Patriotism?<\/p>\n
One does not have to be a political scientist or historian to
\nknow that fears of a waning of our sense of patriotism are not
\nnew. Yet if one listens to the things politicians say, it is
\nclear that patriotism is still strong among Indonesians, 50 years
\nafter independence was proclaimed.<\/p>\n
In the case of Indonesia, there is special reason to be
\nworried. It must be remembered that Indonesia is one of the most
\ndiverse countries in the world, with more than 350 ethnic and
\nracial groups, all with different cultural, religious and
\ntraditional backgrounds. From the earliest days of the Indonesian
\nindependence movement in the early decades of this century,
\nwelding all these different population groups into one undivided
\nIndonesian nation has been one of the most important, and at the
\nsame time most formidable tasks.<\/p>\n
It is obvious that, even today, preserving this unity remains
\na major concern of those in power in Indonesia. National unity is
\nnot a thing that can be taken for granted. Hence the inclusion of
\nthe principle of the \"Unity of Indonesia\" in Pancasila, the five-
\ntiered Indonesian state philosophy.<\/p>\n
Against this background, the concern expressed by the Minister
\nof Defense and Security, Edi Sudradjat, at a seminar on \"The
\nNation State in the Era of Globalization\" is understandable. In a
\nnutshell, the minister's address contained a warning to the
\nnation that business interests might at some point in the future
\neclipse the sense of patriotism in this country.<\/p>\n
Referring to predictions that China, rather than Japan, was
\nlikely to become the dominant economic power in the new \"Asian
\nEra\", Edi Sudradjat noted, among other things, that many of
\nIndonesia's most successful businessmen were of Chinese ancestry.
\nHe further noted that one of the determining factors for their
\nsuccess was their ability to penetrate regional and global
\nnetworks.<\/p>\n
While these businessmen are thus a national asset as long as
\ntheir success remained oriented towards serving the nation's
\neconomic interests, \"the feeling may prevail that, nowadays, not
\nnational unity and cohesion, but international cooperation for
\nthe sake of economic success is the most important thing,\" the
\nminister said.<\/p>\n
Human nature being what it is, Edi Sudradjat's concerns are of
\ncourse legitimate. To put things in perspective, however, it must
\nalso be noted that defining patriotism itself is difficult.
\nNobody will deny, for instance, that both India's Mahatma Gandhi
\nand Sukarno were patriots to the bone. Yet their views on the
\nkind of economic structure that would best benefit the nation
\nwere diametrically opposed to each other. While Gandhi preached
\nswadesi, or self-reliance based on the people's innumerable
\ncottage industries, Sukarno was an admirer of large-scale
\nprojects and monumental industrial programs.<\/p>\n
One could also argue that the intensive study and use of a
\nforeign language is unpatriotic. What we mean to say is that it
\nis not always easy, especially in this era of globalization, to
\ndefine what is and what is not patriotic. We believe a good
\nyardstick is the impact, positive or negative, on the progress
\nand well-being of our nation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/patriotism-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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