What Does life Mean
Lifetime is an adjective that refers to something that lasts from the moment it is obtained until the end of life . It can be a charge, a membership or a rent, among other issues.
For example: "Augusto Pinochet sought impunity through his swearing in as senator for life of Chile" , "My father is a life member of the club and can enter for free to watch the games" , "The president of the corporation agreed to leave the management but in return, he agreed to a rent lifetime " .
The figure of senator for life was created as a prerogative for former presidents of a republic . This means that, after leaving their post, they assume as senators without an election or a period foreseen for the end of their mandate. This charge, however, was removed from most constitutions .
Some historical figures, on the other hand, appealed to the office of president for life . This title was assumed by dictators who tried to eliminate any type of time limit to their mandates. Other similar positions were also created, such as consul for life ( Napoleon Bonaparte ).
The first president who sought, through the return of his life title, that his authority was never disputed, was Julius Caesar himself, at the time of the Roman Republic. It was the year 45 a. C. when the mythical dictator proclaimed himself perpetual . It is worth mentioning that originally, this position could be held for a maximum term of half a year.
Several centuries later, the leader of France Napoleon Bonaparte followed in his footsteps to become the first consul for life, specifically in 1802. From that moment, many dictators imitated these initiatives; some made the decision to satisfy their lust for power , while others were appointed by their subjects, by legislators who did not contemplate the possibility of denying the will of their superiors.
It is worth mentioning that a large number of the leaders who became president for life did not finish their terms together with their lives, since in some cases they were dethroned or assassinated. Some examples of happy endings were Josip Broz Tito, Francisco Franco, François Duvalier, Rafael Carrera y Turcios, José Gaspar Rodríguez from Francia and Saparmyrat Nyýazow. On the other hand, it is known that Mobutu Sese Seko failed in his attempt to perpetuate his post as President of the State of Zaire, in the early 1970s.
Other figures have had very long terms, such as Fidel Castro and Kim Il-sung, presidents of Cuba and North Korea, respectively, and are often cited as exponents of the presidency for life. In Il-sung's case, the influence he had on his people appears to be enormous: after his death, the government appointed him eternal president and removed the post of president from the North Korean constitution. As there can be no successor, since Kim Il-sung will reign forever from the hereafter, his powers have been nominally and effectively divided between the presidents of the Supreme People's Assembly, the Prime Minister, and the National Defense Commission. .
These political positions are developed with the intention of eternalizing the exercise of power and threaten the freedom of the peoples. Most democracies include laws that require the alternation of rulers, to prevent a person or a social sector from perpetuating power and making use of the state apparatus for their own benefit.
In everyday language, the adjective for life is also used to name someone or something that seems to perpetuate itself in the same situation , even in a mocking tone or with little seriousness: "My son failed again: I think he is already a student for life . "