The Decline of Values and the Signs of the End Times

In sociology, ‘value’ is a belief or standard of behaviour about what is considered good, right, and worthy. It stands in opposition to deviation, manipulation, embezzlement, and fraud, which are all synonyms for corruption. A pragmatic-materialist life orientation drives such actions. Happiness is measured solely by the abundance of wealth, leading to all means being employed to acquire it, even if it involves seizing the rights of others.

Recent revelations by law enforcement officials seem to confirm the warning of Mohammad Hatta that corruption has become a new culture in Indonesia. The level of this deviation, both in quality and quantity, continues to rise. This trend starkly contrasts with the integrity shown by the early generation of Indonesian leaders, such as Hatta himself, who consistently refused to exploit his position for personal gain and even relinquished state facilities he was not entitled to.

The current phenomenon is described as an era of ‘almost perfect damage’. Corruption is the offspring of collusion and nepotism, a close companion to bribery, which erases the principle of justice and robs others of their rights. The logic of divine retribution suggests that the sanction for such acts is severe, occurring on the Day of Judgement. Yet, some ruling elites do not believe in this final reckoning. This situation evokes the ‘zaman edan’ (age of madness) prophesied by the Javanese poet Ki Ronggowarsito, a time of spiritual darkness and confusion where those who partake in madness may prosper, but those who remain conscious and God-fearing are ultimately more fortunate.