2004 elections and the cupidity of politics
2004 elections and the cupidity of politics
B. Herry-Priyono, Lecturer, Driyarkara School of Philosophy,
Jakarta
Instead of becoming a civilizing project for our political
life, the 2004 elections may end up turning our politics into a
mask worn by celebrities.
An early sign pointing in that direction has shown itself in
the revival of old figures becoming embodied in the candidacy of
their once-staunch guards. It is encouraging to know that this
problem has given rise to a relentless campaign against rotten
politicians. For sure, no one has ever stayed the same person
with his or her old character, but personality transformation in
such a short time is an illusion. However, it is increasingly
clear that, rather than learning how to grow up, our collective
psyche instead seems to have acquired a compulsion for extremes.
Having failed to resolve our problems in a serious manner, we are
turning politics into a joke. Thus we have established political
life as a stage for jokers.
Our formal political life has followed suit in the way our
television channels have been turned into a stage for farce. As
we know, a herd of pop and dangdut singers, film and soap
actors/actresses, comedians and other screen entertainers have
rushed forward as legislative candidates. Some step in at the
request of the competing parties, others enter the arena of their
own volition; some are little more than cheerleaders, whereas
others on the list are destined to be elected.
Celebrity in political office is not rare. Joseph Estrada, the
Filipino action-film star, was president of the Philippines.
Fernando Poe Jr., another with an "action-man" image , if only in
films, is now running for the presidency. What makes present-day
Indonesia different is the scale of the phenomenon. No one seems
to know the exact number of entertainment celebrities running for
political office, but as the countdown to election day proceeds,
more and more are joining the race in earnest.
Thus, when the campaign period starts, we can expect more and
more entertainment on television channels, radio stations,
campaign podiums, malls, streets and other forums. Indeed, it
will be high time to witness a race for political office heavily
employing the denizens of the entertainment world. However, be
not surprised then if, instead of harnessing the world of
entertainment celebrities for political purposes, it is our
political life that will be turned more closely into a circus.
Politics is being cannibalized by the entertainment industry. The
consequences are dire.
First, as bluntly suggested by Arswendo Atmowiloto, a writer
who is knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the celebrity
world, the more politics is crowded out by entertainment
celebrities, the more politics will become a world of facade.
Arswendo's biting remark cuts too close to the bone: "Being
accustomed to playing many stage roles, they will act the way
they play their stage roles, that is, as if they were members of
the legislature ... It is a merging of empirical reality with
stage fantasy" (Kompas, Feb. 27, 2004). It may be entertaining,
but it certainly lacks substance.
Second, it is a matter of common sense to see the entry of the
entertainment herds into political life as something to do with
the issue of vote gathering. Of course, there are always some
exceptions to the rule. It is indeed an unhappy fact to witness
that political office in this country has to appear as being
linked to ordinary people only during election campaigns. Since
it is hardly connected to their lives on a daily basis, it takes
some extra effort to do so.
One possibility is to offer some down-to-earth programs that
address the plight of ordinary people. Devoid of such programs,
however, offering more entertainment is a convenient solution. No
one is more adroit in this matter than screen celebrities.
It may not be as grand as the way Commodus, the brutal Roman
emperor in the film Gladiator, anesthetized the simpletons by
holding blood sports in the Coliseum, but the logic is not
dissimilar. Instead of having a crowd masochistically screaming
for blood, we will have something of the cats looking at the
queen: Cute but brute.
Third, as expected, the more we wear the spectacles of
cupidity, the more our political lives are far removed from
reality. It is indeed becoming harder to believe that what they
will say in the campaign will be based on any serious
acquaintance with the nobility of politics. Perhaps they will
produce a campaign that amazes, but certainly does not persuade.
If the stage images demand our amazement, they will surely also
pay the subsequent price of our disenchantment.
Indeed, if we expect the 2004 elections to solve this
country's political problem, we seem to be destined for
disappointment. Why have we arrived at this farcical condition?
No doubt there are many explanations. But we can no longer do
what we used to do, that is, blame everything on the
imperfections of the government. For, as cautioned by Montaigne a
long time ago, "all mortal things are full of imperfection".
It is indeed an unpleasant fact to witness that something as
grandiosely important as a general election has little to offer
by way of solutions to the problems of political governance. And
it is gradually clear that this inertia has less to do with the
lack of tireless and noble efforts undertaken by many
organizations to perfect their institutional setup than with the
general climate of banality.
The early sign of banality that may soon descend upon us are,
perhaps, best forewarned by Arswendo when he referred to the
explosive entry of entertainment celebrities into the election
race: "Do you expect us to believe in their quality? Even to
expect them not to come late for film shootings is like asking
for the moon!"
So, here we are, preparing ourselves to be seduced by soap
actresses and dangdut singers-turned-politicians. While we savor
the delight, we may recall a phrase from Shakespeare's Twelfth
Night: "If music be the food of love, play on; give me excess of
it, that, surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die".