Why are we confused?

Why are we confused?

Many public figures have been complaining recently that
Indonesians are becoming confused about government policies and
actions. This is a strange thing to happen to a people known for
their modesty, understanding and submissiveness. Our culture
teaches us to be good citizens and to respect authority.

In a paternalistic society like ours, where good examples from
above play a pivotal role in preserving balance and social peace,
the leaders have a moral obligation to set good examples.

The fact that this obligation has been neglected for a long
time now by those in the upper layers of Indonesian society has
caused the people to become confused. It has also resulted in a
loss of respect for those whom the people accept as their
leaders.

There have been many occasions on which the authorities have
tried to hide the facts because of a fear that, if the truth were
known, the populace would react in a negative manner.

So the confusion has remained.

Whenever the public does gain an inkling of the truth and
people start to protest about the situation, their voices are
like cries in the desert.

The result might best be termed "structural confusion":
confusion stemming from the nation's bureaucratic structure.
Official obfuscation has also lead to diminished trust in the
government.

One of our cabinet ministers said recently that many people
have lost the capacity for healthy thinking. We believe such an
accusation would better be leveled against those in the upper
levels of society than against the common people.

The current campaign against what the authorities call
"formless organizations" is confusing in itself, given that the
expression is a contradiction in terms. In Indonesian as well as
English, all organizations have form and anything that does not
have form is not an organization.

The Merpati airlines controversy is the latest example of how
inconsistencies on the part of the leaders can sow confusion
among the people. The government's statement that the sacking of
Merpati president Ridwan Fatarudin has nothing to do with the
latter's refusal to lease planes from the state-owned airplane
company is not easy to believe.

Confusion is now engulfing the whole of Indonesian society as
every group confronts confounding situations in every field.
While the people continue to dream of social solidarity and
justice, the new rich are exhibiting a tendency to flaunt their
wealth. Their wedding parties rival those of royalty in the West,
according to one foreign diplomat.

Perhaps we are not yet ready to become a truly modern society.