This warning applies to most Indonesians, from conglomerates to second or third wives: We will all bear the cost of the indecisiveness of our President and the greediness of politicians that never hesitate to take all possible measures to accumulate personal power and wealth.
Whether Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati will remain in their positions is uncertain, but what is sure is that this nation will have to face a lame-duck government for a very long time, perhaps until 2014.
We will have to endure a very long and painful journey because our leader, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has betrayed the trust of more than 60 percent of Indonesian voters that want him to be a firm, honest and responsible leader. So far, his track record shows that he still deserves to be teased as Mr. Doubtful.
This country could once again verge on the brink of economic collapse because international market players are not philanthropists that will continue pouring their money into the country. Even though the government is weak, there is little hope for them to gain profits. It is true that our consumer-driven economy and rich natural resources are the backbone of the country’s economy, but how long will our politicians continue to act like blood-hungry wolves?
So prepare yourself for the worst. Very few people will benefit from President Yudhoyono’s indecisiveness. Indonesians will be forced to pay the cost of the political games of our politicians that treat us and our motherland as their personal assets, which they can abuse as they please.
Since the very beginning, Yudhoyono committed a political blunder by choosing Boediono as his deputy in the 2009 presidential election. He was traumatized by his first-term experience of working with Jusuf Kalla, an equally powerful and down-to-earth partner.
Boediono is a very honest and intelligent economist, but not more and not less. Unlike his first 2004-2009 term, the President has now allowed himself to be surrounded by “yes” men, who love to tell him that he is always right, while at the same time trying to find any possible opportunity to satisfy personal or group interests.
His political opponents — be they Golkar’s chairman Aburizal Bakrie, politicians from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), perhaps even his own chief economic minister Hatta Rajasa will join the list — will not feel satisfied until they are sure the President is fully under their control. It is very possible that we will soon face a situation where the President is no longer the master, no longer the conductor.
If you are a conglomerate or a super rich person, prepare to hide your assets and quietly arrange for another citizenship or at least permanent residency. Don’t worry; a neighboring country is reportedly very generous to wealthy persons like you. Or find the best lawyers (best lawyers in this country are publicly perceived as those who are able to bribe police, prosecutors and judges to get the lightest available sentence possible). Bribe those legal enforcers from the very beginning.
If you are a top executive of a private company, from now you must prepare your workers to face massive layoffs. And of course, do not forget to tell them that you will always include them in your prayers, although you may ask God to forgive you for having a secret plan not to allocate any compensation to your employees.
For ordinary employees and low-income people, please remember you have little choice, as usual. Tighten your already tightened spending, and also tighten your diet. Malnutrition is unavoidable.
Mistresses, or second or third wives, quickly find an “emergency exit” because it is very likely that your lovers will have to “downsize” their spending and energy.
What else can we do?
Expect President Yudhoyono to act much more firmly for the sake of 230 million Indonesians?
Only a miracle can change the President’s attitude. As long as his main concern remains focused on popularity and public image, our country is only waiting for its collapse.
He can easily sacrifice Boediono and Sri Mulyani, but the more he allows political concessions to his enemies, the more he encourages them to continue until they swallow up the President himself.
Perhaps only people power can stop all this chaos. To be honest, I don’t know how to materialize the movement. Should we surrender our fates and future to a bunch of power-hungry politicians? Again, I don’t know. So what I offer to you is this: Go to fortune teller Mama Lauren.
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