Power And Opportunities

Photo Illustration By Andry Winarko VOI

JAKARTA - Two years before his term as president ended, the issue of Jokowi building a stronger dynasty was raised. This is based on the fact that his son-in-law became Mayor in Medan and his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka was appointed Mayor in Solo

Leaders or rulers who are infected with crissisism will always try to appear authoritative, trendy, and elegant for the sake of splendor or respect. The characteristics and personalities of these eccentric people are always colluding and view themselves as the greatest people. And for a leader like this, power is an addiction.

Two psychologists from the United States, Jean M Twenge and W Keith Campbel in their book entitled The Narcism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Enthilement, explain that today's sadistic culture has become a disease that has infected the majority of individuals on earth. As if in rhythm, a novel called The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, tells the story of a handsome young man named Narcis from Greece who is loved by beautiful girls who like to admire themselves on the surface of a quiet and clear lake water.

Until one day Narcis died, the lake lost its permanent visitors. The lake was sad and crying. A fish that lived in the lake asked if he was crying about Narcis' departure. The lake replied, "I didn't cry for his departure at all. I felt so lost, because every time he came to look at his face at me, I saw my beauty in his eyes."

Power in the sadistic realm is usually placed above all else. And when it's like this, power turns into addiction. Addiction has a huge influence on anyone affected.

In Power's book Power, Powerlessness and Addiction explains that addiction can encourage the giving of responsibility to individuals and divert attention from the authorities who benefit from addiction; and ways that silence the voices of people whose interests are at least served by addiction.

Scientists and author Professor Ian Robertson on the National College of Ireland website stated that power can affect the brain in a similar way to cocaine. Like cocaine, power can increase the level of dopamine 'neurotransmitters associated with pleasure and rewards' in the brain.

The behavior of people who are addicted to power is similar to the book entitled The Prince by Nicollo Machiavelli. A book that tells the story of how to reach, and maintain, power. If previously there were many thoughts that combine politics and ethics, Machiavelli actually separated it firmly. He threw things that smelled of ethics into cyber history. It's not wrong if this philosopher is known as the teacher of politicians who are greedy and justify all means of power.

The Call For The Echo Of Resistance For Democracy

Two years before his term as president ended, the issue of Jokowi building a stronger dynasty was raised. This is based on the fact that his son-in-law became Mayor in Medan and his eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka was appointed Mayor in Solo.

Director of Indonesian Political Parameters Adi Prayitno admits that Jokowi in his second term was haunted by the temptation of building a political dynasty. According to him, it is natural for a president as the full authority holder in a country. Given that power is indeed an addiction that is always addictive.

"Power is addiction. It can tease anyone. It's natural," Adi told VOI in a written statement.

Since the decision of the Constitutional Court No. 90-PUU XXI/2023, then followed by the decision of the Advanced Indonesia coalition party spearheaded by the Gerindra Party to appoint Gibran Rakabuming Raka as Prabowo's representative had an impact on the decline in support for Jokowi.

Now, the gusts of the issue have become evident with the advancement of Gibran as a vice presidential candidate (Cawapres) from Prabowo. This is like ending Jokowi's honeymoon with Megawati and PDIP. Moreover, since then, it seems that Jokowi has been more endorsed by Prabowo, plus claims from the group, they have Jokowi's support. Including a number of volunteer groups and Jokowi's supporting organs, who expressed support to Prabowo-Gibran. Meanwhile, from the PDIP and Ganjar seemed to be trying to escape from Jokowi's shadow.

Since the emergence of the alleged fabrication case at the Constitutional Court, Gibran has become a vice presidential candidate for Prabowo. Where the MKMK finally stated that it sentenced the head of the Constitutional Court, Anwar Usman, who was deemed to have violated the code of ethics and removed him from the position of Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court. The greater public confidence, there is a large scenario in the political field that is run by the authorities with the aim of perpetuating power.

It was the warning alarm that grew an antipathy attitude towards Jokowi, who previously received high support during the government. In fact, many parties consider public satisfaction with Jokowi's performance to reach 80 percent. However, since then the public's respect for Jokowi has slowly followed up, even a number of his fanatical supporters, Jokowi, feel disappointed and leave him.

Jokowi's behavior at the end of his term of office was considered to have violated the rules. Starting from accusations of misuse of social assistance, the use of officials to direct certain couples, made the political escalation ahead of the February 14, 2024 elections increase. A number of groups even started calling for impeachment to the decline in presidential positions before the end.

Because of this concern, the campuses and the UGM academics began to move to convey the continued declaration of the UII Campus, and following the UI campus in Jakarta marking increasingly massive public resistance.

In the Speak up podcast hosted by Abraham Samad, Presidential Candidate 03, Ganjar Pranowo stated that our democracy is not doing well, if religiousists, academics have spoken a lot, trying to remind them. The massive warning should be heard, otherwise we are risking our democracy. "The massive warning is an alert for the powerful to change," he said last week.

According to him, what is the will of reform? The reform of the president should not take too long, so that the president is limited to only 2 terms, then regional autonomy, KKN brushes, then openness where anyone can become anything as long as the people trust it, that's the will of democracy. "But what happens now, the itervention is getting more massive, controlled by people who don't want to, politics is happening everywhere," he said. This atmosphere, said Ganjar, is heading to authoritarian. "If people who have experienced 98 masses, people will refuse and fight", he said.

Political figure and founder of Polmark, Eep Saefullah Fatah, admitted that he had called for public resistance to the arbitrariness of the rulers. According to Eep, the resistance is necessary and must be intensified. Eep called for resistance to defeat the party supported by President Jokowi in the upcoming February 14 election. He asked the public to continue to oversee post-February 14 elections until the voting day on February 30.

"Don't slack off, the resistance needs to be echoed." he said when speaking on Abraham Samad's podcast.

To oversee the election process, Eep even prepared the "Residents Keep Elections" application that users of the Android application could download to be a means of monitoring and reporting fraud during the election.