Monday, December 08, 2008

Imperialism Will Not Fall Down Yet

Awan Santosa[1]



Behind The Recurring Crisis

“Those who control money volume of a state are The Real Master of commerce and industry". That is what Garfield -President of USA- who was picked off after having contradiction against the money regulator and banker in USA. Far before that, in 48 AC, Julius Caesar was murdered after retaking the rights of gold coin making from the money merchant.

Lincoln was shot after publishing the currency of "greenbacks", which is interest and debt free from international banker. Jackson, who tried to fight against Second Bank of United States, was tried to be murdered, but it failed. The last, Kennedy was also murdered after releasing EO No. 11110 which gave back the authority of coinage to government, without the involvement of Federal Reserve.

Therefore, the restitution of state on money control in USA is oftentimes paid very costly, because international banker has never stay put. They will prevent every effort to unload debt and interest system, which is forced to be paid by increasing the income tax of USA citizens.

It is true that the money regulator elite has already experienced in multiplying their assets and authority. They are the expert in arranging the correct moment to make over-supply money, dry liquidities, and collecting the asset of bankrupt company as the effect of debt-interest trap and non-sufficient liquidities.

The effort on multiplying the assets –moreover, when it is contradicted- is usually parallel with the financial crisis, paralysis of real sector (depression), entrapment of state on debt, even war. This kind of crisis had already recurred since 1553 and 1815 in English, and successively in 1833, 1866, 1877, 1891, 1907, and 1929 in USA.

The Germinal of Financial Crisis in 2008

Seeing from authority constellation, modus, and its implication to economics of USA and the world, financial crisis in 2008 is not a new issue. Authority constellation in this time is stated by Chomsky as USA neo-imperialism, where USA has the big authority on economics, military, media, and education in world. On the other hand, Petras sees this situation as “The power of Israel in USA”.

Money control in USA today is still in the hand of Federal Reserve, which was ratified at 22 December 1913 when some of Senate Member is in Christmas holiday. The Fed is "owned privately" by private banker elite in London, New York, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Paris, and Italy, which is owned by international Zionist network.

The crisis even takes place with classic modus. It is started from USA financial institution that gave so much money (credit) to property sector through various derivative instruments. Although some party has obtruded the importance of regulation, Bush and The Fed are stand still. Finally, as it was warned by Buffett and Krugman, when they are at the due date and the money is not on-hand, hence the “non-performance" debt is unavoidable.

The next process is the appearance of liquidities crisis which leads to financial institution collapse of Wall Street, also Lehman Brothers, Bear Streans, Fannie Mac and Freddie Mac, and AIG which is "integrated".

Crisis implication is goes as usual. USA Government must give US$ 700 billion as bail-out. Afterwards, one by one the bankrupt company asset is forced to be sold, which mean changing the ownership status to money regulator elite. Also, the USA Government is forced to make new debt letter, thus they are deeply entrapped to the financial imperialism.

Consolidation and the multiplying of assets and authority are usually accompanied by liquidities withdrawal constraint in emerging market. The crisis hit the money and capital market and of the other state, which is followed by the change over asset domination of "rushed company".

Company of exporter is at the verge of bankruptcy. The mass job termination is continued by “structural adjustment" on labour wages, which in Indonesia the issues is started by the release of Decree of 4 Ministers.

Imperialism Will Not Fall Down Yet?

This crisis may be interpreted as the end of US imperialism. But it sounds like the matter is still limited to normative expectation. Learning from the previous crisis, “ism-transformation” does not aim to unload power structure. Even after Obama becomes the President of USA, there will be no radical change before there are reposition between State and The Fed.

Financial crisis is not related to the unstable position of international banker, which still hold tight the economic sector of USA with US$ 11,7 trillion of debt. Nothing has change from the owner of The Fed which becomes richer after owning more assets of bankrupt company freely. Meanwhile, the control of economic, politic, military, media, and education in USA and allies are still remaining in their hand.

Their agents still dominate various vital sectors in developing countries - including Indonesia. IMF and World Bank are still free to delude government with its debt. Mass media does not speak louder on the issue. Moreover, economics education institutions remain to have orientation to change their curriculum, teaching, and program.

Meanwhile, there is no agenda of neo-liberalism to be canceled. There is no cancellation of State Owned Enterprises privatization and the Laws which legitimate the privatization of natural resources. There is no write-off of old-debt and cancellation of new-debt. Also, nothing has change from rate regime, foreign exchange regime, and stock exchange regime, which remain to be under the control of their free market ideology.

Monetary and fiscal foundation still also confirms their authority, that is by debt interest and tax. These two pillars remain to deceive small enterprises, worker, and state budget. The Indonesia State Budget bleeding as the effect of fundamental installment and foreign debt interest of 2009 will be paid also by optimizing the tax revenue.

By seeing the fact, it is clear that financial imperialism will not fall down yet. Its implication, in the form of people poverty in the state with rich natural resources, mass unemployment, income unbalance, environmental degradation, and moral decadence which are befalling in developing countries also presumably will not yet end immediately.

Getting Out from Financial Imperialism

The damage which is befalling on human being oftentimes begins with financial subversion effort. International banker ambition to own and to takeover of state authority - after God’s authority-, and they do not care what kind of “ism" that is ran by the state later.

However, subversion must be stopped. All nations must be united in order to get out from financial imperialism subversive. One of the agendas is developing usury-free economic system. Speculative money market and stock exchange must be stopped by coherent state regulation and glorify the God.

In Indonesia, it requires to conduct odious-debt write-off and stop of new debts. Hereinafter, it needs to straighten the food and energy sovereignty, agrarian reformation, and nationalize the strategic asset which is still being dominated by international investor.

Economic Laws such as Oil and Gas Law, Water Resources Law, State Owned Enterprises Law, Sea Transportation Law, and Investment Law, that tend to have subversive character also need to be re-evaluated.

At the same time, economics education requires to be struck from neo-liberalism hegemony which makes the intellectual as "agent" of international capitalist. Education has to be returned to the spirit of Divinity and Indonesian. Moreover, this matter needs to be accompanied with abolition of “Berkeley Mafia " domination in economic ministerial of Indonesia.

Hence, the time of financial imperialism fall down will depend on the strength of confidence, bravery, unity, and our hard effort to change the situation. However, the faster is the best. Wallahu’alam.


December 7, 2008
Yogyakarta, Indonesia

[1] Lecturer at Mercu Buana University of Yogyakarta (www.unwama.ac.id) and Researcher at Center of Economic Democracy Study of Gadjah Mada University (www.ekonomikerakyatan.ugm.ac.id) email: satriaegalita@yahoo.com, personal web: www.awansantosa.blogspot.com, hp. 0816-169-1650

Monday, December 01, 2008

SUBVERSI FINANSIAL GLOBAL

Awan Santosa[1]



Dibalik Krisis Yang Berulang
“Siapa yang mengendalikan volume uang di sebuah negara adalah tuan sebenarnya dari industri dan perdagangan”. Demikian kata Garfield –Presiden AS- yang ditembak mati setelah melawan kekuasaan bankir pengatur uang di AS. Jauh di tahun 48 SM pun Julius Caesar dibunuh setelah mengambil kembali hak membuat koin emas dari tangan pedagang uang.
Lincoln mati ditembak setelah menerbitkan mata uang “greenbacks” yang tanpa bunga dan utang dari bankir internasional. Jackson, yang berusaha melawan Second Bank of the United States coba dibunuh, namun gagal. Terakhir, Kennedy dibunuh juga setelah mengeluarkan EO No 11110 yang mengembalikan kekuasaan mencetak uang kepada pemerintah, tanpa melalui Federal Reserve.
Demikian, pengembalian kontrol negara atas uang di AS memang seringkali dibayar mahal karena bankir internasional tidak pernah tinggal diam. Mereka menghalangi setiap upaya membongkar sistem bunga utang, yang terpaksa dibayar dengan menaikkan pajak penghasilan rakyat AS.
Memang, elit pengatur uang ini telah berpengalaman dalam melipatgandakan kekayaan dan kekuasaannya. Mereka ahli dalam mengatur saat yang tepat membuat uang over-supply, memaksa likuiditas kering, dan memanen aset perusahaan yang gagal bayar (bangkrut) akibat bunga utang dan tiadanya likuiditas disaat diperlukan.
Upaya mereka melipatgandakan kekayaan –apalagi jika dilawan- biasanya beriringan dengan terjadinya krisis finansial, kelumpuhan sektor riil (depresi), keterjebakan negara pada utang, bahkan perang. Krisis semacam ini telah berulang sejak tahun 1553 dan 1815 di Inggris, dan berturut-turut pada tahun 1833, 1866, 1877, 1891, 1907, dan 1929 di AS.

Ujung-Pangkal Krisis Finansial 2008
Krisis finansial tahun 2008 oleh karenanya bukanlah barang baru. Apalagi menilik konstelasi kekuasaan, modus, dan implikasinya bagi perekonomian AS dan dunia. Konstelasi kekuasaan saat ini ditengarai Chomsky sebagai USA neo-imperialism, di mana AS berkuasa atas ekonomi, militer. media, dan pendidikan di dunia. Di balik itu. Petras melihatnya sebagai ‘the power of Israel in USA”.
Kontrol uang di AS hari ini masih dipegang Federal Reserve, yang disahkan 22 Desember 1913 saat sebagian anggota Senat liburan Natal. The Fed “dimiliki secara privat” oleh elit bankir swasta di London, New York, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Paris, dan Italy, yang dikuasai Zionis Internasional.
Di samping itu, krisis berlangsung dengan “modus klasik”. Bermula dari lembaga keuangan AS yang menggelontorkan begitu banyak uang (kredit) di sektor properti melalui berbagai instrumen derivatif. Meski beberapa pihak sudah mendesakkan perlunya regulasi, namun Bush dan The Fed tak bergeming. Akhirnya, seperti yang diperingatkan Buffett dan Krugman, pada saat jatuh tempo dan uang tidak di tangan maka ‘gagal bayar” pun tak terelakkan.
Proses selanjutnya adalah munculnya krisis likuiditas yang berujung kolaps-nya lembaga keuangan Wall Street sepertihalnya Lehman Brothers, Bear Streans, Fannie Mac dan Freddie Mac, serta AIG yang memang saling “terintegrasi” satu sama lain.
Implikasi krisis pun seperti biasa. Pemerintah AS harus menalangi likuiditas (bail-out) 700 milyar US. Setelah itu, satu persatu aset perusahaan bangkrut terpaksa dijual, yang berarti beralihnya kepemilikan ke elit pengatur uang. Pun. Pemerintah AS terpaksa membuat surat utang baru, dus makin terjerat imperium finansial.
Konsolidasi dan pelipatgandaan kekuasaan dan kekayaan seperti biasa disertai paksaan penarikan likuiditas di emerging market. Krisis memukul pasar uang dan pasar modal negara lain, yang diikuti dengan beralihnya penguasaan aset “perusahaan korban”. Perusahaan eksportir di ambang kebangkrutan. Ancaman PHK massal berlanjut “penyesuaian paksa” upah buruh, yang dalam konteks Indonesia diawali dengan keluarnya SKB 4 Menteri..

Imperium Belum Akan Tumbang?
Boleh saja menafsirkan krisis ini adalah akhir dari imperium AS, kapitalisme, dan neoliberalisme. Tetapi rasanya hal itu baru sebatas harapan normatif. Seperti pengalaman krisis-krisis sebelumnya, transformasi “isme” –kalaupun ada- tidak bertujuan membongkar struktur kekuasaan ekonomi politik yang ada. Pun setelah Obama menjadi Presiden AS, tidak akan ada perubahan radikal selama tidak ada reposisi negara-The Fed dan reforma tata ekonomi AS.
Krisis finansial bukan berarti goyahnya posisi bankir internasional, yang bahkan masih mencengkeram perekonomian AS dengan utang senilai 11,7 trilyun US. Tidak ada yang berubah dari para pemilik The Fed yang makin kaya raya setelah menguasai lebih banyak lagi aset perusahaan bangkrut secara “cuma-cuma”. Sementara kontrol ekonomi, politik, militer, media, dan pendidikan di AS dan sekutunya pun tetap di tangan mereka.
Agen-agen mereka tetap mendominasi berbagai sektor vital negara berkembang –termasuk Indonesia. IMF dan Bank Dunia masih leluasa memperdaya pemerintah dengan utangnya. Media massa tidak banyak bersuara lantang tentang sepak terjang mereka. Pun, institusi pendidikan ekonomi tetap banyak yang berkiblat pada kurikulum, ajaran, dan program mereka.
Sementara itu tidak ada agenda neolib yang dibatalkan. Tidak ada pembatalan privatisasi BUMN dan UU/UU yang melegitimasi privatisasi SDA Tidak ada penghapusan utang lama dan pembatalan utang baru. Pun, tidak ada yang berubah dari rezim kurs, rezim devisa, dan rezim pasar modal, yang tetap di bawah kontrol ideologi pasar bebas (neolib) buatan mereka.
Pondasi moneter dan fiskal negara-negara di dunia pun tetap mengukuhkan kekuasaan mereka, yaitu bunga utang dan pajak. Kedua pilar ini tetap menjerat perusahaan (kecil), buruh, dan anggaran negara. Pendarahan APBN akibat cicilan pokok dan bunga utang dalam dan luar negeri tahun 2009 pun tetap akan dibayar dengan mengoptimalkan penerimaan pajak.
Melihat kenyataan tersebut jelas kiranya imperium finansial belum (akan) tumbang. Implikasinya berupa pemiskinan rakyat di negara kaya SDA, pengangguran massal, ketimpangan pendapatan, degradasi lingkungan, dan kerusakan moral yang menimpa negara berkembang pun kiranya belum akan berakhir dengan segera.


Keluar Dari Jerat Imperium Finansial
Demikian, kerusakan yang menimpa manusia seringkali bermula dari upaya subversi finansial. Ambisi bankir internasional untuk menguasai dan mengatur dunia mendorong mereka untuk mengambilalih kekuasaan negara –setelah kekuasaan Tuhan-, tidak peduli dengan “isme” apa negara tersebut kemudian dijalankan.
Tetapi bagaimanapun subversi harus dihentikan. Semua negara berdaulat harus bersatu padu keluar dari subversif imperium finansial. Salah satu caranya adalah dengan mengembangkan tatanan ekonomi yang bebas riba. Kegiatan spekulasi (judi) di pasar uang dan pasar modal harus dihentikan melalui regulasi negara yang tegas dan memuliakan Tuhan.
Dalam konteks Indonesia perlu dilakukan penghapusan utang haram (odious debt) dan penghentian utang-utang baru. Selanjutnya perlu penegakan kedaulatan pangan, energi, reforma agraria, serta nasionalisasi aset strategis bangsa yang hingga saat ini masih didominasi pemodal internasional. UU/UU ekonomi sepertihalnya UU Migas, UU SDA, UU BUMN, UU Pelayaran, dan UU PM, yang cenderung berwatak “subversif” pun mendesak untuk ditinjau ulang.
Pada saat bersamaan, pendidikan ekonomi perlu dibebaskan dari hegemoni pemikiran neoliberal yang menjadikan intelektualnya sebagai “agen” modal internasional. Pendidikan harus dikembalikan jatidiri Ketuhanan dan Ke-Indonesiannya. Pun, hal ini perlu dibarengi dengan penghapusan dominasi “Mafia Berkeley” dalam kabinet ekonomi Indonesia.
Begitulah, kapan tumbangnya imperium finansial akan bergantung juga dari kuatnya keyakinan, keberanian, kebersatuan, dan usaha keras kita semua untuk mengubah nasib dan keadaan. Tetapi tentu saja semakin cepat semakin baik. Wallahu’alam.



Yogyakarta, 10 Nopember 2008

[1] Dosen Negeri dpk di Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta (www.unwama.ac.id) dan Peneliti Pusat Studi Ekonomi Kerakyatan UGM (www.ekonomikerakyatan.ugm.ac.id) email: satriaegalita@yahoo.com, personal web: www.awansantosa.blogspot.com, hp. 0816-169-1650