Feudalism in our economic structure

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