On Capitalism and why Occupying it is important

LET ME REITERATE IT, I don’t despise capitalism, but I do have some issues with it — although I must admit, the system has yet to affect me directly, and other Middle Class people I suppose.

I am not a fan of free market or privatization. I have never been. And I don’t think we should encourage those practices. Why? Because they simply won’t bring betterment. Not for the underdeveloped countries, at least. But you see, these kinda talks have always seen as “high” or “sophisticated” topics that everyone raising the very issues must be some “socialist” or “commie” or “playing-smart” or “boring!” dudes.

Thus, when Occupy Wall Street started to merge last month in the city that never sleeps, the New York, I was so happy. Finally, I got to see bunch of people, the laymen, talking and cursing capitalism.

And I did not have to wait for long for the movement to inspire people around the globe, including people here in Jakarta. Starting last week, Jakarta has its own movement: Occupy Jakarta.

I haven’t again checked it, but if they still manage to stay, everyone passes the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) building in South Jakarta in the morning till afternoon now might see a group of [now still small] people gathering, ranting about how capitalism is entering its end.

God knows I couldn’t be happier seeing those people coming from various backgrounds telling each other their opinions about capitalism. I remember one protestor brought a poster says: “The 1% is making history, but the 99% is trying to change it.”

Surely, not everyone in the city supports the movement. Many said the movement won’t gather steam if they stuck on the abstract capitalism issues. Another said Occupy Jakarta supporters are childish followers, because why bother Indonesia’s economy, when now it is in its best shape since 1997? They suggest these childish people to fight for more concrete problems such as religious intolerance and violence, or corruption.

I am not saying these notions are wrong, or think that they are not significant matters worth struggle for. But I always believe economy, or prosperity to be exact, is the core of all problems. Even I believe the intolerance issues got to do with it.

Basically, if you have enough money and can send your children to good schools they will get good education, no? They’ll learn many things, including respecting others, no? And when you are content and happy, you surely will say no to an offer of joining a religious rally or attack for $3, no?

Certainly, our economy is blooming and might be in its best shape since the last crisis, based on statistic. Based on new BPS stats released on July, the poor now constitute 12.5 percent (30.02 million) of Indonesia’s population, down from 13.3 percent (31.02) last year (poverty line = Rp 233,740 ($27.35) per capita per month). And the government sees an accumulated $94.7 billion in foreign exchange reserves — the largest amount in Indonesian history. Further, the country is also targeting 6.4 percent of economic growth this year. What a compelling data!

But let me break the news again: statistic often deceits us. You think the 6.4 economic growth will send 20 (out of 50) million of Indonesian children to schools? Or homeless people under the bridges to some decent housing complexes? Help people in Papua’s villages find accesses to medical and education facilities? No and no and no.

Statistics don’t answer the real problems. They never have.

Why capitalism issues should be addressed? I agree with Nurkholis Hidayat, one of the supporters of Occupy Jakarta and the director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation. He said capitalism (free market, privatization, liberalism) eats up the country. It involves corruption and collations. How? Look at Indonesian, or international, big corporations in Indonesia.

“They are colluding with the government, that’s how they make it even worse,” he said.

I met several Papuan journalists last month. They told me, among others, there is this oil and gas company that had signed a 90 year-contract of exploration with the local government.

Yes, nine-fucking-ty years. It happened under the government watch. The government lets private ownership to control properties. (And no, people around the area are not becoming rich whatsoever).

Middle Class people might not see this issue crucial (?) because they don’t make 50 cent per hour, facing abusive employer/supervisor, who will growl and slap them when he/she gets angry!

(By the way, I am not going to talk about free market again because I have told you my opinion about it in the previous post!).

I remember I asked Nurkholis a question, “So how the group will address this issue? How do you fight it? What’s the solution? Who is responsible for this mess?”

He answered: “Let’s not talk about how and who we’ll be addressing with this issue,” he said. “Let it go naturally. We just hope more people will support this movement, because our goal is to raise awareness among the 99, and we won’t stop.”

Indeed. The work that has to be done in Indonesia is not (yet) telling the 1% to stop abusing their power in cultivating the people’s land. But to utter a loud call to the 99% that, “Hey! Capitalism (free market, privatization, collusion, liberalism) creates gaps and inequality. The poor are getting poorer, and the rich are getting richer.”

How will we address it and clean up the mess are the next issues we should think of… when the 99% understand the importance of this talk. When they, we, are rock-solid.