Social welfare

Many steps are being taken to alleviate the suffering of people who lost their possessions during the turmoil of May 14, 1998, or the unemployed who lost their means of making a living. Many welfare institutions distributed staple foods to the people, especially those who live below the subsistence level.

In this context, we can emulate the welfare system of the U.S., which is very efficient. There are public kitchens where people can receive free decent meals daily. Large barracks are built where many homeless people can spend the night, especially in winter when nobody can sleep in the open, especially when it snows. However, during the day the people must leave because the barracks have to be cleaned. It reminds me of a Japanese saying: Ii-shoku-jyu tarite reisetsu wo shiru, or freely translated: a man knows etiquette if clothes, food and a dwelling are at his disposal, which is, of course, self-explanatory.

I cannot help wondering that if the above three factors were available for everybody, then the recent social disturbances would not have happened.

A. DJUANA

Jakarta