Crap, Absolute Crap

And those are the most positive words I can think of to describe Charlton's abject performance yesterday. I started off thinking how fortunate I was to discover Indovision's hidden channel which seems to exist on Saturday evenings to show just the one match; now I wish I hadn't.

If the lads can't show enough desire to play for their pay when I don't currently have any, why should I torture myself further. Yep, that's enough, 'til next week anyway.

Meanwhile, for blogging Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono hope remains. Mind you, he does have a much larger community in mind than mine. He believes that Indonesia's democracy can be salvaged and made sustainable ... within the next 3 years (and) that the threat of radical and violent extremism can be mitigated ... as democracy is underpinned by broad based social-economic development.

Well, that's good news then; Indonesia has at least one government minister with common sense. What is more, Sudarsono then quotes himself from a Reuter's report to say that SBY is also on the same track.

"He is determined to ensure that democracy is socially and economically more accessible to those who have yet to be lifted from abject poverty," says Sudarsono. "That in itself will reduce the appeal of radical ideologies, be they be religious or secular-based ."

Another Indonesian blogger, Bambang Aroengbinang, is kind enough to give Jakartass a permanent link. A part time lecturer of Graduate Program at BINUS Univ. and Head of Ethical Medical (eh? Does he market jamu?)) he writes about the condition known as unemployment, the socio-economic problem threatening the foundations of democracy here.

I shouldn't be proud to be an unemployed person, but I shouldn't be ashamed either since I did nothing wrong. I committed no crime. My only crime was I had no income. Besides, I could get and do things that working people might not be able to get or do. The struggle to survive was one of the most precious experiences in life.

Well, I'm sorry. My current condition is not a "precious experience". If it is, I could do without it, but it may yet prove 'precious' to the forces behind my condition. Precious in the sense that in future they will have to adhere to the labour laws of this country, weak though they are, and precious in the sense that they will no longer be able to act totally arbitarily.

Democracy in its widest sense is the involvement of all within a community. It's not just about voting for the man (or woman) with the silkiest words and purse. It's about participation and a belief that we can all be stakeholders in our communities. That this country is amending its laws and beginning to ensure that they are enforced to enable democracy is totally commendable.

And I'm doing my bit with my team of lawyers so all should be right with my world. And it would be even better if the football team I support through the accident and rites of birth.recognised and reciprocated the support they have.
 

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¶ 9:30 am