Intimidating Your (MY) Mind About Next Step

I'm taking a break for a while from foreseeing prodigious 'autocracy to democracy revolutions" euphoria around the middle east, into here... my self, or even farther, my inner space. Politics sucks (for now) hahaha!

It's always exciting plus electrifying for 20 something 22 years old human like me, to questioning life and it's inhabitants. But it is also frightening at some point, when I look carefully around my closest circle of friends, how time flies extravagantly fast and leaving me here with my own deliberation and self doubtfulness. Seems like everybody already know what they really want in life, while I'm wasting (is it?) juncture with dubiousness.

I've been to several places, met various kind of people with different backgrounds (but still long way to go to be named world explorer though), and I loooovee travelling! (Who dont? Stupid).

Just a Glimpse of Davos Annual Madness

First thing about Davos 2011, I would like to handover my gratitude from numerous world-caliber economic analysts for their heady articles written in several media, to Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times’s dealbook columnist who wrote worth to read “A Hefty Price for Entry to Davos” on January 24^th, 2011.  Mr. Sorkin comprehensively clarify in his article about how much is the price for becoming Davos attendee, and the answer… is not-surprisingly enormous.

According to Mr. Sorkin’s article, there are several levels of Davos’s membership, first, is the "Basic level" where you have to pay 50,000 Swiss Franc ($52,000) and the invitation for the event will follow. The ticket itself costs 18,000 Swiss Franc ($19,000) plus tax, so it’s gonna costs $71,000 for both the membership and the entrance fee (remember, it is for one person only).  The second level is “Industry Associate Level”, which will enable the member to stick together with billionaires in private sessions, and it costs $137,000, so the membership plus the ticket fee is gonna be $156,000. To upgrade your membership from “Industry Associate Level” into “Industry Partner Level” in which you might be able to bring along your business colleagues, you have to pay $263,000 plus the two tickets fee ($301,000 in total). Now how about big boss needs to be accompanied by his/her team which consist of (let say) 5 people? Let’s go to “Strategic Partner Level” with the price tag $527,000 and plus not to forget one person entrance fee (still) costs $19.000/person. Honestly, I’m pretty bad with math, so please stop these whole calculations…. here.

23 and 32, Years Tunisia and Indonesia Have to Pay in Future

For independent (slash) junior (slash) unexperienced researcher like me, finding fresh and up-to-the-minute topics to be developed in my personal blog is somewhat  difficult thing to do. But that’s turn out to the opposite when it comes to Tunisia and it’s political fiasco for the last couple weeks in which all started from three weeks protests mostly by unemployed youths in coalition with lawyers, political campaigners, and students. Sounds like “Bangkok’s Red Shirt” on May 2010? Scratch that thought out, this one is more than just ousted prime minister and his group attacking current government, this is 23 years of waiting for justice and degree of social peace ever since President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali overthrew Tunisia’s last President, Habib Bourguiba (who is declared by his physicians unable to continue assuming the duties of the office) in a bloodless coup. Ben Ali was served his fifth consecutive five-year term as president, strongly supported by military army and World Bank loans. Nowadays, Tunisians throwing great celebrations after Mr. Ben Ali stood down as president and left the country.

The Irony of Brotherhood in UK's Politics

Former UK Prime Minister, Winston Churcill once said, "I am never going to have anything more to do with politics or politicians. When this war is over, I shall convince myself entirely to writing and painting."

I imagine what will David Miliband do now, after his dreadful lost at UK's Labour Party leadership election last week. His younger brother, Ed Miliband defeated him after the elimination of Diane Abbott, Andy Burnham, and Ed Balls. Ed was ended with 50.65 percent of the vote, with David Miliband winning 49.35. This is clearly an unexpected result for many people, especially for those inside the Labour Party's establishment, including MP's (Member of Parliament), MEP's (Member of European Parliament), and the members. Ed Miliband evidently won the full supports from members of trade unions and other affiliated groups. He got three biggest unions backed him, while the other one (the small one) supported his brother.

Undoubtedly, David Miliband's political career will obtain serious impacts after this surprise. Confidently prepared everything for the contest which began since May 2010, and has become long favourite for the top job, David now seen as a "dissapointed brother" who will not stick around Ed's leadership at the party for long. At the stage on Sunday (September 26th), David congratulated his younger brother while also stated some political understanding common words like "I'm incredibly proud of my brother, he definetely has a huge amount to offer to our politics." He looks fine, at least.

Later on, at the same time, David told the reporters, "I dont know if you noticed but I came here on Saturday planning slightly different week. I am now thinking what I am going to do instead." So this is the question, what will David do after this remarkable weekend? The shadow foreign secretary believed by many people will not accept any position (if offered by his brother) at the party, even though some speculations enlarge inside British Politicians that Ed will give chancellor job to his older brother. But it still unclear, until this Tuesday, when the Party's conference will begin to announce the latest positions and jobs at the party under Ed Miliband as the chief.

This might be the most well known Labour Party's leadership race, remembering the two Miliband's brother took place as an opponent one to each other, this battle even more interesting to watch after 17 years of Tori's leadership at the 10 Downing Street, there hasn't been too much greatness inside the party for international people and additionally, Tony Blair's decision on Iraq war made it even worse. If we look back to 1920s-1930s when Ramsay Macdonald elected as the first Labour Party's prime minister, He told the world that his mission was clear: "To ensure the party was seen as capable governing and promoting world peace." He, then, failed spectacularly in both aims. And that what also Tori's showed to the world. 

Blair handed over power to finance minister Gordon Brown in 2007, and again, the economy unsuccesfully restored, unemployment rates are getting higher, created more reasons for British people to hand over the leadership to Conservative leader, David Cameron, which ruling as Prime Minister until now.

Now, if Ed Miliband seriously wants to fix the party's name at British political arena, he should maintain his capabilities in controlling the economy, not to forget full supports he received from trade unions, means he must assure the unemployment rates will decrease, and the taxes for workers are also smaller. At the leadership race, Ed Miliband had insisted supports maintaining the Banker's bonus tax, increasing the annual bank levy, and new financial transactions tax. He also supports a living wage across Britain. Let see what this Oxford and London School of Economics-educated can do.

Like it or not, the new leader has born in UK's Labour Party and in the coming weeks his shadow cabinet will be formed and Labour will take shape. Let the UK's workers along with trade unions pray...

What are You Looking For in Life?

Hmm.. mengistirahatkan pikiran sebentar. I'm currently researching about latest UK's Labour Party's leader election, tapi tiba-tiba pengen nulis sebentar tentang sesuatu yang normal. Bukan tentang politik, ekonomi, atau isu aktual internasional. Bukan berarti politik itu sesuatu yang tidak normal, menurut gue politik itu seksi, tapi sekarang gue lagi pengen jadi sesuatu yang nggak seksi sama sekali, asssiikk :D

Pernah nonton "Into the Wild"? Bagi yang sudah, gue mau nanya (bagi yang belum, ya nonton dong, hehe) : Pernah nggak sih dalam hidup lo, lo merasa seperti yang dirasakan si Christopher (pemeran utama)? Bahwa hidup terasa datar, semuanya berjalan bukan seperti apa yang lo bayangkan, orang lain punya kuasa lebih atas hidup lo melampaui kekuasaan lo sendiri. It feels sucks, I assume. Hal ini yang mendasari Christopher mengambil keputusan radikal untuk meninggalkan rumahnya, keluar dari identitasnya sebagai anak yang akan masuk kuliah dan menjalani serangkaian 'skenario hidup' lain yang telah disiapkan ayahnya, dan malah memilih untuk pergi sendiri tanpa tujuan hanya untuk mencari satu hal: Arti hidup.

Christopher pernah bilang, "The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences."

Dan mungkin kepercayaannya terhadap kebutuhan dirinya akan pengalaman baru lah, yang membuatnya berani menjalani hidupnya tanpa aturan yang dibuat oleh orang lain, tapi aturannya sendiri. Pergi kepada alam, memakan apa yang disediakan belantara bumi, meninggalkan segala kehidupan materialisme khas perkotaan dewasa ini, dan pada akhirnya, di film Into the Wild diperlihatkan satu pesan penting : Hidup adalah benar-benar tentang memilih.

Sudahkah kita memilih? Gue memilih? Sudahkah gue memilih apa yang hati gue pilih?

Gue 22 tahun, dalam hitungan hari, gue sudah hidup selama kurang lebih 8030 hari.
Jadi selama 8030 hari itu, sudahkah gue menjalaninya sesuai kata hati?

Gue ngiri sama Christopher di film Into the Wild. Dia berani. Dia berani mengesampingkan segala keraguannya, ketakutannya, ketidakpastian yang pasti merambahi pikirannya ketika bingung menentukan apakah tetap dengan nilai-nilai hidup milik orang lain dan tidak bahagia, atau mencari kebahagiaan hidup menurut kata hatinya sendiri.

Dia yakin dengan pilihannya, apapun itu. Bagus atau tidaknya perjalanan yang dia lalui, dia melaluinya dengan bahagia, karena memang itu yang diinginkannya. Ia ingin bebas menatap alam. DIA TAHU APA YANG DIA MAU, and he goes for it!

Gue? Kita? Berani?