Back to Basics

The car owner did not feel guilty and instead hurried with their business while making an angry face and spitting towards the driver behind them. The obstructed car owner recorded the license plate of the illegally parked car and the identity of its owner.

The short video immediately circulated on social media. Within hours, the clearly recorded face of the car owner spread. As usual, Indonesian netizens find it easy to probe (doxing) the car owner's background.

Finally his full name was known, his campus background was discovered, and where he worked was revealed to the surface.

Less than 24 hours since the first video showing the inappropriate behavior was uploaded, the car owner admitted his mistake and apologized via social media. In contrast to the angry face captured in the first video, this time he appeared hesitant.

Also read: Driving Ethics Crisis

It is not clear whether the clarification video was made on personal initiative or because of orders from certain parties.

It doesn't end there. When the condemnation becomes broader than the clarification video, another news emerges that the office where the car owner works - coincidentally a well-known state-owned enterprise - has dismissed him from his job.

It is amazing how someone's fate and life can change drastically. Unworthy treatment that lasts for several minutes, viral videos, apologies clarifications, and ultimately being dismissed from position, all happened in no more than 2 x 24 hours. It is a truly great loss.

The author does not want to question the fault of the driver who is a BUMN employee or the response of netizens and the cancel culture which is also endemic in Indonesia.

This article aims to delve deeper: how we have lost the ability and skills to live together with others.

Queuing culture

People often prioritize themselves (selfish), looking for what benefits them the most, as quickly as possible, regardless of what happens to others.

Every day we can easily find people like this, who are disobedient to the rules, only thinking about their own interests, without considering the impact it has on others.

Dozens of motorcyclists who are not supposed to use the overpass is a common sight that we see. We also see how people cut in line because they cannot wait. From the other lane, those whose path is disturbed by the cutting line also jostle for space.

On social media, we also often come across videos like this: a driver on a crowded highway taking the right lane while the left lane is queuing in the middle of traffic congestion.

Luxury cars with drivers who are no less important are seen cutting through queues while hoping to find an empty space to return to the queue on the left side.

There is a video featuring a police officer directing the luxury car to return to the queue. Without any guilt, the driver initially argued with the officer, but eventually realized their mistake and returned to the queue.

This phenomenon not only happens on the highway but also in other queues. For example, when queuing to pay at the cashier, register at the counter, or when queuing to enter the airplane gate.

For many people, this might be a trivial matter. Ah, just waiting in line is considered a big deal.

The demographic bonus is being boasted about, but if not followed by concrete examples from superiors to subordinates about the importance of following rules for the sake of justice for all, will we be proud of such conditions?

In Australia, a country with a good education tradition, educating children in school is not just about teaching various subjects such as reading, mathematics, or foreign languages, but they are also being taught how to queue.

"We're not too worried that our children aren't good at math. We're much more concerned if they don't have the culture of queuing," said a teacher in Australia.

Although it might seem trivial, queuing trains children to appreciate the importance of other people's rights in social life. Therefore, children also train themselves to be patient in waiting for their turn.

Returning to the video of the driver who cut the line, it is ironic: the luxury car reflects the owner's affluence. However, the luxuriousness of the car does not correlate with the uncivilized behavior of the driver.

The attitude of prioritizing one's own interests, ignoring the interests of others, is something that stands out in the life we ​​experience today.

Morals and ethics

What is happening with our society that often feels unapologetic when cutting in line, asking others to sympathize with them (as if they are more important), and giving them way first.

We also see on the roads how certain cars are equipped with accessories that disturb other road users. Many of these users want to quickly move through traffic and make use of the accessories used by officials or security personnel to break through congestion.

There are many who forge license plates for official vehicles. In order to drive more freely, fake license plates are considered a shortcut. Examples like this can continue to be prolonged, but we need to identify the root of this problem.

According to the writer, the root of the problem is due to the fact that ethics and morals have been left behind in our daily lives. There is a saying, "rules are made to be broken, not followed."

This proverb is misleading and encourages many people to follow the same thing. Instead of upholding rules that should be kept together.

The ethics and morality that have been left behind are not a personal matter to comply with. Structurally, they are the result of a system that values rules and the enforcement of those rules.

Socially, leaders and bosses should set an example for how rules are enforced and followed. Instead of being permissive towards existing violations.

If violations occur, the law or regulations must be enforced. Those responsible for enforcing the rules must work and those who are guilty must be sanctioned.

However, what happens when the rules themselves have many exceptions? There is a gray area that allows for negotiation, and even violations can be committed by those who should be enforcing the rules.

Recently, the "insider" or outsider factor has been added to this. The rules can be bent to suit your needs.

Leaders who were once good, but continue to be permissive of violations, will continue to accumulate transgressions. This makes them not remembered as good leaders, but leaders who have turned bad as a result of their violations.

According to the author, the root of the problem is that ethics and morals have been largely abandoned from our daily lives.

Back to basics

It is time for us to go back to basics, to the fundamental foundation that governs our relationships with each other in communal life: morality and ethics.

Our morals and ethics in nation-building and being citizens have been formulated and regulated extensively, but today we see many people forgetting them.

On the other hand, we see violations being allowed to go unpunished. Those who are responsible for enforcing the rules are finally seen as tired of those violations.

The examples in this article are just everyday, visible things. More specific examples or incidents in other fields are also easy to reference.

If we look at this issue in the macro framework, we realize that in many aspects of our lives as a nation, we have left behind the basic foundation of living together.

Righteousness, both in politics (abuse of power and prioritizing groups), economy (corruption, central-regional disparities, monopolies, and enriching oneself), and law avoidance by political power, occur blatantly.

No one dares to speak up because doing so will result in danger for those who do. Those who should be upholding the rules are trapped in short-term interests: the fate of their positions, the fate if suddenly removed, and so on.

If someone dares to voice criticism, to remind of the existing violations, what happens afterwards is like "dogs barking, the caravan passes". There is no impact. Everything goes on as if nothing had happened.

Where is the spirit of defending the country and nation that aspires to advance the public welfare, enlighten the national life, and participate in world order?

The promises contained in the constitution are still relevant to guide us.

So far, we often pat our chests as one of the countries that is now included in the ranks of "developed countries" and has a demographic bonus and a large market. A country with an economy that continues to grow, with the second largest number of universities in the world (worldstatistic.com), and others.

However, behind these grand words, do we have a strong foundation, starting from the basics: respecting morals and ethics within our society?

We may be proud of high economic growth, but if a certain percentage of that development is the result of corruption, can we still be proud?

The demographic bonus is being boasted about, but if not followed by concrete examples from superiors to subordinates about the importance of following rules for the sake of justice for all, will we be proud of such conditions?

Many of this large demographic are trapped in online loans or are addicted to online gambling. Are we still going to be proud of this?

If regulations are not enforced, do not blame if Indonesian netizens have their own way of "upholding justice according to netizens" or reminding in their own unique way of violations that are in front of them.

We hope that the soon-to-be inaugurated new government will pay closer attention to these issues. Not just being enchanted by the physical appearance of development, while human development is ignored, even sidelined.

Hopefully.

Ignatius Haryanto, Doctor of Communication, FISIP, University of Indonesia; Lecturer in Journalism at Multimedia Nusantara University