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On `Hypocrisy all around'
Sat, 04/19/2008 12:24 PM | Opinion
This is a response to a comment made by R.A. Stallmann (The Jakarta Post, April 16, p. 7) on an editorial entitled "Hypocrisy all around", the Post, April 12, p.6).
I love the classic way closed-eyed people demonize all westerners and western countries in defense of one point of view, from one person. They even have the audacity to criticize a newspaper for allowing people to state their opinion in its opinion section.
I personally also do not agree with an editorial you've responded to, but it's called "freedom of speech," and there are many different opinions in this newspaper.
I have full confidence in this newspaper and, judging by its sales, many other people do tooincluding possibly yourself.
Now, Iknow what you think Indonesia should aim for ... another Saudi, or may be Syria?
Yes, there is something to struggle for. No freedom of speech, andhave to follow other people's interpretations of the Koran and, if we didn't, we'd suffer dire consequences.
Why you think people can't have or share their opinions? If youlike it,read it. It's called freedom of speech, or are you still stuck in the Soeharto era?
Myself, I come from the *western' country of Canada, which is mostly liberal and even allows gays to get married (oooooooh).
Your quotetheir eyes and see what decades of moral corruption have done," made Canada and many other western countries, what?
Open-minded, accepting of all religions and all minorities? Hmmm. Not to mention Canada having the fourth highest standard of living in the world, and the fastest growing economy of all G7 nations.
A country that takes care of its poor and doesn't suppress anyone, or any ideas. Who needs to open their eyes? Indonesia doesn't need to imitate eitherAmerica or *Islamic/Sharia law' Saudi Arabia.
Let the country - no, let the people - decide what they would like to take from all cultures, and then let them create their own ... or is it that youhave enough confidence in people to make their own country, the way they see fit?
And before I bid farewell, please remember that the other 15 percent of over 30 million people need a voice too.
JOSH
Bandung
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Soemarwoto, K (not verified) — Sat, 04/19/2008 - 10:01pm
"Let the country - no, let the people - decide what they would like to take from all cultures, and then let them create their own ... or is it that you have enough confidence in people to make their own country, the way they see fit?"
Yes. I completely agree. Let a nation's people define their own ethics, hold their own beliefs, and create their own identity. Completely unnecessary and inconvenient in this are external foreign factors, like the author, to incoherently elaborate on how it should be done according to their point of view by means of comparison with 'how they have done it'.