Scan barcode
kevin_shepherd's review
3.0
Not to draw too narrow of a focus on a broad range of essays, but the piece on ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’ by Patrick Guiness is, by far, my favorite. In it, Guiness points out that Indonesia is comprised of approximately 300 distinct ethnic groups. With such a high level of cultural diversity, it is not at all surprising that Indonesian history, particularly since the declaration of independence from Dutch colonial rule, has been turbulent. The era of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (roughly translated as “Unity in Diversity”) that began under Sukarno in 1946, ended in horrific bloodshed and political upheaval in 1965. The new government that emerged, dubbed the “New Order” (N.O.), unabashedly employed military might to quell insurgency and impose the will of the president upon the Indonesian people.
What I found disturbing, and hauntingly familiar, about the rise of the New Order was its implied association with a rise in Indonesian living standards. It was indeed fortunate for General/President Suharto (who supplanted Sukarno) that the arrival of the N.O. coincided with the emergence of a capitalistic global economy.
Guiness points out that the dynamics of capitalism, as promoted by Indonesia’s neoteric political machine, generated a cultural identity crisis and resulted in a form of neo-colonialism. The modest increase in the standard of living was, arguably, only coincidentally connected to the political reforms enacted in 1965.
Yes, the citizens of Indonesia were, at least in the short term, better off - but they were better off in spite of the New Order and not because of it.
What I found disturbing, and hauntingly familiar, about the rise of the New Order was its implied association with a rise in Indonesian living standards. It was indeed fortunate for General/President Suharto (who supplanted Sukarno) that the arrival of the N.O. coincided with the emergence of a capitalistic global economy.
Guiness points out that the dynamics of capitalism, as promoted by Indonesia’s neoteric political machine, generated a cultural identity crisis and resulted in a form of neo-colonialism. The modest increase in the standard of living was, arguably, only coincidentally connected to the political reforms enacted in 1965.
Yes, the citizens of Indonesia were, at least in the short term, better off - but they were better off in spite of the New Order and not because of it.
More...