War on Poverty
Nov 12th, 2008, in News, by Patung
Politicians waging war on poverty via billboards, and bus riding buskers in Jakarta.
A campaign billboard for General Wiranto:
“Poverty Must Be Ended”, says General Wiranto, and “I swear to devote the rest of my life to improving the welfare of the Indonesian people”.
On a similar theme:
“The People Must Not Be Allowed to Suffer”, says somebody from the police faction, and “Allow us to be the leaders of those who are suffering”.
While some talk about it others do it, and others document aspects of it:
Promo for JALANAN, documentary (2009).
36 Comments on “War on Poverty”
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dragonwall says:
Well understandable, even though there is a census control the already blemish image build onto people indoctrinated over the years coupled with what is hapenning in Indonesia don’t you think the problem still cannot be resolve.
Even if by reducing the population or control birth, the poverty problem cannot be resolved without fundamentals setting in.
It will be like a circle going round and round one after another.
There will be no break through after all.
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Purba Negoro says:
Dragonwall,
could you please elaborate.
Although we often disagree- you seem to be more insightful than most about Indonesian society.It would be very interesting to hear your views on the root causes of poverty.
I support the view that population control- too many hands outstretched for too little money to be spread about evenly is one of the basic causes of poverty.
Your personal views would be very interesting to all.
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Poverty is largely caused by mismanagement of government’s money disbursed in the annual APBD and APBN as social development aids.
Money received by the Government on one hand had already been “sunat” by various departmental officials such that when most of the money is handed down it is always not enough for the people to “bagi bagi” and undermined by people in Logistic “Bulog” that is like before it was Bustanil Arrifin and the Adi character and Ministry of Social Welfare “Menteri Kesejahteraan” that is the ABU. Besides that there is also money allocated for health and education.
By the time money reaches them it almost had vanished. And by the time aid money reached the vast majority of the population it had already dwindled to a trickle.
Is there less work? Yes. Why?
Because the industry is not growing, cultivation lands were all preoccupied, barren land not viable for cultivation.Is there less open space? No.
There are huge areas uncultivated therefore the government are capitalizing and diverting them to industries in timber concession like HPH etc.Is there less industry? No.
But the problem with these industries is that they are not moving at all or are moving at a very slow pace, so they won’t be able to absorb new workers. Not forgetting those whose export had downslide are retrenching workers.Is the standard wages sufficient? No.
Although there were slight adjustments in wages it is still insufficient due to hyperinflation and cost of living.For industry were they able to provide high wages? No.
Raising the standard wages will not solve the problem because it will hurt the industry. If the industry falls who will employ those workers.Are the population at large able to feed their own family? No.
There are too many heads in the family to feed. Generations are growing when the younger keeps growing up demands increase while they had not attained their employment age. When they reached the marriage age population continues to grow.
The cycle keeps turning but the same old stories.The only way out for them is to seek greener pasture overseas.
At home inflation is the biggest problem.
How is a country with too many people to feed and too little money to give is able to cope up with that many problems? How could people survive? How would they not protest? Coupled with problems like Freemont, Tim Tim and Porong the population were put to task facing difficulties on their own suppress by government officials and those case were place in cold storage for a long period of time. When it comes to settlement it had already came too late and very little they receive because of the corrupt Justice Department.
(Commenting about the Corrupt Justice Department and Immigration Departments, I have seen with my own very eyes that these people wearing uniforms lining up in foreign banks and making deposit. Why? I am sure many could by then have guessed.)
By then people will think otherwise like having the communist system could be better for them and undermined by those religious fanatics who constantly preyed on the poor and helpless to achieve their political cause. Amidst power struggle this country by then had already plunge herself into a situation of no return with constant instability, mass manipulations and terror on the move.
During the Suharto era people were not as poor as today. Transmigration program was actually a very good program. This is to evenly spread people all over and have land cultivated and made used of. But the problem arises with too many smart ass on the top figuring how to get money and that was why land were first allocated to farmers and the poor and then in turn hand them over to government officials who had collaborated with business people and have them developed into other uses. When farmers who were poor being gullible attracted by money, will be willing to let them go for instant relief and richness overlooking what is forthcoming compromising their future.
How to get money?
In a corrupt society, the government needs to eradicate all those people holding important post by using multiple agencies to oversee them. You don’t turn the country into communist but utilize the system they used. Deterrent sentence must be meted out to punish those causing those grievances of the majority at large.
For example where did money receive by BEA CUKAI goes to? Where did money receive by Immigration goes to? Where did money receive by PAJAK does to? All money must be made payable to the STATE and not into departmental account and could be accounted for by receipts issued. Usually money receive by various departments are deposited into departmental account before “SETOR” to “KAS NEGARA”. They were always filtered.Money received from all taxable and receivable departments and meant for the government should be in one place and not different individual agencies with regardless.
People overseeing the account should be from multiple agencies and not from that one department.
Money meant for the people should be directed to the area and should be in one place oversees by multiple agencies of the area.
Areas to be open up and relocate the poor to work implementing different cultivation products. Lands cannot be transferable or resold or sub lease. Certain areas need to be protected must be conserve for greeneries and land protection against erosion, flood and others. Products upon harvest must not be cornered by individual “CALO” but instead to a centralize collection centre. Not the stuff like the “CENGKEH” being monopolize by TS. Products shall immediately be place for auction or to factories doing canning products. The collection centre will earn a small percentage in fees because all fertilizers are procured by the collection on loan. Farmers on receipt of money shall also pay government for the use of lease land. The cycle keeps rotating.
This way the government will collect rent, the collection centre will receive fee for their work, the factory will earn buying direct, the farmers gets the net income after paying tax on their income. Tax could be deferred for the first two to three years due to the work put in.All these need to be water tight scrutiny.
Factory employing workers could work out employees and family benefits by maintaining low wages. This way funds in the company can be diversified for reinvestments like what the American 401K and pension funds.
Obvious there are lots of work and manpower involves. But then there need to be volunteer workers in the company to work their benefits.Hypothesis
A company employs 10,000 workers at earlier 10,000 RUPIAHS per day suddenly they demand wage increase to 20 or 30 or 40,000 RUPIAHS per day. Meaning 100 million a day or 3 billion per month increasing to something like 6 billion to 12 billion per month. This means the company will fork out something like 100 to 300 percent in wages. Whereas on the other hand the company is not making enough profit to cover the cost of manpower. This will eventually lead to a strike or protest or even the company to face bankruptcy.
Instead the company will maintain paying 10,000 at the same rate per day and set aside the potential increase of wages into a fund and investing the funds. This way the company will not dried up. If the company utilize the fund then they will pay an interest lower than the bank and replace them ASAP.
Funds from here will then be relocated into family benefits like school, medical and subsidy depending on the need.
When the company grows, their stocks in the share market will eventually grow together. When there is a year end bonus the company could offer the workers in the form of shares instead of cash. Whether the workers dispose them off is their business. This way the company will developed a closer tie with the workers and the workers will also protects the interest of the company.
We are referring to large corporate like Freemont, GUDANG GARAM, PHILIP MORRIS PERTAMINA etc and not the tiny small companies.
Corruption Prevention
Government department will also implement the same benefit by offering them better benefits. They are the Money Guardian. Obvious the government will have to weave a gigantic web of surveillance.
Price of edibles and perishable must be control to be press inflation rate to the minimum.
The government should not differentiate such allocation of land use is to who they are as long as they are able to prove they are poor and willing to work.
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Dragonwall,
quite a long and well-thought out hypothesis.I am very pleasantly shocked!
I actually agree with many points- but disagree on some.
And of specific interest to me is the population issue- Population is truly a major cause of poverty- just look at India and China.
Compare these to the west- perhaps same resources, simply far more hands and mouths to spread it about.I’ll get back to the other ones- I want to ask some questions to a friend first.
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Owen says:
What image does this crass racist Purba Negoro think he is communicating of his country? I live in Tower Hamlets. His reference to “typical Carribean savage in Tower Hamlets” is not simply critiquing “from a position of total ignorance, childish naivety, limited knowledge and real life experience of my nation”, it is offensive puerility.
Comment on “War on Poverty”.
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Chris
What is the source/s of your party funding?
What percentage and what exact amount does your party receive from NGO’s (LSM in Indonesian) and private individuals?
Will you release full bank details of your party to the relevant authorities in accordance with Indonesian electoral law?
Are you aware of your current actions legality within Indonesia?
Will you disclose fully and frankly any and all special interest groups or lobbyist who may or may not undermine your party?
And that is an inarguable unpleasant fact the kind which makes the Komari-types of the world brains boil.
Komari obviously arguing that Indonesia would be better served if we listened and then elected Jema’ah Islamiyah types into power and we all become broke and jobless as investors would flee.
It is also a baseless rebuttal. Where’s your proof.
Furthermore- the US system is hardly impartial. No other nation recognises corporations as individuals. The US system does.
The US system Komari advocates and salivates insitutionalises allows massive amounts of money ($1USD billion for Obama?!?!) to funneled into parties- exactly like the perverted patron asking for special kinky favours from his hooker.
According to Forbes 80% of all US tax is paid by its’ top 100 companies.
All taxpayers expect governmental representation and advocacy for their agendas.
All of a sudden we see exactly who the US electorate truly is. Big business.
US democracy is thus nothing more than corporate prostitution.
Filthy whores who’ll do the most perverted depraved deed for money regardless of consequence.
Stephen Colbert’s humourous show parodied this best by sending a famous black pimp to Washington to try and recruit US politicians as his bitches and ho’s- earning cheddar from their johns to turn tricks.
Regarding the military of Indonesia:
Komari is very obviously a willfully naive person completely ignorant of highly complex realities of Indonesia leading a cosseted life abroad and observing from afar.
Furthermore the US and the West enjoy the luxury of never being violently invaded and the huge social problems arising from centuries of Anglosphere Colonial rape of the nation.
To impose Western morality on Indonesia is square peg, round hole, comparing chalk to cheese.
The selective imposition of Western attitudes, morals and norms on Indonesia and judge Indonesia from a position of vast ignorance (willfull or not) is offensive in the extreme.
It is the vile yet typical Anglosphere habit of Moral Superiority-Moral Imperialism: “Bossman whitey knows best- bossman whiteys’ opinions are best and most valid”).
Not only is it proven that the morally smug West’s beloved BBC-CNN moral superiority complex is not only totally baseless but utterly hypocritical, blinkered and imposes selective subjective double standards.
Iraq is an excellent exmaple f the Anglosphere’s vile supremacy mentality. Excluding the US’ self-critiqued corrupt governance long bought by moneyed corporations (I quote Jefferson:
– more on that later.
Komari and others conveniently ignore that the nation whom Komari fawns mindlessly or perhaps financially incentivised to salivate over (regardless of the US own far graver human rights and war crimes abuses) routinely resort to deadly force in the instance of community life and officer life in danger.
This is no different to these situations in Indonesia.
Indonesia has many underdeveloped and ill-educated lawless members of society who respect and obey no law aside from law of the jungle and will use violence to attain their wishes.
They refuse to not talk, arbitrate or mediate.
Komari refuses to condemn these minorities violence and mindset of using violence to attain their self interest above that of civli society.
Facts re mains despite feel-gooder wishy washy NGO obsfusctation of reality.
The right to peaceable, lawful assembly was abused.
Peaceful legal demonstrators were over-ran by violent criminal rioters and either fled or were in very real mortal danger.
Dili, Santa Cruz, Semanggi, Tanjung Priok and many other instances were all riots where unruly violent participants openly broke the law.
Here Irianese (Papua Baratanese), Timorese, students, Islamics, etc all broke the law with full knowledge of the consequence of breaking the law.
All acted with the full express intent of using physical violence and intimidation to attain their goals.
Such unruly mobs directed violence at anyone not supporting their view- attacking rival peaceable demonstrators, innocent onlookers and the security apparatus presence required to maintain public safety and law and order.
The armed forces were necessitated solely by rioter actions to respond with deadly force to counter the very real and very well documented violence and physical hostility.
The true tragedy is that these criminals are lionised and glorified and those who uphold law, order and civil society are demonised.
NGO obfuscation, Western government(financially motivated by vested special interest lobbyist ) propaganda and Liberal/Socialist disinformation tactics cannot alter these inarguable, objective facts.
Yet naive wet-nurse types will argue the military acted too forcefully etc and try and paint criminals as tragic herioc rebels.
The facts clearly illustrate the police and military acted within full scope of the UN declaration of Human Rights, Indonesian law, Indonesian legal due process and the absolute inalienable sovereign right of the State to enforce law and order for the benefit of greater society
Furthermore- the internal affairs of Indonesia are non debatable, sovereign and are not the material for other nations to interfere.
Indonesia fully respects the authority and sovereignty for ALL foreign nations (not just the ones we like- as per the US-UK-Australia Axis) to police their internal affairs as they see fit- without libel, ridicule, criticism or public defamation and slander.
Indonesian respect of internal sovereignty is not reciprocated by financially motivated Anglosphere world, NGO’s, foreign Western governments (motivated by bribery from their large corporations) and such honey-worded provocatueurs as Rob and Komari.
Komari typical of those with pleasant yet ultimately vacuous wishy-washy drivel completely that disregards the basic fact with basic rights come RESPONSIBILITY.
Komari argues the rights of a minority are superoir to the majority.
This is exactly apartheidism. The only difference- no white passport, no kaffir passport.
Komari argues upholding minoirty individual rights. Yet frequently this will trangsress and impinge on the majority- and on far weighted than political expression or determinaiton.
All rights are not equal- some ae obviously more important than others.
Or perhaps Komari and other such flacid Human Rights activistas argue the right to privacy is more unimportant than right to clean safe water and the right to political expression is more important than the right to health care, employment or education.
Despite Komari poster child nation being the very worst Human Rights abuser and outright War Criminal far worse than Stalin or Hitler- but of course too gutless to abuse anyone residing comfortably within the US- he argues these rights should be upheld.
But would such a rights activist argue also for the North Vietnamese Army/ Viet Cong seeking political determination- whoever unpopular or financially expensive to the greedy Yankee?
What of Saddam Hussein’s right to work- buying oil in Euros instead of US Dollars?
Saddam’s right to freedom of political expression- hating Israel?
His right to freedom of political association- with North Korea, Syria etc?
What of Saddam Hussein’s right to fair trial? Good counsel?
Well- his and 50 million Iraqis rights don’t count you see- because the US has judged itself to know better- and this is precisely the mentality of the Komari types of the world.
Whitey knows best.
Whitey says Iraqis are better off free and exercising their right to be blown to pieces during their daily lives than the tyranny of safe streets under Saddam.
They are better off devolving into a African-like 3rd world nation- as whitey knows they are better off without secular pan-Arabism, Whitey stelaing their oil business and not bothering to repair any of the facilities whitey knew best to destroy.
Thur it can be easily seen the US are total hypocrites- happily self-blinkered and imposing a double standard on everyone else.
It’s the foolish man who built his house on sand.
The glasshouse dwelling stone-thrower.
Pinocchio calling you a liar.
Returning to Indonesia- the most important basic rights have always been upheld by the military and Suharto government.
These rights are obviously far more important than others
The right to an education
the right to food
the right to medical care
the right to employment
the right to safe water
right to human dignity- not a Yankee mimicking slave
Yet- by upholding the rights of vested interest and occasionally disproportionately overprivileged (Chinese)- these basic rights are endangered or cancelled as political instability ensues.
Some unpleasant yet undeniable facts:
Indonesia needs money.
Money for debts, schools, roads, water wells, health clinics.
Not enough money internally- must be sourced externally- Foriegn investment is he only source aside from loans.
Facts remain unpleasant but objective.
Indonesia cannot develop without strong leadership an stability.
Indonesia cannot PAY for its debts (however illegal, unjust or immoral) nor the development of its people without Foreign Investment
Foreign Investment NEEDS stability.
Democracy does NOT provide stability
Democracy it is institutionalised INSTABILITY
Thus- it can be seen that the Islamic threat, the Jema’ah Islamiya’ah/ Darul Islamiya’ah Islamic Caliphate threat, the socio-economic problems cannot be solved by afternoon tea and scones democracy.
Indonesia requires a firm hand.
Democracy cannot deliver it.
Democracy instutionalises fractionalisation and disunity.
Demcoracy institutionalises corporate hookers out of the normal voter’s price range.
Hardly a model for government.