In English Please

  Have you ever been considered old-fashioned because you enjoy studying history? People say, "What's the point of learning history when times keep changing?" It's true that humans continue to develop and change, but there's something fundamental that always remains the same, which is the human instinct for power. History isn't just a boring record of the past, but more like a laboratory that shows how humans behave in certain situations. Especially when we talk about political conflicts in Indonesia, patterns that occurred in the past can serve as clues to understanding what might happen in the future. Let's look at two major events in Indonesian history such as the 1966 Mass Demonstrations and the 1998 Reform movement. Despite occurring 32 years apart, both have surprisingly similar patterns. It's like watching a remake where the story is the same, but the actors are different. Both events began with economic crises that made life difficult for the p...

Have you ever observed how a leader with a brilliant vision is remembered as a weak and failed figure? This phenomenon actually fills the works of renowned novelist George R.R. Martin. The fantasy drama "House of the Dragon" presents a striking representation of power dynamics through the character of King Viserys I Targaryen, a mirror that reflects the political reality that often occurs in the real world. King Viserys is portrayed as a visionary leader with extraordinary potential to advance his kingdom beyond the achievements of his predecessor, King Jaehaerys I. However, instead of receiving full support, he faces subtle sabotage from his inner circle of power. The ministers who should have been the backbone of government instead become the masterminds behind the destruction of the king's image. Imagine how frustrating it would be when every policy taken based on advisors' suggestions ends up in failure that is then blamed entirely on the leader. The people, who h...

  I once read an article that satirized the current economic condition of Timor-Leste. It’s said Timor-Leste only got independence, not welfare like other independent countries. Implicitly, the core of the article said that the people of Timor-Leste would live better if they did not separate themselves from Indonesia. At the time of the 1998 referendum, I was no more than 4 years old. But I still remember my father grumbling when he heard the news that the result of the referendum had won independence for Timor Leste. He said, “So don’t just build an island. We have sandalwood; please take it to make it rich; then we will be poor and poor.” It turned out that my father was insinuating his own country, Indonesia. But not with my mother, who felt that Timor Leste should remain with Indonesia because West Timor had become part of Indonesia (the politics of different countries could be an obstacle to sibling relations; maybe that was what my mother meant). Our relatives and friends w...

Image Source : Aliansi Solidaritas Besipae Who doesn’t know the United States? As a superpower country, the United States can be said to be a reference for developing countries in determining their public policies. The great economic progress of the United States is also an example that is often presented when their economy wants to be built. However, these developing countries forget that in order to become a superpower, many have to be sacrificed at the start of planning. For example, in the 15th century, when European explorers were colonizing the Americas, they carried out a lot of genocide against Indian tribes. The struggle for territorial power became one of the reasons for the genocide of the Indian tribes; even for those who were still alive, European explorers forced them to forget their ancestral customs. Starting from the prohibition of the use of the native languages of the Indian tribes, the use of Indian tribal languages led to the destruction of the traditional territo...