There’s No Place for Elitism in a Modern Indonesia

(Reuters Photo/Suzanne Plunkett)  

Recently a meeting was held in Indonesia that, invariably, started late, and the key person who should have been there wasn’t.  Eventually when the meeting was over - garbage in, garbage out - the key person arrived and said cheerfully, without apologizing for being late, “Well, what have I missed?”  And so the meeting went through the motions again.

I find it remarkable that no one had the freedom, courage or the honesty to say to this person - “What did you miss, Sir?  You missed the meeting.”  And then walked out.

Everyone to whom I have mentioned this incident has said to me, “Oh no! We could never say that in Indonesia!  He is important.”

Well, I can only repeat here what I said to them, “He’s not important. He’s an idiot! He’s arrogant and disorganized and he doesn’t know how to exercise authority. And if you are prepared to accept his behavior, then shut up and put up with the state of things in this country. They are of your own making while you continue to remain hopelessly feudal and out-of-date. Your mentality has nothing to do with respect. It is simply that you incorrectly believe that some people are inherently superior to others and hence you allow people to treat you like door mats.”

The chemical structure of every human being’s DNA is identical.  The only difference between people is the order of the base pairs, which implies nothing. Perhaps like the idiotic and scandalous theory of ‘eugenics’ that was used by some regimes to deny people their basic rights and dignity and keep them under control, some members of the Indonesian government and elite think that the ordering of their DNA pairs is an indication of their superiority. It isn’t.

Feudalism has no place in this world.  It was overthrown by the French Revolution. Indonesia needs a revolution. Not a bloody and violent one, but a more authentic one - a revolution of the mind.  This country won’t really progress until people start thinking differently - and that means standing up to those who wish to maintain a feudal Indonesia and who arrogantly think they are better than others and expect people to kow tow to them.

The boy sweeping the street is essentially no different from the President of Indonesia.  I am amazed that some people here really believe he is intrinsically and essentially inferior to him. Who taught you this nonsense? All people are equal. If that does not loom largely in your brain, then you have a problem. Your mind needs changing. And one thing is certain: Some bosses and the elite (how that word sticks in my throat) need to learn some manners and understand the simple fact that their poo stinks the same as anyone else’s. Who do they think they are?

via: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/talkback/theres-no-place-for-elitism-in-a-modern-indonesia/475477 

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