It is a sign of our times that nobody is further than a click away. The recent Internet sensation of China's Wen Jiabao Facebook profile could not provide a better example of this.
Wen's page was created on May 14, 2008, and the last time I checked, he had gained 29,810 supporters -- only two weeks after his page's creation -- and still counting; sure some record-breaking numbers.
While it is still unclear who made this account, this phenomenon demonstrates how popular Wen is among his people. "Grandpa Wen", as his people now call him, gained this phenomenal popularity out of his recent visit to towns and villages that had recently been devastated by earthquakes.
The government of China has been long known for its iron-fisted approach to its people, but take a look at China now. People seem to love their grandpa Wen so much. The country's staggering economic success and his developmentalist approach make Wen one of the most successful prime ministers in China's modern history. The recent Pew Global Attitude Project also concluded that the Chinese are now the people most satisfied with their country's current direction.
Until a decade ago, a lot of us still believed that gray-suit governments (socialist and communist leaders) were the worst form of government: unpopular, with more dictatorship than leadership and more likely to produce suffering than welfare.
Democracy was considered the only way for a country to bring benefits to its people, democracy meaning hope for the suppressed. It sure was a hype at that time. What about now?
Have you seen Bush's popularity lately? Putting aside China's paradoxical mix of free market and socialist government, I think it is fair to say that at this particular time, it is the first time ever a leader of a communist country is far more popular than the "leader of the free world". Find that hard to believe? Just wait till you check out Wen's Facebook profile.
Talking about democracy, what about ours?
Indonesia commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Reform Movement just a few months ago. The seeds of democracy have been planted since the event originally took place in 1998. A lot of progress in developing democracy has been made. But it seems that the main goal of the movement, to increase the welfare of the people, has not been achieved. Some even say that it is slipping away. The recent fuel price issue is the latest blow for both the government and democracy.
Try asking a becak driver in your neighborhood, or a parking officer about life today. They have started to feel apathetic about government -- and democracy. "If this is what democracy feels like, I prefer Pak Harto", one responded while referring to the late former president Soeharto. More and more people will be thinking like this if the government doesn't do anything to fix the situation.
Our democracy doesn't work as it should. We do have free and fair elections, the electoral regime, but certainly not welfare.
Not to mention the scandalous image of every branch of power in this country. Bribery, corruption, manipulation ... and the worst of it is that the law can't do anything about it. Or in our case, maybe it is fair to say that the law is part of the corrupt system.
Self-interest in our system is threatening the very core of democracy. Members of the government will act for their own gain without considering the public interest, or the larger public good. When democracy keeps failing the people, it will soon start to erode the legitimacy of government. The declining numbers of voters in many local elections show us that there is a growing tendency of public distrust for the system.
While public participation is essential for democracy, failing the public means more apathy about the government. Don't let self-interest in politics keep ruining our democracy.
People's faith in democracy must be restored. What is really at stake now is not just the power of the government, or the next presidency. It is our democracy that is at stake.
The writer is a member of Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations and actively engaged in the Student Study Group for International Affairs Parahyangan Catholic University. He can be reached at andikaputraditama@hotmail.com
