Jakarta International Kite Festival was held on July 24-25, 2010 at Carnaval Beach, Ancol.

Initially we planned to be there early in the morning but we stuck there all day long so we missed the meeting with other bloggers, Toni, Ivy, Therry, Wien, and Cn. That’s not good considering that would be my last meet up with Therry while she’s single hehehe…

Anyway, back to the main topic…

There were about 150 participants, from local and abroad. They brought their own kites which represented their cultures, i.e. Japanese, Betawi, Korea, Java, etc. There were huge kites – which I couldn’t imagine that they could be flown – and small & cute kites as well.

The committee also held a photography contest of which the main subject is the event itself, and the winners were chosen by the visitors. The prizes were not really attractive but for photographers, this event was a pool of fascinating photography subjects so there were a lot of photographers.

The event was not really crowded. I guess because it was not heavily advertised. However on the next day (Sunday), it was featured in Kompas so I guessed it was so crowded on that day

I and Yudieth took some pictures of the kites. They were really really amazing; colorful, creative, huge, small, cute, and funny. The Event Coordinator actually set a booth selling kites, so visitors could try to fly some cool kites. That’s supposed to be a good experience (considering last time I played kites was about…15 yrs ago) but we were too busy taking pictures

[View with PicLens]

This event was intended for family, not couples, considering obvious factor: Carnaval Beach festival was so dull. There were a lot of kids, playing with kites or just running around.

In overall, we felt that this event was worth to visit. Yes it was hot, dry, etc etc, but it was fun to see the kids and the kites. I guess we should have tried to fly the kites as well.

Other photos which we were interested:

[View with PicLens]

Oh, what’s the other best part? It is next to Segarra Beach Restaurant. After spending almost all day, we relaxed in Segarra, enjoying the magnificent sunset with good food and good laughter

Ps. We were too tired to compose better sunset photos…it was better to enjoy the sunset

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Canon 24-105 F4L

Canon 24-105L (courtesy JPC Kemang)

I used to own a Canon 28-135mm and was satisfied with the result. It met my requirements. But few weeks ago my friend let me to use his Canon 24-70 F2.8L for an extended time and I immediately fell in love with L series due to its image and build quality. However, I was not satisfied with other attributes of Canon 24-70L; its weight, size, focal length and price.

I like portrait and travel photography, so I want a light, versatile, and longer focal length lens. 24-70 is a damn fine lens, but it is heavy (carrying it all day long is a nightmare) and the maximum focal range is 70mm, which does not fit my requirement. For portrait, I’d prefer to shoot around 50-100mm on crop camera and I also find that 50-100mm usually fits my travel photography needs.

24-70 is better in creating bokeh and it performs better under low light than 24-105 due to its wider aperture (F2.8) but I can create almost equal bokeh performance using 24-105 at 70-105mm focal range, so bokeh is not big concern for me.

Low light? Yes, 24-70 is better than 24-105 (F2.8 brings two times light than F4), but I’d prefer fixed lens for low light condition.  And in my case, I rarely shoot motions in low light condition so I’d prefer to have IS rather than wide aperture.

Image quality? Both lenses arguably deliver same image quality. I don’t see any material differences from both lenses.

Build quality? Both lenses bear the mark of L grade lens; excellent build and weather sealed.

Price? 24-105 is about 15% cheaper than 24-70.

The diameter is 77mm, so it makes filter sharing among Canon’s top lenses are easy (24-70; 17-40; 24-105; and 70-200)

So in overall, 24-105 is a sensible choice for me. Now I’ve been using this lens for around a month and I am completely happy with my decision. I think this lens really worth the investment.

Manfrotto 7302YB

Courtesy of JPC Kemang

I thought a Tripod would be a good addition to me. It would help in low light photography, getting tack sharp photo, landscape, and photos which include myself . 

These were my key considerations:

• Weight.  I am not looking for stable but heavy tripod. What’s the point of having a heavy tripod but often left at home? I am looking for a compact and considerable light tripod.
• Build quality. I believe tripod is almost like a one time purchase so I am looking for a good build quality tripod.
• Budget. My budget was USD 300. I am not willing to spend a fortune just for a tripod because in my opinion, the key hardware contributor to good images is good glass, not good tripod. And afterall, I won’t carry tripod everywhere I go.

A Gitzo will perfectly fit my first and second requirement but it is way off my budget. So I was looking to Manfrotto, Slik, or Velbon. I didn’t find any other brands which fit my requirement.

Slik was considerably cheap and it has good build quality. But unfortunately most of its models are bulky and heavy (its carbon fibre models are off my budget). Velbon was a tempting option before I stumbled upon a Manfrotto 7302YB. It seemed that this Manfrotto meet all my requirements and it is far below my budget .

Later I bought this Manfrotto and now I am completely happy with that. It is not heavy (only 1.4kg), compact, has build-in ballhead (yeah, a ballhead! not a pan-head), and it can carry upto 3.5kg.

It is made from Aluminium, so I am not worried if it falls (I heard Carbon Fibre is easy to break). Its build-in ballhead is irreplaceable but I am completely okay because it can carry up to 3.5kg and yet offers so much movement flexibility. My current setup (EOS 500D and 24-105L) is about 1.5kg and it works perfectly on the tripod. I also read that a setup of Canon 5D2 and 70-200L would work on the tripod although it would need babysitting. Anyway, if I can afford 5D2 plus 70-200, I will upgrade to a Gitzo tripod .

Its ballhead works fine and the tripod design offers flexibility. I am 175cm and the height of tripod is fine.  The height is around 165-170 cm when the center column raised (if I’m not mistaken) but I will less likely to raise center column due to stability reason.

But the best of all, I can get it with USD 170. Nothing beat this at this price!

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Top 5 Pictures of 2009 (click each image to enlarge)

#1. The Oracle of Omaha

Microsoft founder Bill Gates reacts during a game of bridge with Billionaire financier Warren Buffett (L) during the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska May 3, 2009.

#2. Mental Patient

A mental patient named Totok reacts as he is given a shower at the Galuh foundation house in East Bekasi, outskirt of Jakarta October 23, 2009. The Galuh foundation house has housed more than 285 underprivileged mental patients since it was founded in 1982 by Gendu Mulatip.
Credit: REUTERS/Beawiharta

#3. The Magic Lake

Chandra Tal (meaning the Lake of the Moon), is situated at an altitude of about 4,300 meters (14,000 feet) in the Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, India. The name of the lake originates from its crescent shape. What drives people to Chandartal Lake is the natural beauty, the peace and the azure blue waters. There is nothing around but the stillness as if the nature has come to a halt. Sitting here takes you to a world that you have never seen before; being here brings the magic of life back to you. (National Geographic/Dhurjati Chatterjee)

#4. Faith is a simple thing, not a complicated one.

Firemen touch the marble statue of Madonna after removing from the top of the church in Paganica, near Aquila, April 13, 2009.
Credit: REUTERS/Max Rossi

#5

#5? It’s the big thumbnail in the beginning of this post. Yes, it is Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man. Reading stories about Usain Bolt, I was convinced that it’s not only talent that matters, but also personality.

In 2009, Bolt single-handedly transformed the world track-and-field championships, usually of interest only to devotees, into a mandatory-viewing event. He delivered a mind-numbing 9.58 at the 100 m in Berlin, a 0.11-sec. improvement over his Beijing time. In an event in which records are bettered in hundredths-of-a-second increments, this was stupendous. Bolt then bolted on another record, 19.19, in the 200 m. (Time) (Image from telegraph.co.uk)

But when you spend time with Bolt, another attribute becomes apparent. He has a great personality and just loves to tease and have fun. He recounts a phone call with his mother before taking the 200-meter gold in record time Thursday night.

“My Mom said that I was going to break the record, and I asked her if she was the one running. Ha! But I decided I was feeling good in the warm-up, so I decided, ‘let’s just try for it,’ so I did it,” he said.

He’s also friendlier on the track than many of the past champions – think American Carl Lewis and Canadian Ben Johnson, who tried to intimidate opponents with their dagger-like glares. Bolt jokes around and teases his competitors before races, as 200-meter bronze medalist Wallace Spearmon of the United States explains.

“He was telling me I need to finish second, and he was also telling me ‘Don’t step on the line,’ and he was also telling me, ‘Just try to stay close.’ They shot the gun and I saw him for about maybe two or three seconds. And then he got so far ahead of me that I couldn’t see him anymore. Then I looked at the clock and it said 19.19. Yeah, yeah, he’s fast. He’s “the Big Jamaican” and he’s very, very fast,” he said.

So who is Usain Bolt? He’s a mixture of talent, charisma and fun. Oh yes, and quite possibly the greatest sprinter ever.

(VOANews)

Top 5 Cartoons of 2009 (click each image to enlarge)

#1 (KAL)

#2

#3 (KAL)

#4

#5 (KAL)

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After we made our orders, we scrambled to take pictures. Toni went for food, Juni for roads, signs, and buildings, and me for people. Here are some nice pics:

People (click each image to enlarge)

The best of all, is the “official” street musician in that area. They’re very good, escpecially with 70-80s songs, so don’t forget to bring your parents or grandparents here.

These are the parking guys and they keep your motorcycles safe. The guy in the middle apparently knows Photography a lot because he used to work in a photography studio. He’s quite friendly and feel free to ask him posing in your photos. He recommended a good tattoo artist around that area which opens only at night and also informed me that the best time to come to Menteng foodstalls is after midnight when the bar girls and the drunk partygoers are coming after parties

These are the backbones of Menteng foodstalls; the guys who keep the businesses running:

The Food!

Okay…here comes the main course. Thanks to Toni who let me use his images in my blog (he is damn good at food photography ;p).

Dijamin enak dehhh

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Dayak Tribal Tattoo

I was totally new to Dayak Tribal Tattoo so I made a little research in Google about Dayak Tattoo. I found that these articles are good enough for starters:

• In the Realm of Spirits: Traditional Dayak Tatoo in Borneo (Borneo, or Kalimantan in Indonesian languange, is around 75% is owned by Indonesia, and the remaining is shared between Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam);
• Early Photos of Dayak Tattoos in Borneo; and
• Tribal Tatoos Design.

For convenience, I am summarizing the above mentioned articles.

There are about 3 millions Dayak in Kalimantan. Most groups are settled cultivating rice and basic trading. Smaller groups still maintain nomadic hunter-gatherers and continue to follow a traditional lifestyle in the jungle. The Dayak have good techniques of rice cultivation, textile weaving, and tattooing. Physically, the Dayak have resemblance with the Chinese, but the Dayak skin is a bit darker (however, typical Hokkian people are known to have darker skin as well).

Have you seen Avatar the movie? Perhaps it is easier to compare Dayak with the Navi race in the movie. Among the Dayak, all life – whether animal, vegetable, or human – is endowed with a spiritual aspect. Spirits living in the jungle must always be propitiated and never offended. The Dayak in Borneo still use tribal tattooing to this day. When a young man makes his first hunting kill, he is thought to pass into adulthood. This occasion is marked with a variety of tattoos. The Dayak also believe that tattooing the image of a creature or object on their bodies helps them draw energy from their spirits. Like the Samoan’s, applying the Dayak tribal tattoo was deeply ritualistic. Spirits, both good and bad, exercise many powers. Spirits usually come to individuals through dreams and even tattoo artists are under the protection of a particular spirit. Dreams are believed to be revelations sent by the gods, sometimes by deified ancestors, and all Dayak are guided by them in their daily affairs.

Dayak Tribal Tattoo skill is very rare, because not many people really master this skill anymore and to be honest, there’s hardly commercial incentive for Dayak people to develop this skill. Durga is one of few people who have this skill and knowledge.

Early Photos of Dayak Tattoo in the Past

1) Dayak, ca. 1927. Credit: H.F. Tillema. Dayak woman’s hand tattoos. The black spikes that run from the knuckles to the mid-digits are called song irang (shoots of bamboo), the lines that run horizontally behind the knuckles are called ikor (lines), and the design on the wrists is ? It is possible that this is an anthropomorph of some kind and may represent silong lejau (tiger’s faces).

2) Dayak, ca. 1927. Credit: H.F. Tillema. Dayak woman’s thigh tattoo. This woman was of high rank as evidenced by the number of rings around the calves. The motif running up the thighs is called silong lejau (tiger’s faces). At the terminus of these bands you can barely make out a different pattern just above the horizontal lines on the calf. This is called nang klinge (important design) and is a degraded anthropomorph. What is unusual is that this design is usually found on the kneecaps of both men and women and this tattoo was the one reserved for the last portion of the body tattoo. The curlicues below the horizontal ikor around the calves are called tushun tuva (the tuba root motif). What is great about this photo is that the unmarked portions of her thigh are visible. These were important because if a woman decorated these areas (known as tedak danau – lake tattoo), her legs would become mortified.

3) Dayak, ca. 1896. Credit: Dr. A.W. Nieuwenhuis.
The central tattoo design on his chest represents the trunk of the garing tree; adjoining it above are two great designs depicting the wings of a hornbill. What is significant about this aesthetic is that the hornbill symbolizes speed, strength, and cunning while the garing motif represents invulnerability, since this tree is believed to never die. The tattooing that appears down the arms and over the shoulders represents the leaves of the areca palm. In a sense, then, this Dayak man is covered with a visual canopy of the creatures and plants that live within his jungle domain. Furthermore, and when combined together, they act as an indelible form of camouflage acting upon the malevolent forces encountered in the jungle – headhunters and evil spirits.

Intermezzo: Why the Old Dayak was Interested with Human Head?

Some rumors even saying that today traditional Dayak are still interested in taking the head of their enemies. I have never seen it and for sure, modern Dayak do not take heads anymore.

According to the beliefs of the Iban, one of the souls of a person resides in their head and by taking someone else’s you capture their soul as well as their status, strength, skill and power. Thus, it is not surprising that human heads, once taken and preserved, were respected in ritual; their spirits became adopted members of the group that took them and were persuaded to aid their captors in many ways.

Some Nice Pictures from the Event (Click Each Image to Enlarge)

Durga prepared his tools. Although the method is traditional (handtapping), but the equipments are hygienic (new equipments) and they wear gloves.

This is the handtapping process. Painful? He said no.

Several Dayak crafts (These Masks were usually worn in harvesting ceremonies)

Dayak Adults (See the costumes. I wondering how did the old guy get his dayak-motive Batik?)

Do you think these cute kids are taking head anymore?

Durga and his working parner (with cool ear-stretching)

Some Notes

I really appreciate the DYC’s commitment toward the preservation of their heritage. Salute for them. Not surprisingly, good references regarding Dayak Tattoo (and perhaps other Dayak Arts as well) are found in abroad, not in Indonesia.

By the way, if you’re interested to make a well-thought and special tattoo, you may visit Durga’s studio:

DURGA TATTOO
Business Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday : 12:00 – 23:00.
Sunday – Monday : Close
Studio
JL. CIKINI RAYA, 37B
JAKARTA 10330 INDONESIA
Phone: 021 3152478

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Anyway, I am working to redesign my blog (well, actually I am looking for a new-free-magnificent wordpress theme). Very likely there will be changes in content as well. Oh, regarding the new website which I mentioned in my previous post, I have discussed this my some of my friends. This will be my new personal project.

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This is the reason why I support the incumbent, ultimately his running mate!

——————————————————————————-

Baru kemarin (3/6) saya melihat iklan itu di TV…
ttg penumpukan hutang Indonesia, yg dihitung2 mencapai 7 juta rupiah per kapita.
Buat saya, iklan tersebut cukup berbahaya, sebagaimana tertera dlm status FB di halaman Profile saya…
Hanya dlm wkt kurang dr 1 jam, komentar maupun tanda "jempol" (like) berdatangan di Status saya, seperti layaknya Manohara yg diserbu stasiun TV utk wawancara… (alah, lebay!).
Nah, ini note utk menjelaskan kepada publik, kenapa iklan tersebut tidak mencerdaskan bangsa…
Bagi yg merasa terlalu teknis, maafkan… bs lgsg di-skip ke kesimpulan.
Bagi tmn2 yg lebih ngerti ekonomi, maafkan kalo banyak salah… maklum, kompre aja blm… hehehe
Bagi tmn2 yg ga setuju, good, ini demokrasi. Asal jgn marah2, mencemarkan nama baik, or bawa2 SARA ya (kaya debat tim sukses beberapa hr lalu)…
Bagi aparat, kalau ada pihak yg tersinggung, jgn lgsg main cekal dgn basic UU ITE!!!
OK, gini…
Sebelum mengatakan iklan itu benar, salah, keren, or justru menyesatkan, let’s take a look at this:

Undang2 no.17 thn 2003 tentang Keuangan Negara
UU ini mengatur hal2 seperti total defisit APBN tidak boleh lebih dari 3% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dan rasio hutang juga tidak boleh lebih dari 60% dari GDP.

Debt-to-GDP Ratio Indonesia
2001 – 77%
2002 – 67%
2003 – 61%
2004 – 56%
2005 – 47%
2006 – 39%
2007 – 36%
2008 – 33%
2009 – 32% (s/d Maret)
sumber: Dirjen Pengelolaan Hutang

Karena saya ini bukan ahli ekonomi, apalagi makroekonomi, maka saya cm mencoba mengedepankan sudut pandang saya sebagai wong cilik pelaku ekonomi mikro yg coba menerapkan prinsip2 bisnis ke dalam suatu negara…

Dupont Analysis
Kalau Anda baca buku2 management keuangan (entah itu karangan Keown, Ross, Fabozzi, Riley, or siapalah itu), tentu ada yg dinamakan Financial Leverage (pengungkit keuangan), sebuah besaran yg nilainya ditentukan dari rasio Total Asset per Total Equity.
Sekedar penyegaran, coba kita liat dulu yg namanya Return on Equity (ROE).
ROE adalah persentase laba per total modal (equity), atau gampangnya seluruh return yg diperoleh pemegang saham (entah itu dibagikan sbg dividend atau tidak). Dalam investasi, rasio ini adl. yg paling penting (Buffet, 1995).
Berdasarkan Dupont Analysis, Return on Equity dijabarkan sbb:

ROE = Return on Asset x Financial Leverage

ROE = Total Asset Turnover x Net Profit Margin x Financial Leverage

Apabila FL = 1, berarti perusahaan tsb tidak punya hutang, krn Asset perusahaan dibiayai seluruhnya dari modal sendiri (Equity), sehingga ROA = ROE
Apabila FL = 2, berarti asset perusahaan nilainya 2 kali lipat equity, yg berarti hutang (debt) sama besar dgn equity.

Sementara itu, kita jg ketahui bahwa pertumbuhan (growth) laba perusahaan adalah fungsi dari ROE, di mana

g = ROE x % laba ditahan

sehingga pertumbuhan perusahaan sangat ditentukan oleh ROEnya…
Nah, berarti si Leverage ini (yg sumbernya dari hutang) digunakan utk mendongkrak pertumbuhan.

So, apa hubungannya sih dgn hutang negara?
Just so simple, hutang digunakan untuk mendongkrak pertumbuhan ekonomi.

Then, hutang itu bagus or not?
Simple jg, semua yg berlebihan itu ga baik.
Jadi, ada titik yg optimal, ada titik yg kurang optimal, dan ada jg titik maksimal or berlebihan.
Titik optimal adalah ketika level hutang mampu mendongkrak pertumbuhan ekonomi.
Titik maksimal adalah batas level hutang yg tertinggi yg tidak boleh terlampaui, krn faktor resiko yg tinggi. (High risk – high return)…

Trus, baiknya level hutang itu berapa?
Wah, ini kuncinya…
kalo utk company sih, liat Dupont analysis di atas. Gampangnya, leverage itu memang tujuannya mendongkrak ROE, yg tujuan akhirnya mendongkrak growth. Hanya saja, perlu diperhatikan bhw hutang ini jangan sampai:
1. Tidak produktif, sehingga menurunkan rasio Revenue thdp Asset (Total Asset Turnover).
–> hal ini bisa saja terjadi apabila nilai Asset meningkat krn meningkatnya hutang, namun tidak disertai produktifitas penjualan (revenue) perusahaan.
2. Menurunkan Net Profit, oleh karena beban bunga yg tinggi.
(nomor 1 & 2, pada akhirnya malah menurunkan ROE jg)
3. Tidak sesuai dgn tipikal organisasi
–> perbankan dan lembaga keuangan jelas memiliki leverage yg tinggi, namun perusahaan seperti manufaktur, pasti tingkat leverage jauh lebih rendah.
Nah, untuk negara, mari kita lihat di bagian berikut ini.

Hutang Negara yg Optimal
Menurut Smyth, David J & Hsing, Yu (1995), level hutang yang optimal adalah 48,9% dari GDP.
(dihitung dr GDP, krn kalo hitung dari asset negara, tentu sulit menghitung besaran asset negara)
Apakah angka ini dapat diterima begitu saja? tentu harus dicermati lebih lanjut, apakah hutang tersebut hutang dalam negeri or hutang luar negeri.
Secara kasat mata, berdasarkan teori yg ada, rasio Indonesia sbsr 32% adalah level yang aman.
Berdasarkan data Bloomberg, Jepang pun rasio Debt-to-GDP bahkan mencapai hampir 200%. Namun, perlu dicatat bhw mereka:
1. itu hutang mayoritas duit rakyatnya sendiri
2. beban bunganya rendah, krn interest rate di Jepang rendah bgt, sekitar 1% or bahkan mendekati 0%

Ada beberapa cara spy dlm hal financing, negara kita lebih bergantung pada negara sendiri daripada internasional:
1. Langkah mengurangi hutang luar negeri dan lebih mengoptimalkan hutang dalam negeri.
–> mengapa ini rada bermasalah? krn yield (return atau interest rate) di negeri kita sangat tinggi. Lebih murah utk meminjam dr negara lain yg yieldnya lebih rendah. (tapi catatan nih, global bonds yg terakhir itu sih kegedean yieldnya!!!)
2. Berkaitan dgn nomor 1, bagaimana menurunkan interest rate (yield)
–> yang saya tahu, interest rate dipengaruhi oleh tingkat inflasi dan tingkat resiko suatu negara. Kalau negara ini inflasinya rendah, resiko bisnis di negara ini rendah, disertai likuiditas pasar modal yg baik, tentu yield jg rendah. Hal ini krn return (yield) yg diharapkan oleh investor or kreditor adalah = suku bunga bebas resiko + risk premium… risk bisa berupa resiko likuiditas, resiko usaha, resiko politik-keamanan, etc.
Dengan menerbitkan obligasi2 semacam SUN versi retail (ORI) maupun SUKUK (obligasi Syariah) versi retail, niat pemerintah sudah menunjukkan arah yg baik. Pertama, adanya pembelajaran bagi masyarakat ttg alternatif "menaruh uang" selain nabung di bank… Kedua, ya itu, meningkatkan partisipasi dana domestik dlm rangka mengurangi porsi dana pinjaman asing.

Kesimpulan
Meskipun hutang kita meningkat, dan angkanya tampak menyeramkan, namun rasio hutang thdp GDP sebesar 32% sudah turun jauh daripada tahun 2001 sebesar 77%.
Ini berarti resiko keuangan negara jg berkurang. Dan angkanya sudah jauh dari amanat U
U no 17 thn 2003 (ambang batas 60%).
Gampangnya gini, mendingan punya utang 7 juta dgn gaji 20 juta, daripada punya hutang "cuma" 5 juta dgn pendapatan 10 juta…
Tentu proses pengurangan rasio ini tidak lepas dari pelunasan hutang kepada IMF dan pembubaran CGI.

Tapi hal ini ga cukup!
PR pemerintah selanjutnya adalah bagaimana lebih meminjam dari rakyatnya daripada dari pinjaman asing. Perlu diketahui, dari penambahan hutang pemerintah selama 5 thn terakhir sebesar Rp392 T, Rp264 T di antaranya berasal dari hutang domestik, berarti "masih" ada sebesar Rp128T dari pinjaman asing
Tentu hal2 spt ini masih harus diusahakan lebih baik lagi.

BTW, apapun bisa dijadikan komoditas politik ya di hari2 ini…
Hutang kek, Ambalat kek, kasus Prita, or mgkn nanti Manohara jg…
Hal lain… kawan bisa jadi lawan –> wapres bisa jd capres saingan.
Mantan lawan bisa jadi kawan –> Thn 2004 mengeluarkan isu Jenderal (militerisme), sekarang merekrut Jenderal sbg cawapresnya…

PS: Neolib
Saat ini banyak org yg bicara bahkan latah bicara ttg "Neoliberalisme ekonomi", terlepas dari mengerti atau ga. Mgkn note ini ga banyak membahas ttg Neolib.
Akhir dari note ini cm menunjukkan bahwa ga perlu kita sembarangan teriak neolib, krn bisa jd orang2 terdekat kita jg terlibat atau termasuk tertuduh dgn istilah/hal tsb.

Jadi, apa hubungannya dgn hutang luar negeri?
Menurut sebagian tokoh, hutang luar negeri adalah salah satu bentuk ketergantungan kita dgn luar negeri, dan menjauhkan diri dari kemandirian ekonomi… dan menurut sebagian tokoh, lepasnya kemandirian ekonomi menyebabkan kita "disetir" oleh pihak lain (negara lain or lembaga donor) sehingga ekonomi kita menjadi pasar bebas, seperti pembebasan tarif impor, jual2 BUMN, menggelar "karpet merah" pada investasi asing, dsb yg (katanya) kemudian menjadi ekonomi neoliberal.
Kemudian, istilah ini dibangun terus-menerus utk jadi "senjata" kampanye partai or pihak tertentu.

Ekonomi Kerakyatan
Menurut saya, ekonomi itu mesti pro-rakyat. Ini hal yg tidak bisa ditawar2 lagi…
Pro rakyat caranya banyak:
- Program kpd UKM, spt program Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR),
- pendidikan gratis, peningkatan kesehatan
Tapi apa yg disebut "pro-rakyat" itu jangan dibenturkan atau dibedakan dgn "pro-pasar" or "pro-pengusaha"… Why? krn:
1. "pasar" terbesar tidak lain dan tidak bukan adalah "rakyat" itu sendiri, dan tugas pemerintah adalah menjadi juri-wasit-hakim-regulator yg adil dan tegas, spy pasar ini mampu mensejahterakan bangsa (Basri, 2006).
Mnrt saya, daripada teriak2 "kerakyatan", lebih baik gimana caranya menghapus kemiskinan dgn meningkatkan pendidikan & kesehatan, serta bagaimana meningkatkan kemudahan/infrastruktur untuk mengakses informasi, karena asymetric information adalah sumber utama penyebab kemiskinan (Stiglitz, 1997).
2. "pro-pengusaha" hrs diterjemahkan jg sbg "pro-rakyat"… mengutip seorang Capres yg jg pengusaha, "siapa lagi yg mau menciptakan lapangan kerja kalo bukan saudagar atau pengusaha"
Model yg saya kembangkan, based on model Sollow modified dan Audretch & Thurik (2004):
Y = f (K, L, H, E)
Output perekonomian-Y, adalah fungsi dari Capital-K, Labor-L, Human Capital-H, dan juga Entrepreneurship-E (Christmas, 2009).

Perlu dicatat jg, bhw isu2 neolib yg ditujukan kepada Cawapres tertentu saat ini akar2nya berasal dari (alm.) Prof.Sumitro Djojohadikusumo (ayah salah seorang Cawapres yg kubunya getol menuding Cawapres lain sbg neolib).
Sebagai begawan ekonomi Indonesia, beliau kerapkali dituduh sbg "dedengkot Mafia Berkeley" yg katanya membangun dan menyebarkan sistem/paham neolib di Indonesia, yg dipandang membawa Indonesia kepada kehancuran, bergantung kepada asing, etc.
{*Catatan: Berkeley sbnrnya adalah kampus yg trmsk yg rada pro government intervention, mirip2 Keynesian. Sedangkan pembela ekonomi super-liberal ada di Univ.of Chicago or sering disebut Chicago School, dgn tokoh2 spt Milton Friedman, Eugene Fama, yg kebanyakan penentang John Maynard Keynes. (baca: Bloomberg Magazine, edisi Maret 09).}

Nah, sebelum teriak2 di kampanye, "Sistim ekonomi kita, SALAH!"… adakah kemungkinan untuk bilang "Rakyatku, maafkan ayah saya…sistim ekonomi yg Ayah saya bangun, SALAH!" ???

Mohon masukannya teman2… thanks.

Regards,
Eduardus Christmas
PT Enervolution
Founder & CEO

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