Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Just outsmart Berkeley Mafia!

A group of economists appeared in a seminar titled 40 Years of Mafia Berkeley vs Alternative Ideas of Indonesia's economic development, yesterday. They're former chief economic minister Rizal Ramli (under Abdurrahman Wahid administration), Kwik Kian Gie (former chief economic minister under Wahid, replaced by Ramli), Ichsanuddin Noorsy, Revrisond Baswir, and Sri Edi Swasono (son-in-law of first Vice President Mohammad Hatta). Guest speaker was Jeffrey Winters (Northwestern University).

It was an unbalanced seminar as none of what they called Mafia Berkeley delivered arguments, no exchange of arguments actually, it's a kind of monologue of ideas, it's like bad idea vs good idea. That was not an academic exercise of thoughts. The speakers believe the alternative ideas they delivered are the only public goods. So that's a seminar with so many personal issues at stakes.
The speakers even failed to explain or acknowledged what they did and didn't while they have power in their hands to drive the economic policies into what they believe the right way and change the course of the nation.
Nor did they explain what's wrong or right during BJ Habibie's strong influence in the economy of the early 1990s. So don't expect them explaining what's right and wrong during the early years of Berkeley Mafia.
How we explain the massive debt settlement of 1998-2001 during which the government's domestic debt jumped to Rp700 trillion (US$80 billion) to bailout corporate debts of the like Texmaco Group's Rp30 trillion, Salim's Rp60 trillion, Sjamsul Nursalim's Rp28 trillion, or Sinar Mas's Rp14 trillion?
It were Soeharto's last year, Habibie, Wahid and Megawati administration's economic team who endorsed the debt settlement through agreements like the Master of Settlement and Acquisition Agreement (MSAA), MRNIA, or Debt Acknowledgement Acts (APU). How we explain the problems at state-owned enterprises like Habibie's aircraft company PT IPTN (now Dirgantara Indonesia), Garuda Indonesia, PLN, Pertamina and so forth?
I believe the Mafia Berkeley had committed some wrongdoings, just like the other mafias of Habibie's, Ginandjar's, Rizal Ramli's or Kwik Kian Gie's.
Look at this. Rizal Ramli and Kwik Kian Gie as the coordinating minister for the economy during Wahid administration had the chance to fix the lousy debt settlements with Salim, Nursalim, or even Sinivasan's Texmaco. But they were hopeless, not because of the Berkeley Mafia, but simply because of the complicated and fluid political situation aftermath of the 1998 reform.
I believe in one thing...when it comes to liberalization, globalization, privatization...they're all political decisions, not just economic models. There are a lot of aspects of the society at play. Simply blaming the mafi is just like you had a headache in the morning and keep blaming the traffic jam on your way to office for your bad day.
What's amazing is the acknowledgement of this alternative group of how powerful the Berkeley Mafia so it could survive almost 40 years and still in the driving seat of the economy even though none of them hold official position in the cabinet. I must say this Mafia Berkeley is so smart to control this big country four decades so far and may be more.
Other mafia groups might have to learn of how Mafia Berkeley keep its power. An old advise, if you really want to beat the members of this mafia, outsmart them all! All you have to do is to convince all the stakeholders of this nation to get their full attention on your alternative ideas. People are smart enough to make decision, they could analyze what's wrong and right with Berkeley Mafia and what's wrong or right with your ideas! Don't get mad, get even!

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8 Comments:

Blogger Ujang said...

"...Don't get mad, get even!..."
Or get Mafia Barkeley! :-)

June 06, 2006 9:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

it wasnot an unbalanced seminar because we (as organizer) already invite Mr Sadli and Moch. Ichsan as speaker.

But Sadli have a health problem and we decide to replace him with Mr. Subroto.

Moch. Ichsan say he have to go a broad at that time and we invite Moch Chatib Basri as replacement.

both of them (Subroto & Chatib Basri) make confirmation cannot attend the seminar as a spekaer.

The reason from mr Subroto, he have a regular meeting on that day.

The reason from chatib Basri, he have to prepare for his travel abroad.

Base on this explanation i think we are not organize a seminar to facilitate personal issues at stakes.

We have do the best to make the seminar will have cover both side.

My question, why they denied to be spekaers in the seminar if they are an open minded persons?

Kusfiardi
Chief Organizer
50 Years of Mafia Berkeley vs Alternative Ideas of Indonesia's economic development

June 06, 2006 9:17 PM  
Blogger yosef said...

Thanks Pak Ujang and Pak Kusfiardi...our last name apparently the same. I wish the members of mafia berkeley brave enough to come and argue. Besides, I dont think Sadli and Ichsan were the best choices to represent the mafia.
Anyway, the question remains of how come this mafia control our lives for so long and yet we did nothing to put the mafia behind the bars? 50 years, six presidents, thousands of legislators, millions of graduates, thousands of new members, and the 210 million people who never vote solidly against them, even give them room to grow...
Maybe non-berkeley mafia economists should learn from the IRS of how they managed to put Al Capone behind the bars...if the mafia did crimes as the directly or indirectly claimed by some speakers...the main topic of the seminar was the alternative model for development...but the speakers were seems too busy to talk about the mafia and simply forget to explain what alternative they're offering...let say liberalization is a bad idea, what's the alternative and choices? Protection? How we implement that? Should the state disburse more new loans to Texmaco? Should the state give more to IPTN, Garuda Indonesia, PLN? If so, do we really have money to do that? How about financing to improve education system? we inherited huge sovereign debt...even when Rizal and Kwik were in the cabinet they failed to convince the country to really ignore debt payment...BI has decided to pay debts to IMF ahead of schedule. i dont think that would significanly change the pace of liberalization and globalization...because we're not working hard enough to be smarter than other guys...Japan, Germany, China or our tiny neighbor Spore managed to outsmart other guys because they work hard, actions, make decisions...

June 07, 2006 7:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yosef,dari komentar Anda, sangat jelas bahwa anda tidak tahu persis konten dari diskusi itu. Saya kira dalam seminar itu, banyak contoh2 kebijakan yang yang disampaikan para panelis (pernah diambil), yang lebih smart daripada sekedar mengikuti resep Worldbank/IMF (tuannya para Mafia).

Tetapi anda sepertinya dah tersinggung duluan karena hanya sekedar anda lulusan Berkeley (ini sih tidak mature). Padahal, jika anda dengarin seminarnya, banyak pujian untuk lulusan UC Berkeley.

Ketersinggungan tersebut telah menutup pandangan Yosef (yang biasanya cerdas) untuk objektif menilai dan juga untuk lebih detil memahami istilah Mafia Berkeley yang didefinisikan dalam seminar itu.

June 08, 2006 10:01 AM  
Blogger yosef said...

Mr Syam, thanks for your analysis. Would be better if you wrote in English as well so other readers could understand my wrongdoings as well. I did a rhethoric analysis on what appeared in the national media which I believe the best to exchange ideas. If you read carefully the reports with quotations from the speakers of the seminar, it's clear most part of the articles were accusations, blaming Berkeley Mafia. From my point of view, this is a kind of communication failure on the part of the speakers and the reporters as well. They should have raised more alternative ideas from the speakers to be published so people know better the alternatives. The speakers should reach out our people through good communication strategy. We know already the failures of Berkeley, and let's focus on the alternatives and take positive aspects of the mafia. The speakers and the media should tell people in a more comprehensive way the strengths and weaknesses of both school of thoughts.
Anyway, thanks for reminding me of my immature, and surely I should learn more.

June 08, 2006 10:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This "conference" reminds me of so many others organised by politically left wing groups in the 'West'; a paucity of well thought out arguments and the demonization of opposing viewpoints.

This was not an exchange of ideas as such but an exercise of publicity for the PDI-P and its acolytes. The Indonesian people now know the ideas that the party stands for.

It would be helpful for Indonesian voters, if Golkar mouthpieces or the loony 'beards' of PPP and such ilk would also mount conferences discussing the pros and cons of various economic policies.

It might bring Indonesia into the pantheon of 'moral' democratic countries. After all, it was less than 30 years ago when a man with a crazy hat held up Spanish parliament - look where the country is today.

P Neumann indostocks@gmail.com

June 13, 2006 7:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Debt Consolidation
Debt Help period
http://www.debt1consolidation.com

October 08, 2006 3:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

it's an old story, people could not held conferences, with having the answer already, even before it began. non-mafia-barkeley(?)seems to do lots of talk, and less action. they are too busy to show their ideas is better. Not that i'm against those ideas,but, how many of them (non-mafia barkeley(?))published an influencial and thorough explanation like Stiglitz, debraj Ray, etc?, not many I think. Thats why they could never replace the berkeleys, they seem to like to speak with their own friends, but not their "enemy". and even they did,they seems to lack of "ammo" to argue with

December 06, 2006 3:41 PM  

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