Letter: The observations are fair enough

I refer to a letter sent by Susi Johnston and a comment on her letter made by Henry. I thought Johnston's observations were fair, although nothing new, regarding current conditions in Bali.

If Henry really believes his own rhetoric regarding Western influences in Bali perhaps he should get rid of his Japanese motorbike, throw away his Western cell phone, never connect to the internet, give up electricity and his refrigerator (if he has one) and, last but not least, sacrifice his TV and DVD player.

By doing this, he may be close to the state Bali was in thirty years ago. He seems to miss the fundamental point that much of the "Westernization of Bali" went hand in hand with certain greedy Indonesian autocrats in the past and a handful of equally greedy Balinese.

These people started the process of diminishing Balinese culture with their pursuit of tourist money and profits.

If Henry doe not like being confronted with basic truths, he either votes appropriately in the upcoming elections or he just shuts up and enjoys one of the most transparent things in this country to date: rampant corruption.

There is another choice. Go back to a traditional lifestyle and work in a rice paddy - if he can still find one without a supermarket, golf course or tourist resort built on it, or his family hasn't already sold it.

Johnny Cool
Denpasar