Moon over Mount Fuji
The gloomy national scene compels me this time to look to the land of Fuji San, where I spent a few years as a correspondent. The view of a full moon over Mount Fuji impressed me quite a bit, maybe because its top was then snowcapped. In summer, youths spend nights at its top. Japan is often called a "shame society" because people there accept blame for mistakes made by others (by subordinates especially) and are willing to commit hara-kiri as a way of repenting for their sin, for just a small error.
By contrast, Indonesia may carry the title Number One "shameless society". Many leaders here blame others for mistakes made by they themselves. How quickly we don a new mask to save our own face, and perhaps I am not an exception in this respect.
For example, many bow deeply before a tyrant today; the next day, the same people are ready to polish the shoes of the former tyrant's enemies. Today, somebody defends an antireformist group on camera; the next day, the same person may wear a proreformist shirt with a smile. Principle can be compromised if it saves his skin. In Japan, kids know honesty is the best policy. Relying mainly on the high dedication and quality of its human resources, Japan competes in industrial achievements with other industrial giants despite its defeat in World War II. They look for profit -- but honesty and dedication are not forgotten.
With its abundant natural resources, inexpensive labor and twice the population, Indonesia has reason to be ashamed. The Japanese believe that life is to be enjoyed only after toiling hard for it. After hard work, he feels he is even entitled to come home late and dead drunk at times. His wife feels ashamed if her husband comes home early (on time) for neighbors may think he is an unimportant person in the office.
Indonesians, by contrast, are proud if they can violate regulations, get more and work less. We tend to prefer life- enjoyment as a gift from others, hence a corruption, collusion and nepotism syndrome. We are proud if we receive loans and consider it an achievement. Repaying the debts is the duty of the next generation. There is nothing to worry about, let alone jump from a window out of shame.
Under the tropical sun, one can still enjoy life even behind bars. If you are pious, diligent and willing to help others, having no car is nothing to be ashamed of. Student protests stained with blood in Japan would lead to somebody resigning out of shame immediately after the tragedy. The commander's order to "break and resist, hurt and wound if necessary but never kill" demonstrators would be respected and strictly adhered to by the troops in charge of riot control. Students are held in high esteem in Japan.
Fierce demonstrations by fanatic leftist forces and farmers, as far as I know, do not end in fatalities. Even in South Korea, no real bullets are used to disperse wild student demonstrations. Tear gas is the worst.
I fancy that those trigger-happy troopers could fight better in battles like Waterloo, Dunkirk, Verdun, Stalingrad, Arnhem or Saipan, where they might be more useful with real enemies rather than shooting at the nation's unarmed flowers, who are ready to die for their principles.
Though I long to revisit Akibahara in Tokyo, Nikko and Nara, I shall no more enjoy, as much as before, the sight of the moon over Mount Fuji if I am reminded of the November Semanggi Flyover tragedy.
GANDHI SUKARDI
Jakarta