Don't be pessimistic<\/p>\n
I am referring to Satish Mishra's article published in The
\nJakarta Post on Nov. 19, 2002 titled Indonesia's journey: Is the
\nglass half empty?.<\/p>\n
Satish Mishra wrote: "This transformation is nothing less than
\na metamporphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. The pessimist
\nsees only the mangled remains of a caterpillar. ... one also
\nobserves the emerging wings of a butterfly."<\/p>\n
I agree that some Indonesians also see what you do as "the
\nemerging wings of a butterfly". These are the people who have
\nsavings accounts (like you?), in U.S. dollars or a lot of rupiah!
\nThey're the rich who gained most of their wealth during
\nSoeharto's corrupt regime.<\/p>\n
We don't need to be pessimistic, as you said, but how tiny
\ntheir numbers are in Indonesia! In 1997-1998 they made up only 2
\npercent of the whole population. And many of them left to settle
\nin foreign countries to continue investing their capital. So how
\nmuch of the population stayed behind?<\/p>\n
These rich people are doing business importing luxury goods,
\nsuch as expensive cars, entertainment gadgets and so on. Who can
\nafford them? But yet the goods sell out! Amazing, isn't it?<\/p>\n
Most of these luxury cars belong to the new ruling class and
\nthe rich only!<\/p>\n
Have you seen how the majority of people live in Indonesia?
\nLook at the 40,000,000 unemployed living across the archipelago!<\/p>\n
Yes, we don't need to be pessimistic. Especially because
\nexpensive products from multinational corporations are sold to
\n(the tiny number of) Indonesians! Time to celebrate due to the
\nsuccessful work of the IMF in Indonesia!<\/p>\n
Satish Mishra further wrote: "... The end of this journey is
\nto turn a dictatorship into a democracy. It is to turn a
\npatrimonial and outmoded form of cronyism into a competitive
\nrules-based economy."<\/p>\n
Did the IMF and multinational corporations care whether the
\ngovernment was run by a dictator? The most important thing for
\nthem was profit, not the fate of the country and its people! They
\nare immoral forces!<\/p>\n
Yes, Indonesia should change into "a competitive rules-based
\neconomy," but not by the model given by the IMF and WTO! We don't
\nneed the IMF!<\/p>\n
We should look to Brazil as an example in solving our
\ncountry's troubles. The new Brazil said good-bye to the IMF.
\nIndonesia should say good-bye to the IMF, too!<\/p>\n
I am sorry that I don't agree with you in being optimistic,
\nbut that doesn't mean I am pessimistic. I am simply being
\nrealistic!<\/p>\n
IKRANAGARA, Bloomington, USA, ikranagara@mindspring.com<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/dont-be-pessimistic-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }