“Let them eat cake” is the traditional translation of the French phrase “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche,” supposedly spoken by Queen Marie Antoinette, upon learning that the peasants had no bread. Since brioche was a luxury bread enriched with butter and eggs, the callous remark reflected the queen’s disregard for the peasants, or her poor understanding of their situation—and made her a hated symbol of a decadent monarchy and fueled the revolution that would claim her head years later.
The tale, which historians agree was probably apocryphal, seems particularly well suited to these days of fake news and outlandish claims. It did not matter if the queen had actually spoken the words; the possibility that she did was enough to stir people’s emotions.
There are examples from our own recent history where the poor—estimated in recent surveys at 10.9 million families or about 55 million people—were told to eat the proverbial cake.
Who can forget the 23-year-old daughter of the woman accused of bilking the government out of billions of pesos in pork barrel funds? While the mom was busy accumulating unexplained wealth, the daughter flaunted her lavish lifestyle on her social media accounts and her personal blog.
The daughter’s blog carried photos of her trips to Paris and Tokyo, portraying herself as a well-heeled jet-setter. The blog also showed a fondness for expensive designer shoes, clothes and bags from brands like Louis Vuitton, YSL and Chanel.
But those who could afford only cheap knock-offs of such designer brands were not amused by her ostentatious display of wealth, particularly after it became apparent that her lavish lifestyle was made possible by the corrupt practices that her mother stood accused of, and for which plunder charges have been filed.
It would be easy to dismiss such excesses to the folly of youth, but to do so would be to overlook the role that her parents should have played to moderate such excesses, particularly when there was even a whiff that they were living it up on the taxpayers’ pesos. When so much divides the haves and the have-nots in our society, would it not be more prudent not to stoke envy and encourage the wagging of tongues?
In a speech in October 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte exhorted his Cabinet to be, like Caesar’s wife, above even the whisper of suspicion. The same rigid standard, we believe, should apply to all government officials and employees—who must be not only honest and incorruptible, but also be free from these “whispers of corruption” because of the actions of their own children.
