Perfect four-letter word

The Vladimir Putin narrative grows ever more interesting. What with the war in the Ukraine, the recent spate of incursions of Russian bombers into foreign air space, his mule-headedness in the face of worldwide condemnation and sanctions? One cannot help but wonder what makes him tick?

And then comes the special news feature accusing Putin of being the richest man in the world with $200 billion stashed away in assets and foreign bank accounts. How he got this rich was allegedly by putting in prison the most powerful oligarch in Russia and then taking over his position by being the biggest oligarch himself.

What does that remind you of? Oh yes. Our very own Ferdinand Marcos, the original one. There was 1972 when he did that and then quickly put all his alleged enemies in jail including, of course, the Lopezes, the Osmeñas, Ninoy Aquino, and many others. Is Putin learning it from Marcos? If not that, someone should tell him: It’s been done before.

If you were a young would-be world leader applying for a job, one that hopefully takes you to the top, where would you apply? In a country where the president goes through elections and has a fixed term? Or, would you rather pick  a place where you can be tyrant and despot for life?

The problem with despot-for-life has always been that life does not go on forever. Eventually, the despot slows down, grows old, begins to sicken. The elected leader has an end of term. At which time, he or she is allowed to go off silently into the good night with a modicum of dignity intact. (Which should make us think twice before allowing Peping Cojuangco, Norberto Gonzales and their coven to move the stupid of this country to joining a people-power movement to unseat the current president.)

But there was Fedinand E. Marcos and how, he, in the end, moved the way of all despots, falling eventually at the hands of his closest cohorts. Vladimir Putin should learn from Marcos. Tyranny is all very well, but only for those who live forever and never grow sick and old. The world would be better off if he woke up one day and thought about mortality. Final lesson for the despot: Do not take too long before thinking out your exit plan. All that money, and no way or time to enjoy it.

Notwithstanding what Republicans want to do with him, Obama will go the way of Bill Clinton, even the two George Bushes. What eventually becomes of Putin? The world will be better off if on this wonderful Sunday morning Putin will think for once about mortality. As we all must, thanks to a large part because of him and what he is doing to Russia and the Ukraine.

The current run of history must have all the world leaders baffled as we all must be baffled. On any day besides this perfect Sunday why would anyone go out there only to create unnecessary and stupid mayhem. Think of ISIS. Think of Vladimir Putin. Think of Peping Cojuangco and Norberto Gonzales. No need to think about Kit Tatad and the Binays. They are no Vladimir Putin. On a Sunday such as we are having now, Putin should think about the perfect four-letter word to mark his day.

All the best words, all the best thoughts, of the English language are four-letter words. Such things as time, love, wisp, etc, And all the worst ones as well: Dead, crap, sh*t, f**k, etc., including the bad word for female genitalia and that four-letter work which serves also as nickname for one named Richard. Which latter word one might use absolutely correctly for those now calling for people power against Aquino just a year before the end of his term, where once they stood silently by or even served a former president who robbed us blind.

The perfect four-letter word must come out of a contemplation for the word to best describe a perfect cream puff. The perfect cream puff is never too heavy. It is never too sweet. It melts in the mouth so quickly that after the few precious moments it is there, it is gone, leaving behind not an aftertaste, but a short precious memory. Such as life lived well and good.