Caught in the web
One gets mixed feelings about President Clinton's predicament.
The first feeling is, of course, admiration for the American people who are rallying behind their leader. Early polls indicate that they are prepared to condone the President's weakness. Apparently, there is not much erosion of Clinton's popularity.
The second feeling is one of pity -- pity for Hillary and Chelsea, both of whom are gallantly bearing the brunt of shame in the name of family. Bravo indeed!
It would have been graceful if President Clinton had resigned before the sordid drama unfolded. It's difficult to imagine that he still wishes to cling on to power. Having indulged in trivial pleasures, he is now unable to extricate himself from their clutches, like a spider trapped in its own web. The "Starr-rated" report, released through the borderless Internet, has further invaded and violated the privacy of an individual. It's purely and simply outrageous. Clinton didn't have to undergo this ordeal.
It's now too late to debate the rights or wrongs. It's not simply a matter of legality either, as is being currently portrayed in the U.S., though we find it quite admirable that everyone, including the sitting President, is equal in the eye of law.
It's a matter of what is appropriate, considering the august office Bill Clinton holds. I wonder whether he would have been elected in the first place if these escapades had been known to the public before his election. A president clearly carries ethical responsibilities. He has a moral obligation to do what is right and just, as a repository of public confidence.
America, having assumed global leadership, ought to have a leader who can be respected on the world stage. He should be a person of high integrity and credibility. Being the world's only remaining super power, the U.S. must have a strong and effective leadership to deal with matters of international importance, on equal footing, with leaders of other nations.
No man is indispensable. We may draw comparisons with India, where the media once talked about a "TINA" factor, meaning "There Is No Alternative," when Rajiv Gandhi was in power. India has seen at least four prime ministers in the last five years, after Rajiv Gandhi. Nothing collapsed. Life goes on, as usual, and in fact, things are even better now.
The U.S. is a much stronger democracy and its political institutions are founded on firmer grounds to weather any storm. To prove this point, here's an interesting study which I read some years ago.
In 1789, when George Washington became America's first president, there was a King of France, a Holy Roman Emperor who ruled much of Europe, a Czarina in Russia, a Shogun ruling Japan, and an Emperor of China. Of all these powerful offices, only the U.S. presidency still exists.
D. CHANDRAMOULI
Jakarta