Clinton's predicament

Despite our preoccupation with the economic hardships of late, it cannot be denied that the increasingly damaging publicity surrounding American President Bill Clinton in the past few weeks has been a source of great interest -- not to say diversion -- for many Indonesians. After all, where but in America can ordinary people aim such damaging public accusations at an incumbent president? More in particular, as an observer remarked, who but Clinton could manage to cover up a sex scandal with more sex scandals?

To be sure, it is not only in America that people in high positions get caught up in scandals, sexual or otherwise. Reports of sex scandals involving cabinet ministers reach us from England from time to time. In France, similar cases -- though perhaps not to the same degree -- have been known. The difference, it is said, is that in France few people bother to take such digressions by high-ranking officials too seriously, unless, presumably, they really hurt the prestige and the interests of the nation and the government.

Perhaps it can be said that in this respect the French are more straightforward, or less hypocritical, than many others, since history has shown that fondness for sexual adventures among high-ranking state officials is not unusual and is about as old as mankind. Sexual license was certainly commonplace among Indonesian rulers and aristocracy of time past.

But, seriously, there are for us in Indonesia at least a couple of aspects in Clinton's case that are worth pondering. The first is, at least for Indonesians, the amazing fact that in the United States, the law truly applies without regard for rank or position in society. So much so, in fact, that apparently the immediate overall interests of the country and the nation must take a back seat. Or perhaps it is because Americans consider the personal integrity of their president of such cardinal importance that not even the slightest moral imperfection is tolerated.

Whether such a near-uncompromising attitude is at all times good for the nation is a question that many Indonesians may find worth pondering. For one thing, obviously, as President Clinton's present predicament shows, it opens opportunities for certain individuals to try to manipulate moral lapses in a leader's personal life to his or her own benefit -- and to the detriment of the nation as a whole.

As far as the United States itself is concerned, the tangible reality seems to be that, at least so far, the Clinton scandal has had little effect, either on the country's global policies and interests or on the lives of the majority of Americans. To borrow from Indonesia's political jargon, it may be proper to say that apparently the United States' national resilience has proven to be strong enough to provide an effective buffer to greatly soften the shock of the scandal.

Even so, Indonesians would do well to consider the possible diplomatic fallout that might occur from this American episode. The Clinton scandal at this point is far from over. As things stand at present, more difficulties for President Clinton, including even impeachment, cannot be ruled out. Given this country's close ties to the U.S., Indonesians had better be prepared if it should ever come to that.