The corrupt dynasty of the Philippines and uncanny parallels: A cautionary tale and what India needs to do if it wants to avoid the same fate

If you have noticed something inherently unfair about how some countries are rich, their cities are clean and livable while some, including, sadly our own, is in many ways “third world”. The conclusion one might draw simplistically from that observation is that “white” countries somehow managed to master the trick. But then there are several poor white countries, in Eastern Europe, not all white countries are equally rich and more importantly, Asians, including Indians in the West do extremely well. Furthermore, there’s Japan that’s very rich.

But there’s another thing that most analysts are perhaps paid not to notice –corrupt, fascist, nepotist dynasties and the sycophantic ecosystem they spawn infect the third world much more than the rich West. India is not alone. The Philippines, a country many Indians hardly know of, can perhaps be called No. 1 and that’s quite an achievement considering the competition.

Ignoring the lazy intellectual explanation of “BJP too has dynasties” that we hear often, let us make one thing clear– it is not that dynasties, corrupt or otherwise, are inherently bad in a democracy. They have rights to contest too. Moreover, not just dynasts, anyone with a known name and face – be it a boxer, actor, TV anchor, sportsperson, or even a retired military general, instantly gets a head start in politics, whether we like it or not. 

What we are specifically referring to is that subsect of the dynast caste – ones with success path carved out, mapped, and a vast, corrupt entrenched ecosystem in place to ensure they and only they can get ahead, even with zero merits. And once in power, they stay there for exactly the same reasons. They can boldly declare that seats will only be given on merits and not get “fact-checked” or mocked.