Brian Kusumawan on the Internet

I woke up this morning by the regular ceremony conducted in an international school that is just located about five-minutes walking distance away and I also wondered why such international school did such celebration either. Why do we as Indonesians need to celebrate too? Here are some of my thoughts.

While Nationalism is talked very intensely nowadays, it shocked me a little bit when the Head of School simply read the official written note from our Ministry of Youth and Sport. So, the same points will apply to the entire country with different conditions between one another. Again, isn't it too-easy-way to celebrate the day this country is always proud of? Is it to standardise or too lazy? Anyway, let's just forget it as this is just an introduction yet. :)

Here are the perspectives..
Celebration of Soempah Pemoeda is just a repeating set of routines to me while some same old things are yearly repeated again and again. One thing that can be seen very clearly is the celebration itself where so-called flag ceremony (people call it as “upacara bendera” here in Indonesia) is always conducted every year with the same agendas as well as points embedded in it. Now, the question is, is it important to have such thing?

Personally – as this is a personal website :) - I may say that that kind of routine is really wasting time and useless as things involved such as agendas and points as mentioned above are simply repeated every year. They are just rephrased to make it sound nicer and more up-to-date in terms of current form of nationalism. However, the main intention of that form of celebration never works! Come on people, we have been doing this boredom for almost 70 years but this country is still corrupted (sadly, by our own people) and left behind. People living in this country are still blindfolded by the political needs. It is true and please do not ever pretend that you are smart enough and do not ever negotiate to doubt about the previous two sentences I have spitted just now.

If repeated thing does not work good for you, why do you have to repeatedly repeat?

I really did not notice that it would come this day when I kept listening to Iwan Fals' Jangan Bicara (Don't talk) so, let's now bring Nationalism onto surface! If I have the right to rename something, I would like to rephrase Nationalism to be Obsolete Nationalism (not old, do not mis-percept about this). What is such thing anyway?

Obsolete Nationalism is generally described as an old behaviour of interpreting Nationalism. It can also mean to be an ineffective way to enjoy a classic word called Nationalism. Some real examples can be seen very clearly in the community where Nationalism is easily and/or loudly said and finally left. “Say and go away” is probably the right term to describe efficiently. We – together – have been seeing a huge number of citizens who are going to apply for work in governmental institutions (named as PNS in Indonesia). Some of them are wisely trying to argue that it is one form to dedicate themselves to this country, and some of them also seriously confess that they are purposely going for easy-money. To some people (including me), it does not end up there as there is an additional lazy-money to chase.

In real, that “special” citizens are being marched away along with siren every time they are hanging around the town and let's see couple of years from now – from today's celebration of so-called Nationalism, who will get caught and trapped in court for criminal acts they have enjoyed?

But again, will they really be in jail? :) Should I mentioned the cause(s)? I don't think so!

How should the celebration be?
Of course, it must differ! What should appear in our mind if we see musicians on street ironically scratch their guitar strings and sing to beg a cent? As stated in Iwan's song either, who's to blame if jobless becomes thief as their rice is stolen by some irresponsible people hiding behind government mask? Who's to feel ashamed?

If I have said about the Obsolete Nationalism, let me now introduce a form of Modern Nationalism! It is described as the situation previewed above where those musicians succeed to collect money cent by cent without government involvement despite the fact that they are most of the time chased and caught for some unreasonably reasons. Do not take whatever reasons into account, but please look at their independence to live themselves so that they will still exist to be Indonesian! Meanwhile, government does not seem to care about them. At least, I never see any official publication from our government about this kind of issue and please also bare in mind that this is only one example of many others!

Modern Nationalism is a way to give a sincere and straight forward meaning to Nationalism by doing things in order to enhance the quality of your own life, people around you, and your country. It must begin from yourself and is really not for the sake of this country in the very first place (as it sounds cr*ppy to me) and I do not know much if the classical so-called flag ceremony does it for you. :)

Jangan bicara runtuhnya moral.
Mari bicara tentang harga diri yang tak ada arti.
Atau tentang tanggung jawab yang dianggap sepi.
(Iwan Fals - Jangan Bicara)

Don't talk about moral failure. Let's talk about meaningless pride or responsibility that is so quite. (Translated)

This morning, Nationalism to me is to be blissful that I could enjoy the enthusiastic taste of a cup of local hot tea accompanied by Mendoan – traditional fried “tempe” - whereas it is just enough to smash my b*tt and motivate me for finishing this article up. :) Please bare the things discussed above in mind and the most important one, overcome it!

Last but not least, please underline very clearly that the purpose of this written material is not to provoke but it is expected to help opening some eyes if just in case there are still somehow blindfolded. Hope it helps curing this country! See you around! :)

Kind regards,

I Made Brian Kusumawan
an Indonesian dreamer
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