My Think Tank

Great Admiration Means Great Danger..

2011-07-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Just want to say. I have already thought of this before that having great extension of admiration and reverence to someone in your profession or your field is not going to make one move further beyond getting into the field. What I mean is that one looking up to his role model just provides him with the energy to get absorbed with the field, say economics but it's not going to make one distinct as he would tend to, to the least extent, copy pretty much the idol's technique. It is still fine as long as one still adapts the way of thinking, but it is dangerous when he starts completely copying his technique. Worse yet, we could be blind in judgment just because it collides with the idol's value system. I don't want to be someone like that. I don't want to take anyone or anything for granted. It is simply dull.

Short-lived but Very Deep Impact..RIP, Mas!

2011-06-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

Just exactly a week ago, my best friend just passed away. All I remember is that he always slipped some sugar to a glass of tea of mine even though I requested plain tea. "It tasted better, Mand", he said. Ah, Mas Karnoe, you always want the best for your kids without thinking about yourself, first. I believe you were among the noblest man in this world.

Unfortunately, you received no wide publications that other people could not get to know to you. Ah, I thought I would be able to visit you at BOE for the last time before my departure to the U.S. next August. But it's okay, perhaps I would simply ask for your blessings in my prayer.

Mas, you might have had relatively short life and less wealthy, but it did not mean you lived a miserable life. As Abraham Lincoln once said "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." Rest in peace, Mas.

Great Scientists and Statesmen

2011-06-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

I may not be a mathematics student or have a knack for mathematics, but I am actually interested in mathematics and mathematicians. I once borrowed a book from a library in my campus titled "Men of Mathematics" and I was dazzled by the life of the greatest mathematicians. Also, I have a great interest in reading lives of great economists, scientists or philosophers, as well. This time I happened to read a life story of another great mathematician.

As I was trying to look for mathematics material (trying to learn some before my grad study, hopefully. :p ), I stumbled at department of math at Harvard and was pretty amazed finding out that its chair is Chinese, Dr. Shing-Tung Yau! I know that Chinese are widely known for their prodigious ability in math and science but it still bit my tongue.

As always, my great interest guided me to his story. I don’t want to give so much thought about his prodigious academic achievement, which is most notably for winning a Fields Medal in 1990, but I was much interested in his courage and determination to advance sciences in China. He still wants to come home every summer to his homeland to work and teach there. His objective is to attract bright Chinese students to study in the U.S.

In addition to academic drive, he has also been absorbed by political movement and interest. He even got the balls to challenge Chinese government regarding allegedly fraud committed by Beijing University. He said that if he was not a Fields Medalist, he would be dead by then.

By now, after the death of his teacher at Berkeley, Dr. Shiing-Shen Chern, he is now dubbed as the greatest living Chinese-born mathematician, or so called the Emperor of Chinese mathematics.

Yohanes Surya has pretty similar story with him. However, he is not as great as Dr. Yau, no widely known international prize in Physics. Anyway, I am awed by his great contribution to his efforts to advance sciences in Indonesia. To be honest, initially, I was and am skeptic with his efforts in Physics Olympiad projects, whose long-term goal is to produce Nobel prize winners from Indonesia.

He said that winning medals in IPho would boost Indonesian students to go to prestigious universities in the U.S. and work under supervision of previous Nobel Laurates which is likely to make them think like one and win the prize later. He forgot that Nobel prize winners are awarded for their long-term research not for their medals in competitions, yet I don't know for sure how many Nobel prize winners had won science competitions when they were younger. Yohanes Surya once said proudly that his students can solve very difficult problems within a few hours, whereas it took a Nobel prize winner years to solve. It is not comparable! His statement was misleading.

Anyway, I still look up at him as a Chinese-breed Indonesian that has strong determination to contribution for Indonesia, especially his founding Surya Institute to polish smart students from remote areas in Indonesia and sometimes it turns the dumb into brilliant ones. His contributions are even bigger and, therefore, deserve much more respect than other native Indonesian in advances in science.

Any conclusion? Unfortunately, I have no conclusion because this posting is not meant to conclude anything. I just hope that someday Indonesian students are swarming the best universities in the world and receive so much respect as their Chinese or Indian counterparts. Unlike others, I don’t hope they come back to Indonesia right after receiving their Ph.Ds but someday after they have become prominent scientists.

Just a Scramble Idea..

2011-06-08T02:45:00.000-07:00

I was initially and am still attracted to macroeconomics and other big economics stuff. However, overtime I was also absorbed by behavioral economics and, to some extent, development economics. In the field of behavioral economics, I have always been intrigued by causes of people's actions and how economics can decipher it in simple ways. This has been partly triggered by my deep interest in philosophy. Even so, I was never thinking of getting serious in conducting research in such fields.

My biggest desire is to conduct research which can explain a classic problem, how nations can grow significantly and how the spectacular growth rates can grease the wheel of developments, as well. Recently, I am particularly interested in the topics of measurement of welfare beyond GDP. I have not been acquainted well enough, though, to find an interesting research topic. In fact, there has not been sufficient development in research exploring the proper set of measurement. GDP is still the champion, as for now.

Anyway, there is actually one research topic that can close the knit together: consumption behavior of people. This topic can be a research topic of behavioral economics and growth and development economics. The consumption theory is my holy grail to attain. I am always curious on how consumption behavior differs or resembles across countries. What are the determinants of it? Is it government policy, education level attainment, or culture? However, I am still not on the ground on cultural argument thing. On one side, I believe that cultural values play important role in shaping habits of people in doing things, including their consumption patterns. On the other side, my economic knowledge teaches me that people are highly likely to be affected by incentives or disincentives. If people in one country are affected by a bundle of above determinants, therefore the consumption aggregates of a country. As such bundle differs among countries, therefore their consumption and saving aggregates and, to large extent, their welfare level.

I have several more ideas to explore in my mind, but I will definitely explore these topics in my further study. In the meantime, I will just have to rekindle my interest and brush up my mathematics skills.

Where are you going?

2010-10-05T02:33:00.000-07:00

More often than not we always have dreams. Yes, each of us. Some dream of having tons of money, enough to buy one or two grand dwellings, private jets, or yacht. On the other hand or other side of the rooms, some just simply dream of continuing their education to highest level possible, some think of becoming the well known researchers as their dream jobs.

It is good, indeed, to have a dream and strive for it. Unfortunately, I suppose not all of us know what to do next after achieving those dreams. Some are just becoming desperate when they do not know what their next steps should be. Sometimes, we are wandering to some place we don't even know, too sleepy to know where it is. Some of us walking as dreaming or half sleeping.

I realize that life, more often than not, is not flowing as we want. Weather does not happen as predicted, people suddenly plunge into the fall of poverty mud before they even got the chance to live lavish lives, and many more occurrences happen aberrant of what we think.

So, as we think we have achieved your life dreams, we must think where am I? Where are we going to? My suggestion: let God, or whatever, whoever you believe it is, take you where He thinks the best place for you. Therefore, we shall not get bewildered and desperate.

Unlike others', this is my choice and my way..

2010-05-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I admit I did not conquer my fear..I was naive that I waited till I got a new place to work for..Nonetheless, I felt pretty satisfied that I could survive my time there, considering tough times facing pressures and high expectation, sometimes my supervisors' getting furious against very simple mistake..

This very first class experience gives me something worthy taking notes about: sometimes one's desire to give contribution to his nation requires no working in departments in the government, not even in the office of the second most powerful person in the country..unlike others who worship this ridiculous fanaticism, I guess one can work anywhere, given one's heart is truly with his country..

This is my life, I determine my destiny; hence, when I feel something terrible in place where I thought I can contribute much, I move..Just as simple as that..But, deep down in my heart, I really love my country that's why I always aim excellency in my future work that it can benefit further development of my country..

Beat Your Fear!

2010-04-14T03:06:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I remember watching an episode of Friends, which has now been a regular activity of mine every night, in which one of the characters is deadly bored at her job and her friend suggests that she needs to quit the job and do what she really likes. He says that she needs to conquer her fear.

She takes the challenge, but I don't think I can defeat my fear just yet and leave it behind and go for my dream job even though I don't think I could get it since the institution I aim for is dying from severe shortage of fund..

Here I am walking through ladders of life which might have some traps on it but I do believe I can shout as loud as I can releasing my brood when I am already at the top..

As for now, I will be only savoring this time..

I don't want to walk while sleeping...

2009-12-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

There is always one short phrase that I always remember from ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’: ..kebanyakan dari kita melakukan sesuatu dengan setengah sadar, seperti berjalan sambil tidur..That is more or less what I can recall. It’s not this short phrase being right or wrong, but the point is that we must fully sober when we are to make decisions, especially about something that there is a good chance we will do for the rest of our lives. In the case of my present life, it is my job.

I by all means agree to it and decided to follow it. I got a golden opportunity to work with the second most powerful person in this country just after I graduated. I was very happy and, not to be naïve, a little proud. But the most essential thing is not that I could sit in the same room and listen to him talking. It is the chance to learn from the real policy makers and visit such beautiful places. I might have never dreamed of putting my feet on the magnificent Banda Naira or Merauke and having some conversations with boys living there, contemplating why the socio-economic condition is like this and that.

Nevertheless, I realize that it is not one of my goals, not in my early career. The required capabilities are yet to come. Indeed, it will not come if I am still there by now. I don’t want to be the person Professor Morrie talks about. I insist on being a person to walk his life soberly, not caused by temporary pride but lasting regrets. However, what I can remember up to now is that I do not remember having some regrets to have worked for my nation (almost) directly.

One Step is done, So many left!

2009-07-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last week I have officially accomplished my mission in FEUI..
Despite deep disappointment, I learned to be thankful to God for what I have done..
What I learned is that I have never learned and I think it's time to learn for my long-term objective..

Well, sometimes what you really expect doesn't come just that way..Sometimes you are just
foolish enough to think you just have it in your hands but then it flies to nowhere..
Anyway, I just wanna think that anything that doesn't make you die will only make you stronger...

And I will be...

How to Trick the Tricky Ones

2009-04-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

(Getting fed up with the so called biggest feast for a democratic country, I tried to contribute something to society by sending this article to a newspapers, but, unfortunately, the editor has left the newspapers so my article was too late to heed so that it didn't get published, too bad, indeed. It's okay. Just see and give your comments please)

Preparing for the upcoming legislative election on april 9^th, every single ‘caleg’ has spent billions on ludicrous posters and banners to deserve one honored seat. Their becoming generous on this generates ambiguous effect. For entrepreneurs on posters and alike, this election is like a drop of water amidst dire economic downturns, whereas for laymen this is a kind of silly jokes. As an advertisement suggests along with economic theory: the more choices you have, the happier you are, but when the choices are off the limit, the less happy you are, indeed.

We are now facing the most perplexing days ahead until the day of election coming. We find people presumably trying to contribute something significant. Nevertheless, what can you expect from persons we don’t know promoting themselves with nothing as they promise but showing photos of celebrities, superheroes or even foreign statesmen? This article is trying to give a vignette of the situation of political competition nowadays and to give a little trick on how to choose the right person without even knowing their true personalities. The thrust of this article is not to sway you to vote ‘golput’. It’s up to the readers. I will only give some current situation, simple theory embedded on it, and how theory can guide you to the right choice.

First, I suppose that this current political atmosphere is somewhat similar to the case of used cars in the second-hand markets. The sellers try to conceal their cars’ qualities by showing up noticeable features, like colorful paintings, attractive accessories, newly decorated seats, while the machine is inferior. It’s similar to what ‘calegs’ do by now. They try to conceal their competence by showing either eye-catching sentences or pictures so that people can remember their names. For example, some ‘caleg’ tries to accentuate the fact he is a father of a famous singer, some person is proud of having a face looks like a front man of a band, while some feels profoundly happy with him faking taking pictures with Barrack Obama. Unfortunately, due to limited space, I can’t tell one by one of descriptions of how funny our ‘calegs’ are.

Second, a simple economic theory somehow provides a little trick so that we are able to pick the right one, assuming we are not into ‘golput’ societies. This simple theory called ‘lemon’s problem’ is drawn from a famous work of of 2001 nobel prize winner in economics George Akerlof. A simple explanation would be like this. Lemon’s problem is a problem that prevails when buyers can’t figure real quality of the cars they are going to buy, and thus buy the lemon (bad quality) ones instead of mint (good quality) ones, because dealers have more information than that of the buyers’.

According to Akerlof, dealers in second-hand markets are confined to limited quality cars because owners of moderate-quality cars who want to sell their cars due to high cost maintenance would rethink about it for their utilities for keeping their cars exceeding their utilities coming from selling with prices dropping significantly. Hence, cars left to be sold are the worst quality whose former owners’ utilities are at highest if they sell it because their cars have severe problems. If buyers are lucky enough, they may still find moderate quality ones in the show room as there are persons who desperately need money that they are willing to sell their cars.

The key word here: asymmetric information. At first the dealers don’t know the true qualities of cars offered to them until they pass it on to buyers who feel the same way with dealers at the first time. Feeling emphatic? You should be since it is akin to us facing legislative election coming in weeks, yes? However, the theory tells that we face unintended consequences: bad products drive out good products. Competent people don’t feel like plunging themselves into this feast assuming Indonesia’s political reign is full of deceptions and betrayals. I just want to say that not many good choices left. Indeed, it’s hardly.

The question now: what is the promised trick? It’s very simple in understanding yet difficult in practice. As explained above, ludicrous posters, banners and any media ‘caleg’ use imply lack of confidence of their own capabilities. We can therefore use the reverse logic. Choose the ones using proper promotions containing neither funny sentences nor pictures. It shows their confidence and capabilities. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple in practice. After narrowing down our choices to several people there is another additional homework to do: we need to do a little research on them. We need to heed their track records. There is no guarantee they don’t understand this theory. Just think for the best, prepare for the worst. Happy vote!

The Most Painful Torture

2009-03-31T03:02:00.000-07:00

I suppose most people in the world must have thought how they regret letting time fly without doing something avail and I bet this must have been one of the most painful tortures they ever got in their lives. I have several time pondered how fool persons who can't attain the similar excellence to their peers. Because you know what? All people in the world are confined to 24 hours a day, every day until the Almighty God recalls them. This thing kind of reminds me of Lincoln's words "It's not how many years you live, but how you live years in your life" even though this contrasts with words of Russel (if I'm not mistaken) : "When you feel happy wasting your time, then it's not wasting your time, at all."

What do you think, folks? Have you put 'wasting time' thing in a box named 'my most painful tortures'? I used to think such thing, but apparently it had changed. I just threw it away of my most precious box because you know what? I think regretting things that won't be back does really give you a major setback.

Recently, one human disaster, so to speak, shocked me and just refined me up that the most painful torture in my life would be when you can't do something to help others who are powerless'...You can't do anything but sit comfortably watching others crying because their dwellings got swept away by something very unexpected before...because their family members had to go to the eternal land when they thought the time had been yet to come...

From now on I will put it in my sacred box, but not for too long...because it means I am happy to see it in the box, staying covered with dust in a very long time; I am proud of myself when I can't do anything....I feel very ashamed as a human being, how do you feel, guys?? Don't you feel the same way I feel, yes?

…..but you should give this a shot.

2009-01-30T06:26:00.001-08:00

If you have a question to ask to me what my lifetime hobby is, I will answer, undoubtedly and decisively: learning how to live my live very well. I know that life is something very unique, it’s not ubiquitous to every person in every corner on streets in Jakarta, Paris, New York, Dakkar, Abu Ghrabi, etc. Everybody has his own story, not a common good. For some degree, I really like wise words from Forrest Gump, one of my lifetime favorite films, that are ‘life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get’. It accentuates the mystery of one’s life in it in a simple example of a common stuff. In everything I do, I can name it from something very simple up to the most elaborative I can do, I always starve for some kind of moral message in it as I believe that there is nothing I do or have done in vain for further development of me, but it’s not the aim of this posting. I just want to tell how a movie can really make you feel more aware, spirited, and moving at the same time, to the least.

For instance, every time I feel like watching movies, actually sometimes I have no special purposes in it, though. However, if you can learn something from doing it, is it like a bonus, yes? This film is a kind of a moving film, in a sense that it teaches you how to cherish the life you got, not to stop struggling and craving for unexpected extremely happy ending life, including your love story, and to remember something very memorable in your life because someday it can be very helpful, like the magnificent Jamal, whose life is full of surprises, fortunate, and happy events.

Yes, of course, you can’t learn how to live a life from merely reading piles of thousands of books or watching hours of movies. There is no text book, or alike for it. But, I this Slumdog Millionaire will give you some thought of how you should live your life, I suppose. Anyway, one of the interesting parts of it is that we can see how poor Indian is, only slightly different from Indonesian, especially Mumbai. Thus, there is still a big hope for us to thrive, focusing our energy on advancing knowledge. Oops, sorry, this is another story...

Life and Rational Expectation

2009-01-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

What’s life? Is it something to be stressed about or something that we should be grateful at? The world where we live is full of opposites, of which are the most troublesome adjective for most people, I suppose. Please tell me if you know there is something which doesn’t have its opposite and none of us don’t get mad at, because I am very eager to figure it out. People always feel something bad and sometimes for God for their miserable life if something unexpected opposite happens to them. There is black, there is white; there is day, there is dark; there is man, there is woman; there is happiness, there is sadness, etc. Consequently, no need to deeply brood over it, since when something comes, its opposite will replace it, regardless of time period of the replacement. Believe it or not, sun rises in the morning and hides itself when moon starts showing up. It’s timely and kind of beset every day. I know it’s not something extraordinary.

However, when the winter comes, the period changes. It’s no longer like in regular days; we can change our prediction in the winter, then. I know it’s a poor analogy to life, but the basic moral of this is that when something bad happens to you it will be replaced by something good, vice versa. So, don’t be so upset when something bad makes a visit to you, and, vice versa, don’t be so happy when something good happens to you because it can be replaced with something you have never expected before. See? Expectation plays a big role in life. I am so grateful that I have got a chance to study rational expectation in economics that teaches me to change my expectation, when some variables change.

The main problem here is that not so many people can manage their expectations. In return, some people may consider this life as a kind of proof that you are an imperfect living creature, that can be angry, depressed, and, interestingly, happy in just the short period of time and not to be able to make rational decisions every time. Some people consider this life as a curse because they have been experiencing so much severe pain in his whole life full of torturing, grieves, lost, and so many hard feelings. As a result, most of them might ask not to be delivered in this world and hope to die in young age. For them, I can conclude, life is something to be stressed about.

In my definition, life is something that can prove your existence as a human being since in this life you can feel the bitterness and sweetness of life. Therefore, I feel like this life as something that would make you a ‘real’ human being. By living in this world, human beings can taste such things, which are challenges for our everyday life. Life can make you explore all of your moral, intelligence, and feeling capability in order to survive. And of that, you can be more perfect every minute. To a large part, it’s exciting, indeed. I am not saying life is to be grateful at or stressed about, either because I am far from being able to recall my memory of who I was if I happened not to be born in this world. Thus, I can’t make an objective comparison, then.

The only thing I can say is that I love to live in this unique world even though sometimes I don’t feel very comfortable with my life. What about you, folks? Do you think life is something to be stressed about, or the exact opposite of it, that is something that should be grateful at?

What Would Jesus Do?

2008-12-05T02:12:00.001-08:00

Saya percaya kepada Jesus sebagai Tuhan saya...meskipun saya sering kali meragukan agama kristen ataupun yang berhubungan dengan ketuhanan...dan sering kali melanggar peraturan yang Dia tetapkan....But still, I believe that God does exist..and I choose Jesus as my God, even though I am not capable of knowing how many God exist...

Anyway, my point here is I suppose the biggest question that remains the biggest mystery in this world is "what would Jesus do". It goes beyond Human's imagination, anyone...You will never know whether He would grant our requests or not; He would give us the biggest misery or bless, instead...

You will never know....until anytime...

House is Baaack!

2008-11-18T03:08:00.001-08:00

The sick bastard, yet super genius is back...The man of his own god, the man who doesn't take it everything for granted, the man who thinks every single thing is possible to happen, the man who, to some degree, doesn't think that his patients worth not more than mere dazzling puzzles...

To be honest, this controversial man is kind of my role model to some extent....His moral message is something like this: there is nothing exact in this world, even God...But, for this God thing, I believe in my God, not to an extent a religion as religion is just a moral guidelines for this life on earth....

13 Biggest Questions in My Life By Far

2008-09-30T08:42:00.000-07:00

As Descartes said that cogito ergo sum, that is “I think, therefore I exist”. Why thinking came up to surface? It’s because I feel something odd or curious. I, as a normal human being must have questions in my head, even every second, ranging from the most trivial to complicated ones. Here are the most perplexing questions I have found in my life by far, that are yet to be solved due to its being beyond imagination:
1. If Jesus is said to be sent or, say, created(no?) by Allah, His holy Father, thus who gave life to Allah?
2. Why did Allah create this world and then sent Jesus to this world just to save us (according to Christian bible)? Why did He not just let human beings live in Heaven, instead of in this world? Is it like a game or something?
3. Do heaven and hell exist? Or only heaven which does exist? Or the hell, instead?
4. Does the bible reflect the whole truth?
5. Why did Allah let various religions exist? Why not only Christian?
6. Why does Allah let persons that hesitate His existence remain to live and which most of them are the most brilliant human beings?
7. Where am I if I was not born in this world?
8. What is the general meaning of life in this world since I can’t digest why Allah created this life?
9. Why most Christians would urge going to church every week, while they can praise Allah every single second in their lives? Why do they condemn other Christians who do not go to church regularly as bad persons?
10. When would Indonesia thrive so that Indonesia can sit in the same table with US, Japan, and other G-8 countries, China, India, and Brazil, talking the same topic but with defiance when Indonesia is not agreed to the agreement?
11. When would Indonesian politicians not think about their own interests, while Indonesia is experiencing turmoil or crises?
12. When would Indonesian people stop feeling proud in excessive ways just using other countries’ technology as if Indonesia that invented it?
13. When would Indonesian people stop thinking about Globalization as the sole culprit of this stagnancy situation facing now, instead of the government and they themselves?

I would be so pleased if you bite my tongue coming up with extremely unexpected answers...

It’s Like Bambang Pamungkas Moving to Manchester United?

2008-08-24T01:05:00.001-07:00

One of my highest-ever goals in my life is to continue my study to one of the top schools in economics in US, of course by getting scholarship. But, for a while I can’t keep thinking about the clean path to get into this school. How? I think it’s so difficult to get it because perhaps I am not a great student compared to other foreign students who have the same aims as me; I study in University of Indonesia which is relatively not well-known among other top universities in the world, which is an essential factor.

I can make analogy of this me getting into top school is like Bambang Pamungkas, which is one of the best of the best players in Indonesia, moving to Manchester United, which is one of the biggest club on earth.

And yet, I want to assure myself by upbringing possibility making analogy like Hidetoshi Nakata moving to AS Roma at that time so that I can have a little bit optimism…hahaha

I Must Have the Same Endurance Like a Camel!

2008-08-24T01:03:00.000-07:00

When I reread Heilbroner’s The Worldly Philosophers I was refreshed by this sentence, which reminds me of how hard it is to absorb some of great texts I ever read:

“Economic reading is…a veritable desert of dusty prose…The student of economics must be prepared for long journeys without a single refreshing sentence; it takes the endurance of a camel and the patience of a saint to finish some of the great texts”

Oh, I am really embarrassed finding how I seldom finish some of great texts…hahaha…Anyway, I’ll try to have great endurance as a camel has…Ironically, I find it difficult to absorb all of the aims of Heilbroner in this book since it uses sophisticated English, like in literature or something…Why so complex, Mr Heilbroner??

My Biggest Fear!

2008-08-23T00:57:00.000-07:00

It’s been observed that the biggest fear of human beings is death. Without ever reading it somewhere I must have known it. My everyday life has told a lot, the same message. I can see everywhere, from bottom to up of social strata, anywhere in Indonesia. I wonder why all of human beings find death so dreadful, while to some extents they find life so difficult to live. I haven’t dug the right soil to find what the right answer is. It’s too complicated; the riches who have abundant luxurious stuff and the poor who have nothing but friends (of course the former also have friends), have one thing in common, that is fear of death. Why??

However, not to be so presumptuous, so far death is not my biggest fear, even though I realize that I won’t see my family and friends again if I die. What my brain and my heart can think of and feel is fear of losing my idealism over something, like money. What my idealism for sure is, however, I can’t tell since I still look for it; sometimes I still perceive something different depending on who or what.

But one thing for sure right now that I can think of is I don’t want to lose my idealism, which I can’t tell, over money. I know someday I don’t know where this precious thing is; I know that it’s said that when you are 40, you are still concerning others, you have no brain assumed you already have your own family, because your own family is more precious than others; I know that if you care for others does not mean that they will care for you, and it would be moron to have faith in opposite way.

However, I like being a distinguished person; I like being different which I think it’s the coolest thing in the world so that I want to keep my faith in this whole doctrine that you should care for others, no matter what without being so foolish and not to suppress the urge to do so. I don’t want to become hypocrite, though, like my seniors, friends, and colleagues. I don’t want to hide behind the mask of doing generous things expecting praise while I do nothing but lie.

As for me, idealism is what makes a person a person, no matter what it is….That’s why I would keep this as long as I live…

Happy So Belated Birthday My Beloved Country!!

2008-08-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

It’s been 63 years since Soekarno-Hatta proclaimed that Indonesia was a sovereign country.. I know that I hadn’t been born by then, but I know a little what happened in progress before and after that proclamation.

It would be stale if you are just talking about whether Indonesia has already been sovereign or not because it just makes yourself indulged in this kind of boring discussion and, at last, plunge into the lazy habit of thinking about the future we have in front of us. No essential breakthrough so far, except KPK and absurd democracy since 1998. No looking forward just backward blaming globalization; no vision just shortsighted self-interest goals; no self consciousness just being selfish; no statesmen just greedy-idiot politicians; no anything required to build a powerful nation. No!! This is a kind of nightmare I have ever had. Indonesia is nothing, in the eyes of other nations.

Oh Indonesia, till when you will rise against your own chronic diseases. I know it would not be wise to just commemorate, and blame this horrible situation. It’s time to wake up and stand still. Like a piece of lyrics of my all-time favorite song, Cahaya Bulan

“…sudah waktunya berdiri mencari jawaban kegelisahan hati…”

Hidup Indonesia!! Happy 63rd birthday. Hopefully in the next twenty something years I could contribute something significant to this nation building…I hope my fellows also have this kind of dream because we are the hopes of this sick nation, if I may say so..

Struggle for life!

2008-07-06T01:54:00.000-07:00

What comes first in your mind when you see this picture??

When I saw this picture at the first time, I told myself how pity I am. I am used to complaining every time I need to carry on heavy burden on my shoulders…
That guy in the picture must have never complained, not even once, I suppose.. Since if he ever complained, we must not be able to see this pic, no? he walks the same route over and over again every day, yes? I must say this is life!

Btw, this picture is taken from time magazine as one of the pictures of the year 2008. No wonder!

Just Another Writing!

2008-06-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Pikiran getir memasuki ruang pikiranku yang teramat mahal hanya untuk memikirkan sesuatu yang tidak aku percayai itu benar. Manusia memang makhluk aneh yang terkadang begitu idealis, namun di lain waktu bisa jadi teramat munafik. Di suatu ruang dan waktu ia bisa begitu gagah dengan lantang menyuarakan kepercayaan yang ia yakini yang hanya satu tingkat di bawah kepercayaannya kepada Penciptanya, yang tidak mungkin dirasionalisasi yang bahkan oleh seorang Imanuel Kant sekalipun, namun di lain ruang dan waktu, ia bisa begitu ketakutan ketika apa yang dipercayai oleh orang lain sebagai suatu yang benar mulai mendekati dirinya, namun dalam bentuk malaikat pencabut nyawa, yang tentunya dalam arti kiasan. Padahal dalam arti yang seberanya manusia itu jauh lebih hebat dari Luciver.

Manusia itu bisa dengan mudah mengalahkan raja iblis dari segala raja iblis, namun sayangnya seringkali dia tergiur dengan kenikmatan yang ditawarkan olehnya. Manusia itu dapat dengan mudah melupakan apa yang ia percayai dan perjuangkan selama hidupnya selama ini.

Ketika hal ini sudah terjadi dan meresap ke dalam tubuh manusia tersebut, dia tak lain dan tak bukan telah menjadi salah satu penjilat kaki setan iblis itu. Kenikmatan yang ditawarkannya semu belaka, yang bila dibandingkan dengan apa yang dapat ditawarkan oleh apa yang menjadi belief-nya.

Manusia seringkali, tidak peduli berada di posisi strata sosial mana, pasti akan menangis dan meringis minta tolong kepada Tuhan, entah Tuhan yang sama dengan Tuhan kebanyakan orang atau tidak, ketika dia merasakan sesuatu yang menusuk ruang batinnya...padahal tusukan yang dirasakannya itu adalah buah dari hasil biusan yang dilakukan oleh dirinya sendiri...

Sungguh aneh dan unik manusia ini, there is nothing in this hell world would gain scores compared to human beings....

Kapan ya ada acara seperti ini?

2008-05-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Kemarin pagi saya secara kebetulan menonton doraemon, salah satu film kartun terfavorit saya. Hehehe... Saya sangat terkejut mengetahui bahwa film kartun tersebut membawakan tema yang berat, yaitu masalah pencemaran lingkungan oleh manusia. Saya jadi bertanya-tanya kepada diri saya sendiri kapan acara-acara yang ditampilkan di televisi lokal kita membawakan pesan yang begitu substansial dan esensial untuk kemajuan bangsa sendiri dan sukur-sukur untuk kemajuan dunia. Tidak usah kartun seperti doraemon, yang saya tahu pasti sulit untuk membuat film animasi seperti itu, cukuplah seperti adaptasi dari sesame street yang sangat bermanfaat untuk pendidikan adik-adik kita...

Saya merasa kesal dengan film-film Indonesia di bioskop saat ini, yang berbau-bau pornografi tapi nanggung..Kalau kata senior saya itu adalah film banci...setengah-setengah..Terlepas dari apakah saya menghormati HAM seseorang atau tidak tapi saya tidak suka banci.. :p

Ayo Bangkit, Indonesia-ku!

2008-05-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

Jujur saja saya ngga begitu tahu bagaimana proses terbentuknya organisasi Boedi Oetomo, dimana tanggal berdirinya, yaitu 20 mei 1908, kini diperingati sebagai hari kebangkitan nasional. Tapi, satu yang pasti saya ketahui, yaitu bahwa para pendirinya adalah para intelektual muda yang sangat peduli terhadap kebangkitan Indonesia ketika itu. Satu abad telah berlalu, namun Indonesia masih saja tidak berkutat dengan masalah politis diantara kalangan politisinya sendiri yang saling berebut kekuasaan, segala cara dihalalkan. Peran sebagai oposisi jadi-jadian di parlemen pun dilakonkan. Tujuannya hanya satu: porsi kue ekonomi yang besar.

Salah satu refleksi yang paling mengkhawatirkan atas eksistensi unsur politis dalam ekonomi adalah ketika terjadinya krisis ekonomi tahun 97 yang lalu, studi yang dilakukan oleh Institute of International Economics untuk melihat apakah krisis tersebut dapat diprediksi sebelumnya menyatakan bahwa Indonesia tidak termasuk negara yang masuk dalam kategori negara yang vulnerable terhadap krisis tersebut, sebab unsur politik tidak dimasukkan di dalam modelnya. Namun, setelah unsur politik dimasukkan ke dalamnya, barulah Indonesia dapat dikategorikan sebagai salah satu negara yang rawan terhadap krisis!

Saya jadi berpikir dan heran kapan Indonesia bisa menjadi bangsa yang benar-benar besar dalam arti kekuatan ekonomi dan teknologi yang besar, tidak hanya besar dalam arti yang semu, yaitu hanya besar secara geografis dan demografis. Saya sangat terkejut ketika beberapa waktu yang lalu membaca harian luar negeri (saya lupa namanya apa), mengetahui bahwa Cindy Adams tidak mencantumkan buku biografi Bung Karno sebagai salah satu hasil karyanya! Padahal ketika dia menulis biografi tersebut, yaitu pada tahun 1960-an Bung Karno masih merupakan salah satu tokoh dari dunia ketiga yang disegani, dan saya yakin kalau Cindy Adams ini akan mengakui biografi Bung Karno itu sebagai salah satu hasil karya masterpiece-nya.

Kemarin seluruh stasiun TV milik swasta dan pemerintah mempersembahkan sebuah acara yang berisikan tarian dan nyanyian khas daerah masing-masing di Indonesia, serta lagu nasional yang dinyanyikan oleh penyanyi-penyanyi kelas atas Indonesia. Tidak lupa ditampilkan juga atraksi yang dilakukan oleh para polisi dan tentara. Jujur saja saya sangat kecewa dan tidak puas mendapati isi acara yang demikian. Sangat monoton dan membosankan. Tidak ada yang istimewa. Saya jadi berpikir hanya inikah yang dapat ditampilkan ketika bangsa ini memperingati seabad kebangkitan nasional? Rasa-rasanya tidak ada perbuatan konkret yang dilakukan oleh pemerintah dan rakyat Indonesia kebanyakan untuk bias memajukan bangsa ini, selain menampilkan acara hiburan seperti nyanyian di televisi setiap tahunnya. Apakah pemerintah dan segenap rakyat Indonesia sungguh-sungguh meresapi makna dari kebangkitan nasional? Jelas jawabannya tidak jelas sama sekali.

Melihat begitu besarnya peranan intelektual muda dalam mewujudkan Indonesia yang lebih baik dalam organisasi Boedi Oetomo, mampukah kita memberikan kebangkitan jilid ke-2 bagi Indonesia? Sulit sekali untuk menjawab pertanyaan ini. Jika melihat prestasi teman-teman kita yang berhasil meraih medali pada ajang olimpiade sains tingkat dunia, rasa optimis pasti akan muncul, namun jika melihat acara-acara yang ditayangkan oleh televisi serta tema-tema media yang sangat dangkal, saya jadi pesimis, sebab apa yang ditayangkan oleh televisi mencerminkan selera para konsumennya, yang diantaranya adalah kaum muda.

Tetapi sebagai orang Indonesia, saya pastinya sangat berharap akan kemajuan bangsanya, berharap Indonesia dapat menjadi seperti Korea Selatan dan China yang berhasil meningkatkan kinerjanya baik dalam ekonomi dan olahraga. Kapan Indonesia dapat menjadi seperti kedua negara tersebut? Jika ditanya seperti itu hanya ‘entah’ yang dapat saya katakan. Di dalam hati saya hanya dapat berkata: “Ayo bangkit, Indonesia-ku! agar jangan diremehkan lagi oleh bangsa-bangsa di dunia”

It's not about the amount, stupid!

2008-05-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

What do you think is the essence of demonstrations by students? I suppose it's dissapoinment when something is not working as the protestors wish because one will not react to something if it doesn't hurt him/her. It's a definition of problem, yes? The next question pops in my mind would be: Why does a massive amount of demonstrants exist? There are three possible answers. First, the protestestors feel the negative impacts of policies run by government. Second, there exists solidarity among them. Third, they are forced by their 'bosses'.

I would fully agree with the first one. But, the next two answers would not fit my thought. It's ridiculous to protest something that you don't really understand what the core of problems you don't agree with. It's also hysterically funny figuring out that a boss ordering his subordinates to put their almamater jackets on to shouting out loud protesting the government on streets.

Whom should be blame for this embarassing fact? The first one is this stupid boss for creating fake protestors. Why I call this as embarassing? I suppose when college students protesting with their blank brains is similar to kindergarten students but with huge physical figures.

I am really upset seeing a person making contentless speech. I am also upset when the demonstration coordinator being angry finding out the little amount of mass in one faculty. I am upset the most when mass of one faculty singing their faculty marching song as if the most significant thing in one demonstration is all about the amount of protestors. The most essential point of demonstrating is about grabbing the core problem very well. I feel like shouting "shut your damn mouth, idiots. It's not about creating a massive yet contentless demonstration".

What about me getting mingled with other protestors on the street? What is my main motivation? I would go for it if I think it's really urgent to do so. It is not necessarily very rational as I think most of all the problems in Indonesia are not rational academically in terms of solution. However, ocassionally, when my emotion exceeds my rationality I would do it. What about you?

Are you capable?

2008-05-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

Today, I was upset looking at a picture of a low class porter at a port carrying bags of chemical powders. But, this is not the main cause why I was so upset. They just got Rp 10,000/day for being exposed to risk taking danger to their health. Why do they want to take such risks? There are two quite obvious answers to this. First, they don't get sufficient sheer of knowledge about being exposed to sickness they may get, so due to lack of and their capacity to get jobs , they decided to take the jobs. Second, they have found out what danger that they may take, but daily bread plays its role.

The next question springs on my mind is, why they just get Rp 10,000/day, while it literally takes muscles and dangers to their health? The most likely answer is that because company/people, if any, who hires them would maximize profits by suppressing their cost! Profit is the name! Yet, I don't know if they get other benefits and fringes.

I just realized that why people are so mad at capitalism is that those capitalists would hire labors with as lowest salary as possible so that they can maximize profit. However, I wonder if those protesters wouldn't do the same things as the others do since slight rise in labor salary, would reduce employers' profit at quite amount. I, myself, doubt if I can attain this goal.

There is only one most feasible guideline to attain this noble goal. That is, they should grip to the moral rod. Would you be eating till you're full up, whereas the others' even can't eat a bite of bread? If this sentence has already been ingrained in one's mind, I do believe that this noble goal is not impossible to attain...But, can human beings carry this out? I hope so, but it's hard to tell...

Why Should Bother?

2008-05-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

Indonesia is a unique state, I suppose. When I say unique it may mean that there is nearly none like Indonesia in this whole world would do the same thing as Indonesian do. Religion is a really sensitive issue in this biggest moslem population in the world. Today, Ahmadiyah has taken an enormous attention to many Indonesian. It’s been dubbed as satanic religion, if I may say so. It’s gone far away from the Islamic mainstream. One of the most mistakenly understood about islam is that it accepts another prophet after Muhammad SAW, that is Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, while, based on my very limited knowledge about Islam, it’s officially admitted that there will be another prophet after him. It is stated in Al Quran. The results are demolition, killing, and other anarchist actions.

I have been wondering why the Islamic mainstream believers so bother about Ahmadiyah’s emergence? Are they just so afraid of being overtaken by this new stream?

Personally, I’m fine with the others’ belief. Why should disturb them? Masykurudin Hafidz gave an elegant explanation about it, see here. I am wholeheartedly agreed with him. Actually, I think that those people are so idiot, hypocrite, and selfish at the same time. They merely misunderstand what their religion states.

Is this due to their being scary for being overdriven by this new stream, since when Ahmadiyah is getting bigger by more followers coming in, they are getting angrier. I suppose yes. I do not really believe in free lunch. They do this not to prevent the others to get into the wrong path, but because there is political force behind it, I suppose. They worry that it will obscure their religious expansion in this hypocrite state. If you pay attention to what they have done so far, what have they defended. Have you ever wondered why these massive mass of demonstrants have not so bothered with issue of poverty, health, education, and alike?

Come on guys don’t worsen stigma of Islam as a terrorist religion…Don’t get me wrong..

“Why Agus and Pardede?”, says economic pundits; “Why Choose a Candidate?”, says me.

2008-03-13T03:49:00.000-07:00

The fit and proper test to appoint the new central governor of Bank of Indonesia is coming. President SBY gave 2 candidates to fill the position. They are Agus Martowardojo and Raden Pardede. Both of them have a lot of experiences in banking in Indonesia. Agus is now the main director of Bank Mandiri and Pardede of PT Perusahaan Pengelolaan Aset. Alas, both of them were rejected by DPR

As I know, rule of thumb for the status of central bank to the government is independent to each other so that they don’t intervene much. Actually, I could not understand why, while empirics evidences show that if an economy is to succeed, there should be a solid coordination between fiscal and monetary. Anyway, this is not the point of my writing this time.

The point of my writing this time is that if the government is to be independent to the central bank then why should Mr. President choose a candidate to run BI? Should I be surprised? I don't think so!

However, I still can’t get it!

Why I learn Economics

2008-02-29T05:55:00.000-08:00

After graduating from senior high school, I had never thought of being a student of economics. Not even once! However, after taking economics courses for about three years, I have got absorbed to problems and intellectuals intrigues after the birth of Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations”.

Learning quite carefully, I have found out that Economics allied with politics are two sciences ruling the world. I know that exact sciences and technological informatics development have played a salient role in determining and directing human race’s civilization and, in most cases, wealth of nations. But, I also realized that at the same time no matter how great a state is in sciences and technological mastering level, political economy is a very significance element in any developments of nations. In this little world or even in our daily life, in most cases the superior intimidates and often rules the inferior ones out.

Contemplating why I chose economics as major in college which means may determine my future career and life, the late Joanne Robinson of Cambridge helped affirm my objective in economics.

She said that “the purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to economics questions, but to learn how to avoid being deceived by economists"

I am trying to learn economics so well that I can help build my country not to be deceived by other countries since I know in economics, there is a capitalism adagio, which turns to be real in any condition, stating that “there is no such thing as free lunch.” I know that our parents always remain us not to put a negative suspect on other people’s help, but world is cruel, pal!

This is Why Pusgerak Should Be the 'Boss'!

2008-02-26T21:45:00.001-08:00

Current condition in BEM UI is that there is a disagreement among them, if I may say so, which states Pusgerak should be at the same level with other social and politics division since when it is above them, it's difficult to get demonstrations done because it takes long time for Pusgerak to rationalize the argument required. Here is my thought about this.!

Di dalam suatu negara, terlepas dari paradigma politik apa yang dianutnya, mahasiswa merupakan suatu golongan istimewa yang memiliki tanggung jawab yang besar, apalagi di suatu negara demokrasi yang memiliki tingkat partisipasi rakyat yang kecil dalam pendidikan tinggi. Kenapa? Hal ini disebabkan oleh adanya probabilita deviasi pemerintah dan badan legislator yang mewakili di tataran kekuasaan tertinggi dari tugas idealnya, yaitu melaksanakan kehendak umum yang dianggap baik oleh rakyat pada umumnya. Lebih penting lagi, yaitu karena dalam kasus negara demokrasi, kedaulatan tertinggi berada di tangan rakyat. Kedua kondisi tersebut dapat menjadi argumen yang fundamental bagi mahasiswa sebagai suatu golongan yang istimewa, karena mereka dianggap sebagai suatu kumpulan massa yang memiliki tingkat intelegensi di atas rata-rata serta ketidakberpihakan kepada pihak manapun kecuali rakyat kecil.

Lalu, pertanyaannya sekarang adalah apakah semua mahasiswa itu termasuk golongan intelektual? Bila mengacu pada Antonio Gramsci, jawabannya adalah tidak, sebab menurutnya seseorang dapat dikatakan sebagai seorang intelektual bila dia mengamalkan ilmu yang dimilikinya dan menerapkannya dalam tataran praksis, yaitu untuk suatu pergerakan, tentu saja, yang memihak kepada rakyat kecil. Lalu mengapa golongan intelektual begitu penting? Gunnar Myrdal merasionalisasi pentingnya golongan intelektual dengan mengatakan: “The intellectuals are not in the same way [as other people] part of class society...above society. This makes it possible for them to look with less passion and prejudice on the ongoing struggles.”

Lalu pertanyaan yang selanjutnya sekarang adalah apakah peran mahasiswa di Indonesia, yang merupakan negara demokrasi, begitu signifikan? Seberapa pentingkah mahasiswa menganggap peran sebagai, katakanlah, supervisor dalam keberlangsungan hidup pemerintahan di negara ini?

Sekelumit Sejarah Pergerakan

Peran yang dijalankan oleh mahasiswa di Indonesia begitu signifikan sehingga selalu mewarnai dua dari tiga orde dalam sejarah bangsa ini, yaitu mulai dari pengajuan tritura pada pertengahan tahun 1960-an yang dapat dikatakan memberikan efek pada mundurnya Bung Karno pada masa orde lama; pada masa orde baru Malari 1974, yang menunjukkan penolakan mahasiswa terhadap masuknya modal asing, khususnya dari Jepang ketika itu, dan reformasi Mei ’98, yang menunjukkan rasa muak kepada Soeharto beserta kroni-kroninya yang mencapai titik kulminasinya dan berujung pada mundurnya Soeharto, turut memberikan warna tersendiri pada sejarah pergerakan mahasiswa di Indonesia.

Ketiga peristiwa pergerakan mayor tersebut hanya mengambil sekelumit gambaran dari betapa aksi-aksi demonstrasi selalu menghiasi setiap langkah kebijakan yang diambil yang menyangkut hajat hidup orang banyak.

Mahasiswa sebagai Watchdog

Mengapa suatu pemerintahan yang berbentuk demokrasi diyakini oleh sebagian besar pemikir politik dan praktisi pemerintahan sebagai bentuk pemerintahan yang paling baik? Dilihat dari tataran filosofisnya, argumen tersebut dapat dibenarkan dengan definisi demokrasi yang merupakan suatu hak bagi seluruh warga suatu negara tanpa pandang bulu dalam mendapatkan share dalam kekuasaan politik, yaitu hak untuk dapat memilih dan dipilih. Selain itu, data empiris juga mendukung klaim tersebut dengan menyampaikan fakta bahwa negara-negara yang paling maju di dunia juga merupakan negara-negara yang paling sukses dalam menjalankan demokrasinya.

Namun apakah demokrasi merupakan bentuk pemerintahan yang sempurna? Rousseau meragukannya dengan mengatakan bahwa rakyat seringkali ditipu oleh pemerintah dan legislator sehingga tampaknya mereka menginginkan yang buruk baginya. Lebih lanjut dia mengatakan bahwa tidak ada yang lebih berbahaya daripada pengaruh kepentingan-kepentingan pribadi dalam urusan-urusan umum, dan penyalahgunaan undang-undang oleh pemerintah tidak seberapa jika dibandingkan dengan kebobrokan legislator, yang merupakan akibat pandangan-pandangan pribadi. Prediksi-prediksi yang disampaikan oleh Rousseau beberapa abad yang lalu itu ternyata masih relevan bagi Indonesia hingga saat ini.

Melihat begitu banyaknya celah yang dapat menyengsarakan rakyat pada Indonesia dan yang memang sudah terbukti mendasari argumen diperlukannya suatu pengawas atau anjing penjaga (watch dog) untuk mengawasi berjalannya pemerintahan yang ideal bagi masyarakat Indonesia. Argumen kenapa mahasiswa yang harus memikul tanggung jawab yang besar dan mulia ini telah disebutkan sebelumnya. Pertanyaan yang mengemuka selanjutnya adalah bagaimana mahasiswa melakukannya? Ada beberapa cara yang lazim diutarakan. Yang pertama adalah dengan melakukan demonstrasi dengan berteriak-teriak di jalan-jalan dan menuntut ini-itu kepada pemerintah atau lembaga terkait. Cara yang kedua adalah dengan melakukan lobi-lobi kepada anggota dewan yang ‘terhormat’ dan menghindarkan cara konfrontasi.

Pentingnya Rasionalisasi Gerakan!

Sebagian besar mahasiswa setelah era reformasi menganggap bahwa aksi turun ke jalan menuntut aspirasi rakyat kecil dalam mengawasi tindak-tanduk pemerintah dan lembaga tinggi negara lainnya merupakan cara yang sudah usang. Mereka lebih cenderung menganggap bahwa lobi-lobi ke gedung DPR/MPR lebih intelek dalam menyuarakan aspirasi rakyat kecil. Saya sendiri sebetulnya lebih prefer kepada cara yang kedua, dengan asumsi anggota DPR mendengarkan dengan sungguh-sungguh aspirasi mahasiswa, sebab lebih efektif dalam menyuarakan aspirasi dari mahasiswa, namun apa lacur ternyata berdasarkan pengalaman rekan-rekan saya di pusgerak BEM UI, para anggota DPR tersebut tidak menanggapi dengan baik, entah karena menganggap kredibilitas mahasiswa yang masih rendah atau justru karena mereka sendiri tidak mengerti pokok permasalahan yang sedang diadvokasi. Namun, saya rasa alasan kedua yang paling tepat. Sebagian sangat besar dari mereka tidak memiliki kapabilitas dan kapasitas intelektual yang mumpuni untuk dapat melayani tuntutan dari mahasiswa.

Lalu, jika sudah demikian apakah aksi turun ke jalan secara relatif lebih efektif? Untuk beberapa kondisi, iya sebab dengan turun ke jalan melakukan demonstrasi, kita berperan sebagai pengingat pemerintah yang telah keluar dari jalurnya. Kondisi tersebut adalah ketika sebelumnya telah dilakukan kajian yang mendalam mengenai isu yang akan disuarakan di jalan nantinya sebagai dasar rasionalisasi; ketika isu tersebut sudah disuarakan melalui dengar pendapat di gedung DPR/MPR; dan ketika isu tersebut sangat krusial dan mendesak sehingga tidak memungkinkan dilakukannya kajian yang mendalam. Namun, seperti sulitnya mendefinisikan time period dari short run dan long run, kita pun kesulitan dalam mendefinisikan keterdesakan yang dimaksud sehingga berujung pada aksi turun ke jalan.

Kita juga harus dapat belajar dari kesalahan masa lalu, yaitu ketika mahasiswa melakukan aksi demonstrasi pada pertengahan tahun 1960-an yang berujung pada mundurnya Bung Karno dan peristiwa Malari ’74. Mundurnya Bung Karno justru digantikan oleh pemimpin otoriter lainnya, yaitu Soeharto yang akhirnya berkuasa selama 31 tahun; Malari ’74 yang berujung pada kerusuhan justru merugikan rakyat kecil. Padahal, jika dilihat secara seksama, sebetulnya ketika itu Jepang bukanlah investor asing terbesar di Indonesia, melainkan Amerika Serikat.

Oleh sebab itu, ketika sebagian aktivis mahasiswa yang pro pergerakan melalui demonstrasi mencibir para penggodok isu di BEM UI yang terlalu lama mengkaji suatu isu, mereka seharusnya malu kepada diri mereka sendiri ketika mereka hanya bergerak berdasarkan emosi sesaat sebab telah dikatakan sebelumnya bahwa mahasiswa memiliki kapasitas intelektual di atas rata-rata yang sudah selayaknyalah bertumpu kepada daya nalar. Namun, bukan berarti daya nalar diatas segala-galanya dalam bergerak, sebab terkadang emosi juga diperlukan dalam bergerak yang bila tidak ada lagi, setiap pergerakan yang dilakukan oleh mahasiswa seakan tidak memiliki hati lagi.

Penutup

Melihat begitu banyaknya kebijakan-kebijakan publik dan undang-undang yang kurang berpihak kepada rakyat kecil, baik secara langsung maupun tidak, gerakan-gerakan yang dilakukan oleh mahasiswa masih sangat esensial dalam menentukan arah bangsa ini seperti yang dikatakan oleh Aristoteles dalam “Politics”: “no regime could satisfy man completely, and that the dissatisfaction would lead men to replace one regime with another in an endless cycle.” Oleh sebab itu, mahasiswa harus senantiasa bergerak mengingatkan pemerintah melalui berbagai cara agar pemerintah selalu ingat akan tugasnya yang paling utama, yaitu menyejahterakan rakyatnya.

You are So Damn Lucky, Soeharto!

2008-01-14T01:15:00.001-08:00

Mantan Presiden Republik Indonesia yang kedua, Soeharto sekarang terbaring tidak berdaya, dan katanya sudah hampir mati. Dia (maaf tidak menggunakan kata ‘Beliau’ soalnya kebagusan) mengalami kegagalan multi organ; hidupnya tinggal bergantung kepada mesin-mesin canggih pengganti kehidupan yang menunjukkan kehebatan pengetahuan manusia. Namun posting ini tidak ingin mengungkapkan kekaguman saya terhadap kecanggihan mesin-mesin tersebut. Saya ingin mengungkapkan betapa beruntungnya koruptor nomor wahid se-Indonesia tersebut, well memang belum terbukti sih, tapi keyakinan saya berkata demikian (bagaimana mau terungkap kalau yang meriksa juga bekas bawahannya, betul?)

Saya tidak heran dan mencibir Megawati karena tidak menjenguk Soeharto hingga menjelang ajalnya saat ini. Memang saya tidak begitu paham perasaannya sebab ayah saya tidak atau belum pernah diasingkan dan dijadikan seorang tahanan rumah oleh orang lain, layaknya Presiden pertama Republik ini Bung Karno. Tapi, jika ayah saya mengalami hal yang serupa yang dialami oleh Bung Karno, saya pun tidak akan menjenguk orang yang telah memperlakukannya seperti itu (maafkan praduga saya yang menuduh Soeharto sebagai pelaku). Biarpun kata orang tua dan agama tidak baik mendendam, biar urusan saya dengan Tuhan. Salut Megawati! (tapi dalam hal ini saja, loh!)

Saya begitu sedih membaca bagaimana perawatan kesehatan yang diterima Bung Karno saat itu. Coba bandingkan dengan apa yang diterima oleh Soeharto sekarang dengan 25 dokter dari tim dokter kepresidenan. Bagai bumi dan langit. Padahal, bila dibandingkan jasa Bung Karno dengan Soeharto, meskipun sulit diukurnya, saya rasa jauh lebih besar jasa Bung Karno. Dialah salah satu pendiri bangsa ini. Sedangkan Soeharto menurut saya hanya berjasa menanamkan bibit KKN yang sekarang telah tumbuh subur sehingga menempatkan Indonesia sebagai salah satu negara yang tingkat korupsinya paling tinggi. Betul bila dia telah mengusahakan swasembada pangan pada tahun 1980-an dan yang lainnya, namun saya rasa keburukannya ataupun pertumbuhan emas yang dialami perekonomian Indonesia selama dia berkuasa itu karena pemikiran Widjojo cs. Tunggu saja sampai saya menulis skripsi tentang ini.

Melihat begitu banyak doa yang dipanjatkan untuk kesembuhan Soeharto, saya juga turut berdoa, jika dia meninggal tidak untuk kesembuhannya karena dia juga sudah uzur dan tidak berdaya lagi, semoga Tuhan memperhitungkan dosa-dosa yang diperbuat olehnya selama dia hidup di muka bumi ini. Kembali ke masalah perawatan yang diterima oleh Soeharto, saya hanya bisa berkata “you are so damn lucky, Soeharto!” karena para pendukung anda masih setia, atau justru takut dipenjara ?! Saya rasa tidak perlu Tuhan untuk turun tangan untuk mengetahui kenapa banyak yang ingin Soeharto mendapatkan perawatan terbaik.

Comfort View Vs Humanity: Comfort View Wins!

2008-01-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I went to my parents’ shop to assist them, once in a while. In my way to home we passed along a traditional market, I suppose. However, I was surprised that a beautiful public park I found, instead. I said “where the hell are they (fruit sellers, vegetable sellers, coconuts peelers, and their friends)?” It was there a year ago. My parents said that it was no longer there since several months ago, if they aren’t mistaken. Facts given were quite reliable since they regularly pass the street.

I just couldn’t stop shaking my head. I can’t imagine how many people must struggle to get some money just to live after their asses being kicked? This (forced movement a.k.a ‘penggusuran’) happened (again!). I don’t know how many traditional markets or illegal market have been swept out. I have no idea what have happened to other regions in Indonesia, but in Jakarta, at least on what I have seen by far, a comfort view like this is common. Jakarta, in my opinion, has been too busy to manage its make-up to look gorgeous as the capital city, without ever concerning on poverty rate, except for BOS or other significant yet I don't know.

I don’t know what’s in the authorities’ heads. They don’t seem to consider poor people as a part of Jakarta. I suppose they just consider poor people as a burden to wipe out. Look at those ‘penggusuran’ and Perda Tibum authorized. I know that sometimes PKLs break the rules, but the govt officials can’t put mere blames on them. They can’t find the legal ones because of lack of capital, neither physical nor intelligence.

They place those poor people as a scapegoat to conceal their incompetent, impotent, low quality, you name it works. It’s obvious and undisputable, I think. They have not provided reliable solutions. During analyzing and concerning this issue, I wonder if this is a problem of their hearts of inadequate incentive to develop competitiveness of poor people?

However, I don't know ‘till when this drama, where the fatty govt officials and other corruptive local representatives play unbeaten role and the poor people play the suffered ones, would end. Let ‘comfort view’ is Mike Tyson and ‘humanity’ is Chris John. If they fight in an occasion, it’s clearly Mike Tyson will be the absolute winner. Hope not always!

“Yeah, I am able to wander more anywhere I want to go”, says one of ‘honored’ DPR representatives - (at the very least this is what my imagination tol

2007-12-26T01:11:00.000-08:00

Reading a ‘tale’, if I may use this term to refer to news conveying a rise in DPR ‘perjalanan dinas’ fund. Waking up from bed on 10:05 (bad habit of holiday) and then started taking breakfast accompanied by reading newspaper, I was staggered, but unfortunately the usual one, on a 30 percent rise of ‘dana perjalanan dinas’ DPR from 2006. For the year 2007, budget for ‘perjalanan dinas’ is Rp 214.7 billion, while in 2006 it was ‘just’ Rp 189.1 billion rising 120 percent from 2005. In 2005, the budget was ‘just-just’ Rp 81.9 billion.

This huge budget would be fine if offset by a rise in productivity too, but DPR has only been able to accomplish about 93 RUU from 284 RUU targeted (hah?!)

I just wonder how can they be so ignorant and self-centered when our beloved country is still trapped in multidimensional crisis. Huh..I just can say this hell information has just ruined my day.. Damn!

Peeping Through The Veil of Poverty

2007-12-26T01:06:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, on December 20th specifically, me and a friend of mine, Azionk, sometimes he would refer himself as Adi, went to one of most famous malls in northern Jakarta. We got a lot of courage and willingness to go through a pouring rain just to see our friend who has just got a job at Oakley.

At a parking lot, my friend asked me if I perceive Indonesia as a rich country or not, looking at cars and expensive motorcycles taking a ‘rest’ at mall’s parking lot. Well, if a foreigner who arrives in Indonesia and lives near this mall just for a week, I think he would consider Indonesia as one of developed countries and he will not see some traces of economic crisis then.

However, I said gently to Azionk that I would not perceive Indonesia to have escaped perceptions of developing country since those are just a part of Indonesian, Jakartanese for more specific term. That was a simple answer yet obvious one, I think.

Apakah mereka akan menjadi pemimpin besar?

2007-11-11T19:18:00.001-08:00

Selama tiga hari, tanggal 9-11 November 2007 yang lalu, pusgerak BEM UI, dimana saya juga ikut bergabung sebagai staf kastrat, menyelenggarakan acara LKSM, sebuah acara yang ditujukan untuk mempersiapkan pemimpin masa depan yang hebat dan kritis. Di sana para peserta tidak hanya mendengarkan materi dari berbagai pembicara yang sudah terkenal akan kekritisannya dan kekayaan wawasannya, tetapi juga mengekspresikan opininya.

Akan tetapi, ada sebuah even yang mengejutkan saya, karena saya mengasumsikan mereka sebagai mahasiswa yang berbeda dari mahasiswa lain, yaitu ketika waktu makan siang tiba. Ketika itu tiba giliran saya setelah antrian yang tidak cukup panjang, namun betapa terkejutnya saya karena kerupuk sudah habis, padahal saya dan beberapa teman saya belum makan, sedangkan di saat yang sama saya melihat kerupuk yang berlebihan di piring para peserta. Saya jadi berpikir, apa artinya mereka bercuap-cuap mengenai nasionalisme kebangsaan, kepedulian terhadap rakyat kecil, dsb., apabila untuk kerupuk saja mereka tidak bisa berbagi dengan saudaranya sendiri yang sudah jelas di depan mata?

Selain itu, mereka juga gemar untuk memperkuat stigma orang Indonesia yang suka jam karet, sebab mereka suka sekali telat menghadiri setiap sesinya, mulai dari 5 hingga 45 menit, karena berbagai alasan, mulai dari yang paling masuk akal sampai yang paling tidak masuk akal. Apakah mereka benar-benar dapat diharapkan untuk menjadi pemimpin masa depan bangsa ini? Well, rasa pesimis saya mengatakan bahwa 'saya rasa mereka sama saja dengan para pejabat kita yang hanya gemar berwacana tapi tidak melakukan apa-apa, NATO' Namun, rasa optimis saya mengatakan bahwa 'saya rasa mereka baru menjalani perjalanan panjang untuk menjadi pemimpin yang hebat, layaknya seorang bayi yang baru lahir pasti tidak bisa langsunt berjalan, bukan?'

Above all, saya memiliki asa yang besar bahwa di UI ini masih terdapat setidaknya mahasiswa yang rela menghabiskan waktunya untuk berdiskusi semacam ini, yang mungkin bagi sebagian besar lainnya hanya merupakan tertawaan belaka.

Independency is the Most Precious Thing in the World

2007-10-19T04:20:00.000-07:00

Perhaps when we were kids, we used to listen to what our parents told to do, such as, never forget to brush your teeth before going to bed, not to make friends who are jerks (for them), to study minimum 3 hours per day, to take piano lessons, etc. When we have been growing up, we usually make our dos’ and don’ts.

If you take a glance on those things, you must find yourself very proud if you can be a very good boy, since by doing so, which are generally assumed to be very useful, you can practice yourself real world in the future. However, look into the deep of the idea behind those things, which I think not very well understood by most people, that is to make yourself as though you’re a junkie. I think by always trying to be consistent with those rules, you will let yourself fall in a dependency, though positive one, but dependent is dependent. Period! When you don’t do what it tells, you find yourself guilty and start blaming yourself, then the result you will get might be

much worse off.

Have you ever thought why crazy people, on our views, look very happy? I think because they feel fully free to do anything they want without ever thinking what others might comment. One of the principles of neoclassical economics tells us that these people have exogeneous preferences. The moral message behind this is not to ‘mengharamkan’ you make such rules, I actually suggest you to write down self-disclipinary rules instead. But what I wanna suggest here is that when you are not on the mood to do those things just let it go, since by doing so you might feel what the real life is. Life is all about independency! As Plato said, “do what you consider is right thing to do”. As for me, independency is the most precious thing in the world, not even money can beat it! So, be fully independent!

Keresahan yang Selalu Datang

2007-10-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

This article is published in Mading Eksternal BOE. This one invoked controvercies b'cos relating to a religion and senstitivity. Anyway, I don't care since I think they just read this with their emotions not with their brains. I'm just trying to analyse conditions in fasting month.

Bulan Ramadhan telah datang pada bulan September ini dan seluruh umat Islam menyambutnya dengan sukacita, karena menurut ajaran agama mereka, bulan ini adalah bulan suci sebab merupakan bulan dimana dosa-dosa mereka dapat diampuni sebelum lebaran tiba, kalau saya tidak salah. Selama satu bulan penuh mereka menjalankan ibadah puasa, menahan lapar, haus, berpikiran kotor, jahat, merokok, dll. Ketika bulan ini tiba berarti segala sesuatu yang berbau godaan mengenai kelaparan, kehausan, pikiran kotor, dll, harus dihapuskan dari bumi Indonesia, yang memang seperti itulah kenyataannya.
Segala sesuatunya nampaknya dirasakan sudah merupakan keharusan dan norma yang harus dipatuhi oleh masyarakat. Warung-warung makan ditutupi dengan gorden agar tidak ada yang melihat makanan tersebut dan membatalkan puasanya, bila ada yang tidak menutupinya akan terkena amuk massa atau para aparat kepolisian yang datang dengan gagahnya bersiap untuk menghancurkan warung makan tersebut atas nama ketaatan beragama, tanpa peduli alasan mengapa mereka berjualan, bahwa pemiliknya akan kehilangan mata pencahariannya yang mungkin untuk waktu yang sangat panjang.
Padahal, mungkin saja banyak orang beragama non-muslim yang tidak mengetahui arti dari gorden yang menutupi makanan bukan berarti rumah makan tersebut tutup. Yang menjadi pertanyaan besarnya adalah, apakah muslimin dan muslimah sendiri takut tergoda dengan semuanya itu? Bukankah lebih baik membiarkan saja orang-orang tersebut leluasa menjalankan usahanya? Bukankah dengan begitu turut memberikan nafkah bagi mereka, lagipula bukankah di bulan puasa ini katanya tidak boleh tidur melulu untuk menghindari rasa lapar, yang menurut saya memiliki esensi bahwa kita harus melakukan sesuatu yang seperti biasanya kita lakukan? Lalu kenapa mereka dilarang berjualan atas nama pahala yang akan didapatkan bila menjalankan puasa dengan baik dan benar, lagipula bila mereka tidak tergoda akan semuanya itu, bukannya lebih mendapatkan ’perhatian’ dari Allah?

Eksternalitas negatif
Apa yang saya tangkap dari datangnya bulan Ramadhan ini adalah kebebasan yang seakan-akan terbabat habis bagi pihak ketiga yang tentu saja merugikan mereka dan mengakibatkan eksternalitas negatif bagi orang tersebut. Saya sangat setuju dengan toleransi beragama, namun dengan melarang orang berjualan dan menghancurkannya tanpa ba-bi-bu, atau memukuli orang yang mungkin terlihat sengaja merokok di depan perokok yang sedang menjalani ibadah puasa bukan cara yang tepat.
Kalau warung makan ada yang dihancurkan karena tidak menutupi tempatnya , saya belum pernah mendengar atau melihat perempuan yang ditelanjangi karena berpakaian seronok. Untung saja perempuan-perempuan yang memakai baju atau celana ketat dan atau rok mini tidak dilarang atau ditelanjangi di depan umum, sebab secara analogi dengan rumah makan yang dihancurkan, seharusnya yang berpakaian seronok menurut mereka ditelanjangi juga tanpa mereka sempat berkata satu kata apapun. Kalau ini terjadi saya tidak bisa membayangkan seberapa besar social cost yang akan ditanggung dan terjadi kerugian yang sangat besar dalam masyarakat.

Front Pengkhianat Islam (FPI)
Saya tidak terlalu resah dengan kejadian penghancuran warung makan dan pelarangan orang yang merokok di depan umum, yang memicu keresahan saya yang terbesar adalah mereka yang mengaku-ngaku sebagai sekumpulan orang pembela Islam yang nampaknya senang sekali dan bangga bisa menghancurkan tempat-tempat hiburan malam sambil menenteng alat pemukul dan perusak lainnya. Mereka seringkali menimbulkan kerusuhan dan mengancam keselamatan orang-orang yang berada di sekitarnya.
Mengapa saya sebut FPI sebagai pengkhianat Islam? Mereka secara tidak langsung, sebab mereka mungkin tidak tahu arti ajaran agama Islam yang sesungguhnya, telah megkhianati ajaran agama mereka sendiri yang mengharuskan mereka saling mengasihi satu sama lain (setidaknya inilah yang saya tahu). Saya tidak merasa kasihan kepada pemilik tempat hiburan, meskipun kasusnya sejenis dengan pengrusakan rumah makan, karena selain mereka relatif jauh lebih kaya dan sebagian besar melakukan praktik penyuapan, namun saya lebih merasa kasihan terhadap umat muslim lainnya yang seakan-akan mendapatkan persepsi bahwa membela Islam harus seperti itu. Mereka yang tidak bisa menerima stigma umat muslim sebagai teroris, nampaknya harus tertunduk malu karena bantahan mereka tidak beralasan bila melihat apa yang dilakukan oleh FPI. Teror menurut kamus besar bahasa Indonesia adalah perbuatan yang sewenang-wenang (kejam, bengis, dsb) ; usaha menciptakan ketakutan, kengerian, dan kekejaman oleh seseorang atau golongan. Mereka yang melakukan teror disebut teroris. FPI menurut saya cocok menyandang gelar tersebut dan secara tidak langsung umat Islam turut merasakan getah dari stigma tersebut.

Toleransi beragama ≠ pemaksaan
Di awal-awal tulisan secara implisit terlihat bahwa saya mendukung rumah makan yang tidak menutupi makanannya dengan gorden. Bukan itu maksud saya. Apa yang saya tekankan dalam kalimat-kalimat tersebut adalah saya tidak setuju dengan pemaksaan toleransi beragama dengan cara seperti itu. Biarkan saja ada rumah makan yang seperti itu sebab saya percaya dengan Marx yang mengatakan “eksistensi sosial menentukan eksistensi indiviual” dan bukan sebaliknya, sehingga pemilik rumah makan tersebut yang berada di lingkungan yang di dalamnya terdapat rumah makan yang menutupi makanannya dengan gorden akan berpikir untuk melakukan hal yang sama.
Tulisan ini tidak bermaksud menghina umat Islam ataupun menjelek-jelekkan bulan Ramadhan. Akhir kata, bagi teman-teman yang menjalankan ibadah puasa, selamat menjalankan ibadah puasa dengan baik dan benar.

Eat as Your Tongue Wants to Eat or Eat as the Others Eat?

2007-10-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

I always wonder if I have to eat a plate of a fifty thousand rupiah-beef steak accompanied by a glass of twenty five thousand rupiah-juice, a cup of ice cream, a piece of cake, etc. in a luxurious restaurant spending hundreds rupiahs without ever thinking about what others, especially homeless, jobless, moneyless people, eat or to eat as simple as I can take thereby I consider what others feel.
Pro argument to think about others when eating says that you should be tolerant to others suffering from not being able to eat proper food in proper frequency. The money you spend should not be used just to spoil your tongue itself.
Con argument says that oh c’mon, don’t be so stupid that you feel that you can ease their suffering by doing such thing because if they are in your shoes they would also do the same thing. Moreover, the dough that you save can’t be directly delivered to them as well, so why don’t you just indulge yourself?
However, what I believe is that by not eating as what my tongue says would be appropriate because I have sympathy to them. This kind of deed would apply to others activities, such as partying in an excessive way. What about you?

Pendekatan Sinis terhadap Pembangunan Jakarta

2007-10-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

“Politicians attempt to build a bridge, while there is no river”
-Nikita Kruschev-

Here is my article posted on Mading eksternal BOE. It's about pesimism of development of
Jakarta, even with the new governor

Memasuki awal bulan Agustus, tepatnya tanggal 8 Agustus, penduduk kota Jakarta akan dihadapi dengan pesta demokrasi terbesar di Ibukota Indonesia ini. Mereka akan memilih gubernur beserta wakil gubernurnya. Mereka yang akan memilih pastilah berharap bahwa gubernur terpilih akan berbuat sesuatu yang lebih baik lagi bagi pembangunan kota Jakarta, terutama dalam mengatasi banjir dan pendidikan murah bahkan gratis. Saya sendiri sebetulnya selain mengharapkan pendidikan yang berkualitas dan terjangkau bahkan kalau bisa gratis, juga berharap agar gubernur DKI Jakarta yang baru nanti dapat melakukan pemerataan pembangunan dengan memperhatikan slump areas yang berada di tengah-tengah kota, yang berada di belakang gedung-gedung bertingkat dan berpendingin udara, yang berada di belakang kompleks perumahan elit. Kenapa? Karena saya merasa bahwa DKI Jakarta melangkah terlalu cepat dari yang seharusnya. Sungguh ironi ketika kita melihat perumahan kumuh di belakang mal-mal dan ketika kita melihat penduduk yang terpinggirkan dari kota Jakarta itu sedang mandi dan gosok gigi di kali yang juga digunakan untuk mencuci baju.
The bridge is in your dream
Berharap sih boleh saja, tetapi jangan berharap terlalu banyak karena kalau tidak terjadi akan sakit hati sendiri, bukankah begitu yang biasa terjadi dalam kehidupan sehari-hari? Kutipan dari Nikita Kruschev setidaknya mengingatkan kita bahwa sesungguhnya hampir sebagian besar politisi hanya mengeluarkan janji-janji surga, tetapi perbuatannya membuat kita seperti berada di neraka. Well, mungkin kata-kata saya berlebihan, tetapi saya rasa itu memang sering terjadi di Indonesia, sehingga saya merasa bahwa kutipan tersebut sangat relevan menjelang pilkada Jakarta bulan Agustus nanti.
Jika nanti gubernur terpilih nanti benar-benar melakukan apa yang dijanjikannya, namun tidak sepenuhnya, maka kita harus waspada bahwa separuh janji yang telah dilaksanakannya itu hanyalah untuk mendapatkan legitimasi dari masyarakat. Menurut saya, kita harus sungguh-sungguh memperhatikan apa yang mereka lakukan terhadap pendidikan dan kesejahteraan orang kecil. Jangan sampai kita melihat lagi sekolah yang digusur oleh karena wilayah tempat sekolah itu berdiri merupakan wilayah bisnis dan pemda DKI merasa bahwa opportunity cost-nya terlalu besar hanya untuk membangun sebuah sekolah.
Sepertinya saya terlalu pesimis terhadap kedua calon gubernur (cagub) dan calon wakil gubernur (cawagub) yang akan bertarung nanti. Tetapi, saya rasa pesimisme yang saya utarakan ini tidak terlalu berlebihan karena tiga alasan. Pertama dan yang utama, saya tidak melihat bahwa kedua calon gubernur, yaitu Fauzi Bowo dan Adang Darajatun melakukan sesuatu yang sangat berarti terhadap Jakarta sebelum masa pemerintahan Sutiyoso berakhir atau sebelumnya (mungkin saya dan semoga salah). Oleh sebab itu, seringkali saya tertawa geli jika melihat mereka mengunjungi atau menyumbangkan sesuatu bagi rakyat kecil. Tetapi, mungkin saja mereka melakukan sesuatu yang berguna dan signifikan terhadap Jakarta tercinta, namun tidak diliput media. Yah, hitung-hitung mengurangi kadar pesimisme saya.
Alasan kedua adalah mereka takut terhadap dan tidak mendukung calon independen. Ini menunjukkan sportivitas mereka yang buruk. Banyak penduduk Jakarta sangat menyayangkan dan kecewa ketika mereka langsung mendaftarkan diri ke KPUD Jakarta ketika proses tuntutan agar calon independen diperbolehkan ikut serta dalam pilkada masih berlangsung. Yang menjadi pertanyaan adalah mengapa mereka takut terhadap calon independen jika mereka yakin bahwa mereka memiliki dukungan kuat dari penduduk Jakarta? Memang secara logika akan lebih baik jika memiliki lebih sedikit saingan, namun saya rasa jawaban yang tepat adalah mereka khawatir bahwa penduduk Jakarta yang sudah muak dengan partai politik akan lebih memilih calon independen, terbukti berdasarkan hasil survei yang dilakukan oleh LSI, yaitu bahwa penduduk Jakarta sekitar 59% lebih menginginkan calon independen, apalagi diantara calon independen tersebut terdapat seorang pengamat ekonomi yang sudah dikenal sebagai orang yang bersih dan jujur.
Yang terakhir adalah kesenangan mereka melakukan berbagai pelanggaran terhadap peraturan kampanye, baik yang tertulis maupun tidak. Mereka melakukan pawai dalam kampanye, padahal itu melanggar perda DKI Jakarta dan mereka juga melakukan black campaign terhadap lawannya masing-masing.
Semoga tidak terjadi!
Terdapat alasan yang kuat mengapa, menurut saya, mereka tidak akan terlalu bersemangat untuk mengembangkan dan menyejahterakan rakyat kecil yang umumnya tidak memilki tingkat pendidikan yang tinggi, yaitu sebab “in general the higher the education and intelligence of individual becomes, the more their views and tastes are differentiated amd the less likely they are to agree on a particular hierarchy of values,” (Hayek, 1944). Akan tetapi, saya yakin teman-teman juga berharap seperti saya bahwa ini tidak akan terjadi dan program pendidikan murah yang sudah dilaksanakan pada masa pemerintahan Gubernur Sutiyoso akan terus dilanjutkan agar nantinya mereka yang tadinya tidak dapat sekolah karena mahalnya biaya pendidikan akan dapat menjadi pintar dan handal agar mereka mendapatkan pekerjaan yang layak dan tidak menjadi pengangguran yang dapat memaksa mereka menjadi penjahat atau pengemis.
Penutup
Meskipun kedua cagub yang sekarang kurang meyakinkan berdasarkan ketiga alasan yang saya kemukakan, namun kita tidak boleh apatis sebab jika kita apatis mereka bisa menjelma menjadi suatu pemerintahan yang cenderung otoriter. Kita harus tetap mengontrol dan memastikan bahwa mereka tidak akan lagi menggusur para pedagang kaki lima tanpa memberikan lahan dagangan yang baru, membangun mal-mal tanpa memberdayakan daya beli (purchasing power) dan kesejahteraan masyarakat kecil.
Tulisan ini tidak bermaksud mengajak teman-teman memilih cagub tertentu, mendiskreditkan calon tertentu, atau menyerukan golput dalam pilkada nanti. Ekspektasi saya adalah agar teman-teman bersedia menganalisis program-program yang dijanjikan oleh kedua cagub jika bermaksud untuk memilih. Waspadalah terhadap cagub yang menawarkan program-program yang mengawang-awang. Dan satu lagi, jika teman-teman yang merasa memiliki kedekatan ideologi dengan partai tertentu yang mendukung cagub dan cawagub, saya sungguh mengharapkan agar rasio mengalahkan emosional teman-teman jika memang teman-teman merasa bahwa janji-janji mereka tidak feasible karena kita semua tentu mengharapkan Jakarta yang lebih baik lagi.

Well, Can You Fight Nature?

2007-10-03T10:04:00.001-07:00

Three weeks ago I and friends of mine of OPK committee went to the zoo. We had fun together looking at ‘wild’ animals walking around and licking cars mirror. However, not to Rayhan whose car licked by an animal looked like a camel, he just screamed and shouted at this animal. At that time, I was really looking forward to seeing tiger and lion since this was the second time I went to the zoo after 15 years, perhaps, I don’t know the number for sure. Once I arrived at the palace of the king of the jungle I was really amazed at these living creatures’ fierce look. But question in my head enlightens me to ask “can they eat vegetables, instead of meat which means have to kill other animals?” The same kind of question applied when I gaze at other animals, like deer, camels, bears, etc. I asked again, “can they just eat what they are used to eating. For instance, deer eat mice or fish, or bears eat nuts, etc, etc…”
Those questions inspire my thought that you can’t fight the nature as Spinoza, a jewish philosopher, said. Why don’t you just think about for a second if fierceness of tiger and lion just enable them to eat grass like a cow? It would be funny and silly, it doesn’t fit at all. It’s the same when you think that sun rises from the east and humans try to convert it to the west. There are lots of nature-more powerful things than human so that no matter how smart humans are, we are not capable of changing nature, not a nuclear part of it, as the objective of science suggests that “…….so that we can control nature…”. Well, can you fight nature? It’s not worth even a shot, is it?

“1% Bakat + 99% Kerja Keras = The Greatest”

2007-10-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

The greatest man on his field tidak timbul dengan tangan halus, rambut yang selalu tertata rapi dan wangi bunga mawar atau bunga-bunga lainnya, stamina yang segar bugar karena sehari tidur 7-8 jam sehari, otak yang masih fresh karena tidak pernah membaca buku atau berpikir tentang hal yang berat regardless kemampuan otaknya karena mungkin setiap hari kerjaannya hanya menonton sinetron atau sekalipun film hollywood yang hanya ecek-ecek yang bukan kelas oscar yang mungkin anak SD pun malah tertawa karena seringkali tidak masuk akal dan irreasonable. The greatest man on his field timbul dengan tangan yang kasar karena dia mungkin sering memukul-mukul meja atau benda apapun karena dia sering menemui keulitan ketika sedang berpikir namun tidak pernah menyerah sampai akhirnya dia berhasil, dia mungkin tidak akan punya waktu yang banyak untuk selalu memperhatikan kerapihan dan penampilan rambutnya karena menurut mereka mungkin yang paling penting adalah apa yang ada di bawah rambut itu, mereka mungkin saja tidak memiliki kondisi tubuh seperti orang normal lainnnya sebab dia mungkin hanya tidur kurang dari 4 jam sehari oleh karena ketika his peers tertidur lelap, dia mungkin sedang belajar, berpikir, atau memecahkan masalah yang mungkin efeknya tidak akan timbul dalam waktu yang dekat, mungkin ketika temannya membicarakan sesuatu hal yang simpel dia bisa saja tidak nyambung dengan apa yang mereka bicarakan karena mungkin dia sedang memikirkan hal lain yang menarik minatnya, yang tentu saja, yang berhubungan dengan bidang yang sedang digelutinya yang membuatnya a way ahead, otaknya butek, keruh karena terlalu sering digunakan tidak seperti sebagian besat orang Indonesia dan saya sendiri yang otak dan hati masih belum nyambung yang kata Prof Sri Edi terkena penyakit malas berpikir dan yang sedihnya bangga sekali hanya menjadi konsumen, dia mungkin tidak tahu siapa artis yang paling terkenal saat ini, film apa yang menjadi pembicaraan banyak orang dan menjadi phenomenon of the year.
Bila kita melihat orang-orang besar di berbagai bidang, seperti Albert Einstein, Grigori Perelman, John von Neumann, John Maynard Keynes, Soekarno, Bill Clinton, George Soros, Donald Trump, dan masih banyak lagi yang lainnya, yang menjadi pertanyaan adalah ‘bagaimana bisa’, iya kan? Apakah karena kapasitas otaknya yang berbeda dengan orang-orang ‘normal’ lainnya? Apakah karena mereka ‘jewish’ ? Pertanyaan yang terakhir, jawabannya bisa benar tapi bisa juga salah, kenapa bisa benar, lalu kenapa bisa salah? Dapat dikatakan benar karena memang benar orang-orang terbaik di hampir seluruh bidang adalah keturunan yahudi. Lihat saja Albert Einstein, orang yang disebut-sebut sebagai the best scientist in the world , Grigori Perelman yang berhasil memecahkan salah satu misteri dalam matematika, George Soros yang dapat dikatakan sebagai dewa dalam bidang finansial yang dengan permainan indahnya dapat menghancurkan perekonomian sebuah negara, David Beckham yang merupakan pesepakbola paling terkenal di dunia. Mereka semua merupakan keturunan Yahudi yang juga meruapakan ras Yesus Kristus. Lalu apa hubungannya? Hubungannya adalah jika kita melihat isi alkitab kita akan menemukan bahwa berungakali dikatakan orang Yahudi atau Israel meruapakan umat kesayangan Tuhan. Jadi bila kita melihat hubungan ini kita bisa mengambil kesimpulan bahwa memang ada faktor X dari apa yang membedakan mereka dengan sesama rekan seprofesinya, yaitu otak yang hanya dapat ditentukan oleh keinginan dari Tuhan. Mungkin bila orang lain melihat angka-angka, orang biasa akan memerlukan waktu yang cukup lama atau masih berada dalam average , namun orang yang ‘tidak normal’ akan dengan mudah memainkannya, kenapa mereka bisa seperti itu? Jawabannya adalah karena otak mereka berbeda! Sangat simpel jawabannya bukan. Namun bisa saja salah, bila kita melihat contoh John Maynard Keynes yang disebut-sebut sebagai ekonom terhebat di era modern, Bill Gates sebagai orang hebat yang mendirikan perusahaan Microsoft, Aristoteles yang merupakan filsuf terhebat dan terbesar sepanjang masa, dan masih banyak lainnya. Mungkin benar bila dikatakan bahwa orang terhehebat di bidangnya masing-masing yang keturunan Yahudi lebih banyak daripada mereka yang bukan, namun setidaknya ini membuktikan bahwa orang dari keturunan ras manapun bisa saja menjadi orang terhebat di bidangnya masing-masing. Lalu, seperti sebelumnya, mengapa mereka yang bukan keturunan Yahudi bisa? Menurut saya jawabannya adalah karena mereka menyadari apa yang menjadi minat terbesar mereka dan menggunakannya sebagai dorongan untuk menguasainya dan menjadi yang terbaik diantara yang terbaik, mereka mengorbankan waktu bermain, menonton, bercengkrama dengan teman-temannya, untuk berusaha keras untuk menjadi yang terbaik sebab mereka berpkiran waktu 24 jam sehari yang mereka miliki sama dengan apa yang dimiliki oleh rekan-rekannya sehingga apa yang membedakan mereka dengan rekan lainnya adalah seberapa banyak mereka memanfaatkannya. Jadi menurut saya bakat alam atau otak yang cemerlang hanya memainkan peranan yang sangat sedikit atas kehebatan seseorang karena saya sebagai orang yang percaya kepada Tuhan yakin bahwa Tuhan pasti adil bagi semua umatnya, dalam artian otaknya mungkin tidak terlalu jauh berbeda dengan yang lain, jadi terserah kepada passion dari tiap orang untuk mau berusaha, contohnya adalah banyak orang India, Jepang, China yang menjadi insinyur, dokter, atau ekonom yang hebat. Mereka bukanlah orang Yahudi! Namun, mereka mampu.
Coba kita renungkan dan bayangkan apa yang akan terjadi pada bangsa ini apabila setengah saja dari total penduduk bangsa Indonesia mau bekerja keras dengan mengorbankan waktu tidur, bermain, menonton, dan ngalor-ngidul ndak jelas untuk mau belajar dalam bidangnya masing-masing, entah itu dia adalah seorang artis, ekonom, insinyur, ilmuwan, musikus, penulis novel, pesepakbola profesional, etc. Kita pasti akan melihat bangsa yang kompetitif dan maju secara moral dan skill. Kita akan dapat melihat banyak orang Indonesia yang bermain dalam film-film hollywood, kita akan dapat melihat orang Indonesia meraih hadiah nobel bidang ekonomi atau menjadi staf pengajar kelas atas di MIT, Harvard, Princeton dan universitas-universitas top di dunia, kita akan juga dapat melihat bangsa ini mampu menciptakan satelit sendiri, kita akan dapat melihat orang Indonesia meraih penghargaan Grammy yang prestisius itu, kita akan dapat melihat orang Indonesia yang mampu mengalahkan JK Rowling sebagai penulis novel terkaya di dunia, lalu kita juga akan mampu menikmati sepak terjang Budi, Tono, Ujang bermain di MU, Juve, Real Madrid dan bahkan mungkin Indonesia menjadi juara dunia. Bila melihat daftar panjang ini orang lain yang tidak punya harapan, mungkin akan berkata ini hanya mimpi di siang hari yang tidak mungkin terwujud menjadi kenyataan, namun bagi saya yang percaya mimpi bisa menjadi kenyataan, ini tidak mustahil untuk dilakukan. Ini semua dapat terjadi namun mungkin hanya soal waktu saja.
Finally, mimpilah setinggi-tingginya karena tanpa mimpi Soekarno, Indonesia mungkin masih diajajah hingga saat ini, Einstein tidak akan pernah menjadi seorang Ilmuwan terbesar di dunia, dan masih banyak lagi contoh orang-orang besar yang tidak akan menjadi seperti apa yang mereka miliki tanpa mimpi. Percayalah bahwa bakat hanyalah 1% dalam menjamin seseorang untuk dapat sukses dan sisanya 99% kerja keras!

My House of Thought Has been Built!

2007-09-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well, my long waiting to release my thinking in my small head has stop. Eventually, I can create this blog, after several months contemplating about not regretting wasting my time at laptop 'just' to create this blog. I would try to practice my english by writing every single writing in english.
Hopefully, after creating my own
blog, I can be more active to write which I think could help me in becoming a great economist. Amen!