Reborn at Christmas

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20061223.E02&irec=1
December 23, 2006

Benny Susetyo, Jakarta

Christmas is the beginning of man's rebirth from a situation plagued by treachery, greed and oppression. Celebrating Christmas amounts to seizing the momentum of a clean heart and soul. Every time we mark Christmas, peace and holiness will prevail in man's clean inner-self.

Those whose behavior in life is full of deception and foul play will find it hard to celebrate. This is because their conscience has become dull and their soul grubby.

Christmas constitutes a time to give some meaning to this life. Observing Christmas implies welcoming a new dawn that brings light to the world, illuminating the darkness caused by man's bad conduct.

The adversity besetting parts of the population is a result of the elite group's arrogance, self-interest and indifference. Poverty and destitution are being politicized to serve various interests other than those of the general public.

Indonesia is at the crossroads: between reality and illusion. Our social, political and economic reality is filled with moral degradation, as well as open and disguised crimes. This reflects the disruption of the principles of a decent life. The nation is entering obscurity at different levels of existence. No wonder many of us feel as if we were living without any future in this country.

Amid the difficulties, the political elite are merely pursuing money and power. It's their wealth and power that makes the nation dumb and helpless in facing this dying sense of humanity.

As elections draw near, they will appear to be supporting the public, close to farmers and fishermen, offering various improvement schemes and other "charity" programs. The issues they raise will be presented in populist packages in order to build a pro-people image. But what next?

The plight engulfing the country is due more to the crumbling values of morality and humanity. These values are no longer capable of forming sound, rational and people-oriented political behavior. Politics is practiced by "kings" to deceive their "people".

The value system and morality have been so tragically turned upside down. This fact entails gloomy economic, cultural, religious and educational conditions. The gloom is reflected in the dull behavior of politicians. Every working day the political elite are inseparable from intrigues to manipulate data, violate laws and control funds.

Politics has lost its lofty aims. It's ironic that politics is understood to be simply a means of production to turn out money. For the sake of money, the political elite will betray the people, evict the masses and neglect them as if they were not human.

Victims of the gas well mudflow, the high rice and fuel price policy, landslides and other disasters indicate the state's failure to protect the population.

Politics is based on profit and the prestige of cityscape beauty, regardless of the necessity to drive people from their birth places.

It seems difficult for the elite to understand that politics should be based on the noble mission of creating a more humane civilization, upholding justice, promoting solidarity and uplifting the dignity of ordinary people. In reality, politics has lost the call of its conscience. It has vanished owing to the dehumanization of development programs.

The absence of morality has also deprived business competition of fairness. The market has lost its natural rules of the game because of politics, which should control and defend the interests of the poor majority. Instead of protecting small-scale enterprises, politics often favors big capitalists to strengthen the power of the elite.

We have to face this gloomy future together, especially if we hope to build a civilized society. The signs of the nation's future must immediately be reversed. It requires a new orientation to create a public space that is democratic and civilized.

A new public space should be there to provide protection for the poor and destitute. This Christmas we are called upon to have no more fear to face the world with its inhospitable features: a miserable world deprived of certainties in all areas of life.

Such circumstances were once confronted by Mary when injustice, hypocrisy, treachery, oppression, manipulation and authoritarianism were dominant. But God brought a piece of new of joy. It was not conveyed to the prime minister, king, leader or conglomerate head, but rather through a simple virgin named Mary.

In the dark and very deep abyss we are crying, complaining and questioning. Are people only able to blame? Why have all the mishaps happened? Why do the elite never side with the people? Why does development never favor the destitute?

Some people even wish to return to former times. It is like the biblical situation in the desert. "Why do you only give us manna, while everything was available and fulfilled when we were in Egypt. Now we are starving and deficient. Ought we to return to Egypt?"