Tuesday, December 27, 2005

"Kemandirian Bangsa"

That literally means "the nation's independency" -- I guess. It has a broader (or is it narrower) meaning, however. When we don't import rice and instead we produce it all by ourselves, no matter how expensive it is, then we have "kemandirian bangsa". That also applies to sugar, fertilizer, oil, gas, you name it. It might as well mean: do not import anything at all -- I guess.

So, a banner hanging in Jalan Buncit says: "Refuse rice import! For the sake of the nation's independence/independency!".

Man.

To be honest, there's only one antiglobalization fighter that I have ever respected. His name is Mahatma Gandhi. As far off as he was, at least he was a consistent fighter. He wore his own clothes, unsown (unsewed?). He didn't wear shoes. (Was that pair of glasses made in India, by the way?)

While the antiglobalization fighters of today... they wear 501 Levi's, smoking Marlboro, and drinking Coca Cola... "Globalization is evil", say they... on a microphone made by Taiwan, with a tee shirt of Che Guevara, popularized by capitalism. And afterward: McDonald, anybody?

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