poor country?

POOR COUNTRY?

Watching Barrack Obama’s nomination speech made our running presidential candidates becomes a laugh. It is ashamed of watching one the presidential candidates on TV at the previous night. The TV show made me laugh learning the way the candidate responding to the questions from the panelist and the audience. She did not do her homework about being a good speaker. She doesn’t realize that a good speaker is a good listener. Well, clearly seen that she could not control herself just to spend a little time to hear what her opponent is about to say. She cut it off, and telling that she got the ideas. That’s really a pathetic way of winning others’ sympathies. I was thinking, does she forget the reason she stands before these panelists and the audience? Does she aware that the show is being watched by thousands of Indonesians. If all the answers to the above questions are NO, then there’s no doubt that she is going to be the loser in the next presidential election. Then, I realize that it was just a TV show, and then it is not important the way she acted in the show, since she is most likely not going to run for the real candidate for the president in the real battle. Then it’s not a problem. Unfortunately, the real TV campaigns from the real president candidates are not better. They are even worse. Their campaign is just like a commercial break. It is about the quality of the figure. They are now trying very hard of building good images about themselves by picturing themselves as the character with excellent social care. In fact, it’s all just a lip service. Their words are soulless, dull and shallow. These people cannot meet the important quality a good leader should have, a commitment, which should have been shown long before they start running for presidency.

The first candidate with his commercial break is Prabowo. He is showing himself standing up for the farmer. His track record is not so good in this kind of matter. Regarding his career in military, there would be less chance for him to stay in touch with farmers in the past. He did not show any commitment regarding to these low class people. It is the fact that farmers are suffer in richness. Many policies are made not for the sake of the farmers. It is the fact that the farmers have to buy expensive fertilizer and in the end they have to sell their harvest cheaply. This is tragic. Prabowo is smart enough to learn this condition and realizes that farmers are such potential constituents since they are great in numbers. If he can win this segment vote, he might win the election. However, will the farmers take him seriously and count on him by electing him as the president? It’s a great expectation for Prabowo. He needs to show his commitment for years’ services in defending farmers in concrete way before declaring himself as the speaker for farmers. He has to show that he has started or established some efforts or moral movement to improve the farmers living condition. The efforts that make him deserve to win their vote.

The next is Rizal Mallarangeng. He is well known as a TV presenter, instead of as neither a businessman nor an activist. His existence is not really recognized by many voters. People are suddenly exposed to his character as a man who has concern to community and has a nice family through an ad emerges on TV. However, somehow he does not use Bahasa Indonesia fully for his campaign. It makes him loosing sympathy for many Indonesians who do not speak English. But thanks God he is supported by one of prominent TV stations in this country. Meanwhile, he is required to be more down to earth by sincerely committing in more social services and real years work to show his resolve standing up for poor people in this country.

Moreover, Soetrisno Bachir, one of candidates from one big political party, raises the issue of the spirit of Indonesian awakening. Picturing himself standing along with the youth, who have successfully declaring themselves as the pioneer in their own field, Bachir leads Indonesians to consider him as one of the pioneers in politics. He builds up an image as the young generation who is going to bring Indonesia to a better life. Well, it is not an easy scheme. It requires a hard long job to meet the ideal condition. That is the job that has already done excellently by the people he gets along with in the ad. Does not he aware of the long and harsh path the boys have got through to be in the present prestige? It takes a solid commitment which is implemented by a dedicated effort. Hence, Bachir needs to learn this ethic from those youth have done to accomplish what they have today, a long and hard work, not an instant one. He needs to learn more about commitment. In this case, Bachir has to have the commitment to face any obstacles and willing to put a side his own importance above the nation importance which is in the end he might bring this nation to the goal of national awakening.

Furthermore is Wiranto. Despite his excellent career in military service and his commitment of protecting the former President Soeharto and his family in May 1998, Wiranto needs to show his commitment of defending poor people better. He might think winning the voters sympathy by eating “nasi aking” before many mass medias several months ago. In fact, it is considered as a vulgar campaign. Me, my self, I couldn’t stand to see his pictures in news paper doing his daredevil stunt. What a “smart” way to win votes! Will people believe that he really does care about them, regarding he is living in a cozy house? On the other hands, this four stars general must know his stunt does not feed the hunger people. He should have thought concrete solutions of this miserable condition. He must show his fully, surely dedication of overcoming the problems. A situational “heroic” touching care is not a sort of commitment this starving nation need.

Another presidential candidate who needs to learn of having well founded commitment is Megawati Soekarno Putri. This lady has a super duper great manager for her campaign- Soekarno image. She does not have to do that hard job to win votes, like her colleges do. It could be she thinks all she has to do is criticizing the current government for not being able of taking care national issues. She speaks up loudly about the rising of the oil price that affects both micro and macro economics life. She might think this nation has forgotten and forgiven her incapability in handling significant issue when she was in Istana Merdeka. She had shown how good she was when she’s crowned as Indonesian president by selling sands to Singapore. Is that a kind of commitment that she can offer to the voters? A commitment to sell this country? Badly, she needs to learn more her previous policies before criticizing the incumbent president. She needs to open her mind and figure out what beneficial efforts she has already accomplished for the sake of this country. She might have magnificent campaign manager, but it does not mean she has tremendous commitment and hard work to bring this nation to a better condition. Will she win the vote by just criticizing out loud the incumbent president? Well let’s see.

Despite all the above absurd and fake campaigns which are lack of commitment, then there are two examples in which Indonesian presidential candidates can learn about long life commitment. Indonesian politicians need to be in an exposure of willingness to serve for this country. They need to learn to make their motto and jargon to be more meaningful and have soul. They needs to make sure themselves to be always down to earth. It is the fact that their campaign is lack of sincere commitment. It is nothing but just a lip service. The real commitment should have proved by a long and consistent hard work. None was shown before the Election Day. They rarely or almost never get in touch with the people they are trying to embrace at the moment. Where are they long before the Election Day? What have they done to darely claim themselves as the representative of particular group of people?

Hence, their campaigns become meaningless compare to the first speech that was delivered by Barrack Obama when accepted Democrats Nomination as the candidate president in Denver Colorado. Watching him live delivering his speech explaining his commitment and promises as the next president felt realistic. There is no doubt that this 47 years old man would keep his promises. As he was elected as the senator for Illinois in 2005, he has committed himself in health, education, labor, and pensions matters. He involved as well in improving the living condition in poor neighborhood and seriously fought crime and unemployment. In addition, by being the first African American president Harvard Law Review in 1991, he has put himself on the right track for his political career by having good sense of law supreme for defending people. This is the real commitment, the commitment that people can count on. The commitment that has been tested many years by various constrains which ended achieving concrete results. Then, at the time he delivers his political speech, the voters are guaranteed for changes that have been working on long before he run himself for presidential election. It is not a week day work.

Another splendid real example of the victory of solid commitment is Fernando Lugo. This 56 years old bishop , the new Paraguay president who just came to the palace last 15 August, has proved his commitment to poor farmers in his country. By leaving his life as a bishop, Lugo spent his life among poor farmers and raised a movement to allow the farmer to have their own land so they can live better. He lives closely to the Paraguay poor farmers. Then, his commitment brought him to the presidency. His people want him to do his job better, and then they brought him to the top position. Soon, he reached it he keeps his words by not staying in the official presidential residency. And even, one of Indonesian journalists who spent a day with Lugo as the president at his first day service reported that Lugo commuted without any guards and fancy car. And even he promises that he will donate his salary for charity, which is about 37 million Rupiahs, during his service. What a lesson for Indonesian politicians. He has no worries since he gets used to live in simplicity. This is the real commitment Indonesian politicians should have. Will they be able to follow Lugo track? That will be a touching way to win the vote.

In short, these are two pictures of essential quality a leader should have. Tragically, among Indonesians president candidates, it is hard for Indonesians to see those qualities. They should have learnt how to be a good leader for their people. By seeing the facts at the moment, it is really embarrassing to see them fighting for the position. They should have thought twice before the made up their mind to pursue the position. They should have asked themselves what they have done before declaring themselves as the next president. If there’s only one of them has started building right track record, then there is no doubt the campaign time will not be a humiliation moment, both for the candidates and the constituents. The key word is commitment, the proved commitment to give their best effort to bring this nation to a better life.

luna

Women Imaging in Female’s Product Advertisement

Advertisement is an effective ways of introducing a new product, since it gives an image characters to the audiences as the representative of the real character in the real life. The audiences draw a specific perception about both, the users of the product and the characters represented based on the image character shown in the ad. The image then plays an important role in affecting people description and conclusion. However, the image is sometimes not appropriate to the norm or value of the community. As the result, the bias description of the real image character of the ad will greatly affect the audiences comprehension about the real life characters represented in the ad.

One good example of this interesting issue is a beauty soap ad. The ad shows a girl named Luna. Luna was such a mourning girl. She was walking to a jungle. She dressed ordinarily. No body paid attention to her. She was no body. The worst thing, she did not like herself. Until one day, she found a soap which rocked her life. The soap turned her to be an extraordinary girl. Briefly, she came out with sensational mini skirt. She walked confidently heading to the downtown. The sun sets. She passes by a men crowd. Every body stares at her, and she drives them crazy. Luna enjoys it. Her scent causes men black out. They want her, both young and old men. She is now somebody, after using the soap.

Moreover, this ad gives wrong description of a beautiful woman. It leads the audiences that a beautiful woman is a woman who can draw men’s attention. This ad insults women generally. The way the ad gives image how phatatic a woman’s life is just because no man cares about her, is offending. The ad provokes a woman to pity themselves if they do not have a nice look. The admission of a nice look is based on the men attention given to the woman. A woman is meaningless without men’s attention. For this, the animals in the jungle deserve to be your friends, as it is describes happened to Luna before she found the soap. If women want to turn in the corner, then the soap is the magic spell.

The ad leads the audiences to have a kind of naïf perspective about the standard of a beauty. According to this ad, beauty is the outer look. Further, the image shown in the ad, as a girl who deadly concerns of her physical look, contributes to the reader’s mind that women are shallow for only bothering themselves about physical look. The audience might end up to a conclusion that women can think of nothing but only the matter of appearance. The worst findings could be that women cannot think something serious. This is another wrong description which eventually leads wrong perception of women’s character.

That a woman should be the way new Luna is rather bias. Some norms regard negatively those women wearing mini skirt and walking sumptuously through crowds in the evening. The ad can barely ignore this value, since this community mostly considers wrong view shown in the ad. In fact, there are many things a woman can do for getting appreciation from the people. They do not have to cross the line that the norm has set. In short, the ad does not encourage women to believe in themselves in positive ways. Believe in their potency.

There are so many gifts from God which women need to thank to. Physical look is

just a temporary bonus. It will be gone. What inside is more significant. There is no reason for women to be like the image presenting in the ad. Women are more than just an object. Women can do many useful and give contribution to the society. To be someone for good qualities not merely for the body is the idea that should be in every woman’s mind. This kind of confession is more absolute, than just a man sexual desire. Women should not be worried for things that they do not have. They should do advantageous things for the bless from God.

Bottom line, the ad should be able to give the appropriate and smart imaging of any characters presented in their visual image. In addition, the audiences need to be smart as well in drawing a conclusion about in any image described in a commercial brake. The last, and the most important, women should be more critical and clever in responding any visualization regarding to women imaging. Since, visualization in this case, commercial ad strongly effects the viewers point of view about the idea given.

28 0ktober

Jakarta, 28 0ktober 2008

Apa yang ada di kepala Megawati yang membuatnya berani mencalonkan diri kembali untuk posisi eksekutif di republic ini? Blunder politik yang dilakukan Gus Dur pada 2 tahun awal kepimimpinnya telah membuatnya dimakzulkan rakyat. Blunder ini mengantarkan Megawati SOEKARNO PUTRI (Putri Soekarno) ke posisi pemimpin tertinggi Militer Indonesia, pemegang kedaulatan keuangan negara, pemimpin negara, dan pemimpin pemerintahan. Kekuatan yang sangat luas yang bisa dimiliki seseorang di muka bumi ini. Untuk bisa berperan dengan baik dengan kekuatan sebesar itu, maka seyogyanya individu tersebut seharusnya adalah individu yang benar-benar lulus fit dan proper test dari university of life. Leadership yang telah teruji dan konsistensi serta komitmen yang telah terbukti adalah kualitas yang seharusnya dimiliki seorang eksekutif tertinggi di negara ini. Sehubungan dengan kualitas tersebut, maka sosok Megawati sepertinya harus bekerja lebih keras lagi dalam membuktikan dirinya, bahwa ia memang pantas untuk dicoblos tahun depan. Jika ditelusuri proses pembelajaran Megawati, maka kualitasnya bisa di angkai rendah. Megawati tidak menyelesaikan pendidikan formal S1 nya. Artinya, secara akademis, Megawati terbukti tidak mampu memaksimalkan kemampuan intelektualnya. Kesimpulan ini sah saja, karna untuk berhak mendapat gelar sarjana- yang berarti individu terpilih cerdas yang bisa diandalkan, pemimpin, - mahasiswa tersebut harus mampu menyusun karya ilmiah yang memperlihatkan ketajaman daya pikirnya dalam mengenali, mengkaji, dan merumuskan masalah, selanjutnya mencarikan solusinya. Proses ini membutuhkan pola pikir dan kemampuan komunikasi yang sistematis. Jelas, Megawati tidak mempunyai kualitas ini.

Selanjutnya, memang kampus bukan satu-satunya tempat mencetak calon-calon pemimpin, karna masih ada universitas lain yang lebih kredibel, yaitu kampus kehidupan. Masyarakat sekitar, kesulitan hidup, pelayanan sosial adalah tantangan yang harus dilewati seorang calon pemimpin untuk bisa membuktikan eksistensi dirinya sebagai manusia yang berkualitas. Individu yang mampu membuat keputusan yang tepat dalam pilihan yang terbatas dan dibawah tekanan kuat. Situasi-situasi konkret seperti ini dapat melatih seseorang menjadi individu yang mampu berpikir cepat dan mandiri dan tidak takut menanggung resiko. Dan apakah Megawati memiliki kualitas ini? Perlu dirunut ulang. Perlu dilacak dalam situasi seperti apa Megawati dibesarkan. Istana negara yang lengkap dengan fasilitas, Ayah yang terkenal, Ibu yang ningrat. Pesta-pesta dansa, guru privat piano. Masa remaja tidak terlalu aktif dalam organisasi pemuda, tidak aktif dalam pelayan sosial. Jadi bagaimana mungkin Megawati terekspose dengan university of life.

Ketidakmampuanya ini segera terbukti selama masa incumbentnya. Retorika yang tidak terlatih membuat Megawati terus-terusan di interupsi mahasiswa Aceh ketika dialog pemerintah dengan masyarakat Aceh di mesjid Baitul Rahman. Pribadi yang tidak matang membuat Megawati tidak bijak menghadapi kritkan yang ditujukan padanya. Malahan Presiden presendent ini cendrung menjadi ofensif. Media masa menjadi masalah karna buruknya kemampuan komunikasi Megawati. Anchor senior adalah momok bagi Mega. Kebijakan politik pemerintah selama masa kekuasaan Soekarno Putri cendrung merugikan republik ini. Kebijakanya membuka keran penjualan pasir laut Indonesia ke Singapura menciptakan banyak bencana. Kerusakan lingkungan dan habitat laut adalah hal yang terbantahkan. Bertambahnya garis pantai Singapura dari hasil penimbunan pasir dari Indonesia mengakibatkan sengketa perbatasan antara Indonesia dan Singapura. Dan ada kemungkinan yang lebih parah di masa yang akan datang. Korupsi adalah imbas lain dari transaksi besar ini. Beberapa pihak diuntungkan dengan adanya kesepakatan ini. Akan tetapi dilain pihak, rakyat Indonesia jelas-jelas dirugikan. Padahal tidak seharusnya begitu, jika saja Megawati adalah individu yang lulus fit dan proper test. Sepertinya Mega tidak insyaf akan kepentingan bangsanya sendiri.

Sudah jelas bahwa figur ini tidak layak, akan tetapi system memungkinkan Indonesia tercatat pernah dipimpin oleh figure yang tidak memiliki kapabilitas apapun. System demokrasi tak langsung membuat rakyat seperti membeli kucing dalam karung. Mempercayakan begitu saja estafet sejarah bangsa pada sekelompok orang yang tidak terbukti memiliki integritas untuk negara ini. System ini membuat bangsa Indonesia harus rela dipimpin oleh orang-orang yang tidak berkualitas.

Hebatnya, empat tahun yang lalu bangsa ini belajar mempraktekan demokrasi langsung. Tidak lagi membeli kucing dalan karung. Rakyat berhak menentukan siapa yang berhak memimpin. Akan tetapi ternyata, bangsa ini pun dalam hal ini belum siap. Pendidikan yang masih rendah memungkin rakyat menjadi objek politik. Money politik mengotori konsep demokrasi langsung yang ideal. Figure yang memiliki pendanaan yang stabil mempunyai peluang yang lebih baik dari kandidat yang miskin. Dalam hal ini, Megawati sepertinya memenuhi criteria kandiat mampu. Mampu secara pendanaan. Partai yang mengusung Megawati adalah partai yang didukung orang-orang yang memiliki mesin uang. Kader partai yang banyak menjabat di posisi krusial di republic ini memungkinkan mereka untuk harus mendanai jalan Megawati ke Istana negara lagi. Tidak mengherankan kalau pernah satu masa di republic ini beberapa sembako menjadi barang langka. Dan tiba-tiba pihak berwajib menemukan penumpukan sembako di gudang-gudang pengusaha ataupun badan negara. Apakah ini cara untuk mendanai suara? Menumpuk barang dan menjualnya dengan harga tinggi? Rahasia public.

Factor lain yang membuat Megawati bergaung di panggung politik Indonesia. Megawati memiliki mesin politik hebat, manager Agung yang mampu mengumpulkan masa untuknya. Soekarno. Megawati benar-benar maksimal memanfaatkan foto-foto koleksi pribadinya sehubungan dengan Soekarno. Sosok Soekarno yang masih memancarkan kekuatan magis bagi pemujanya berdiri dengan karismatik dibelakang foto Megawati di baliho-baliho raksasa di sejumlah lokasi strategis. Secara budaya dan historis, masyarakat Jawa pada umumnya, masih menyimpan sebentuk kesetiaan kepada Bapak pendiri bangsa ini. Jadi, tidak terlalu aneh, walaupun dengan hati berdarah dan menangis mereka masih akan mencoblos Megawati sebagai bentuk kesetiaan lain pada Soekarno. Tidak heran Megawati bisa sampai pada posisi runner up pada pesta demokrasi langsung yang lalu? Apakah sejarah akan terulang pada pemilu tahun depan?

Apakah juga karna sosok Soekarno, maka para cendikia yang ada di belakang Megawati setia berada di belakang Megawati? Bisa jadi. Atau karna ada factor lain. Karna bukan bukan rahasia lagi rendah nya integritas dan moril sebagian besar kader partai ini. Atau mereka memang diuntungkan dengan berkuasanya Megawati. Semacam simbiosis mutualisme? Bisa jadi, sehingga mereka menggolkan Megawati dalam konvensi partai sebagai capres tunggal partai ini. Hampir tidak ada oponen, seperti halnya partai besar beringin. Apakah ini bentuk demokrasi indah-satu suara- yang di usung oleh Partai Demokrasi ini? Maka seharusnya Golkar harus belajar menghemat dana dan tenaga dari partai ini, dalam inefesiensi memperpanjang lobi internal. Apakah para teknokrat yang cerdas yang dimilki partai ini, tidak memiliki ambisi mencapai posisi puncak? Ataukah sebenarnya mereka punya, akan tetapi system internal mengkebiri hak dan kesempatan mereka untuk go public?

Yang jelas, kader partai yang berada dalam cirle terdalam Megawati, Taufik Kemas, telah memperlihatkan ambisinya, dengan ikut campur dalam kebijakan kenegaraan yang berakhir menjadi sebuah blunder dan mengantarkan Susilo BAmbang Yudhoyono sebagai pemenang pemilu 2004. Sejarah berulang. Tentunya kita berharap Megawati sadar akan hukum alam ini. Sadar bahwa dia tidak berkualitas untuk maju, sadar bahwa dia pernah membuat kesalahan selama incumbent, sadar bahwa seharusnya dia memberi kesempatan pada yang lebih pantas untuk maju, sehingga dengan arif Megawati tidak akan mendeklarasikan diri sebagai capres, seperti yang telah dilakukan Sri Sultan Hamengkubowono siang ini, Selasa, 28 Oktober 2008. Semoga saja.