world. He resisted new
ideas, initiatives, or reforms that could have improved the U.S. plight. He
rejected science, evidence, and expertise, that contradicted his views. As he
stubbornly said in defense of his border wall: “Walls work 100 percent.”
Misusing power, he exploited his position
for personal gain, enrichment, or glory. Oppressing his opponents, critics, or
minorities with repression or manipulation, he violated laws, norms,
and ethics that governed his role – undermining democracy and its institutions.
As he shockingly said in inciting his supporters to storm the Capitol: “We’re
going to walk down to the Capitol… you’ll never take back our country with
weakness.”
Having a thing for strongmen – those who led or
control by force of will and character or by military methods – Trump said:
“President Xi is a brilliant man… I told him we shot
57 missiles into Syria while he was having chocolate cake. It was a great
chemistry we had…”
“The look, the brain, the whole thing. How smart is
Kim Jong-un? Top of the line…”
“Putin, very smart. He liked me, I liked him. I mean
you know he got a lot of charm and a lot of pride…”
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM TRUMP’S FAILURE?
Don’t seek power for its own sake or personal gain.
Seek power for a noble or altruistic purpose that serves the common good. As
Nelson Mandela said: “A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and
thoroughly… knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and
thus emerge stronger.”
Don’t ignore or deny reality. Face and embrace reality
with honesty and transparency. Accept responsibility and accountability for
your mistakes and shortcomings. As Winston Churchill said: “The price of
greatness is responsibility.”
Don’t resist change. Learn from others who have
different perspectives, ideas, solutions, and experiences. As Steve Jobs said: “Innovation
distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
Don’t abuse or misuse power. Uphold democracy and its
institutions. As Abraham Lincoln said: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but
if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
Don’t alienate others. Build and maintain
relationships. As Martin Luther King Jr. said: “We must learn to live together
as brothers or perish together as fools.”
PH TICKING TIME BOMBLETS
Back to PH, here and now. Speaking of the fabled buried
treasure – the 2028 presidency – digging into such a treasure, the political hunters
must be eagle-eyed and on the lookout for a cluster bomb they will come up
against in their hunt for the fabled presidential throne. The cluster bomb is
made up of the following ticking time bomblets:
Pension Bomblet
“The pension system is a ticking time bomb,” Economist
Solita Monsod warned. “If it is not reformed, it will eventually collapse, and
it will have a devastating impact on the lives of millions of Filipinos…”
“It is not sustainable and if it goes on, there will
be a fiscal collapse,” Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno cautioned.
“If we keep the way we do my prediction is that it
will run out within five [to] six years,” President Marcos Jr. stressed.
Economic Bomblet
Current account deficit $17.8 billion (2022 estimate)
4.3% of GDP
Trade deficit $58.32 billion
National Debt P13.42 trillion (60.9% of GDP beyond 60%
threshold)
Poverty Bomblet
Around 14 million Filipino families considered
themselves poor per SWS survey. The government’s latest poverty rate is
13.2% of families (March 2023 estimate)
Corruption Bomblet
The Corruption Perception Index of Berlin-based
Transparency International has scored PH 33 out of 100, below the global average of 43;
ranked 116th out of 180 countries.
Impunity Bomblet
Placed 51st out of 163 countries in the
Impunity Index (power abuse enabled by lack of accountability) per global political
risk firm Eurasia Group and The Chicago Council of Global Affairs.
South China Sea Bomblet
“China’s Maritime Law Could Become “Ticking Time Bomb”
For Conflict in South China Sea” (Republic World headline)
Good luck to all political treasure hunters! God bless
the Philippines!
Content put together in collaboration with Microsoft
Bing AI-powered copilot
Head photo courtesy of Erie Times News
Landgren Cartoon
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