The (no longer) lost Jews of Manado

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Michel S.

As reported in the NY Times and Tablet magazine – the synagogue in Surabaya might have been forced to close by extremists, but elsewhere in the country, another Jewish community is rediscovering their roots. As Santayana said, Those who cannot … Continue reading →

Posted in Judaism | 58 Comments

Defence: Delusion by Dilution

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Michel S.

As reported by Bisnis Indonesia: JAKARTA: Kepala Staf TNI Angkatan Udara (Kasau) Marsekal TNI Imam Sufaat mengatakan siap jika penyelesaian diplomatik gagal antara Indonesia-Malaysia. “Kami selalu siap,” katanya di sela-sela buka bersama anggota AU dan purnawirawan TNI di Puri Ardhya … Continue reading →

Posted in Indonesia, Jingoism, Malaysia | 5 Comments

Anti-Malaysian Jingoism, and the missing Golden Rule

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Michel S.

jin·go·ism noun \ˈjiŋ-(ˌ)gō-ˌi-zəm\ source: Merriam-Webster dictionary extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy Being out of the country means there is often a substantial delay before one gets one’s news, especially those lower down the rungs … Continue reading →

Posted in Indonesia, Jingoism, Malaysia | 25 Comments

Big Brother Watch: when faith-inspired coercion goes to far in Indonesia

Posted on August 3, 2010 by Michel S.

From the New York Times: Last month, the country’s information minister, Tifatul Sembiring, said that local service providers would have to start blocking online pornography by the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which starts Aug. 11. Unfortunately, the article goes … Continue reading →

Posted in Censorship, Cryptography, Indonesia, Privacy, Technology | 9 Comments

Rupiah might get revalued

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Michel S.

With several zeros slashed — similar to what Turkey did a few years ago (before that, a kebab used to cost several million liras!) Whether avaricious tax collector oknums might seize the opportunity to impose a tax when old notes … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Indonesia, Literacy | 2 Comments

Indonesians adopting English: but in what way?

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Michel S.

As recently posted in the New York Times: Indonesia’s linguistic legacy is increasingly under threat as growing numbers of wealthy and upper-middle-class families shun public schools where Indonesian remains the main language but English is often taught poorly. They are … Continue reading →

Posted in Indonesia | 27 Comments