Democracy at work
Polly Toynbee says: Ask not what your country can do for you ... Stop whingeing, start thinking. Get informed. Make an effort. The country's future is in your hands, not politicians'. At least get out there and goddamn vote, which quite a few said they wouldn't. One small step towards making citizens take democracy more seriously would be to oblige them all to vote.
Our kid says to 'er indoors, if you vote for Gen. (ret.) Wiranto and Solahuddin Wahid - Golkar (Soeharto's power base)/NU (Nahdlatul Ulama = National Assoc. of Islamic teachers) , I'll throw you on the fire; if you vote for Gen. (ret.) Susilo and Josef Kalla - the Democratic Party/Golkar, I'll shoot you; if you vote for President Megawati and Hasyim Muzadi - PDI-P (Democratic Struggle Party)/NU, I'll barbeque you; and if you vote for Amien Rais and Siswono Yudhohusodo - PAN (National Mandate Party)/Golkar, I'll throw you in the flood waters. So that only leaves (soon-to-be-ex) Vice-President Hamzah Haz and Gen. (ret.) Agum Gumelar - United Development Party/Golkar. That makes 4 Golkar and 2 NU. I think.
I half-promised a couple of days ago to offer a guide to the Presidental pairings on offer. Just give me a week or so. Our kid is 7½ and seems to have quite sophisticated political views but I'm bloody confused.
Meantimes, it does look as if Sidney Jones will be leaving Indonesia tomorrow but
ICG will remain operational without her. I wonder if our kid agrees with former security minister Gen (ret.)Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has urged the government to clearly explain the reasons for the deportation. "If it does not, it will become a problem for democracy," he said while campaigning in the South Sulawesi town of Makassar.
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