The Greek Tragedy: Failure of Welfare State and Democracy

The recent Greek woes leave us several good lessons learned regarding with much-praised welfare state and democracy. What has happened in Greece only confirms the downsides of those systems. Welfare state only works if the government provides corresponding financing. And in turbulent times, democracy is likely not the best option.

After ruled by military junta for several years, in 1974 the Greeks regained its democracy. This also brought prominent Papandreou dynasty coming back to politics. Back to 1963 George Papandreou became Prime Minister and was toppled by military coup d’etat in 1967.

From Papua With Goals

In the future, please forget naturalization players. Indonesian soccer team might not need them anymore.

Instead, Indonesian team can rely on Papuan soccer players. In 3 games against Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand, 7 out of 11 goals were scored by Papuan players. They are very dynamic, attractive, fast and very skilful. Titus Bonai, Patric Wanggai, Oktovianus Maniani, Stevie Bonsapia, Lucas Mandowen always cast a spell with attacking football. Indonesia will play semifinals and Indonesia pins hope on Papuan players to clinch gold medal.

Indonesia Can Nationalize Freeport!

Some of us might think it is a crazy idea to nationalize foreign concerns who have invested much money here. That’s an unprecedented dodgy action and unachievable, because it infringes a business contract. And the unintended consequence is foreign investors will shy away from doing business in Indonesia.

Is this true?

On American Inequality

According to recent American government study, the richest 1% becomes far richer over the last three decades than other brackets. This situation in part prompts protests from Occupy Wall Street movement who claims as the 99%.

But the intriguing question, who is really the 1%? And why do they become the 1%?

According to Forbes published in 2011, the richest man in America is Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft. Its product overwhelms the world and almost nothing to do with Wall Street’s bad image. In the next list names Larry Ellison of Oracle as no. 3, while Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin/Larry Page, Michael Dell and Bill Palmer as no. 13, 14, 15, 18, and 19, respectively. The list shows the 1% is dominated by dotcom billionaires.

The New Ministers with Old Challenges

The boring reshuffle ‘party’ is over now. Some ministers stay, but some go. Some new ministers spark a glimmer of hope, but some remain questionable.

To be precise, Indonesians can pin much hope from Dahlan Iskan as State-Owned Enterprises Minister. But Mari Pangestu as Tourism Minister and Jero Wacik as Energy and Mineral Minister, in my opinion, don’t fit the bill.

Nobel Economics Prize Should Go To China, Not America

Of late 2 Americans – Thomas J Sargent and Christopher A Sims - are awarded Nobel Prize in economic sciences. This adds the number of Americans clinching the prize. Based on Wikipedia data, 46 out of 69 of prize economics winners are Americans. They might deserve it in the past, but today it is questionable.

It seems Nobel committee to be out of touch with today’s reality, given the fact America (and western countries) whose economies are operated based on the works of their scholars studded with Nobel Prize are grappling with economic/financial crisis.

Steve Jobs and the Spirit of American iCulture

Apple (along with Microsoft, Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) can only thrive in America, not in China, not in South Korea, let alone Indonesia. China gave birth Baidu, South Korea raised Samsung, but they only the followers – of course shrewd followers – not the inventors. And the greatness of American technology and business is not merely about human resources or technology mastering, but it’s about culture.

What does really make America incredible? Is it spirit of capitalism that offers freedom and brings competition?

The Death of Einstein’s Theory!?

Update: Feb 24, 2012. Einstein's theory is still right
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/22/einstein-was-right-all-along-faster-than-light-neutrino-was-product-of-error/

Nothing can exceed the speed of light.

That is according to the most famous physicist on earth, Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity (1905). The theory also determines that the age of something that travels fast approaching the speed of light can significantly prolong its age. This has been observationally verified with evidence of the longer age certain particle in atmosphere going down to the earth.

Then, of late, the news from CERN, the world’s largest physics lab came and made Einstein’s theory of speed of light questioned. The CERN’s scientists had sent a beam of subatomic particles, neutrinos, from Cern, Switzerland to Gran Sasso, Italy traveling 732 km long and surprisingly, the speed recorded was 60 billionths of a second earlier than if traveled by light. It's very small, but it's enough.

Uncle Sam’s Problems

One of the big problems inflicting America is unemployment hovering 9-10%. Obama turns left embracing Keynesian solution relying on government spending. Nowadays he is appealing the Congress to approve his second $447 stimulus through jobs bill. But, many cast doubt. Will it work after the failure of first $825bn stimulus?

Of course there is no silver bullet in this recent crisis. Keynesian did work in the past, but different era brings different problems and asks for different solution.

There are 2 matters ruling the possibility of the success of Obama’s jobs bill. First, technological progress kills jobs, and second, globalization spreads the jobs.

Indonesia The Country We Love

After 66 years of independence, we need a survey to know what kind of feeling Indonesians have on this country. Are we proud and happy to be Indonesians? Do we have good reasons for those?

Al Ghazali: The Great Skeptic

After Prophet Muhammad (570 – 632) and Rashidun Caliphate (632 – 661) era, in terms of epistemological course, Muslim has been divided into 2 (two) schools of thought, namely: Mu’tazili and Asy’ari. Simply put, Mu’tazili was the rationalists relied on reason and human intellectual power, free will and embrace of Greek legacy of science, in contrast Asy’ari embraced religious source of Al Quran and hadith, no-natural-law principle and occasionalism.

Ibn al-Haytham: The First Scientist

With more than a billion-people strong, Islam dignity has been tainted by some of its adherents’ behavior. They hijacked planes, bombed buildings, committed suicidal attacks and killed the innocence. Worse, until now neither a few good men can elevate Islam status. All in all, Islam is experiencing long dark ages.

SBY and Warren Harding Error

SBY is under fire. Every day he must overcome unrelenting criticism over his feeble leadership.

The last one lashed out at him coming from Anies Baswedan, rector of Paramadina University. In his much-praised article (Kompas, 25/7/2011) entitled “Warning To Leader”, he criticized SBY’s negligence, indecisiveness, sluggishness, doubtfulness. At one point, SBY has ammunition of people’s support in presidential election, but it seems he never exercises this power. SBY doesn’t back his words with deeds. As matter of fact, there is nothing new with these.

Given his poor leadership, is SBY to blame?

Tantric Yoga Spirit and Masterpiece

In 1977, the late Muchtar Lubis, our crusading journalist, put forward Indonesians’ traits covering, among others, spendthrift, impatient and lazy. Nowadays, it turns out the very behaviors are still relevant and rampant.

Like it or not, Gayus Tambunan, the wealthy tax officer, and M. Nazaruddin, the wealthy ruling party treasurer, can be regarded as typical Indonesians rush for money or power, that the end justifies the means. Gayus’s malfeasance and Nazarudin’s collusion inevitably represent Indonesians who like to earn easy money, quick win, through corruption, rent-seeking, hanky-panky, rather than sparing no effort to do something great.

Petronas Towers

Malaysia would never be the same, when Petronas Towers was completed. The then-Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad’s brainchild including Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) really changed Malaysia. The glowing towers not only epitomized success story of Malaysia development, but gave the new identity of Malaysia in the world map as well.

The 451.9 m tall including antenna spire twin towers was built in 1992 through 1998 and recorded as the tallest building in the world, until Taipei 101 tower surpassed it in 2004. The building cost to the tune of USD 1.6 billion.

Blame His Men, Does Pak SBY Learn It from Sun Tzu?

In the last Cabinet meeting, President SBY publicly criticized its Minister for their low performances. He lamented that less than 50% of instructions haven’t been carried out without further accounts of neglected instructions. And he gives them 3 months to shape up.

Some thought this was the blame game covering his own weakness and abdication of responsibility.

However, I guessed Pak SBY learns it from Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese thinker, who wrote Art of War about 2300 years ago. As the China’s oldest military literature, Art of War was at first to serve military strategy. But somehow now it is widely used in business.

God Bless Still-In-Trouble America

America is undoubtedly the world’s only superpower with great achievement ranging from politics, economy, science & technology to culture. Their remarkable string of successes makes us believe what is good for America will be good for the world.


In 1992, after the fall of Uni Soviet, Japanese American thinker, Francis Fukuyama, bragged about that human civilization had come to the end of history and liberal democracy prevails.

Well, not so fast.

Democracy Tends To Corrupt, Absolute Democracy Corrupts Absolutely

Sometimes people think democracy is a powerful system to eradicate corruption. Refer to what has happened in Indonesia, they are absolutely wrong. Democracy unexpectedly brings corruption as much that of authoritarian regime.

Trias Politi-Crime: Execu-Thieves, Legisla-Thieves, Judica-Thieves

(With apologies to Montesquieu)

Indonesia is on course for cleptocracy in which state is commanded by thieves, said Kompas in yesterday’s headlines. And the existence of thieves spread wall-to-wall ranging from executive, legislative to judicative. Poor Indonesia, before bearing fruits, this incipient democrazy soon becomes cleptocrazy.

Indonesia’s Economic Liberalization? Why Not!

Xenophobia emerges.

Kompas (23/5/2011) expressed concerns that strategic sectors largely owned by foreign investors. Foreigners own 50.6% of banking industry and 75 % of oil and gas mining industry. They are also dominant player in telecommunication and palm oil estate.

And recently the government moves further by wanting to review mining contract.

Is it the backlash to the invited foreigners who partake in developing our economy?

Good News and Sexy Figures

In recent years Indonesia is being poured by good news coming from foreigners. All the cynics at home must get disconcerted with those sexy figures.

Moving Forward with Either Black or White Cat Ideology

Today we observe the birth of Pancasila, our state ideology. In the last recent years, this ideology eclipses. However, amid the eroding religious tolerance and growing hardliners, some suggest that Pancasila should be revived. Is it true that Pancasila will resolve that problem?

Indonesia’s Maid-Based Economy

To paraphrase Deng Xiaoping: It doesn’t matter whether a fat president or slim president, as long as he brings prosperity. If the president does care about his personal performance, he should also be bothered by the maid- sending policy which utterly denting his country’s image.

Without Pak Harto-Style Government Indonesia Is Going Nowhere

Recent polling by Indo Barometer suggests people still regard Pak Harto as the best leader Indonesia ever had. The survey implies most people, myself included, that Pak Harto outperforms Habibie, Gus Dur, Megawati and SBY. New Orders led by Pak Harto did deliver undeniable results.

Why Don't Indonesia Naturalize Singapore's George Yeo?

Many people say that Singapore is run by meritocracy system which is: “let the best manage the rest”. However, despite People’s Action Party (PAP)’s landslide victory in recent election, we can dispute that dictum now. George Yeo, one of the best Singaporean minds lost, his seat in parliament and accordingly – following the rule of parliamentary system – he soon becomes “former” Singapore’s foreign minister.

Dahlan Iskan For President

If you are fed up with lawmakers’ junkets, it will be better for you to learn more about this inspiring PLN Chief, Pak Dahlan Iskan. Remarkably, he has turned around PLN from zero to hero only in a year. Along with Jusuf Kalla and Fadel Muhammad, I think he is one of few public officers who always put the brain on the right place and do the right thing, while serving people.

Terrorist Predator

Since Indonesia’s communist uprising mounting in 1965, it seems nothing that posed real threat to our national security. Thanks to New Order’s heavy-handed policy, the strong government invariably managed to contain groups or parties scrambling to oust legitimate government or replacing Pancasila as ideology. As a result, Indonesia enjoyed stability for decades so as the government to focus only on development.

Singapore Story: Up-and-Coming Sarah Pei Ling

Singapore can be regarded as a very serious country when its then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew enacted the chewing gum ban. He got very angry for the gum disposal had dirtied public facilities, such as floors, starways, mailboxes, inside keyholes and even on elevator buttons. This ridiculous act implies clearly that the government regulates everything included trivial matters. And if you can’t chew the gums even if you will dispose them properly, let alone you can criticize the government in which you might make it looked dirty.

First Brigadier Norman Camaru: Indonesia’s Yearning for a Hero

He merely tried to give his troubled colleague consolation by lip-synching an Indian song, then uploaded the footage on Youtube and out of the blue he becomes a celebrity. He unintentionally drives the nation into frenzy. He is First Brigadier Norman Camaru, a member of Police Mobile Brigade Unit of Gorontalo.

Free Trade: Good or Bad for Indonesia?

ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) had been inked since 2002 and the agreement would come into effect in 2010. Certainly, it’s not difficult to expect what would happen. Chinese products would overwhelm Indonesia’s market and out-compete locally made products. After a year of implementation, some industries affected by this agreement cry for government’s help. So, what should we do to deal with free trade wisely and effectively?

Free ‘Em All

Published in http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/04/17/blog-imo-free-em-all.html
Twenty Indonesian sailors en route to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, were held hostage by Somali pirates in the Arab Peninsula on March 16, 2011. The pirates had increased the ransom from USD 2.6 million in the beginning to USD 9 million now. The hostages’ health is reportedly worsening, but as usual the government has no response on what to do.

Chinese Wisdom on Western-Style Democracy

I burst out laughing knowing that Indonesia’s Foreign Minister was invited to Egypt to share the democracy experience – its successes and failures, particularly in general election and political party regulation. Are the Egyptians serious?

Ill-Fated Indonesian Soccer

Why do human species conquer the world despite the existence of other stronger, quicker and bigger animals? It’s because only human can organize themselves effectively so as to protect themselves from any threats and through the very cooperation to achieve highest culture on earth. That specific trait has made human species prevails. The natural law is the better organization lead to more power.

Indonesia’s Nuclear Power Plant: To Build or Not To Build

In the wake of Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant calamity, Indonesians raise their concerns on the plan of first Indonesia’s nuclear power plant which is scheduled to be on stream in 2017. The government has been ready with the plan encompassing law, presidential decree, studies and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approval.

The World Does Need America

Sometimes we hate America, but sometimes we need its superpower to restore the situation. We sometimes see America as a good guy referring to Balkan war, but in another time as a bad guy seeing what has happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s like Goethe’s Faust: “Two souls, alas! Are lodg’d within my breast.”

Japan’s Armageddon

Do you remember Bruce Willis’ Armageddon? In that film an asteroid headed to Earth and unless it was blocked, the Earth would be crashed and unimaginable disaster would come about. The solution was to implant nuclear bomb in the asteroid so as to explode it in outer space. The chosen few doing the job is given to the oil-drilling master led by Bruce Willis. I am so moved when seeing the team set out as the mellow soundtrack of Leaving on the Jet Plan was played. The fate of the world was in a handful of people.

Adding Value to Mineral Commodities

Sometimes the government thinks too hard on how to spur economy, but seems to forget picking up the low hanging fruit. And one of the ripe fruits is: to add value to the mineral commodities.

All Roads Lead To Prosperity

The way of country’s development is often considered as one size fit all. America-led market liberalization and democratization idea overwhelms all over the world. The governments – especially in crisis – are pushed to embrace the liberal idea either voluntarily or forcedly. Indonesians experienced this dilemma back to 1998. However, seeing what has happened in China and Germany, that long-standing tenet of liberalism or democracy should have been revised.

Towards Knowledge-Based Economy

Developed nations invariably depend on knowledge-based economy. Whatever they do in business, they add unrelentingly the more value to goods and services. The secret has been revealed. To be rich, every nation needs only to mine ideas inside its citizens’ craniums, rather than to mine oil inside earth. Natural resource-starved lands could barely hamper Japan, Korea or Singapore coming out as world’s top-notch nations.

Indonesia’s Population: Challenge and Opportunity

Experts call it window of opportunity. In 2020s, Indonesia population structure gives the best opportunity to prosperity. In that golden era, the dependency ratio will land the lowest point which means the maximum number of productive people (15 – 65 years old) carrying the burden of minimum number of unproductive people (0-14 and 65+ years old).

Indonesia’s Too-Slowly-Implemented Economic Corridors

I admit that President SBY has tried hard to make good for this country. The long time-discussed economic corridors development shows his effort. However, as usual, the initiative is largely implemented on the table rather than on ground. To me, economic corridor story is the ensuing laughingstock of SBY’s government, next to law enforcement and religious tolerance.

Let Ahmadis Live Side-By-Side With Us

I wonder why many people are so keen to expect the change of Ahmadis’ belief. It will be futile efforts. You can kill them as well as torture them. But as long as belief is concerned, you can do nothing about it.

Sober Facts: Autocratic Egypt and Tunisia Are Richer Than Democratic Indonesia

I often heard on Indonesia’s TV station in which the middle-east “experts” analyzed that poverty was one of the culprits of recent Arab’s revolution. It is true for Yemen, but not for Tunisia and Egypt. Let’s fiddle with figures.

Grooming Leaders

Democracy supporters always brag the best leaders invariably come from elections. It might be true for certain condition. However, democratic America’s worsening economy casts doubt about the primacy of democratic system. On the contrary, single-party-ruled China’s rising power gives another insight.

Whither Indonesia?

Democracy has given a broad space to the press scrutinizing openly every single occurrence. We become overwhelmed with information. However the well informed public turn disillusioned since the blatant wrongdoings are never handled in just and logic way. We see evils have won many times.

On SBY Leadership

Can you ask a shuttler to be a good soccer player? Or can you ask a back to be a goal-hungry striker? By all means you can't do that. It's not about will, but it's about 'genetic' traits thing you hardly deny. Accordingly you can't complain SBY's inaction on anti-corruption war. That's what he has got. Should you ask him more, you flog the dead horse.

Indonesia’s Low Trust Society

As old proverb goes two head is better than one head. To carry out the big job, the more people are needed. And based on research, only suitable character can fuse different people in a team and get the result. And that character is: Trust.

Are They Serious To Eradicate Corruption?

It looks like President SBY is very serious to get corruption rid of this country by establishing Anti Mafia Task Force. But I feel terrible when I heard at Metro TV last Thursday morning; Deny Indrayana said that the main task of task force is, first, to raise militancy among public on legal issue and, second, to be dismissed.

The Ugly Face of Democracy

The gist:

• America is experiencing big deficit budget caused by financial crisis,
• To plug this America needs money immediately. One of potential source is tax revenue,
• The government can’t do this due to the rebuff of Republican majority in Congress,
• This will keep the prosperity of the rich during the recovery in the expense of benefits for the poor, competitive education, infrastructure and so forth,
• Democracy makes this happen.