One of Indonesian weaknesses and faults is to suffer from complacency (this word does not exist in Bahasa Indonesia, you can try to consult any Bahasa Indonesia dictionaries), ignorance attitude, unpreparedness to increase alertness and achievement, so that we are too easy to be overtaken by others.And you know what? He's talking on why Indonesian oil uplifting decreases and mining technology lags behind. I don't know what Taufik Hidayat has to do with it.
Look our badminton (for example Taufik Hidayat), look Indonesian football and Indonesian Football Association now. Even its chairman is jailed but refused to be replaced, despite FIFA warning.
What does it all mean? We, Indonesian, no longer know ethics, no longer have dignity, shameless. Period.
The last para in above quote, I daresay, is an insult -- at best a careless generalization. Pointing out a whole nation and people to blame for such technical problem is of no use. With all my respect, he should've known how to avoid over generalization in order to make policy workable --or to write sensible op-ed.
Crossposted comment from exegesis:
ReplyDeleteAt the same page, a friend of mine, a former activist, called the government's idea to use part of the fuel subsidy to help poor college student as 'bribery.' He urged students not to take the money which was 'immorally stolen from the people.' I wonder why he doesn't urge the student anywhere to stop riding their own private vehicle altogether...
Yesterday, a former president said that cash transfer is creating a 'beggar's attitude' and the government is 'no Santa Claus.' She forgot that fuel subsidy is an even bigger Santa Claus; but the present is for the middle class.
Eveybody now use mask, if do not use mask, we don't have face, do we?
ReplyDeletehypocrisy, even the leaders use everyday to close their face... what they are saying just like a flatus, smell bad for a moment and then disappear..
why do feel insulted?
ReplyDeleteon mr. zen, i think the opposite is true.
i think the problems are:
indonesians know to much ethics (e.g. we should get technology but not from the US), suffer from dignity overload (e.g. we should make everything by ourselves), are too shy (e.g. want profits but despise them).
:D
I think his argument was well delivered. Although his words seem to be too harsh on some points.
ReplyDeleteApart from his Taufik Hidayat analogy, I think his point is not on the technicality of our oil production. It is more about how we lagged behind others and not willing to learn more, also, no struggle.
We tend to take the easiest way, shortcut for everything, while those shortcuts are not sustainable enough for us to maintain. I think that exactly his argument is about.
Andika, but who are the "we"? You, I, Taufik Hidayat, Chincha Lawra ? :-)).
ReplyDeleteUsing the same logic, can I say that Indonesian national football team is such a loser because we are stupid? Would this statement be helpful to understand the problem, let alone to offer solution?
Or, say that the Norways are damn good in taking over the US technology. Do you really think it is because "they" (the Norways) are more dignified, ethical, less-shortcut societies, than "us" (the Indonesians)?
No, our distinguished Professor's argument is logically flawed.