#Can Indonesia become a developed country？

[falseandrealultravival]

Dialogue with Gemini （８）Can Indonesia become a developed country？

President Joko

My Question:

What is the probability that Indonesia will become a developed country?

Indonesia, which wanted to run a high-speed railway in its own country, had decided to adopt Japan's Shinkansen, but pro-China President Joko Widodo suddenly decided to adopt China's high-speed railway. Construction was extremely difficult, and the "accident-prone" high-speed railway was completed four years behind schedule. China demanded extra labor costs outside the contract. As a result, fares rose and there were few passengers. Japan was asked to cooperate with the high-speed railway extension plan, but Japan naturally declined. What is the probability that Indonesia, which has neither the desire nor the ability to build its high-speed railway, will become a developed country?

インドネシアが先進国になれる確率は何％か？

自国にも高速鉄道を走らせたいと考えたインドネシアは、日本の新幹線を採用することに決まっていたが、親中派のジョコ大統領は、一転中国の高速鉄道を採用した。工事は難航を極め、予定より４年遅れで「事故の多い」高速鉄道が完成した。中国は契約外の工賃を要求した。ために運賃が上がり、乗客は少ない。高速鉄道の延伸計画について日本に協力を打診したが、日本は当然断った。自分で高速鉄道を創設する意欲も能力もないインドネシアが、先進国になれる確率は何％か？

Gemini’s Answer:

Assigning a specific probability of Indonesia becoming a developed country is difficult. The situation is complex, with both positive and negative factors at play. Here's a breakdown:

Positive factors:

Economic growth: While recent growth projections are around 5%, some officials believe 6-8% is needed for developed status by 2045. Indonesia has achieved impressive growth in the past and continues to reduce poverty.

Human capital development: The current development plan focuses on improving education and skills. This is crucial for a strong workforce.

Global leadership: Indonesia's successful G20 presidency and ASEAN chairmanship showcase leadership potential.

Negative factors:

Infrastructure challenges: The high-speed railway example highlights potential issues with project management and efficiency.

Dependency on foreign expertise: Relying solely on foreign technology could hinder the long-term development of domestic capabilities.

Geopolitical considerations: Decisions based on political leanings rather than pure economic benefit could hinder progress.

Overall:

Indonesia has the potential to become a developed country, but it faces challenges. The high-speed railway example doesn't define its entire future.

Here are some resources for further research:

World Bank Indonesia Overview: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/indonesia

Indonesia's quest for developed country status: https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2023/11/02/indonesias-quest-for-developed-country-status-faces-economic-hurdles.html

Instead of a single probability, consider these options:

Analysts and officials might offer different forecasts based on their models and assumptions.

You could evaluate the likelihood of Indonesia overcoming specific challenges, like infrastructure efficiency.

I hope this helps provide a more nuanced perspective!

My impression:

None of the AIs seem to be able to give a clear answer to the question about the future of the nation. (Gemini, Huggingface)

[reasonsforhope]

"A trial programme providing a free meal a day has yielded not just financial relief for households but also improved child nutrition and student outcomes such as attendance and focus.

The free school lunch initiative for children from poor or disadvantaged families was introduced by President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka as one of their key campaign promises. Mr Gibran is President Joko Widodo’s elder son...

The pair – who won the Feb 14 presidential election by a landslide and will be inaugurated in October – had in the lead-up to the polls pledged to offer free lunches and milk for students as well as nutritional aid to toddlers and pregnant women in a bid to lower the country’s stunting rate.

Over 20 per cent of Indonesian children under the age of five experienced stunted growth in 2022, according to the United Nations. Stunting, which is being too short for one’s age as a result of poor nutrition, can result in long-term development delays.

When fully implemented by 2029, the programme will cover 83.9 million beneficiaries across the world’s fourth-most-populous nation of nearly 280 million, and cost over 400 trillion rupiah (S$33.7 billion) a year – about 2 per cent of annual gross domestic product.

But on the ground, a trial that was first rolled out in January at 16 schools in Sukabumi, in West Java, has been warmly received by around 3,500 students, their parents and school leaders, who have seen positive changes.

For one thing, saving on the cost of lunches for four of her nine children has provided significant finan­cial relief for Indonesian house­wife Rofiati, 46.

Her husband, a teacher at an Islamic boarding school in Sukabumi, earns 2.5 million rupiah a month on average, and the free school meals have helped them save about 420,000 rupiah monthly, which she can put towards other household needs.

Her children do not usually have breakfast before school. Before the free lunch programme, her children would eat lunch only upon returning home from school. Lunch would usually consist of instant noodles, or dishes of vegetables, eggs, tempeh or salted fish.

“I am not worried any more because I know they will eat at school. They have more appetite as they eat together with their friends,” Ms Rofiati told The Straits Times, adding that her children’s appetites have improved and they also like the variety of the meals provided. In fact, her 11-year-old daughter has gained 4kg since the programme started.

Every day, students on the programme receive a lunch package worth 15,000 rupiah, containing rice, meat such as chicken, fish or beef, vegetables, fruit and milk.

At home, the family usually eats meat only once a week.

It is not just the financial savings that parents are happy about. Ms Depi Ratna Juwarti, who has two out of three children benefiting from the free lunches, has noticed other encouraging results.

“They rarely get sick now. They are more motivated to study and spend a longer time studying at night,” Ms Depi said.

Her eldest daughter, Adifa Alifiya Mahrain, 12, also has good reviews. “The food is always delicious and the menu changes every day. I always eat everything. It’s a lot of fun to eat together with my friends,” said Adifa, who hopes to become a paediatrician in the future.

Mr Shalahudin Sanusi, principal of Gelarsari Islamic primary school in Sukabumi, which is trialling the programme, said he has noticed that pupils have been able to concentrate better and understand lessons more.

He said the initiative has raised the attendance rate of its 110 pupils from 85 per cent to 95 per cent. “They eat modestly at home – mostly rice and salted fish. Rice and eggs are the best they can get,” he told ST. “Now, they are so excited, some even arrive in school at 6am, an hour before lessons start.”"

-via The Straits Times, May 18, 2024

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - November 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles on Patreon!

1. Climate Initiatives Fare Well Across the Country Despite National Political Climate

“[California voters approved] a $10 billion bond measure to boost climate resilience across [the] state[…. Hawai’i] voters cast their ballots in favor of establishing the [climate] resiliency fund, with money for the project coming from existing property tax revenue.“

2. ‘You have to disguise your human form’: how sea eagles are being returned to Severn estuary after 150 years

“[… To avoid imprinting,] the handlers will wear long robes and feed the young eagles chopped rabbit and other meat with bird hand-puppets. […] Williams hopes that restoring eagles to the top of the food chain in the estuary will create a more balanced, thriving ecosystem.”

3. 10 states voted on pro-abortion referendums. 7 of them passed

“New York voters overwhelmingly approved the Equal Rights Amendment, adding [… among other characteristics] gender expression, pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes to anti-discrimination laws. […] In deep-red Missouri and Montana, voters also enshrined abortions protections in their state constitutions.”

4. Giant rats could soon fight illegal wildlife trade by sniffing out elephant tusk and rhino horn

“”Our study shows that we can train African giant pouched rats to detect illegally trafficked wildlife, even when it has been concealed among other substances[.…] They can easily access tight spaces like cargo in packed shipping containers or be lifted up high to screen the ventilation systems of sealed containers,” Szott explained.”

5. Sarah McBride wins Delaware U.S. House seat, becoming the first out trans member of Congress

“McBride spearheaded Delaware’s legislation to ban the “gay and trans panic” defense as a state senator [… and] helped to pass paid family and medical leave, gun safety measures, and protections for reproductive rights.”

6. Critically endangered Sumatran elephant calf born in Indonesia

“Indonesian officials hailed the births and said they showed conservation efforts were essential to prevent the protected species from extinction. […] Sumatran elephants are on the brink of extinction with only about 2,400-2,800 left in the world, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.”

7. Sin City is Going Green

“[Hotels there] have conserved 16 billion gallons of water since 2007, thanks to […] replacing grass with desert-friendly landscaping, installing water-efficient taps across all properties, and reusing water at aquariums and in the Bellagio Fountain.”

8. Gray squirrel control: Study shows promise for effective contraceptive delivery system

“[… T]he feeders have a very high level of species-specificity. […] The bait and monitoring system developed and tested in the study demonstrated that […] “spring was the only season tested where female squirrels were more likely to visit bait feeders than males. Spring coincides with a peak in squirrel breeding and is therefore a good time to deliver a contraceptive."”

9. Returning Grazing Land to Native Forests Would Yield Big Climate Benefits

“[… S]trategically regrowing forests on land where cattle currently graze […] while intensifying production elsewhere could drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions, with little hit to global protein production, a new study shows.”

10. Interior Department Strengthens Conservation of American Bison Through New Agreement with Canada and Mexico

“Approximately 31,000 bison are currently being stewarded by the United States, Canada and Mexico with the goal of conserving the species and their role in the function of native grassland systems, as well as their place in Indigenous culture.”

October 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this Op-Ed from the New York Times:

At first glance, Xi Jinping seems to have lost the plot.

China’s president appears to be smothering the entrepreneurial dynamism that allowed his country to crawl out of poverty and become the factory of the world. He has brushed aside Deng Xiaoping’s maxim “To get rich is glorious” in favor of centralized planning and Communist-sounding slogans like “ecological civilization” and “new, quality productive forces,” which have prompted predictions of the end of China’s economic miracle.

But Mr. Xi is, in fact, making a decades-long bet that China can dominate the global transition to green energy, with his one-party state acting as the driving force in a way that free markets cannot or will not. His ultimate goal is not just to address one of humanity’s most urgent problems — climate change — but also to position China as the global savior in the process.

It has already begun. In recent years, the transition away from fossil fuels has become Mr. Xi’s mantra and the common thread in China’s industrial policies. It’s yielding results: China is now the world’s leading manufacturer of climate-friendly technologies, such as solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles. Last year the energy transition was China’s single biggest driver of overall investment and economic growth, making it the first large economy to achieve that.

This raises an important question for the United States and all of humanity: Is Mr. Xi right? Is a state-directed system like China’s better positioned to solve a generational crisis like climate change, or is a decentralized market approach — i.e., the American way — the answer?

How this plays out could have serious implications for American power and influence.

Look at what happened in the early 20th century, when fascism posed a global threat. America entered the fight late, but with its industrial power — the arsenal of democracy — it emerged on top. Whoever unlocks the door inherits the kingdom, and the United States set about building a new architecture of trade and international relations. The era of American dominance began.

Climate change is, similarly, a global problem, one that threatens our species and the world’s biodiversity. Where do Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia and other large developing nations that are already grappling with the effects of climate change find their solutions? It will be in technologies that offer an affordable path to decarbonization, and so far, it’s China that is providing most of the solar panels, electric cars and more. China’s exports, increasingly led by green technology, are booming, and much of the growth involves exports to developing countries.

From the American neoliberal economic viewpoint, a state-led push like this might seem illegitimate or even unfair. The state, with its subsidies and political directives, is making decisions that are better left to the markets, the thinking goes.

But China’s leaders have their own calculations, which prioritize stability decades from now over shareholder returns today. Chinese history is littered with dynasties that fell because of famines, floods or failures to adapt to new realities. The Chinese Communist Party’s centrally planned system values constant struggle for its own sake, and today’s struggle is against climate change. China received a frightening reminder of this in 2022, when vast areas of the country baked for weeks under a record heat wave that dried up rivers, withered crops and was blamed for several heatstroke deaths.

[writers-potion]

Fantastical Asian Monsters (Part I)

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram!

I Fly Undead, Gangsi (殭屍)

Nationality: China Form: Human-type Size: 1.5~1.7m

Gangsi first appeared in the late Ming Dynasty, but it was most common during the Qing dynasty. Thus, Gangsis often appear in Qing attire.

When people died in battle, they attached an amulet to the body which helped them to return to their hometown.

if the amulet falls in the middle, they become Gangsi and wander. It is said that the whole body has already hardened and cannot walk like a human, but they can fly / jump around.

When attacked by Gangsi, the attacked person also turns into Gangsi, but if they hold their breath or run over a tree, Gangsi cannot find them.

I’m So Hungry, Go-su-yeo-chil (고수여칠)

Nationality: Korea Form: Human-type Size: 1.6m

It is a monster in the form of a dried-up man.

It has thin bone-like leg with a paper skirt around it, and it is hard to see the upper body. It is said to make an old woman's voice and imitate the voice of a dead family member or relative

They enter a house to eat food, tear window paper, and throw tiles or stones to cause damage.

Will You Marry Me? Gumiho (구미호)

Nationality: Korea/China/Japan Form: Animal-type Size: 1.6m

It is a fox monster with nine tails.

Foxes appear in various countries and are said to have the ability to attract people. Foxes do not have nine tails from birth, andhen they develop a tail every few hundred years and have all nine tails, they become an immortal monster.

Although it is a fox, it can be turned into a beautiful person, and it is said that it gets energy from humans or eats human liver through fox beads.

It is said that people who are deprived of energy may not die if they are lucky, but all people who are deprived of their livers will die.

There is a story that if a Gumiho eats 100 livers, marry a human, and don't get identified for 100 days, a Gumiho will turn human.

Droppings of Doom, Gwicha (鬼車)

Nationality: China Form: Bird-type Size: 1.5~2m

It is a monster in the form of a bird with nine heads. It is also called a 'tune' because it has nine heads on one body. The ear car looks similar to an owl as a whole, but it is said that the nine faces sometimes look similar to the human figure. It is said to be about 3m in size when both wings are unfolded. Blood keeps dripping from one of the nine heads, and if a person gets hit with it, not only the person but also the person

Even Nira's family suffers from misfortune. However, even if your car is not hit by blood, it enters people's homes on its own to spread misfortune or take away people's souls.

It is said that the car is blind during the day, so they usually go around only at night, and at this time, they become blind immediately just by looking at a small fire debt and fall even when they fly. So people say that when a car comes in the middle of the night, they immediately light a candle or make the dog bark and drive it away.

The ultimate oval face, Nopperabo (のっぺらぼう)

Nationality: Japan Form: Human-type Size: 2m

This is a monster with a human face but no eyes, nose, or mouth.

It is said to appear both as a woman and a man, and show his face to a person who stands still and talks to him on a dark night road.

They surprise humans to mak them run away, or surprise customers who come after being in a cart bar or noodle restaurant.

It is said that there are several strands of hair attached to the clothes of a person who meets Nopperabo.

Known as an "egg ghost" in Korea.

Forfeit Your Firstborn! Langda

Nationality: Indonesia Form: Human-type Size: 1.5~1.7m

It is a monster in the form of a human woman, with eyes that are likely to protrude from the red face, a tongue that stretches to the waist, and four tusks protruding out of the mouth, and its head is always loose and worn.

Langda is a wicked creature that preys on infants and uses black magic, with the ability to control low-ranking demons and other monsters, and the ability to freely transform into other creatures. It is said that by swearing at people or spreading diseases, they lose their lives and damage crops. However, they also use magic to heal people's suffering and diseases by whimpering, which is why some areas open Langda

It is said to be worshipped as a god and regarded as the guardian deity of the village.

No Ordinary Leech, Bes Kemwar

Nationality: Malaysia Form: Worm-type Size: 0.1~0.2m

It is a monster in the form of a furry earthworm. Beth Kemwer always bites her tail and curls its body into a round shape.

It eats crops such as rice and vegetables as a staple food, and it is usually hard to see, but in February, it appears near the river.

If a person drinks water from a river containing Baskemwor or from a river where Baskemwor's hair has fallen, the body swells up, hives rise, coughs and even bleeds. If you get treatment early after bleeding, you can recover quickly, but over time, the pain gets worse and you lose your life because you can't eat or drink.

It is said to live mostly at the end of branches, and people who pass by trees near it also develop hives and swell up all over their bodies. The swelling does not go until two or three months later.

Mongolian Death, Olgoi-Khorkhoi

Nationality: Mongol Form: Worm-type Size:0.6~14m

It is a huge, fat worm-shaped monster. It is also called the 'Mongolian Death Will'.

Each individual has a various size, and his whole body has a bright red color. There are several pointed tentacles on one side of his body, not a head. He can't see because he has no eyes, but he has excellent touch and hearing.

Olgoi corcoi only live in the desert and roam freely in the sand, and when a person or camel appears, it appears on the sand, eats and disappears in an instant. It is said that it emits a strong acidic poison a little away from the prey, which melts the prey, and when it feels dangerous, it releases electricity to make the other person electrocute.

Look Me in the Face, Inmyeonsu

Nationality: East Asia Form: Hybrid Size: 0.7~1m

It is a monster in the form of a bird.

Human turkeys have human faces and arms on their bodies, or their entire upper bodies are shaped like humans. They exist all over the world, and they have very different looks and characteristics from time to time and country.

They are considered sacred beings that prevent bad luck for people, and they are also considered ominous beings that eat people and harm villages.

The mere appearance of human turkeys caused natural disasters and wars in the world.

They make beautiful sounds and bless people with their own unique sounds, but as soon as they hear human turkeys, damage may occur and people and livestock may be killed

Living on Your Scent, Gandharva

Nationality: India Form: Human-type Size: 1.7m

A humanoid monster that hunts down scents.

Sometimes called "Gundalba"; or "Shimhyang."

Gandharba is not an individual, but a race, which protects children and the weak from evil. Gandharba was born in water, but he is able to roam freely in the sky and on earth. With a horse tail on his human body, golden wings and birds.

Gandharba eats fragrant scents as their main food, and they always have a scent around them. They are mostly masculine and like beautiful women so much that they sometimes form relationships with humans.

They generally enjoy freewheeling life, but they are said to be extremely jealous.

References:

The monster profiles have been adapted from <동양 문화 속 괴물들의 이야기 괴물도감 (동양편)> written and illustrated by 고고학자(강석민). All image credits in this post goes to 강석민. Translation from Korean to English by me. 

Feel free to ask me questions, if any :)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

June 17, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUN 18, 2024

Leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) met for their fiftieth summit in Italy from June 13 to June 15. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States formed the G7 in 1975 as a forum for democracies with advanced economies to talk about political and economic issues. The European Union is also part of the forum, and this June, Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky also attended.

This summit was a particularly fraught one. When it took office, the Biden-Harris administration, along with the State Department under Secretary of State Antony Blinken, set out to reshape global power structures not only in light of Trump’s attempt to abandon international alliances and replace them with transactional deals, but also in light of a larger change in international affairs. 

In a speech at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in September 2023, Blinken explained that the end of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union had promised a new era of peace and stability, with more international cooperation and political freedom. But while that period did, in fact, lift more than a billion people out of poverty, eradicate deadly diseases, and create historic lows in conflicts between state actors, it also gave rise to authoritarians determined to overthrow the international rules-based order. 

At the same time, non-state actors—international corporations; non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, that provide services to hundreds of millions of people across the globe; terrorists who can inflict catastrophic harm; and transnational criminal organizations that traffic illegal drugs, weapons, and human beings—have growing influence.

Forging international cooperation has become more and more complex, Blinken explained, at the same time that global problems are growing: the climate crisis, food insecurity, mass migration and mass displacement of populations, as well as the potential for new pandemics. In the midst of all this pressure, “many countries are hedging their bets.” 

They have lost faith in the international economic order, as a handful of governments have distorted the markets to gain unfair advantage while technology and globalization have hollowed out communities and inequality has skyrocketed. “Between 1980 and 2020,” Blinken noted, “the richest .1 percent accumulated the same wealth as the poorest 50 percent.” Those who feel the system is unfair are exacerbating the other drivers of political polarization. 

These developments have undermined the post–Cold War political order, Blinken said. “One era is ending, a new one is beginning, and the decisions that we make now will shape the future for decades to come.”

In his inaugural address on January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden vowed to “repair our alliances and engage with the world once again.” Saying that “America’s alliances are our greatest asset” just weeks later at the State Department, the president and officers in the administration set out to rebuild alliances that had fallen into disrepair under Trump. They reinforced the international bodies that upheld a rules-based international order, bodies like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) organized in 1947 to stand against Soviet aggression and now a bulwark against Russian aggression. They began the process of rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization, both of which Trump had abandoned. 

Officials also worked to make international bodies more representative by, for example, welcoming into partnerships the African Union and Indonesia. They also broadened cooperation, as Blinken said, to “work with any country—including those with whom we disagree on important issues—so long as they want to deliver for their citizens, contribute to solving shared challenges, and uphold the international norms that we built together.”

At home, they worked to erase the “bright line” between foreign and domestic policy, investing in policies to bring jobs back to the U.S. both to restore the economic fairness they identified as important to democracy and to stabilize the supply chains that the pandemic had revealed to be a big national security threat. 

On April 28, 2021, in his first address to a joint session of Congress,  President Biden said he had told world leaders that “America is back.” But they responded: “[F]or how long?”  

That question was the backdrop to the G7 summit. Trump has said he will abandon international alliances, including NATO, in favor of a transactional foreign policy. He supports Russian president Vladimir Putin’s attempt to replace the rules-based international order with the idea that might makes right and that any strong country can grab the land of weaker states. 

Earlier this month, Biden used the occasion of the commemoration ceremonies around the 80th anniversary of D-Day to reinforce the international rules-based order and U.S. leadership in that system. On June 4, before Biden left for France, Massimo Calabresi published an interview with Biden in Time magazine in which Calabresi noted that the past 40 months have tested Biden’s vision. Russia reinvaded Ukraine in February 2022, and Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Putin is trying to create “an axis of autocrats,” as Calabresi puts it, including the leaders of China and Iran, the state that is backing the non-state actors Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis of Yemen, and Hezbollah in Lebanon in order to destabilize Israel and the Arab states. China is threatening Taiwan. 

Calabresi pointed out that Biden has responded to these threats by shoring up NATO and welcoming to it Finland and Sweden, with their powerful militaries. His support has enabled Ukraine to decimate the Russian military, which has lost at least 87% of the 360,000 troops it had when it attacked Ukraine in February 2022, thus dramatically weakening a nation seen as a key foe in 2021. He has kept the war in Gaza from spreading into a regional conflict and has forced Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, although the Palestinian death toll has continued to mount as Netanyahu has backed devastating attacks on Gaza. Biden’s comprehensive deal in the Middle East—an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, a big increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, and an enduring end to the crisis with the security of both Israelis and Palestinians assured—has yet to materialize.

In Italy the leaders at the G7 summit stood firm behind Biden’s articulated vision, saying that the G7 “is grounded in a shared commitment to respect the U.N. Charter, promote international peace and security, and uphold the free and open rules-based international order.” On hot-button issues, the G7 backed Biden’s Middle East deal and support for Ukraine, agreeing to transfer $50 billion to Ukraine from the interest earned on Russian assets frozen in the European Union and elsewhere. 

The Biden administration announced additional economic sanctions to isolate Russia even more from the international financial system. At the summit, on June 13, 2024, Presidents Biden and Zelensky signed a ten-year bilateral security agreement that commits the U.S. to supporting Ukraine with a wide range of military assistance but, unlike the NATO membership Ukraine wants, does not require that the U.S. send troops. The agreement is legally binding, but it is not a treaty ratified by the Senate. If he is reelected, Trump could end the agreement.

Immediately after the G7 summit, world leaders met in Switzerland for the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, held on June 15 and 16. Ukraine called the summit in hopes of persuading major countries from the global south to join and isolate Russia, but the group had to be content with demonstrating their own support for Ukraine. Vice President Kamala Harris, who attended the summit, today posted: “The more than 90 nations that gathered at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine hold a diverse range of views on global challenges and opportunities. We don’t always agree. But when it comes to Putin’s unprovoked, unjustified war—there is unity and solidarity in support of Ukraine and international rules and norms.”

Earlier this month, Finnish software and methodologies company Check First released a report exposing “a large-scale, cross-country, multi-platform disinformation campaign designed to spread pro-Russian propaganda in the West, with clear indicators of foreign interference and information manipulation.” The primary goal of “Operation Overload” is to overwhelm newsrooms and fact-checkers and spread “the Kremlin’s political agenda.” 

Foreign affairs journalist Anne Applebaum told Bill Kristol of The Bulwark that China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea do not share an ideology, but “they do share a common interest, and the common interest is undermining…America, Europe, the liberal world, the democratic world.” They do this, she said, because the oppositions in their own countries are inspired by and use the democratic language of freedom and liberty and rights and rule of law, and leaders need to undermine that language to hold onto power. They also recognize that chaos and uncertainty give them business opportunities in the West. Disrupting democracies by feeding radicalism makes the democratic world lose its sense of community and solidarity.

When it does that, Applebaum notes, it loses its ability to stand up to autocrats. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[viivzn]

Found my essay about south-east asia,,

Sorry if it's not similar to what you are learning bc mine is really different,,

Anyway discord not working rn bc of bad wifi.

So here,,

──────────────────────────────

South-East Asia is a vast region stretching from Myanmar in the west to Papua New Guinea in the east. Home to over 600 million people, it is a diverse and vibrant area with deep cultural and historical roots.

One of the most influential aspects of South-East Asia is its rich and diverse cultures. The region boasts over 300 languages and hundreds of ethnicities, each with their own unique customs, traditions, and beliefs. These diverse cultures are reflected in the region's architecture, food, and arts, creating a richness and depth that is unmatched in any other part of the world.

The region's economy is also diverse, with many countries emphasizing different industries. Singapore, for example, is a major financial hub and one of the world's leading trading centers. Vietnam, on the other hand, is an industrial powerhouse, producing goods such as clothing, shoes, and electronics.

In terms of history, the region has a long and complex past. Countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines have rich histories dating back to at least the 7th century CE. The region was also conquered by various empires throughout history, including the Chinese, the Japanese, and the European colonial powers. These events have shaped the region's culture and identity in significant ways, creating a unique and resilient people.

One of the most pressing issues in South-East Asia is poverty. Many countries in the region struggle with high poverty rates, with some countries having over 25% of their population living below the poverty line. Additionally, inequality and lack of social mobility are major challenges in many countries, with the elite few holding most of the wealth and power.

In spite of these challenges, South-East Asia continues to be a hub of innovation and economic growth. Countries in the region are investing heavily in education, infrastructure, and technology, with many countries on track to become upper-middle-income countries by 2030.

In conclusion, South-East Asia is a region of unparalleled diversity and complexity, with a rich cultural, historical, and economic legacy. While it faces many challenges, it is a region with great potential for growth and development in the years to come.

Despite the economic and cultural diversity of countries in South-East Asia, the region faces many shared challenges, including poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. One of the biggest environmental issues facing the region is deforestation and land degradation, which are caused by agricultural practices, logging, and mining. In addition, South-East Asia is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, including floods, cyclones, and droughts, which can cause great damage to infrastructure and human populations. Climate change is also a major concern in the region, with rising sea levels, increased temperatures, and more frequent extreme weather events.

In terms of human rights, the region has a mixed record. While some countries have made significant progress in protecting and promoting human rights, others have been criticized for human rights abuses, including political repression, discrimination against minorities, and restrictions on freedom of speech and expression.

Despite these challenges, South-East Asia is poised to play an increasingly important role on the global stage. The region's rapidly growing economy and young, educated population make it an attractive destination for investment and trade, while its strategic location in the heart of Asia makes it a critical player in the regional and global geopolitical landscape. South-East Asia is also home to some of the world's most important environmental ecosystems, including the Amazon rainforest and the Coral Triangle, both of which are critical for biodiversity and climate regulation.

In conclusion, South-East Asia is a region of great diversity and potential, with unique cultural and historical traditions, strong economic growth, and a vital role to play in global affairs. While the region faces many challenges, from poverty and inequality to environmental degradation and human rights abuses, it is also a region of opportunity, with the potential to become a major player on the global stage and a beacon of hope for a better future.

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Hope this is good enough for you!!

I have like alot of essays about my history lessons bc my teacher told us to write essays alot and i lost count of how much words this is,,

—Sev

“ THANKS POOKS!!! ^^ ”

[dailyanarchistposts]

Mega Schemes

Huge hydraulic schemes are made possible by advanced modern civil engineering techniques. They require vast international contracts that are only possible at the level of central governments, international free floating capital and supranational government organisations. The financiers borrow money and lend it at commercial rates, so they favour largescale engineering projects that promise increasing production for export markets at the expense of local subsistence economies, with disastrous social and environmental effects. Cash crops destroy settled communities and cause pollution of soil and water. For instance, Ethiopia’s Third Five-Year Plan brought 60% of cultivated land in the fertile Awash Valley under cotton, evicting Afar pastoralists onto fragile uplands which accelerated deforestation and contributed to the country’s ecological crisis and famine. There’s a vicious circle at work. Development needs money. Loans can only be repaid through cash crops that earn foreign currency. These need lots more water than subsistence farming. Large hydraulic schemes to provide this water are development. Development needs money. And so it goes.

Large-scale projects everywhere are the consequence and justification for authoritarian government: one of America’s great dam-building organisations is the US Army Corps of Engineering. Stalin’s secret police supervised the construction of dams and canals. Soldiers such as Nasser of Egypt and Gadafi of Libya and military regimes in South America have been prominent in promoting such projects. Nasser built the Anwar High dam in 1971. The long-term consequences have been to stop the annual flow of silt onto delta land, requiring a growing use of expensive chemical fertilisers, and increased vulnerability to erosion from the Mediterranean. Formerly the annual flooding washed away the build-up of natural salts; now they increase the salt content of irrigated land. The buildup of silt behind the dam is reducing its electricity generating capacity; the lake is also responsible for the dramatic increase in water-borne diseases. Nationalism leads to hydraulic projects without thought to what happens downstream in other countries. The 1992 floods of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Barak system killed 10,000 people. 500m people live in the region, nearly 10% of the world’s population, and they are constantly at risk from water exploitation and mismanagement. Technological imperialism has replaced the empire building of the past: large-scale hydro projects are exported to countries despite many inter-related problems – deforestation, intensive land use and disputes and so on. Large-scale water engineering projects foment international disputes and have become economic bargaining counters, for example the Pergau dam in Malaysia. The British Government agreed to spend £234m on it in 1989 in exchange for a £1.3bn arms deal. In 1994 the High Court ruled that the aid decision was unlawful but these kinds of corrupt deals continue.

In Sri Lanka the disruption caused by the Mahawelli dams and plantation projects resulted in the forcible eviction of 1 million people and helped maintain the insurgency of the Tamil Tigers that resulted in thousands of deaths as they fought government forces from the late 1980s onwards. In 1993 the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq were threatened by Saddam Hussein’s plans to drain the area – the most heavily populated part of the region. Many of the 100,000 inhabitants fled after being warned that any opposition risked death. Selincourt estimated that 3 million people would lose their homes, livelihoods, land and cultural identity by giant dam projects in the 1990s. The Kedung Ombo dam (Indonesia) displaced 25,000; the Akasombo dam (Ghana) 80,000; Caborra Bassa (South Africa) 25,000. Three dams in Laos alone will have displaced 142,000 people. The proposed Xiao Langdi dam in China would displace 140,000; the Three Gorges project 1.1 million people. Only war inflicts a similar level of human and environmental destruction, yet large dam projects have a chronic record in delivering water and power, or eliminating flooding in downstream valleys.

[head-post]

Asia tackles new monkeypox strain escalation

Asian countries from China to Pakistan have stepped up surveillance of a mutated monkeypox virus that is spreading outside Central Africa, where the World Health Organisation declared a public health emergency this month.

A case in Sweden last week underlines the international threat posed by the so-called 1B strain, which has reportedly killed more than 500 people, mostly children, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Across Asia, travellers arriving from countries affected by the virus are being asked to report symptoms and hospitals are stepping up surveillance for the disease.

Unlike the smallpox-causing virus, which spread worldwide in 2022, the new strain is more dangerous, with a mortality rate of more than 3 per cent. It is also possible that infected people can transmit the virus days before symptoms appear, making it more difficult to control the disease by identifying and isolating cases.

China is asking incoming travellers from affected countries and regions, those who have been in contact with smallpox patients, and those experiencing symptoms to report to customs officials upon entering the country, where they may be required to undergo testing, the statement said.

Health authorities in India have ordered increased vigilance at international airports and ports for passengers with smallpox symptoms, and have designated hospitals and laboratories to deal with potential patients, the Economic Times reported. Indonesia and Malaysia have also taken similar measures.

While smallpox is back in the spotlight, health officials are reporting cases probably caused by the milder strain 2b. A case of infection with strain 2b was confirmed in Pakistan on 13 August. The Philippine Department of Health said it had identified the first case of smallpox in the country since December in a 33-year-old man who had not travelled recently. The strain that caused the disease is not yet known.

A 2022 UK study found that more than half of mpox cases were spread by infected people who had not yet developed symptoms. Emerging evidence suggests that people incubating the disease can transmit the smallpox virus for up to four days before symptoms appear.

Luxembourg’s health minister said last Friday that the risk of the Luxembourg population contracting smallpox is “low.”

WHO recommends special measures to control monkeypox outbreak

The World Health Organisation is recommending special measures to control the outbreak of mpox, also known as monkeypox, in five African countries – the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

According to WHO recommendations, states should strengthen national health emergency response mechanisms, improve coordination of mpox control efforts, improve laboratory diagnosis of the disease, and identify contacts of mpox-infected people with others. In addition, WHO is calling for increased border surveillance to identify those who have become ill, vaccination and better public awareness of the disease and control measures.

The African Union Health Service declared a public health emergency on the continent due to the spread of monkeypox on 13 August. The disease has been detected in 17 African countries, totalling more than 38,000 infections and more than 1,400 deaths. The epicentre of the outbreak has been the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where 92% of African cases have been reported.

Read more HERE

[synergysilhouette]

An alternate take on "Raya and the Last Dragon" (2021)

I think the movie was good in concept, but the execution had me wanting more.

Take inspiration from different SEA countries for the 5 parts of Kumandra, but if you want to include more SEA inspiration, perhaps have certain cities between the countries that have a lot of cultural diversity, with Raya's home in Heart being one of those cities. Maybe Heart is Vietnam, Fang is Indonesia (with Malaysian and Bruneian influences; and since Raya is a Malay word, it would be a cool way of showing a connection between Heart and Fang), Spine is Myanmar, Talon is Thailand (with Cambodian and Laotian influences), and Tail is the Philippines. I'd probably also incorporate Fang's orange color into their fashion rather than the creme color--or just make red their color instead. And maybe make Spine's color blue and Heart's color an emerald green in order to differentiate them from each other more; I thought of making Heart the one with blue colors as an indication of Raya and Sisu's bond, but I felt like it was too much Main Character Syndrome, so I wanted to let other lands be special too. It's also noted that each land used their gem piece differently; Fang's cleverness allowed them to become culturally advanced (which includes their modern fashion/hairstyles after the time skip), Spine used it to gain strength to protect themselves and eventually conquer the other lands, Talon used it to boost their economy, becoming the source for many materials and products hard to come by in Kumandra; and Tail has developed immunity to harsh conditions, evolving their mercenary skills. Heart is the only one who's stayed more or less the same since they haven't really used the gem, fueling animosity towards them.

2. Focus on one large city. I may be alone, but I'm not big on "travel stories" because you're only in each land for 10-15 minutes and you don't get to fully explore it. Having the film take place in a major city with all the leaders (and their gem pieces) together would allow you to flesh out the world and cultures a bit more without losing focus or rashly characterizing each land. It'd also allow us to know more about the chief leaders.

3. Show Namaari's dedication to Fang being out of love rather than seemingly out of selfishness. At the beginning of the film, very few people can sympathize with Namaari for her betrayal, and giving her more development would be great.

4. Make Raya more stoic and contemplative. If I recall correctly, they gave her swagger later on in development, and I feel like it undermines the trauma and distrust she has, especially since it feels like she doesn't express full anger with Namaari until after Sisu's death.

5. Villain/Curropted Namaari. I like the idea that Namaari serves as an Azula-type villain who's much sneakier and manipulative. It's only when her mother is turned to stone halfway through the movie that she realizes she isn't ready to lead and questions the decisions made around her, particularly because the last dragon is following Raya. She doesn't immediately become a BFF to Raya; she now becomes a neutral figure, protecting Fang but not necessarily harming other lands, observing and following Raya to see if her cause is just and if she has a solution that will not ruin Namaari's empire in order to restore peace (I love her concept art--except for the bionic arm; too sci-fi/western vibes).

6. Keep it serious and dark, with minimal comedy. The original film doesn't really feel as serious as it should be because Sisu and other characters are too humorous. Along with this, make Sisu more wise and sage-like, even if she's the youngest of her siblings.

7. Make it a musical; either the characters themselves would sing, or SEA singers could sing to represent the characters' thought process, kind of like if you used "The Gift" soundtrack for "The Lion King." (Edit: I made a fanmade song list for this!)

8. Give Sisu a more mystical design. Her concept art had the right idea--more of a naga-like appearance as most SEA countries have been Indianized rather than Sinicized like Vietnam (which I've heard was the inspiration behind Sisu's finished design). I'd also make her more of a mother figure to Raya given that her own mother isn't alive--or maybe she is; maybe she's from another tribe and left Benja when she realized he wasn't from the same land as her, abandoning Raya and seeing her as a mistake.

9. Raya's aids--Since Raya isn't leaving Heart and the entire village isn't turned to stone, I like the idea that she builds camaraderie with two members who serve her. There's Cadeo, an intellectual who's much more even-tempered than Tong and Buon, and Hoa, a young woman who's optimistic and hopeful, a stark contrast to the sobered perspectives of Namaari and Raya. Given the story relies on Raya's cooperation with people of other Kumandran lands, Cadeo and Hoa are moreso supporting characters, but are still frequently present in the story to give Raya support.

Referring to #1, I wanted to provide a visual aid for the inspiration for the characters (since I can't draw):

I've seen GORGEOUS art of the timeline of Vietnamese fashion by lilsuika on deviantart. I'm unsure if I'd want to take from post or pre-Sinicized Vietnam, though. Post-Sinicized Vietnam feels like it'd be the most familiar for the audience and kinda imply that self-righteous image the other tribes have for Heart (given how they're dressed like they run an empire), but Pre-S Vietnam flows better with the tribal culture of Kumandra.

For Namaari, I was inspired by Shinonon's Heavenly Smile's art on Instagram of a Central Javanese woman, as well as modern Indonesian fashion I saw on Pinterest. Just add Namaari's haircut and make the fashion orange.

For Tong, I like the idea that his design is an ode to Shan Yu, as well as being a bit more proportionate (his upper body is bigger than his lower body and feels almost cartoon-y; no offense to people built like that IRL). I also see John Gyi on ArtStation's art of a Burmese warrior as inspriation (albeit red instead of blue).

For Boun, I took inspiration from the Mandaya tribe of the Philippines from Jme Faronda's art (albeit I'd make it yellow). IDK if Tail--or any of the other Kumandran lands--would represent one IRL tribe or ethnic group within their respective countries, though.

IDK if kids Noi's age dressed like this in medieval Thailand, but I took inspo from traditional Thai clothing. Take your pick (and make it purple).

Bonus: Some people have criticized East Asian actors playing SEA roles. I personally don't fully understand, but as an alternate, I suggest Michelle Yeoh (Virana), Brenda Song (Namaari), Ali Wong (Sisu), Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Benja) and Francois Chau or Dave Bautista (Tong). These are just a few examples, since I don't know many SEA actors off the top of my head.

[painthropologist]

An essay on Southeast Asian tourism I wrote for my BA that's full of vitriol

I'm Southeast Asian. You'll see why.

SE547 (Southeast Asian Societies)

Essay: “‘Culture’ in Southeast Asia today is nothing but a tourist attraction.” Critically evaluate this statement by making reference to relevant ethnographic case studies

Student name: Natalia Lee (17881758)

Due: Monday 16 December 2019, 12pm

Word count: 2040

The proliferation of capitalism and globalisation in Southeast Asia from the 1970s has inevitably been the catalyst for an ever-expanding tourist economy in the region. Southeast Asian nations have become exotic, desirable holiday locales to tourists from developed countries. This essay focuses on the ways in which tourism in Southeast Asia today, informed by capitalist ideals, has shaped local cultural identities with regards to indigeneity, gender, and division of labour. Many of these factors stem from pre-existing local cultural practices, yet are reinforced by the need to accommodate culture for touristic appeal. In Southeast Asian nations such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, tourism has greatly stimulated local economies yet has irreparably transformed local culture through rapid adaptation to meet the demands of tourists and governments. I discuss how Southeast Asians have risen to meet these demands, and how various aspects of culture and people themselves have become commodified in the face of a capitalist-driven tourist economy.

UNESCO defines culture as the ‘distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual, and emotional features of society or a social group (Anggraini, 2017: 150). This group identity has been articulated in different ways in the respective regions of Southeast Asia, but has morphed in the advent of modernity and capitalism. Culture, as such, has become commodified in many regards, with many traditional ways of life restructured to match the needs and wants of tourists. For example, traditional Balinese agrarian culture has been preserved to some extent by the desire for tourists to visit the Instagram-worthy rice paddies (Pedersen and Darmiasih, 2015: 151). Simultaneously, Bali’s tourist economy now thrives on providing other forms of non-traditional entertainment to tourists, such as nightclubs and surfing in Kuta (Anggraini, 2017). The tourist economy in Southeast Asia can therefore be viewed as a means of empowering locals through their participation with capitalism, globalisation, and modernity. 

The rise in international tourism, especially towards Southeast Asia, can be attributed to the expansion of the Western industrial economy in the 1970s and 80s (Smith, 1990: 34). Capitalism’s influence inevitably reached Southeast Asia during this period, not only changing traditional modes of production (Ong, 1988: 29), but requiring locals to adapt and create new social identities to cater to the desires of tourists. The increased social mobility in both developed and developing nations around this period thus facilitated political and economic changes that have in turn reformed cultural practices and ways of life in order to accommodate the constant demand for tourist infrastructure and services (Smith, 1990: 38-9). From a politico-economic perspective, tourism can be viewed as a means of nation-building in Southeast Asia, with tourism being Indonesia’s third-most profitable economic sector in the late 1960s under the Soeharto regime (Adams, 2018). While the rapid growth of Southeast Asian tourist destinations has created greater social mobility for many locals from increased income and education, it has also reinforced greater structural inequalities, with the rift between poverty and affluence in Southeast Asia becoming more apparent under tourism’s influence. The economic growth accompanying the expanding tourism industry in Southeast Asia has given many an opportunity to facilitate upward social mobility regardless of existing class hierarchy, and influences the structure and formation of classes within a society. 

Fagertun’s (2017: 338-341) ethnographic study of Jimbaran Bay in Bali discusses the ways in which class formation, based on economic advancement, impacted one Balinese couple, Bu Minah and her husband Pak Darsa. Due to the increasing popularity of Jimbaran among tourists, the couple were able to expand their small business into a hotel. However, business was uncertain due to the increased competition facilitated by an influx of work migrants into Jimbaran, leading to financial difficulties. Furthermore, traditional Balinese culture permits polygyny, whereby men can have multiple wives if they can afford it. Against Bu Minah’s wishes, Pak Darsa was able to afford a second wife with the money they had accumulated from their business, driving her away from the business and their children due to the traditionally patriarchal Balinese family structure. In this case, upward social mobility, enabled by a rapid increase in financial resources from tourism, bypassed the traditional Balinese-Hindu caste system and allowed the couple the financial freedom to enhance their lives. Economic capital breeds social capital, but pre-existing indigenous class and gender ideals still inform the ways in which structural inequality is created and maintained by the tourism industry in Southeast Asia.

One of the main reasons for tourism in Southeast Asian nations like Thailand is for tourists to experience entertainment in an “exotic” setting (Berger, 2013b: 15). Culture becomes a commodified novelty, where traditional practices like dance and musical performance are reduced to package tours, and ritual meaning is obscured by monetization (Fagertun, 2017; Picard, 1990; Acciaioli, 1985). In Indonesia, the term “cultural tourism” was first implemented by the Dutch during the colonial period and subsequently by the independent Indonesian government, as a means of turning the archipelago, especially Bali, into a global tourist destination (Berger, 2013a: 47; Picard, 1990: 42). Based on this logic, “adat [culture] is appropriated for the purposes of the state” and is therefore an impetus for attracting tourists (Acciaioli, 1985: 157). Today, the popularity of “cultural tourism” in the Southeast Asian region is reflective not only of tourist demands, but the willingness of locals to supply entertainment for these tourists, ranging from traditional performances and handicrafts, to more malign “commodities” including the sex trade. There is thus a symbiotic relationship between tourists and locals, where cultural norms and traditions become “a product of interactions” (Sinclair, 1997: 3). Pre-existing cultural contexts are therefore necessary to understand how and why these transactions take place, and closer examination reveals that institutionalised Southeast Asian cultural norms such as the male hegemony and the enduring influence of colonialism are just as much to blame for transforming “culture” in Southeast Asia into a commodity to be exploited by tourists and locals alike. 

This brings into question the nature of “authenticity” in the “culture” marketed to tourists in Southeast Asia. There is a dual nature to the “authentic” culture practiced and experienced by locals, and the “culture” born from tourist demands- what Picard (1990: 43) describes as a dichotomy of “cultural pollution” and “cultural renaissance”. This pollution can be regarded as foreign influences on a society, while renaissance is the revived interest in one’s own culture and traditions (43). Alternatively, traditions and cultural identity have been adopted for political, social, or economic gain by some Southeast Asian peoples. Li (2000: 150) discusses how indigenous identity has been crafted as a political tool in Central Sulawesi, while “the invention of tradition” by self-identified indigenous groups are “a matter of optimal selection” in consumer terms. The consumption of indigenous culture by tourists can therefore be viewed as a created commodity designed to appeal to foreign notions of the exotic. However, cultural identity is not fixed, and is subject to the continuous “play of history, culture and power” (152). To quote Bishop and Robinson (1998: 5), “tourist privilege turns daily life into a spectacle” in Southeast Asia. Tourism’s impact is therefore a progression of culture as it is shaped by modernity and globalisation. Pre-industrial modes of production in Southeast Asia, such as rice farming in Bali and Vietnam, have thus adapted to profit from the tourist economy by marketing traditional agriculture as “exotic”.

Pedersen and Dharmiasih (2015: 151-2) note that the agricultural sector has become an important part of the central Indonesian and Balinese governments’ bid to promote tourism, particularly “eco-tourism” or “sustainable tourism”. The exoticisation of the past is reinforced by the internationally accepted industrialisation of urban areas, and tourists from developed countries flock to observe and participate in pre-colonial, traditional agricultural practices like rice farming in Bali (Fagertun, 2017: 333). Picard’s notion of “cultural pollution and renaissance” once again demonstrates how the culture of rice farming is “polluted” by tourism, while there is a “renaissance” in encouraging traditional farming practices to uphold images of Bali as a pristine, environmentally-conscious society. However, the increased push by the state and independent developers to modernise the island through infrastructural development has led to a significant marginalisation of farmers, involvement of external organisations, and an overall decline in agricultural activity reflected across Southeast Asia (MacRae, 2011).

The shifting role of agriculture as a subsistence economy to a tourist attraction, and the increasingly industrialised modes of production in Southeast Asia are significant. Agriculture and cash cropping were traditionally sectors in which women were permitted to work prior to their roles as factory workers in the 1970s (Ong, 1988: 32). Traditionally, women were also expected to adhere to the Southeast Asian cultural norm of traditionally looking after the family (Jeffreys, 1999: 186). Through participation in the workforce, women were able to challenge traditional values and attained increased social mobility (Truong, 1983: 536). However, the mass migration from rural to urban areas in order to participate in the workforce has created new structural inequalities, and the jobs available unskilled female labourers have led some women to participate in sex tourism as a more lucrative means of gaining economic, and therefore social capital. Truong (1983: 543) theorises that “mass prostitution reflects the structural crisis of the agricultural sector where women were traditionally active”. The role of gender is thus a crucial factor in understanding Southeast Asian culture beyond the veneer of tourism, and the processes underlying sex tourism are a means of analysing the structural inequalities and violence based on traditional notions of the social obligations of Southeast Asian women. 

The phenomenon of sex tourism in nations like Thailand and the Philippines is revealing of how people are also commodified in the tourist trade, and how “local culture” is manifold and much deeper than what is marketed towards tourists. Prostitution of women and children in Southeast Asia is embedded in poverty and culturally-based notions of family obligation (Jeffreys, 1999: 180). Rural poverty today reinforces structural inequalities heavily influenced by economic processes, and the proliferation of rural prostitutes servicing urban areas as a means of survival has made countries like Thailand synonymous with a developed “culture” of sex tourism (Truong, 1986; Bishop and Robinson, 1998). Economic shifts from rural to urban areas in Southeast Asia have forced thousands of vulnerable women to migrate to cities like Manila and Bangkok to find work in order to support their families, as well as the women and children trafficked for purposes of sexual exploitation. In this “culture”, prostitution can be seen as a way for Southeast Asian women to participate in modernity, such as by “working with foreigners” (Bishop and Robinson, 1998: 9). Like any other economic mode of production, the popularity of sex tourism in Southeast Asia is a matter of supply and demand (Truong, 1986: 536). Institutionalised gender inequality, based on the lower status of women, and the historical normalisation of prostitution in Southeast Asia (Jeffreys, 1999: 186-7), implies that sex tourism is perpetuated by locals as much as tourists. A culture of concubinage, slave labour, and debt bondage in countries like Vietnam and Thailand (Truong, 1986; Jeffreys, 1999) make sex tourism a profitable enterprise to pimps and human traffickers (UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 2016). Prostitution can therefore be viewed from the capitalist perspective as yet another form of labour, with bodies as an exchangeable commodity (Truong, 1983: 534). These are malevolent aspects to Southeast Asian culture that have become a tourist attraction, to the detriment of thousands of women and children.

Under the influence of capitalism, culture in Southeast Asia has been commodified, but not necessarily just for the benefit of tourists. In participating with modernity and globalisation, Southeast Asia has adapted its various “cultures” to meet the demands posed by governments, economies, and tourism. Traditional practices and indigenous identities have been restructured to appeal to the tourist market. Particularly in urban areas, structural inequalities and the marginalisation of the rural poor are evident, with traditional economic practices like agriculture suffering under domestic mass migration and redistribution of resources to more lucrative sectors like tourism. This is negotiated by locals by adopting tourist-focused business strategies to increase their social mobility, albeit with great risk involved. By participating in modernity, culture has become a tangible product that tourists seek in Southeast Asia, driven by the economic success of developed nations and their desire to seek the “exotic”.

References

Acciaioli, G. (1985). Culture as Art: From Practice to Spectacle in Indonesia. Canberra Anthropology, 8(1&2), 148 – 17

Adams, K.M. (2018). Revisiting "Wonderful Indonesia": Tourism, Economy and Society. In: Hefner, R.W (ed.) Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Indonesia. New York: Routledge, 197-207

Anggraini L.M. (2017) A Local Sense of Place for Cultural Sustainability: Reconstruction of Place Identity in Kuta, Bali. In: Saufi A., Andilolo I., Othman N., Lew A. (eds.) Balancing Development and Sustainability in Tourism Destinations. Singapore: Springer

Berger, A.A. (2013a). Bali Tourism. New York: Haworth Press.

Berger, A.A. (2013b). Thailand Tourism. New York: Routledge.

Bishop, R., Robinson, L.S. (1998). Points of Departure: Catalysts and Contexts. In: Night Market: Sexual Cultures and the Thai Economic Miracle. New York: Routledge: 1-15.

Fagertun, A. (2017). Labour in Paradise: Gender, Class and Social Mobility in the Informal Tourism Economy of Urban Bali, Indonesia. The Journal of Development Studies, 53(3), 313-345

Jeffreys, S. (1999). Globalizing sexual exploitation: sex tourism and the traffic in women. Leisure Studies, 18(3): 179-196

Li, T.M. (2000). Articulating indigenous identity in Indonesia: resource politics and the tribal slot. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 42(1): 149-79

MacRae, G. (2011). Rice Farming in Bali. Critical Asian Studies, 43(1): 69-9

Ong, A. (1988). The Production of Possession: Spirits and the Multinational Corporation in Malaysia. American Ethnologist, 15 (1): 28-42

Pedersen, L., Dharmiasih, W. (2015). The Enchantment of Agriculture: State Decentering and Irrigated Rice Production in Bali. The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology, 16(2): 141-156

Picard, M. (1990). "Cultural Tourism" in Bali: Cultural Performances as Tourist Attraction. Indonesia, 49(1): 37-74

Sinclair, M.T. (1997). Issues and theories of gender and work in tourism. In: Sinclair, M.T. (ed.) Gender, Work and Tourism. London: Routledge: 1-15

Smith, V.L. (1990). Geographical Implications of “Drifter” Tourism Boracay, Philippines. Tourism Recreation Research, 15(1): 34-42

Truong, T-D. (1983). The Dynamics of Sex Tourism: The Case of Southeast Asia. Development and Change, 14(4): 533-553

UNODC (2016). Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2016. United Nations publication, Sales No. E.16.IV.6

[usafphantom2]

United Arab Emirates allegedly seeks role in South Korea's KF-21 hunting program

Report states that the emirate could replace Indonesia in the 4.5 generation hunting program

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 09/18/2023 - 08:42am Military

The United Arab Emirates has shown interest in cooperating with South Korea in its KAI KF-21 Boramae fighter development program, potentially becoming the third member of this project.

Financial News, a South Korean daily, said in a report last week that the South Korean National Security Office received a letter from the Tawazun Economic Council of the United Arab Emirates describing Abu Dhabi's interest in direct cooperation in the development of the KF-21.

Interestingly, the report stated that the letter even suggested that Abu Dhabi could replace Indonesia's investment in the program.

Indonesia has a 20 percent stake, but has not fulfilled its financial commitments. Jakarta, which had plans to acquire up to 50 KF-21, joined the program in 2010, but then began to delay payments in 2017, reaching about $557 million in unpaid debts by July 2022. In May, Jakarta tried to alleviate concerns in Seoul by promising a new payment schedule.

The Financial News report estimates that Indonesia's unpaid contributions currently amount to about 990 billion South Korean won, about $745 million.

The reported interest of the United Arab Emirates is hardly a surprise. After all, in January, Abu Dhabi pledged to invest $30 billion in South Korean industries, including defense. In January 2022, the wealthy Arab country signed a $3.5 billion contract for South Korea's Cheongung II KM-SAM air defense missile system, the largest arms export agreement ever made to Seoul at the time.

As these multibillion-dollar investments in South Korean industries demonstrate, the United Arab Emirates would hardly have any serious difficulty in disbursing what Indonesia owes to the Boramae program. In addition, Abu Dhabi would undoubtedly be interested in co-producing the fighter, as it would help further develop its national defense industry through substantial technology transfers, which Seoul has repeatedly shown to be generous in providing to its customers.

The United Arab Emirates suspended negotiations on a historic agreement for 50 fifth-generation U.S. F-35 Lightning II stealth jets in late 2021 due to disagreements over U.S. preconditions and UAE cooperation with China.

In 2017, Abu Dhabi signed a preliminary agreement to work with Russia on the development of a next-generation unspecified fighter. In 2021, Russia exhibited a model of its planned fifth-generation Su-75 Checkmate at the Dubai Airshow.

However, analysts repeatedly noted that the UAE's involvement in such programs was more to demonstrate to the U.S. that they had other weapons options, rather than a genuine effort to acquire Russian fighters for its air force, which consists of American and French jets. And since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, cooperation with Moscow on such projects has been more unsustainable than ever.

With the F-35 agreement apparently out of the question, there are no other viable options currently available for the United Arab Emirates to buy ready-to-use fifth-generation stealth fighters. Consequently, it makes sense to join the KF-21 program, since it can guarantee the acquisition of the advanced aircraft for Abu Dhabi.

The only problem is that the first variant of the KF-21, although more stealthy than the 4.5 generation aircraft currently on the market, will feature external hardpoints instead of internal weapon compartments. Thus, although close to a fifth-generation fighter, it will still fall short of this technical classification, leading some to unofficially call it a "generation 4.75" aircraft. However, future variants may improve this deficiency.

The moment of this supposed interest of the Emirates in Boramae is also noteworthy. After all, the neighbor of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, eagerly wishes to join the United Kingdom-Italy-Japan Global Air Combat Program (GCAP), developing the sixth-generation Tempest fighter. Riyadh would have applied for membership in August, a few weeks before the reported interest of the United Arab Emirates in KF-21.

GCAP has an ambitious schedule to reveal Tempest by 2035.

If Saudi Arabia is admitted to GCAP and the project meets its ambitious deadline, Riyadh may start acquiring sixth-generation fighters in the second half of the next decade. Such a development would give the Saudi air force a huge technological advantage over its UAE counterpart.

Although the two neighbors are not adversaries, Abu Dhabi would hardly feel comfortable with this situation of a technological gap in combat air power between them. And even if the KF-21 fails to fill this gap, it will make it less visible, especially if the South Korea-led project produces more stealthy Boramas in the future.

Source: Forbes

Tags: Military AviationUnited Arab EmiratesKAI - Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.KF-21 Boramae

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has work published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work throughout the world of aviation.

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[selamat-linting]

On September 7 residents and security forces clashed on the island of Rempang, Riau province, after local people attempted to stop the authorities from conducting land measurements and boundary marking for the Eco City development project.

Residents blocked the main road spanning the island using trees and burning tyres as makeshift barricades. Police responded by firing teargas into the crowd with some landing in a nearby school, resulting several children suffering from teargas inhalation. Police detained at least eight demonstrators following the incident.

In 2001 plans emerged to turn Rempang Island into an industrial and tourism area supported by a free trade zone and free port policy as part of the Batam City Industrial Area Development Project, which was awarded to the company PT Makmur Elok Graha (Meg) on May 17 2004.

Prior to this, in 1986 under Forestry Minister Sujarwo, Rempang Island was declared a conservation area but without any consultation or inspection on the ground, so the island was deemed to be uninhabited.

A new policy in 1992 established that Rempang Island, Galang Island and the surrounding islands were to be included in the Batam Island Industrial Region as a Bonded Zone. This reaffirmed the assumption that there were no local communities living on Rempang Island or that they were not of any concern. As a consequence there was no policy for the relocation of local residents or compensation mechanisms.

Following this in 1999, residents of Galang sub-district on Rempang Island were given the opportunity to become part of the administration of the Batam City municipal government, but this still did not resolve the problem because the communities there were still not recognised because as did not have legal claim over land that had occupied for generations.

In late 2022 a meeting was held between the Batam Free Trade Zone Authority (BP Batam) and Rempang residents at the Tg Kertang Bridge Four Village on Rempang Island, at which the BP Batam explained about the planned Rempang Eco City construction project that would be carried out by PT Mega.

The mega project was to be part of the government's so-call agrarian reform program known as TORA (Agrarian Reform Land Object), which would be registered by the government by requesting land right certificates from Galang sub-district residents.

In the second period of the process PT Meg conducted aggressive lobbying with related ministries in order to get support to accelerate the project, which became easier after a decree was issued designating the project as a strategic national project (PSN).

If we go back a few years following the 1965 mass killings that brought Suharto's New Order dictatorship into power, land gabbing had become common in many parts of Indonesia. This was in line with Suharto's move to forge a close relationship with the US imperialist state, which had backed Suharto's seizure of power and the removal of Indonesia's leftist founding president Sukarno.

And of course in order to pay back this debt of gratitude, the US was allowed to force its way deeper into Indonesia's economy though capital exports such as funding development programs in an effort to increase its grip on and in the end be freer to monopolise the economy. By this time land grabs were being carried out though a militaristic approach.

Suharto was overthrown in 1998, but the ideology of developmentalism (pembangunanisme) continued to dominate in Indonesia. In 2004 the World Bank issued a document titled Bad Infrastructure Hampers Indonesia's Economic Growth and Poverty Alleviation Efforts. These kinds of documents are a scenario that is always applied to control Third World countries because with large debts they can be forced to follow programs that have been determined by the imperialist countries. Thus Indonesia is encouraged to pursue infrastructure projects to support the smooth circulation of capital throughout the country.

The implementation of this on the ground began in 2004 during the era of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) with the Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI). Put roughly, the World Bank said that if Indonesia wants to maintain economic stability it must improve the state of its infrastructure.

Since the late 80s Indonesia has adopted the model of public-private partnership schemes (PPP). Under these schemes, infrastructure development is no longer funded by the government but is instead handed over to the private sector or investors. For these investors it becomes a kind of bolu kukus (steamed sponge cake) that is soft and delicious because they can do as they like when investing in Indonesia.

Meanwhile the government's role in facilitating projects is taking responsibility for the acquisition of land, which can be done by means of forced mediation or forced evictions, as was the recent case in Rempang.

The authority of national strategic projects has been further strengthened by the enactment of the widely unpopular Omnibus Law on Job Creation, which provides strong "legal certainty" for the acquisition of land for the benefit of capitalistic projects in Indonesia.

The law also saw the establishment of a Land Bank. In normative terms this institution guarantees the availability of land through the concept of economic fairness for public, social and national development interests, economic equality, land consolidation and agrarian reform.

This however is only on paper. In practical terms, the hidden goal of land banks is to facilitate the process of land acquisition for investment, both in the name of development for the public interest and economic growth, as well as facilitating the process of the privatising state land. Land controlled by the land bank is given the status of the Land Management Rights (HPL).

The implication of this is the privatisation and commercialisation of state land (something prohibited in the 1960s), and the avoidance of corruption in the use of state land, and the strong potential to displace people from their land, who de facto are occupying or living on state land. Thus people can be evicted on legal grounds.

In order to fight the people's oppressors, there needs to be a systematic and organised movement. Starting from educating young people, and this education must also be populist in accordance with the definitions and desires of the people. The ordinary people must build for themselves what they want without interference from the corrupt government.

With that also, when young people understand who the real enemy is that is trampling on and grabbed their parents' necks, and forcibly taking their land, then young people will be two or three steps closer to an organised people's movement.

Then there is a need for solidarity from the working class, students and other elements of the oppressed people in every part of Indonesia so that it can pressure the government to withdraw all military and police forces from Rempang (as well as Wades and other areas where people are threatened with eviction) and provide the rights that should be afforded to the residents of Rempang Island such as land ownership and the right for the indigenous people on Rempang to control, regulate, manage and utilise their customary lands and all natural resources within it.

[tomorrowusa]

A particularly strong El Niño is being predicted for this winter – that's summer for y'all in the Southern Hemisphere.

Current El Niño conditions are likely to develop into one of the strongest events on record — comparable to the major El Niño of 1997-98 — according to an experimental prediction system developed for research purposes by the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). “Our forecast system has shown that it can do a remarkably good job of accurately hindcasting past El Niño events when we’ve tested it using historical data, which gives us high confidence in this forecast,” said NCAR scientist Stephen Yeager, who helped lead the modeling effort. El Niño events are characterized by warmer-than-average temperatures in the Tropical Pacific Ocean. The phenomenon, which usually peaks in December, can have a significant impact on weather patterns across the country, causing the northern U.S. and Canada to become warmer and drier than usual while the southern U.S. becomes wetter.

This El Niño coincides with already warming temperatures.

The Washington Post says...

The new prediction system suggested it could reach top-tier “super” El Niño strength, a level that in the past has unleashed deadly fires, drought, heat waves, floods and mudslides around the world. This time, El Niño is developing alongside an unprecedented surge in global temperatures that scientists say have increased the likelihood of brutal heat waves and deadly floods of the kind seen in recent weeks. Will that make El Niño’s typical extremes even more dramatic in the winter? “My answer would be — maybe,” said David DeWitt, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. [ ... ] The phenomenon is marked by a surge of warmth in surface waters along the equator in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. The warmer those waters become, and the more they couple with west-to-east flowing winds over the Pacific, the stronger the El Niño and its influence on global weather.

Just because an El Niño is a central and eastern Pacific Ocean event doesn't mean it affects only that region.

A forecast that the National Center for Atmospheric Research issued Tuesday was even more bullish, using a new prediction system to forecast that the coming winter could bring a super El Niño, with strength rivaling the historic El Niño of 1997-1998. That winter brought extreme rainfall to California and Kenya, and intense drought to Indonesia.

What an El Niño usually means around the planet.

A textbook El Niño includes tendencies toward dry conditions in such places as Indonesia, northern Australia and southern Africa and wet conditions across parts of South America, eastern Africa and along the southern tier of the United States. Signs are already suggesting a hot and dry summer for Australia, for example, where authorities are warning of heightened wildfire dangers.

So far, this is just a heads up. But it's a reminder that weather is now more than just a subject for idle conversation.

This is a 55 year record of the El Niño 3.4 Index.

NCAR describes the El Niño 3.4 Index...

Scientists commonly define El Niños using a metric called the Niño 3.4 Index, which is a measure of how much warmer (or cooler) the sea surface temperatures are in a defined rectangle of the Tropical Pacific Ocean compared to the long-term average. El Niño conditions occur when the average Niño 3.4 Index is above +0.5 degrees C. An official El Niño event requires the running three-month average index to be +0.5 degrees C or higher for five consecutive months.

So this will likely be the most intense El Niño since the "Cool Britannia" era.

[mmwproperty]

Overview Of Return On Investment Rates On Indonesia Property In 2023

Over the past few years, Indonesia has significantly improved its structural guidelines and macroeconomics. Indonesia’s economy is consistently growing and as a result, Indonesia is able to concentrate on its development strategies and processes.

There is a constant rise in property values and demand due to high levels of urbanization and rapid expansion of population in Indonesia. This has made the real estate market of Indonesia one of the most dynamic markets in the region.

Also, the pandemic crisis did not affect the Indonesian real estate market much. Hence, in terms of making investments, the Indonesian market is one of the most profitable choices.

There are many property investment opportunities in Indonesia for you to create another successful and profitable source of income. So, let us give you more detailed information about investment and ROI rates in Indonesia before you make your decision.

Necessary Information About ROI of Property Investment in Indonesia

Nowadays, both locals and foreigners buy property in Indonesia due to the high “ROI — Return on Investment” rate in Indonesia. Generally, property investment in Indonesia yields up to 20% to 30% ROI annually. However, the ROI rate may differ depending on the location of the property.

One of the reasons why property investment in Indonesia is offering such a high ROI rate is that this country is all set to become one of the most powerful global economic hubs in the coming years.

As a result, you will be able to recover your capital investment in the initial 10 to 12 years if you have purchased the property with a 25-year lease. You will gain good profits until your property lease expires. Also, you can always renew the lease at any time you wish.

Read more: Overview Of Return On Investment Rates On Indonesia Property In 2023

[darshanaaa7]

Coffee aficionado

Coffee is so much more than just a drink; it's a way of life. You may receive an introduction to how vast and varied the world of coffee actually is by looking through some of the top coffee blogs available.Perhaps you're a newbie whose crush is quickly developing into something more serious. Or perhaps you're a connoisseur with a hunger for information about brewing methods. Many of these blogs have experienced it, and they zealously offer advice, comparisons, and experiments that will have you producing excellent craft beers in no time. Some other blogs, which concentrate on coffee-forward international travel itineraries and coffee destinations and introduce you to the people behind them, are driven by the social side of coffee. Coffee and community go hand in hand.

Certainly! Coffee is a popular and beloved beverage enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Its rich history, diverse varieties, cultivation methods, and health effects make it a fascinating subject for a blog post. Here's some information you can include in your blog about coffee:

1. History and Origins: Coffee's history dates back centuries to the ancient coffee forests of Ethiopia. The legend of the discovery of coffee by a goat herder named Kaldi adds a charming touch to its origins. Coffee cultivation and trade spread from Africa to the Middle East and eventually to Europe and the rest of the world.

2. Coffee Varieties: There are two main species of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are known for their nuanced flavors and aromatic qualities, while Robusta beans are often used in espresso blends due to their higher caffeine content and bold flavor.

3. Coffee Growing Regions: Coffee is grown in various regions around the world, each imparting unique flavors to the beans. Some well-known coffee-growing countries include Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Kenya, and Indonesia. The concept of "terroir" is relevant here, as the soil, climate, and altitude influence the final flavor profile of the coffee.

4. Coffee Processing: After coffee cherries are harvested, they undergo processing to extract the beans. Different methods, such as washed, natural, and honey processes, affect the flavor and characteristics of the coffee. This is a crucial step in determining the final taste of the brew.

5. Roasting: Roasting is an art that transforms green coffee beans into the aromatic, flavorful beans used for brewing. The roast level impacts the coffee's taste, with lighter roasts preserving more of the bean's origin flavors and darker roasts producing bolder, smokier notes.

6. Brewing Methods: There are numerous ways to brew coffee, each influencing the taste and texture of the final cup. Some popular methods include drip brewing, French press, pour-over, espresso, AeroPress, and cold brew. Each method extracts different compounds from the coffee grounds, resulting in distinct flavors.

7. Coffee and Health: Coffee has been studied extensively for its potential health effects. It contains antioxidants and can be linked to various benefits, such as improved cognitive function, enhanced physical performance, and a reduced risk of certain diseases. However, excessive consumption can lead to negative effects like insomnia, jitteriness, and digestive issues.

8. Coffee Culture: Coffee has a significant cultural impact worldwide. It's not just a beverage; it's often a social experience. Cafés and coffeehouses are gathering places for people to relax, work, and connect. Different cultures have their own unique coffee traditions and rituals.

9. Sustainable Coffee: As the coffee industry grows, concerns about environmental sustainability and fair labor practices have become more important. Fair trade and direct trade practices aim to ensure that coffee farmers receive fair compensation for their work and that the environment is protected.

10. Coffee Trends: The coffee world is always evolving. Trends like specialty coffee, single-origin beans, and alternative milk options (such as almond, oat, and soy milk) have gained popularity. Staying up to date with these trends can help you understand the current coffee landscape.