Feudalism in our economic structure

Is it possible to achieve economic independence in view of our repetitive failures to achieve successful governmental economic policies since our independence on Aug. 17, 1945? Why have we not been able to achieve economic independence? And why do we always rely on foreign loans to run the government and to support the economic life of the people? For sure, we have inherited many bad policies, laws, economic structures and politics from Dutch colonization. We have not been able to create our own economic structure that would guarantee the development and maturation of our economic structure.

To this day, many components of the feudalistic economic system prevail. The biggest and the worst part of the system is the creation of economic dependency of the people upon the central government. This policy is so entrenched in the economic system of the current government that one cannot separate it any longer from those parts that were developed during our, so far, 53 years of independence. This would be possible if we accept the fact that the feudalistic philosophy appears to have been infiltrating the minds of those who have created our economic policies and structure. Namely those technocrats, regulators and lawmakers under guidance of corrupt leaders (who are basically feudalistic in nature).

The central theme of a feudalistic system is the economic exploitation of weak people for the sole purpose of gaining economic profit. This is systematically done by intoxicating the people with luxuries and false promises of material wealth, slogans and educational brain-washing as well as censors and repression. The creation of a myth around the lead figure is a very effective means to surround this feudalistic system with a mystical and impenetrable shield.

The only way to break through this shield is by totally discarding the feudalistic way of thinking through aggressive exposition of this thinking style inherent in the minds of those government officials inherited from the New Order. We must review all laws, regulations, policies and procedures (and, if necessary, our constitution) and get rid of the feudalistic elements if we want to free ourselves from the past. This way, we will ensure that our national development will be on the right path -- liberating our people from the ghosts of the past.

Social justice can be upheld if the feudalistic way of thinking no longer operates in the minds of our people. A master- slave relationship, discrimination based on social classes and caste, briberies and gifts to landlords (and the lords), seizure of land without due compensation, languages based on economic classes, differential customs and behaviors based on feudalistic mythological structure and sexual discrimination are some of the examples of our feudalistic past. These are still the essence of the fabrics of our society. The current reform process can be seen as a reaction against the feudalistic system that still exists in our governmental operational philosophy.

Giving our former president a huge amount of money as an after-service gift, while the average person still struggles to eat once a day, is tantamount to announcing our government officials' feudalistic way of thinking.

K. PRIBADI

Cimahi, West Java