Again, political dynasties

They were at it again this week and last — shameless members of “fat” political dynasties denying they had become obscenely obese.

While we don’t yet have the exact details on how much fatter they’ve become, judging from those who have registered their candidacies for next year’s polls, we can safely conclude that our notorious “fat” political dynasties are on a roll.

Confessedly, I really don’t want to engage with these pot-bellied characters for the sole reason that I can’t stop the urge to insult them. But I’m confident you know all too well who all these characters are even if I don’t take them down.

Still, we need to talk about political dynasties which, sad to admit, are not only a staple in our democracy but also, as political experts asserted years ago, because “over the past 30 years political dynasties have become fatter.”

Suffice it to say that at this point expectations are high political dynasties will grow even fatter after next year’s midterms and they now present a clear and present danger to our democracy if nothing drastic is done.

Anyway, it’s also time we do talk about them since they’re defending themselves. Of these defenses, one particular senatorial aspirant managed to portray us all as idiotic enough to accept his gobbledygook: “Yes, we’re a dynasty in terms of helping people…we lord it over helping people. Is that a dynasty? No, it’s not.” Duh.

At any rate, for starters, it helps that we acquaint ourselves with what experts distinguish as a Filipino “fat” or “thin” political dynasty.

Testifying some years ago before senators, Ateneo de Manila professor Ronald U. Mendoza gave this definition: “Fat political dynasties have more than two family members occupying government offices (‘sabay-sabay’). On the other hand, thin political dynasties are content with having members succeed each other in office (‘sunod-sunod’).”

With that distinction in mind, we can readily see where in the “fat” or “thin” dynasty column our numerous political clans go. Rest assured you won’t have any difficulty in telling what’s what.

In fact, to your bitter dismay, you’ll find that in one “fat” political dynasty a member is running for senator, another for congressman, still another for governor or vice governor, yet another for mayor or vice mayor, another for provincial or city council member and one more for partylist nominee.

The sheer number of electoral posts available for “fat” political dynasties is apparently endless.

“Thin” political dynasties, however, are probably more difficult to spot as only one member gives way to another member. They aren’t as blatant.

Still, whether “fat” or “thin,” the fact remains the tentacles of political dynasties are into so many an electoral nook and cranny that it’s patently un-democratic.

Un-democratic for the sole reason that once political dynasties have an unbreakable stranglehold on political power genuine political competition is virtually impossible.

Which always ends badly for us. No matter what political dynasties say about how good their members are, mediocre members often end up holding the reins of power instead of our country’s best and brightest.

Responsible politicians, of course, have made numerous attempts to outlaw political dynasties.

These attempts, however, have largely failed because asking legislators belonging to political dynasties to legislate an anti-dynasty law is like tasking drug lords with making laws against the illegal drugs trade.

But the more devastating characteristic about the political dynasty abomination is the increasing scholarly evidence that political dynasties thrive on poverty or on lots and lots of poor people.

Scholars studying the phenomenon of political dynasties say their studies suggest that poverty in fact entrenches political dynasties. There is less evidence that political dynasties exacerbate poverty.

This then generally means this country has little to no chance of getting most of its populace out of poverty precisely because it is not in the best interest of political dynasties.

For that reason alone, burying political dynasties is the best recourse for alleviating our country’s miseries.