Edward Heath, British Prime Minister, 1970-1974
Over 30 years ago, I was at boarding school in Scotland, in a country that seemed on the verge of complete disintegration. Because of a coal miners’ strike, offices and other places of work in Ted Heath’s Britain were open for only three days a week (the infamous “three day week”). I remember walking two miles every night from the school boarding house through dark streets to the school proper, which had electricity, so we could do our homework there. The coal miners’ strike was only one of numerous strikes during Heath’s four years in Downing Street—it was said that the painters at the British Leyland car factory never actually worked at all because at least one group of workers further up the assembly line was always on strike. The government seemed completely paralysed and the population hopeless. The political system (two general elections in one year, 1974) was in urgent need of reform. Society was beset by insoluble divisions. Sound familiar?
There are quite a few similarities between early 1970s Britain and early 21st century Philippines. For one thing they both had a confused and disoriented old and middle-aged populations—brought up to expect the world and yet now gazing in wonderment into the abyss. How did we get here? My parents’ generation, born in the 1920s to a map of the world that was a great splurge of British Empire pink, had seen their country sink and sink and sink – by the early 1970s Britain was "the sick man of Europe", watching impotently as its European neighbours roared ahead. I can see the same bafflement in Filipinos aged 45 or above. They were born in a country with the brightest economic prospects in Asia and an over-valued currency that allowed even middle class Filipinos to go on shopping sprees to New York. I have a friend here who admits that his parents would frighten him by saying “If you carry on doing that you will end up like the Indians”, yet now many Filipinos would probably say “I wish”.
Nevertheless, in a transformation that I never, ever would have predicted as I walked through those dark streets, Britain now has one of the strongest currencies in the world, the best performing economy in Europe, and its capital is seen by many as the epitome of global cool. The only constant is change, as the cliché goes.
Don't give up on the Philippines. Ted’s Britain was far worse. .
But Heath was no Marcoesque dictator ushering in a new dark age.
Posted by: Miguk | July 18, 2005 at 05:07 PM
You mean Gloria? She has a lot of faults, but that seems a bit strong.
Posted by: torn | July 18, 2005 at 06:09 PM
Marcosesque? Dark age? Gosh, have people no memory anymore? You must have been born in the 80's to make a comment like that. At least Gloria's men are not rounding up and systematically slaughtering college students for opposing her programs. She may have also have used public funds for reelection (still unproven) but at least she's not funneling it to Swiss bank accounts and shopping sprees in New York City. Glory may be power hungry but she is not greedy like the way Imelda was. In the words of Melanie Marquez. "Let's cut her some slacks, ok?"
Posted by: Carlos Celdran | July 18, 2005 at 08:18 PM
Marcoesque doesn't seem appropriate for someone who just wants to finish 5 more years as mandated by law.
Torn, thanks for giving us hope. :)
Posted by: Jonjon | July 18, 2005 at 09:16 PM
A good friend once said:
It is always darkest before the dawn.
I hope you are right.
As for the confusion of
'marcoesque' or
'marcosesque'. I have encountered
'marcosian' more than once. easier on the tongue.
the 'esque' words I have seen are :
'clintonesque' for the tricky ways to lie.
example. GMA statements are clintonesque.
'reaganesque' for skill
in oratorical delivery.
Posted by: james tan | July 18, 2005 at 10:06 PM
Ooops, I meant Marcoesque as relating directly to Marcos and his hijinx in the 1970s. In no way was I referring to GMA. I truly think she was doing a good job in getting the economic house in order before all this bruhaha started.
Posted by: Miguk | July 19, 2005 at 05:50 PM
Ah! But Heath WAS ushering in a dark age, we had more power cuts than during Cory's time! Just kidding.
As for Subic (which you mentioned in another comment a while ago) if FedEx goes, perhaps some nice property may come onto the market at reasonable price? The FedEx guy I know has the most fantastic house, with a lovely verandah looking out over the trees. Despite the dilapidation, there is still a lot to be said for the place.
Posted by: torn | July 19, 2005 at 08:32 PM
Subic does have a lot to offer, specifically nice, quiet and relatively clean neighborhoods. I just wonder what will happen with major players abandoning the place
Posted by: Miguk | July 19, 2005 at 09:16 PM
Thought this an interesting and thoughtful blog but wondered if it's not worth adding something else.
Heath was ahead of his time. He realised that British democracy was being challenged by the unions, as did many of the mostly TUC sympathetic left -- Barbara Castle and later Shirley Williams. And it was only after Thatcher and her dreadful series of governments that the pendulum swung the other way.
As a complete aside, I would be interested to read what you think of the quality of UK politicians nowadays. To me they seem a dreadful lot, all suits and no substance.
Posted by: abualex | August 11, 2005 at 11:23 PM