[b]Iron Lady, Part Eight, The Golden Lady, Part Two, Midterm Madness, End (For Now)[/b]

It was rare that Priscilla set foot in Makati, one of the remaining bourgeois places in Manila and the centre of the state capitalist financial institutions which bound the syndicates and communes of the country together. Here was where the [i]Bangko Sentral[/i] had its headquarters; Priscilla had deduced that the Bank and Aurelia had been exchanging money in ways that were not illegal, but clearly biased and partial. And it was in said Headquarters, Aurelia's territory, that she would meet with the woman herself to congratulate her on her victory in the Mid-terms; Aurelia was now a Congresswoman for the Ilocos Region, and more able to deal with Priscilla as a fellow member of the Government.

[i]I feel like I am heading to the lair of a beast,[/i] the Lady President thought as she and her bodyguards went inside the bank building, a 'chic' 1920s' Art Deco building built two decades after the actual 1920s as a show of strength by the property's owners.

The doors were opened to let her through; guards searched them for weapons but in as respectful a way as possible. Then, they were led to the second floor, where a comparatively luxurious cafeteria cooled by an American-model air conditioner; Priscilla couldn't help but turn up her nose at that, scandalized at the extravagance. Thankfully, she noticed herself just in time to put a smile in her face as Aurelia, clad in silks and pineapple fibre and dyed cotton, entered the managers' cafeteria, bodyguards in tow.

The two sat down on each side of a table that had a rather nice view of Makati; even Priscilla was impressed by the vista. As waiters set down milk for Priscilla and wine for Aurelia, as well as rice cakes, beef ribs, and rice itself, the newly-minted Opposition Leader said, "Greetings, Lady President."

Priscilla smiled in unease, "Greetings, Congresswoman Dizon." She then pursed her lips. "Congratulations on your victory; I never anticipated that the public would need electric lighting."

Aurelia smiled with exaggerated indulgence. "My dear, don't beat yourself up; we may hold different beliefs, but we both know this: The people are the source of power, for they are made in the image of God. We just deal with that fact in different ways." A pause, and she continued, "And I have a plan to [i]keep[/i] the people's mandate; to give them what they asked me to give. And I will look good doing it, too." A chuckle as she used a fork and knife to eat while Priscilla used a fork and spoon. "You came here to hear my plan, right?"

Priscilla's nervousness faded as she found herself in the political battlefield once again, and she said, "Yes. I presume it involves 'Special Economic Zones'?"

A nod from Aurelia. "Your instincts are more impressive than your fashion sense." A glare from Irene and the other bodyguards as she said that. "Yes, I do plan to propose a bill for Special Economic Zones where regulations and restrictions on business are less enforced than on other portions of the country. Tax breaks, lower tarriffs and customs duties, allowing syndicates and middlemen to keep a larger portion of the profits, the works. However, all of this is to be balanced out by the redistributive mechanisms you so love; labor laws, a minimum wage and universal basic income, and of course, voluntary and 'voluntary' contributions to the funds earmarked for the minimum wage." A smirk. "Because even with those, we'd gain more than we lose." 

Priscilla smiled thinly as she sipped her milk. "You regain your image as paternal...guides over the people."

Aurelia nodded again. "You say you value equality and fairness, and I see you regard it as a scandal that those who work the hardest taste the fruits of their labor the least. I see where you are coming from. But the mercantile spirit is more than just 'sociopathy, monopoly, oppression and cronyism'. The mercantile spirit has also produced entrepreneurship, innovation, exploration of new frontiers, and the overcoming of challenges. Ambition is needed for true progress; that is my belief."

"And it was ambition that led you to be the first to swear allegiance to my father, husband, and me when we led the charge for Independence." Priscilla's face hardened. "But whatever good came of the capitalist system came at too high a price."

Aurelia smiled faintly. "Then let's make a synthesis, a Hegelian synthesis; combine our systems together to create a greater whole..."