Are we really a free nation?

Are we really a free nation?

From Merdeka

We (albeit not all of us, of course) are an easily satisfied
nation with a tendency to be quantitatively oriented. "Tired" of
being under the colonial rule of three countries for more than
350 years, we got the feeling that we were fully independent when
we proclaimed our independence on Aug. 17, 1945. In fact, without
belittling the sacrifices of our heroes, this independence simply
meant that "the government is now made up of personnel of our own
nation."

Do we still feel that we are "independent" when foreign
capitalists have gained increasing freedom to seize our assets
and expatriates have taken the places of local employees? From
2003 things will become much worse in this respect.

Our mass associations and social and political organizations
are just content with the votes collected during the general
election. They have not started to consider the quality of "the
manner in which the votes are collected." That's why the
additional motto for the general election, jurdil (honest and
fair) is still a taboo, while political legitimacy obtained under
the principle of "the end justifies the means" continues to be
considered valid.

Are our people a nation that take pride in and appreciates
"muscles" more than "intellect"? The SEA Games XIX scandal
(involving the manipulation of stickers, hotels and the
implementation of the event in the midst of a monetary crisis)
attests to this. One who can answer the questions on a popular
quiz show (which are simple and trivial) can pocket millions of
rupiah while the winner and finalists of a quiz on science and
general knowledge or a scientific contest take home only a metal
cup.

Some people decide to throw a thanksgiving party the moment
they are promoted or appointed high-ranking government officials
while the euphoria demonstrated by their family members far
exceeds the joy of a youngster winning a place in a state-owned
university. Positions are still viewed as a pleasure rather than
a mandate to act for others. This runs counter to the attitude of
the friends of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers, who saw
positions as "the mouth of a tiger". They first thought of the
responsibility they have to shoulder in their job, and not the
pleasures they might enjoy from assuming the job.

We are also a very forgiving nation, so much so that just a
word of apology (even said only implicitly) is enough to negate
years of wrongdoings committed by one or a number of officials.

We are a nation that finds it extremely difficult to learn. We
have extensive seas and forests but we have never had even a
single fire-fighting airplane. We also let the same old problems
recur every year; the massive exodus of city dwellers who visit
their home towns during the Idul Fitri holiday, the haj
pilgrimage management, the coming of the dry season, floods,
coping with the new academic year etc. have always been a
headache.

We (once again, not all of us, of course) also regularly
contract "pendulum disease". We give an extreme reaction to an
extreme situation. An example of this is that we demand that
monopolistic practices should be abolished in such a way that the
word monopoly itself has become pejorative. However the market
structure of our economy has become so monopolistic that state
monopolies are undoubtedly needed with respect to the control of
natural resources because these resources affect the livelihoods
of the people and must be used to the optimum for the sake of
people's welfare.

NURBOWO

Jakarta