Hope Springs Eternal!

The year 2015 is about to close. The President has delivered the last "State of the Nation Address." I re-read my last blog written over three years ago. I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised that many of my misgivings were wrong.

People used to  nonchalantly take corruption as 'par for the course." Honest politicians were very rare exceptions. The view seemed to be "If everybody is doing it, why not me?" Worse yet, some politicians went into politics precisely because of the opportunity to become rich beyond imagination, at the expense of Juan, the taxpayer.

Not anymore. Yes, there are still some who brazenly deny being corrupt despite overwhelming indications to the contrary. Perhaps, they are counting on their lawyers to get them off the proverbial hook. Who knows? The legal processes here can be so convoluted, they may be right.

However, there is a significant difference in the political air. It is now embarrassing to be corrupt. The days seem gone when a young punk can flaunt a profligate lifestyle and explain it all away because "congressman si Papa."

We have the President to thank for this. He, like his mother before him, will likely leave behind him the legacy of honesty. With only a few more months of his term left, I would not bet against it. Yes, his administration can be faulted for shortcomings, some of them serious. He has, however, set the bar for honesty quite high. I hope his successor does not break the trend, and perhaps raise the bar even higher.