Who said colonialism was dead?
A certain sign of Indonesia's independence day's approach is The Jakarta Post's Your Letters section bursting with missives on the subject of colonialism. This year proves no exception.
Colonialism was a fact. Certain writers have vilified its past practice by European nations; and its benign effects lauded by others. Certainly truth emanates from both points of view. Yes, the European nations extracted wealth from their colonies. In the same stroke, they instituted superior systems of law, and introduced the Age of Reasons to parts of the globe where demagoguery and superstition, unfortunately, often continue to be accepted as truth more readily than logic and observed fact.
Colonialism continues to be a fact. The old fashioned domination of real estate by strong nations continues, curiously more often now practiced by the formerly colonized. In our region, glaring examples stare at us, from Tibet to East Timor.
New forms of colonialism are more subtle and insidious. They involve the ability of supranational business conglomerates to subvert land, labor, and resources along pathways greased by the snake oil of free trade's brave new world. Colonialism continues as always, the domination of the weak by the strong and cunning.
It was, therefore, interesting to read two articles in The Jakarta Post's July 31 edition. One described ASEAN's call to review the Universal Declaration on Human Rights to include such oddities as "respect for authority", which one might surmise is the right of dictators to dominate their subjects.
The second article laments the dearth of Indonesian intellectual development, partly as a result of the political pressure exerted on academics. Since a nation's power to participate in geopolitical affairs rests largely with its ability to be strong and cunning, perhaps our lack of intellectual development is yet another Western conspiracy for Farid Baskoro to report on.
Consider the scenario: employing some simple reverse psychology, the West demands respect for universal human rights. Predictably, the East rejects an intrusion on their internal affairs and continue to crack down on labor activists, environmentalists, and intellectuals. Intellectual development is stifled, bright minds emigrate to freer shores. and the West continues to dominate science and technology, preserving the status quo.
Who said colonialism was dead?
STEPHEN G. KRECIK
Jakarta