Who is to blame?<\/p>\n
We used to be known as a nation of coolies and the coolie of
\nother nations. Today Indonesia is known as a nation of debtors
\nwhich has debts with other nations.<\/p>\n
In terms of the rupiah, Indonesia's loans total thousands of
\ntrillions or zillions and the amount will swell further with the
\nloans extended by the IMF and other donor countries\/institutions.
\nOn the other hand, the country's economic development has
\ncontracted by 10 percent, which means that the capacity to repay
\nthe loans has likewise weakened.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has now become a very poor country. The fruits of
\ndevelopment have simply vanished as a result of corrupt,
\ncollusive and nepotistic practices, which left the country
\nvulnerable to a monetary crisis. If this condition persists, it
\nis very likely that our people will become a nation of beggars,
\ncapable of only borrowing more and more money without knowing for
\ncertain when it can be repaid. The saying that Indonesia is a
\nchain of diamonds on the equator is now history, and in its place
\nthere is a new saying that it is a row of gravel that any
\npasserby can step on.<\/p>\n
Now that the economy is in a very bad condition, who is to
\nblame? The simplest answer would be that we all are. However, if
\nwe care to go deeper into the matter, we can work out who is
\nreally to blame and which social group assumes the greatest
\nresponsibility for the present economic tragedy. Common sense has
\nit that these people must admit that the guilt is theirs and they
\nshould, therefore, apologize to the Indonesian people.<\/p>\n
Illegally amassed funds now in their hands must be confiscated
\nand used to put the economy right. At this juncture, all sectors
\nmust be made to economize. Advertisements conveying
\ncongratulations on the appointment of officials, unnecessary
\nofficial trips, the appointment of members of the Supreme
\nAdvisory Council (DPA) and unproductive ministers and so forth
\nmust be stopped. In no way would this be vengeful, but simply a
\ncorrective act with a view to upholding justice to save the
\nrapidly deteriorating image of the nation. Remember, there is
\nlittle interest now in the rupiah, either at home or abroad.<\/p>\n
The guilty parties, who are aware that the accusing finger is
\npointed at them, have hinted that they are ready to be
\ninvestigated and would allow action to be taken against them if
\nthey are proven guilty. This is indeed the spirit of knighthood.
\nUnfortunately, one gets the impression that those authorized to
\nhandle the case are too slow in their actions and do not have
\nenough spirit of reform.<\/p>\n
Secretly, but surely, people are carefully following the
\nprocess of legal enforcement in this country. Do not let people's
\npatience run out and consequently take the law into their own
\nhands.<\/p>\n
H. IFRAD SUKAMTO<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/who-is-to-blame-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }