Watching and waiting
With elections in Malaysia drawing close, the classic graphic novel Watchmen offers some thoughts in government and power.
THESE are certainly interesting times in Malaysia. With the 14th general elections only days away, almost every conversation – online, offline and everything in between – seems to be about politics.
These conversations are necessary, and no doubt very important. But they can also become overwhelming, particularly when they cross the line into being less about the collective good and more about party loyalties.
At times like these, I’ve often found it helpful to mirror real life with something fictional, and for the last week or so, that mirror has been the seminal 1987 graphic novel Watchmen. Created by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colourist John Higgins, Watchmen is often hailed as one of the most important literary works of the 20th century – not only is it considered the first comic book to be taken seriously by mainstream literary critics, it is the only graphic novel to be included in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (a situation which, in my opinion, needs correcting – but that’s a conversation for another day).
Watchmen’s critical and commercial success can be attributed to its incredibly layered storyline, which seems to yield something new with each read. Gibbons complements Moore’s plot with panels packed with details, with several stories and timelines linked through clever visual clues.
But what makes it such a relevant read for me now is its social and political commentary, from which there is much that can be drawn to parallel our current concerns. Watchmen is set in an alternate version of 1980s United States, where the existence of costumed crimefighters has changed the course of the country’s historical development.
While only one of these heroes actually has superpowers – Dr Manhattan, due to a nuclear accident in a lab – these vigilantes grow to the capture the public’s imagination. Moore’s heroes, though are not paragons of virtue by any means. Instead, they are all flawed in some way or another – in other words, they are much like “ordinary” folks.
At the point when the novel begins superheroes have been outlawed, and most have retired. But when a former masked hero ends up dead, questions arise amongst the others about whether someone might be targeting them.
Watchmen deals with many difficult questions in relation to power, government and those we place in those positions. One of the core questions, however, is a simple one: who is to be held accountable? This question is embodied by the phrase that pops up in various forms throughout the graphic novel: “Who watches the Watchmen?”
It is a question that has stuck with me as I think about the current state of our politics, which seem to be in many ways degenerating into cults of personality and blind party loyalty. Many of those advocating for change are sincere and reliable; the level of discourse among followers on both sides, however, can often seem indistinguishable from each other.
How can we advocate for or expect real change when both sides of the divide behave in the same petty and small-minded ways? When there seems to be much less talk about accountability or honesty, and instead, much more chest-thumping and name-calling?
So who does watch the Watchmen, those we’ve ostensibly entrusted to govern us? The simple answer is, it should be us. We should be holding all of them accountable, not just the ones we oppose. The leaders we stand behind are as much a reflection of us as they are of their parties. Perhaps we should hold them, and ourselves, to a higher standard. Sharmilla Ganesan is currently reading her way through the titles in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. Join the conversation at facebook. com/BeBookedOut or Tweet @ SharmillaG.