Freedom That Liberates
Author: Jacob Ereste
Freelance Journalist
It’s like a bicycle tire with a flat tire going around. Not only is the repairman confused about the best way to fix the leak, but the best alternative is to replace the punctured tire with a new one. It seems that this is a difficult metaphor to describe the damage to this country. Because it’s not enough to point fingers at those in the political arena, yet corruption in the economic, social, and religious spheres is no less severe, and it’s carried out cheerfully, as if there’s no sin behind their barbaric, depraved behavior.
Just imagine, the looting of food and goods supposedly intended for the poor, without any sense of shame. It’s cruel and cruel to swallow the right to food for the poor, who are destitute, structurally and culturally impoverished, so that the common people’s dependency becomes even more powerless to continue being controlled. And, no less important than all of this, for them, they can continue to be used as objects for profiteering.
Therefore, social assistance in any form can only be tolerated in truly urgent circumstances. The wisest and most sincere way is to provide business opportunities, employment opportunities, working capital, and businesses chosen by the people themselves, in accordance with their abilities, interests, and desires. This is the only way to empower those who have been listed as poor and have been a source of concern since independence was proclaimed. This has been a daydream and a nightmare, at least from August 16, 1945, until August 17, 2025.
So, the dream of the common people in Indonesia, which has not yet been realized, is freedom from poverty and ignorance, so that they can enjoy prosperity beyond the provision of basic necessities—nine basic commodities—which are often not well-targeted.
Therefore, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the nation’s independence—not the independence of the Indonesian state—it is time to reflect on the ideals of the proclamation, agreed upon by all the people, which are largely unquantified in calculations of service and sacrifice. The heroism of those who sincerely and wholeheartedly fought for this nation and state is only worthy and deserving of appreciation by a later, sane generation with a sincere and noble heart, honoring the service of the fighters of that time, something that cannot be achieved by just a handful of people.
Based on the awareness of reflecting on the essence of our nation’s independence day commemoration this time, it seems that any form of celebration is no longer appealing compared to contemplating—reflecting—on the essence of independence, which must liberate the people from all forms of colonialism, which is now often disguised, wrapped in rhetoric and promises, similar to those that also infect the attitudes and behavior of activists and movement groups.
These sweet promises that have never been realized constitute unforgivable hypocrisy—especially for state officials—who have sworn an oath, holding the Bible above their heads in the name of God. Therefore, the commemoration of Indonesia’s Independence Day—which is just one generation away from entering the golden era of Indonesia in 2045—is an ideal historical milestone for the next generation of this nation to realize a liberating independence. The Proclaimer’s message that the more difficult challenges must be faced by all the children of the Indonesian nation itself has now been proven to be even more difficult: facing colonialism perpetrated by the Indonesian people themselves.**
Pecenongan, August 7, 2025
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