In Xi’an, expect ‘shock and awe’

XI’AN, Northwestern China – First, let’s have the Philippine political gossip which is rightfully ignored here in vast China, but is the daily fare – warfare, really – of our very insular and combative media.

Radio-TV networks, especially one in particular, and several newspapers are out to overthrow La Gloria, helped by the fact that she seems to be doing her very best to accomplish the same thing herself.

With the announcement by Rep. Bacani that he has signed the "impeachment" complaint against GMA, it has been established as we’ve long known, that quite a number of Congressmen have secretly signed the complaint but their names and head count have not yet been revealed. Probably they don’t want pressure put on them or, is it possible, they’re keeping their "defection" in pectore until the time comes when they can wave it as a bargaining chip. Since the nervous La Presidenta has already demonstrated that she’ll do almost anything, appoint almost anybody to juicy government posts any "wavering" supporters propose, she’s particularly vulnerable to blackmail and extortion as the case may be.

It’s not yet confirmed, but the buzz is that as many as 62 – wow, sixty two? – members of the House of Representatives have already signed the impeachment complaint and the Opposition will spring their identities when the time is ripe. In the meantime, since 62 is still far short of the tipping number of 79 required to push the impeachment complaint up to the Senate for trial, fervid recruitment goes on. What’s clear that the opposition and the GMA-bashers are working night and day to make their boast of "creeping impeachment" come true. Whether they’ll make it is very iffy.

GMA’s backers and pursuivants still have the numbers, even in the judiciary committee. If she ever falls, which is not likely, it will be her own doing.

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When the United States and the "coalition" invaded Iraq to depose Saddam Insane, their commander, now retired General Tom Franks (so grateful, I suspect, to have been forgotten in the turbulent aftermath of his swift victory) had launched a rocket, bombing and tank attack intended to "shock and awe." The coalition won, but now a bloody guerrilla war in Iraq is deteriorating into civil war, and the Americans and Brits – though they’ll be quick to deny it – are trying to devise some form of exit strategy. I see them already speaking about turning the war over to the Iraqis themselves, just as the US did to the South Vietnamese when they "Vietnamized" the war there by turning it over to the Saigon government while they pulled their boys out, "back to the real world" (as the much-relieved American grunts put it).

War is war, alas. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who knew his share of bitter defeat, put it accurately when he declared: "There is no substitute for victory."

Where this writer experienced real "shock and awe" was when we arrived in Xi’an to see the world-famous "Terra-Cotta Army."

These "stone" warriors – really fashioned of local clay by thousands of artisans – an entire army of life-sized figures of warriors and horses – had been buried for over 2,000 years.

It was on March 29, 1974, when local farmers of Xi-Yang Village, LingTong County, were drilling a number of wells in search of water, that they unearthed some pottery fragments and ancient bronze weapons. The village head immediately reported the find to the government – National Cultural Relics Bureau officials and archaeologists rushed over and found the forgotten "army" the first great Emperor, the Tiger of Qin (Chin), Qin Shiuangdi had prepared to protect him and his tomb in the Next Life.

Thus far, in that site not far from the city of Xi’an (the ancient capital Chang-an where the Silk Road once began, and 11 dynasties had ruled) they found more than 8,000 figures standing in battle array, in orderly rows – the burial guards of the dead Emperor.

There are now Pit 1, Pit 2, and Pit 3 in that five acres site, still being excavated. The height of each warrior varies from 5.87 to 6.17 feet. No two faces are the same, each one with an identity almost uncannily varied as in the land of the living!

You have to see it to believe it! There they are, a ghostly army, each man unique, marching in formation from the stone – emerging, you can imagine with measured thread, from the mists of history. Horses, the smashed remnants of chariots.

The weapons they held, halberds, bronze swords, crossbows, have been taken away for safekeeping. They had to piece many of them together from thousands of fragments (without using "mighty bond") but now they stand proud and tall, once more, their heads recovered (if not their wits).

The Museum now receives 1.5 million tourists yearly. Approximately 40 million visitors from home and abroad have visited the "warriors" within the last 20 years after their discovery. This is, without doubt, the Eighth Wonder of the World.

I’ll write more of this magnificent ghost army of the Emperor of Chin (Qin) who gave "China" its name, burned the books of Confucius (Kung Futze), buried hundreds of scholars alive, and made hundreds of thousands of laborers sweat to build the Great Wall of China!

As for the Xi’an international airport – it’s six times better than our two disgraceful NAIA terminals in Manila. We ought to hang our conceited heads in shame.