65 Tahun Setelah Lahirnya Konstitusi
Nikmat kemerdekaan 17-8-1945 tentu harus kita syukuri. Tetapi mengabaikan, mengingkari, atau bahkan mengkhianati esensi, semangat, dan cita-cita kemerdekaan dan konstitusi tentu adalah pertanda bahwa kita belum menjadi bangsa yang pandai bersyukur.
Belumnya kita menjadi tuan di negeri sendiri, belumnya kita sanggup berdiri di atas kaki sendiri, dan belum lebih bermartabat serta penuh percaya dirinya kita sebagai sebuah bangsa adalah pertanda jelas itu. Antara cita-cita dan realita, antara konstitusi dan yang terjadi, hari ini sungguh masih jauh panggang daripada api.
Indonesia kini memiliki ratusan (ribuan?) fakultas teknik & ahli2 berkemampuan tinggi. Lalu sampai kapan kita serahkan minyak, gas, batubara, emas, dsb untuk dikelola kontraktor dari luar negeri. Sedang kita cukup puas sekedar menerima royalti ataupun berpikir tak apalah menjadi kuli asal digaji tinggi? Sampai kapan kita justru memakmurkan industri –otomotif- luar negeri?
Kita pun sudah lama punya ribuan fakultas ekonomi & ahli2 ekonomi, manajemen, & keuangannya. Lalu sampai kapan kita biarkan masyarakat kita –bahkan sampai yang di pelosok2 desa- menjadi pasar bagi pabrik2/perusahaan luar negeri. Sehingga untuk urusan masak, mandi , keramas, dan gosok gigi pun seolah tidak ada pilihan selain perusahaan luar negeri. Perusahaan Negara hanya sanggup kita juali. Koperasi dijadikan anak tiri. Pasar Modal pun didominasi perusahaan luar negeri. Pun, jurus andalan ekonom kita selalu adalah utang luar negeri. Kemana perginya ahli2 itu? Sampai kapan kita sanggup begini?
Dan bahkan ratusan (ribuan?) fakultas hukum & ahli2 nya lama kita miliki. Lalu kenapa selalu UU-2 Ekonomi selalu dibuat, dipesan, dan diatur2 oleh pihak luar negeri? Sampai kapan kita terus-terusan menanggung rugi akibat ini. Kerusakan lingkungan, sosial, moral, kemiskinan, ketimpangan, bukankah cerminan dari aturan dan kebijakan yang penuh ketidakadilan?
Sungguh Allah tidak akan mengubah nasib suatu kaum sebelum mereka mengubahnya sendiri (QS Ar’ad: 11). Tentu kitalah –sebagai kaum intelektual – yang juga turut bertanggung jawab atas semua ini. Atas nasib jutaan anak bangsa, baik untuk saat ini maupun esok nanti.
Saatnyalah kita kembalikan ruh pendidikan kita sesuai amanah Ki Hajar Dewantara; “bukanlah pendidikan jika tidak membuat peserta didik insyaf akan dirinya yang adalah bagian dari suatu bangsa yang seharusnya berdaulat dan merdeka”. Oleh sebab itu, janganlah kita biarkan anak-anak didik kita pergi dari kampus dengan keahlian2 akan tetapi tanpa visi, tanpa arah, dan tanpa orientasi. Jangan biarkan mereka turut melanggengkan keterpaksaan massal untuk “menjadi kuli di negeri sendiri”.
Saatnyalah “Trisakti Pendidikan” kita pancarkan kembali. Bahwa pendidikan adalah wahana untuk berlangsungnya; “ideologisasi”, yaitu memahamkan sejarah dan jatidiri, serta menyemaikan benih2 mimpi dan cita2 kolektif yang tertuang dalam Konstitusi kepada seluruh anak bangsa, “kontektualisasi”, yaitu pendidikan yang sesuai realitet sosio-ekonomi, untuk kemudian mampu memberikan solusi terhadap segenap persoalan dan ketertinggalan bangsa pada hari ini, dan “pendidikan untuk masyarakat desa”, yaitu pendidikan yang diabdikan untuk kesejahteraan dan keberdikarian masyarakat desa. IPTEK tidak saja harus bermanfaat bagi masyarakat, tetapi kita harus sanggup membuat IPTEK sunguh-sungguh dikuasai oleh masyarakat desa.
Cita-cita itu begitu nyata dan dekat. Tetapi butuh usaha keras dan pengorbanan untuk menjangkaunya. Amanah adalah tidak pernah berhenti untuk mengejar mimpi dan mewujudkan cita-cita pendiri bangsa. Dirgahayu RI dan selamat Hari Konstitusi.
Setelah 65 Tahun, Seberapa Merdeka Ekonomi Kita?
Inilah situasi perekonomian kita setelah 65 tahun merdeka:
- 1. Masih menjadi pemasok bahan mentah (migas, batubara, emas, CPO, dsb) bagi pihak luar negeri. Semua kekayaan tersebut berada di desa, tetapi dari total 32 juta penduduk miskin saat ini sebagian besarnya berada di desa.
- 2. Masih menjadi pasaran bagi pabrik/perusahaan (alat mandi, air minum, otomotif, saprotan, susu, komoditi pertanian, dsb) dari luar negeri. Hampir semua sumber daya (bahan baku) produk tersebut ada di desa, tetapi desa pun masih menjadi pasaran produk perusahaan luar desa (luar negeri).
- 3. Masih menjadi tempat pemutar kelebihan modal pihak luar negeri, baik melalui pasar modal, pasar uang, maupun utang luar negeri. Pembangunan desa terus dibiayai dengan membengkaknya utang luar negeri dan ketergantungan finansial pada pihak luar negeri.
- 4. Masih mengalami ketergantungan dalam penyusunan Undang-Undang Ekonomi (UU BUMN, UU Ketenagalistrikan, UU Penanaman Modal, UU Sumber Daya Air, dsb) pada pihak luar negeri. UU tersebut makin memerosotkan keberdikarian dan koperasi rakyat desa.
- 5. Masih menjadi pemasok tenaga kerja yang diupah murah bagi perusahaan/pihak luar negeri. Sebagian besar dari mereka –terutama TKI- yang seringkali menjadi korban eksploitasi dan marjinalisasi adalah berasal dari desa.
MERDEKA!!!
Imperialism will not Fall Down Yet?
By: Awan Santosa
Behind The Recurring Crisis
“Those who control money volume of a state are The Real Master of commerce and industry”. That is what Garfield -President of USA- who was picked off after having contradiction against the money regulator and banker in USA. Far before that, in 48 AC, Julius Caesar was murdered after retaking the rights of gold coin making from the money merchant.
Lincoln was shot after publishing the currency of “greenbacks”, which is interest and debt free from international banker. Jackson, who tried to fight against Second Bank of United States, was tried to be murdered, but it failed. The last, Kennedy was also murdered after releasing EO No. 11110 which gave back the authority of coinage to government, without the involvement of Federal Reserve.
Therefore, the restitution of state on money control in USA is oftentimes paid very costly, because international banker has never stay put. They will prevent every effort to unload debt and interest system, which is forced to be paid by increasing the income tax of USA citizens.
It is true that the money regulator elite has already experienced in multiplying their assets and authority. They are the expert in arranging the correct moment to make over-supply money, dry liquidities, and collecting the asset of bankrupt company as the effect of debt-interest trap and non-sufficient liquidities.
The effort on multiplying the assets –moreover, when it is contradicted- is usually parallel with the financial crisis, paralysis of real sector (depression), entrapment of state on debt, even war. This kind of crisis had already recurred since 1553 and 1815 in English, and successively in 1833, 1866, 1877, 1891, 1907, and 1929 in USA.
The Germinal of Financial Crisis in 2008
Seeing from authority constellation, modus, and its implication to economics of USA and the world, financial crisis in 2008 is not a new issue. Authority constellation in this time is stated by Chomsky as USA neo-imperialism, where USA has the big authority on economics, military, media, and education in world. On the other hand, Petras sees this situation as “The power of Israel in USA”.
Money control in USA today is still in the hand of Federal Reserve, which was ratified at 22 December 1913 when some of Senate Member is in Christmas holiday. The Fed is “owned privately” by private banker elite in London, New York, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Paris, and Italy, which is owned by international Zionist network.
The crisis even takes place with classic modus. It is started from USA financial institution that gave so much money (credit) to property sector through various derivative instruments. Although some party has obtruded the importance of regulation, Bush and The Fed are stand still. Finally, as it was warned by Buffett and Krugman, when they are at the due date and the money is not on-hand, hence the “non-performance” debt is unavoidable.
The next process is the appearance of liquidities crisis which leads to financial institution collapse of Wall Street, also Lehman Brothers, Bear Streans, Fannie Mac and Freddie Mac, and AIG which is “integrated”.
Crisis implication is goes as usual. USA Government must give US$ 700 billion as bail-out. Afterwards, one by one the bankrupt company asset is forced to be sold, which mean changing the ownership status to money regulator elite. Also, the USA Government is forced to make new debt letter, thus they are deeply entrapped to the financial imperialism.
Consolidation and the multiplying of assets and authority are usually accompanied by liquidities withdrawal constraint in emerging market. The crisis hit the money and capital market and of the other state, which is followed by the change over asset domination of “rushed company”.
Company of exporter is at the verge of bankruptcy. The mass job termination is continued by “structural adjustment” on labour wages, which in Indonesia the issues is started by the release of Decree of 4 Ministers.
Imperialism Will Not Fall Down Yet?
This crisis may be interpreted as the end of US imperialism. But it sounds like the matter is still limited to normative expectation. Learning from the previous crisis, “ism-transformation” does not aim to unload power structure. Even after Obama becomes the President of USA, there will be no radical change before there are reposition between State and The Fed.
Financial crisis is not related to the unstable position of international banker, which still hold tight the economic sector of USA with US$ 11,7 trillion of debt. Nothing has change from the owner of The Fed which becomes richer after owning more assets of bankrupt company freely. Meanwhile, the control of economic, politic, military, media, and education in USA and allies are still remaining in their hand.
Their agents still dominate various vital sectors in developing countries – including Indonesia. IMF and World Bank are still free to delude government with its debt. Mass media does not speak louder on the issue. Moreover, economics education institutions remain to have orientation to change their curriculum, teaching, and program.
Meanwhile, there is no agenda of neo-liberalism to be canceled. There is no cancellation of State Owned Enterprises privatization and the Laws which legitimate the privatization of natural resources. There is no write-off of old-debt and cancellation of new-debt. Also, nothing has change from rate regime, foreign exchange regime, and stock exchange regime, which remain to be under the control of their free market ideology.
Monetary and fiscal foundation still also confirms their authority, that is by debt interest and tax. These two pillars remain to deceive small enterprises, worker, and state budget. The Indonesia State Budget bleeding as the effect of fundamental installment and foreign debt interest of 2009 will be paid also by optimizing the tax revenue.
By seeing the fact, it is clear that financial imperialism will not fall down yet. Its implication, in the form of people poverty in the state with rich natural resources, mass unemployment, income unbalance, environmental degradation, and moral decadence which are befalling in developing countries also presumably will not yet end immediately.
Getting Out from Financial Imperialism
The damage which is befalling on human being oftentimes begins with financial subversion effort. International banker ambition to own and to takeover of state authority – after God’s authority-, and they do not care what kind of “ism” that is ran by the state later.
However, subversion must be stopped. All nations must be united in order to get out from financial imperialism subversive. One of the agendas is developing usury-free economic system. Speculative money market and stock exchange must be stopped by coherent state regulation and glorify the God.
In Indonesia, it requires to conduct odious-debt write-off and stop of new debts. Hereinafter, it needs to straighten the food and energy sovereignty, agrarian reformation, and nationalize the strategic asset which is still being dominated by international investor.
Economic Laws such as Oil and Gas Law, Water Resources Law, State Owned Enterprises Law, Sea Transportation Law, and Investment Law, that tend to have subversive character also need to be re-evaluated.
At the same time, economics education requires to be struck from neo-liberalism hegemony which makes the intellectual as “agent” of international capitalist. Education has to be returned to the spirit of Divinity and Indonesian. Moreover, this matter needs to be accompanied with abolition of “Berkeley Mafia ” domination in economic ministerial of Indonesia.
Hence, the time of financial imperialism fall down will depend on the strength of confidence, bravery, unity, and our hard effort to change the situation. However, the faster is the best. Wallahu’alam
