Why is a sea stone round? Because it has changed a million times. Meaning, it did change, but in doing so, it stayed the same.

This certainly seems true of military patriarchy in Indonesia. Marriage is never a sure thing, but in the military, you could lose your job for something your wife did that you took no part in. Yikes!

This is what happened to three military officers who discovered their careers had gone down the tube when their wives posted comments on social media that raised doubt about the recent stabbing of then-chief security minister Wiranto by suspected Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) members.

One of the military wives wrote on Facebook: “I hope the assaulter is fine and safe from the police’s wrath, as for the one who got stabbed, I pray that he will die soon.” Oooh, nasty!!

It is bad enough that these wives could be punished under the draconian Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, but to penalize the husbands? Orwellian, no? Shouldn’t everyone be responsible for their own actions?

Not according to Ryamizard Ryacudu, a retired military general and then-defense minister. The husbands were punished because “they can’t control their wives”. Oh boy!

It reminds me of the Soeharto days (1966-1998), when the actions of members of Dharma Wanita civil servants wives’ association affected their husbands’ careers. But as the New Order was a military dictatorship, it’s hardly surprising that Dharma Wanita was modeled on the military wives’ association.