Friday, February 22, 2008 Seares: A god from a machine By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
HERE'S the problem of Catholic Church bishops and most Filipinos:
They want corruption to slow down or stop and culprits punished. The President has to adopt bold and drastic reforms, which, hobbled by diminished credibility, she can't do.
They reject violence and prefer orderly transfer of power. Snap election? Constitutionally dubious and, given a rotten electoral structure, totally unreliable. Impeachment? Won't work.
She could leave quietly, but that would forever shame her and her family. Her allies and the cronies who benefit from her stay would not want that too.
The solution? Communal action, the bishops say, without telling what it is.
The flock takes that to mean massive pressure. Continuous protests and incessant prayers: one, to tell her repeatedly that she's not trusted by her people; the other, to storm the heavens for divine intervention.
Insoluble
A god from a machine, "deus ex machina" may be needed.
If the country's crisis were a classical Greek drama that can't be resolved, a god is lowered onto the stage by a crane to sort out the "insoluble dramatic problem."
It is done "suddenly and unexpectedly," partly for the audience, momentarily stunned, to accept the "contrived solution."
But, alas, the country's crisis is no drama that a director or writer can untangle.
The bishops prefer God's will but in which form? A sudden tug of presidential conscience induced by God would be fine, thank you.
But what if the military, seized by the messianic urge to "defend" the people, would have tanks and assault troops descend on Palace grounds?
