Indonesian psychology

Donna K. Woodward, as expected, rather than arguing against my valid points, made a blanket statement that my (and, implicitly, the Indonesian people's) character is emotional and less than logical. As someone who has the audacity to hold such an unpopular view regarding Indonesian politics, Woodward is apparently not equipped with adequate and valid data. Hence she is not prepared to solidly argue both my and Nova Poerwadi's rebuttals.

She should bear in mind one factor; being passionate about something as distinct from being emotional about something. If she thinks that she is a sober and unemotional person, her writings in the past year, on the surface at least, haven't generally shown these qualities. However, without advancing any argument, did I ever jump to my feet and tell her how emotional and illogical she has been? So, her defensive statement that in my writing there seems to be a failure of logic and a substitution of emotion for reason doesn't in the least hold water. It thus begs the question: Who is she actually referring to? Herself or me/us, the Indonesians?

In the past one and a half years, as a result of the unexpectedly overwhelming support for my thoughts which I have received from readers and the editorial team, I have found this new career as a Jakarta Post's freelance writer marvelously fulfilling. Many readers, among them prominent figures of whom some I have had the honor to meet, have called me and commented on my writings, and none of them have described me the way Woodward did, namely emotional as opposed to logical. My rebuttal on her article can be found on Wimar Witoelar's website (http://www.perspektif.net).

I invite her to visit that site and learn the complex truth about Indonesian politics, so next time she won't repeat her blunder.

I have one request for Donna Woodward: Please understand the psychology of our people (many of whom are PDI Perjuangan supporters). We are a battered people, and many times we have been deceived by the likes of Habibie and those political opportunists currently dominating the House of Representatives. Hence any trust that our system and political elite can bail us out of the immense problems we are facing has worn extremely thin. I don't believe in jingoism and bigotry (God knows how I hate the noises and rhetoric against the Australians), but to hear a foreigner preach how illogical we, the Indonesians, are without advancing a sound and circumspect argument, is a bit out of order, so to speak.

One last tip for Woodward: The art of arguing is the art of living. We argue because we must, because life demands it; because, in the end, life itself is but an argument.

RAHAYU RATNANINGSIH

Jakarta