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The Vicious Cycle That Keeps Indonesia Poor — and How to Break It
Indonesia, a nation rich in cultural heritage and natural resources, stands at a crossroads in its development journey. Despite significant strides in various sectors, the country grapples with persistent challenges that hinder its progress. These challenges are not isolated; they are interconnected, forming a cycle that perpetuates underdevelopment. Understanding this cycle is crucial to breaking free from it.
Why Indonesia Was Never Democratic — And Still Isn’t
Many people assume that Indonesia’s struggle for democracy mirrors the path of Western nations: a long fight for rights, accountability, and institutional checks. But that’s not the case.
Unlike Europe, where democracy gradually emerged through centuries of internal conflict, Indonesia’s battles were against colonizers. The struggle was not about democracy — it was about survival and independence. When independence finally came, it arrived without a democratic foundation.This is why, no matter ho...
Unlike Europe, where democracy gradually emerged through centuries of internal conflict, Indonesia’s battles were against colonizers. The struggle was not about democracy — it was about survival and independence. When independence finally came, it arrived without a democratic foundation.This is why, no matter ho...
The Poverty Trap in Our Heads: How Indonesia’s Inferior Mindset Holds Us Back
When I was young, I often heard Indonesians say: “Yang penting nyari duit untuk makan.” “As long as we earn enough to eat.”
It sounds humble. Noble, even. But behind those words hides a quiet poison — a belief that life is only about surviving, never about striving.
This belief is not just personal. It’s generational. It shapes how families raise their children, how citizens see their government, and ultimately, how a nation gr...
It sounds humble. Noble, even. But behind those words hides a quiet poison — a belief that life is only about surviving, never about striving.
This belief is not just personal. It’s generational. It shapes how families raise their children, how citizens see their government, and ultimately, how a nation gr...
Why Businessmen Make Terrible Politicians — and Why We Keep Electing Them
“If he can run a business, he can run a country.”It’s one of the most persistent myths in modern politics. It sounds logical. Clean. Easy. A perfect little formula for success.But it’s a dangerous lie — one we keep telling ourselves every election cycle.
This thinking comes from a deep human craving for order. We want problems to be solvable like math equations: plug in the right variables, and the solution will spit itself out. We i...
This thinking comes from a deep human craving for order. We want problems to be solvable like math equations: plug in the right variables, and the solution will spit itself out. We i...
The Mask Every Politician Wears (and the Few Who Don’t)
In the modern world, politics doesn’t just happen in parliament halls or behind closed doors — it plays out on camera, on Twitter feeds, on talk shows, and in carefully choreographed photo ops.It’s theatre, and the actors are professionals.
The corrupt politician knows exactly how to use lighting, framing, and timing to their advantage. They’re not only aware of the camera — they live for it. Every handshake is perfectly angled for t...
The corrupt politician knows exactly how to use lighting, framing, and timing to their advantage. They’re not only aware of the camera — they live for it. Every handshake is perfectly angled for t...
When Ideals Meet Reality
As I grow older… I notice something. It’s not sudden. It’s not a revelation that explodes in my mind. It’s more like a slow fade.The kind you don’t realize is happening until you look back and see the colors aren’t as bright as they used to be.When I was young, I thought the world was simple. Fairness was obvious. Justice was clear. Good people made good choices.I believed in the perfect shape of things. I believed the world just needed a little eff...
No Murders, Only “Regrettable Deaths”: The Brutal Truth Behind The Constant Gardener
I recently revisited The Constant Gardener, a film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. While many remember it as a gripping political thriller, for me it is much more — a deeply human story about courage, love, and the cost of confronting power.
What stood out most wasn’t just the plot or its political undertones, but the way it reflected personal convictions and the stubborn pursuit of truth. Watching it, I couldn’t help but measure my own beliefs against those of the characters — especially Tessa.
What stood out most wasn’t just the plot or its political undertones, but the way it reflected personal convictions and the stubborn pursuit of truth. Watching it, I couldn’t help but measure my own beliefs against those of the characters — especially Tessa.
It’s Easy to Know What You’re Against — What This Film Taught Me About Knowing What You’re For
It’s one thing to know what you’re against. It’s another to know what you’re for.
If we can accept the complexity of a movie’s narrative, why can’t we embrace the complexity of life itself? Films are born from lived human experiences. The emotions, decisions, and conflicts we see on screen are, in some way, reflections of reality — distilled, heightened, but never wholly fabricated.
If we can accept the complexity of a movie’s narrative, why can’t we embrace the complexity of life itself? Films are born from lived human experiences. The emotions, decisions, and conflicts we see on screen are, in some way, reflections of reality — distilled, heightened, but never wholly fabricated.
If I Were a Descendant of the Great Civilization
They say I was born into greatness.
I was told my blood carried the wisdom of ages,
that I walked in the shadow of the Great Civilization.
From birth, I was taught honor, dignity, morality —
words polished like jewels
and handed to me as sacred truth.
But I later learned those jewels were only for us,
never for strangers beyond our gates.
I was told my blood carried the wisdom of ages,
that I walked in the shadow of the Great Civilization.
From birth, I was taught honor, dignity, morality —
words polished like jewels
and handed to me as sacred truth.
But I later learned those jewels were only for us,
never for strangers beyond our gates.
How Fear Controls Us — and How I Refused to Be Controlled
People are not blind,
nor are they deaf.
They see clearly,
they hear clearly.
Yet, they do nothing. Why?
Because they are scared.
They feed the fear —
they feed the monster inside us.
Fear is the greatest enemy.
nor are they deaf.
They see clearly,
they hear clearly.
Yet, they do nothing. Why?
Because they are scared.
They feed the fear —
they feed the monster inside us.
Fear is the greatest enemy.
Unveiling Darkness: How The Whistleblower Reveals the Human Cost of Power and Money
I recently watched The Whistleblower, a gripping film based on the true story of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska police officer who became a UN-appointed peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. What started as a job to support her family quickly turned into a fight against one of the darkest human rights violations — organized human trafficking with the complicity of international forces.
In the Name of the Father: How Innocent Lives Were Lost to a Broken Justice System
What is justice?
This question has haunted societies for centuries, yet the answer remains elusive. Justice in the real world is often starkly different from the ideals promised by legal systems. This disconnect becomes painfully clear when we look at true stories of miscarriages of justice — like the one portrayed in the movie In the Name of the Father.
This question has haunted societies for centuries, yet the answer remains elusive. Justice in the real world is often starkly different from the ideals promised by legal systems. This disconnect becomes painfully clear when we look at true stories of miscarriages of justice — like the one portrayed in the movie In the Name of the Father.
War Is One Man’s Choice
I still remember the day clearly. I was sitting in a seminar room at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, attending one of the regular Global Conversation events hosted by the Economics Faculty. These seminars often bring in high-profile speakers — academics, economists, politicians — to discuss pressing global issues. That day, the speaker was Luigi R. Einaudi, a former American ambassador, who was talking about pluralism and the challenges of governance in a complex world.
Can We Ever Fully Achieve Human Rights? The Paradox Explained
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of yin and yang — how light can’t exist without darkness, good without bad. Life, as I see it, is a delicate dance of opposites, each defining and balancing the other. And when it comes to human rights? That dance becomes even more complicated — confusing, even. Yet, it’s in this very confusion that I find something deeply important.
When History Repeats: Understanding the Cycles of Conflict in Jerusalem
I first encountered the phrase “History is seasonal, and winter is coming” in a video analyzing the documentaries of Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former White House chief strategist. Bannon, known for his controversial proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, used the phrase to outline a vision — or warning — about America’s future.
But my interest here isn’t in Bannon’s politics or predictions. It’s in the statement itself.
But my interest here isn’t in Bannon’s politics or predictions. It’s in the statement itself.
The Day My Professor Tried to Teach Me War Could Be “Right”
On my first day in International Law, my professor wrote two phrases on the board:
ILLEGAL WAR
LEGAL WAR
He spoke as if this was an ordinary classification — just another legal distinction we would memorize and move on from.
But to me, it sounded heavier than that.
ILLEGAL WAR
LEGAL WAR
He spoke as if this was an ordinary classification — just another legal distinction we would memorize and move on from.
But to me, it sounded heavier than that.
How to Keep Gratefulness in Mind: A Lesson from an Unexpected Friendship
Never judge a person by their appearance.
It’s a simple piece of advice, but one that many of us forget too easily. The truth is, you never truly know the battles someone is fighting or the life they’ve lived just by looking at them.
One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned about gratefulness came from an encounter with an elderly man — a meeting that changed my perspective forever.
It’s a simple piece of advice, but one that many of us forget too easily. The truth is, you never truly know the battles someone is fighting or the life they’ve lived just by looking at them.
One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned about gratefulness came from an encounter with an elderly man — a meeting that changed my perspective forever.