Monday, July 28, 2008

Creativity to Get Rid Boredom



After about 6 months not learning in classroom, I finally experienced the static and hours of learning in BI’s learning center. During sessions, I ask many things to my friend, that is a lecturer, about economics. Rather feeling insecure about this topic since I’m from engineering. The friend of mine, which is slightly old enough to be my lecturer but young-hearted, was very nice to teach many things through scrap papers. I were pretty excited about the next topic, statistics, which I knew about; yet, after the 2nd out of 8 day I was quite bored with the constant intonation of the lecturer. The lecturer was actually smart, but as most statistician I knew aren’t expressive J Me and my friend had a light talk about Personality Plus characters and after that the discussion continued through comic pictures. We took turn in drawing each story box and challenged each other by putting difficult story box to continue.


As you can see that I put several serious topic to talk to through comic’s writing, but we can’t help to tease each other. It was fun that we still laugh each other while listening to the lecturer. Obviously, creativity is useful to save us from being a sleepyhead. We’ll try other things to make us awake in class. Do you have any idea to have fun in class while listening to the lecturer?

Saturday, July 26, 2008

An Indonesian facing AEC

It is foretold that AEC will create comparative advantage for each nation so that increase each output. European Union is a proof that economic integration will craft greater confidence of the market. Nevertheless, does every tier of Indonesian people will enjoy the same impact?

ASEAN Economic Community is a concept where there is no border in economic activities among ASEAN countries by freer flow of trade, investment, and human resources. However it has several potential hazards, like unsmooth flow in resources among countries in the union, Indonesia’s decentralization system is still in its ‘baby’ stage, the wages rigidity compared to Vietnam and other country, plus do with different political stances and government policies’ structure a free flow area can be implemented? Won’t it cause an instability and big gap in resources allocation? Economics theory will always say that the unequilibrium of wide gap of prosperity will adapt so that economy will be efficient in the long-run. Nevertheless, do in the complex and globalize economy can made the long-run assumption lasts? Dynamic economy transaction is occurring in many areas that would not cause any long-run stability.


Supportive (familiar) regulations
This type of crutch has been elaborated, researched and even (dare to be) suggested by many international organizations. Among many suggestions that those organizations recommend are minimizing corruption, infrastructure investment and maintenance for trade, law enforcement, clear and protective Act for investors and entrepreneurs, bureaucracy reformation, depleting grassroots subsidy, encourage classical economic theory of the market’s invisible hands, and many others. I believe that the 1st rule of giving well advises am I had to be his/her best friend with empathy. Indeed that fairness and supporting infrastructure for business essentially important. But, do those counselors really have empathy? are they really our best friends? or without any distrust, do they really understand our conditions and cultures? not really I think…

Inhibit excessive capitalism
Taking people’s freedom is currently not from colonialism but through imperialism, like the adaptation of change, right now the war is changing from the borjuis and proletarian to consumers vs. producers. In which, this integration will be the solution. It will create comparative advantage between ASEAN countries make each country focus, yet the different added value each country produce is questionable. Without doubt, it will create efficiency for the alliance; still it will kill the inefficient enough SMEs. For that reason, Indonesia government must compose regulations to protect the ‘not enough’ actors. Decentralization has created an opportunity to do so, that choosing core competence and products with intensive labor (and still checking with other countries comparative advantage) will be a foremost step to take. Along the way, education and health level must be fueled to support the transform our human capital into a primed capital intensive labor. Additionally, technological transfer must be given incentive in the preparation of the 2030’s goal. The attack of monetary crisis is still vividly recalled; thus, stringent watch in the financial market is essentially needed to harness speculators and ensure its stability.

Nationalism that I believe
Our nation has a loose grip in our identity. Many have become individualistic and forgot about our principle of tenggang rasa (helping each other) that jealousy and dubiously create conflict in several areas; yet many are so considerate that it becomes the reason for corruption, collusion, or nepotism. Have we forgotten that our land is so fertile that it can grow anything? or the concept of harmony in our role that our ancestors always teach? are monetary things very urgent for us that the proud of becoming Indonesian only prevent us to become happy? Delayed hunger will not make us die but delayed thinking and believing will… Can’t we be proud in our country that obtains our own freedom? Can’t we be proud that we have so many cultures that it seems to complete each other? Can’t we be proud that many Indonesians are exceptionally smart? Can’t we be proud that we got abundant of legacy in philosophy from our ancestors?.. Proud is useless without understanding the essence.. Does our government really has the nationalism spirit or it slowly decayed? I hope they have because I sincerely believe that it is the groundwork of civil and economic regulations facing AEC


Like some know that now I am the part of the community and government. Maybe this is the enclosing question that I would ask to myself, am I going to be a person that only talks truthfully? or I will also be a person that do what I think and talk with integrity?...