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Democracy, Oppottunities, Threat, Crisis, Values. Political Scient

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Democracy, Oppottunities, Threat, Crisis, Values. Political Scient THE EXISTENCE OF AMERICAN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IN INDONESIAAS THREAT OR OPPORTUNITIES IN RELATION TO SOME CRISIS Oleh: Didik Murwantono, 5.5., M.Hum Universitas lslam Sultan Agung (UN|SSULA) Semarang ABSTRACT Demacracy rnferesfs a tot of people with its challenges and hopes. Some people even consider democracy as a new retigion. Most peopte admire it and wish very much that it wiil improve their lives. lt is like a fresh cake taken from the oven. People have smelted the aroma as they know from media that democracy gives peace and prosperity. But smetting is not enough. They get want to a piece of the cake and taste it. Some crisis happened in our home caused not only by internal issues but also external values. Moreover, we live in an era in which everything is possrb/e and nothing is certain. Shortty the changing of an era witt bring some great values on which we must be selective to fitter fhose values as threat or opportunities based on our identities and experiences lhis paper is by no means a comprehensive account of democracy or more accurately, American tiberat democracy , in Indonesia. In fact, it is intended to more be suggestive than comprehensive though it is characterized by more su mmary th an controversy. Key words: democracy, oppottunities, threat, crisis, values. I. INTRODUCTION A. Background The existence of democracy in this era is political life. Some people claim that America inevitably. Everyone is familiar with the word itself is well-known as a super power country democracy but he is always not certain in its seen as a mighty democracy and the leader definition. There is much disagreement over of the Western world of democratic nations. the meaning of the democracy term today. lt This image may seem clear enough at the is a word that has come to mean very different first glance. For example, around the mid_ things to different people. people Most simply nineteenth century, the United States was to define it as "the power of the people", of be a symbol of democratic nation in the world course, from the Greek ioots, ,,the demos when democracy was to be the main issue in people" and kratos "power". ln addition, some the world at the time. political scientists argue that democracy I nthe eighteenth century,Americaadopted is simply a way of making decision. They democracy and made revolution by and for believe democracy is nothing more than an democracy. At that time, a popular revolution agreement among citizens that the majority slogan was "no vote will carry the issue. tax without representation". After getting its independence from Westerns ln more recent times, definitions and which were fully dictator and anarchy, America practices of democracy vary widely. The United made a new theory of government based on States is one of the countries that practices it in its experiences. As in the opening lines of 50 CALL pApER (Makalah pendamping) "Selamatkan Umn Don Bangsa Dari Berbagai Krisis" the second paragraph, Thomas Jefferson It is to emphasize that democracy needs clearly and simply stated the basic principles for continuous and progressive improvement of what today we call democracy "... all men with a viewto perfecting democratic institutions are created equal, they are endowed by their in all their aspects and practical applications. Creator with certain unalienable rights; Though, these will of course differ from among these are life, liberty, and the pursuits country to country and from continent, based of happiness." Unalienable rights are rights on the lessons of experience. which can not be taken away from the Democracy can exist in various forms, people-not by any government, nor even by but each of democracy may vary with the the people themselves (Todd and Curti,1972: historical, social, cultural and economical 123). conditions of the nations such as Athenian Democracy as a practical possibility democracy, Classical democracy, Liberal of individualism is also linked to the rights democracy, or even Pancasila Democracy in of the people pertaining to the government. lndonesia. Here, Pancasla is an philosophical Democracy refers not only to the rights of basis of the state. China tends to equality- life, liberty and happiness individually or oriented democracy adopting communism as personally, but also to the rights of people in the philosophical basis of the state. Meanwhile determining their own government. People a term of liberal democracy is associated with have a central and strong position and right in Western democracy. establishing their own government systems. As mentioned above, there is no single They have rights to abolish the government definition of democracy, much less in a liberal if the government is corrupt or weak and democracy. lt means that democracy is always establish again a new government that can followed by local values. Democracy has no secure and save their lives and freedom. end. On the other hand, democracy cannot be According to Hegel, a democratic political taken for granted as something established system is a historical necessity. Sooneror later once and for all, nor can it be viewed as a it comes to all societies. Human history shows single static model of applicable work. On the that politicalsystems changed from monarchy contrary, democracy is an evolving system (in which one person rules) to oligarchy (a that is gradually enriched and finetuned in group rules) and lastly to democracy (all the each country that adopts it in response to the people rule). A dernocratic political system, socioeconomic, technological, and cultural according to Hegel and later on picked up by changes to which today's open and dynamic Francis Fukuyama, is lhe End of History societies are exposed. I do not mean ihat I agree with his For these reasons, no single definition of conclusion that we are arriving at "the democracy is entirely satisfactory since this end of history" by having a democratic term is the paradigm case of the essentially political system. Democracy is something contested concept, or one about which there desirable, but is it also a project of is no agreed meaning. This is not to say, capitalism to secure free market however, that the word lacks contents; in fact competition. Democracy does not solve it is one of the richest concepts in heritage the unjust economic exploitation of the of political thought. Each of the elements poor by economically rich. Therefore, within this and most other definitions will rather than arriving at "the end of history" require further specification. ln the course of societies continue to struggle for a just such elaboration most theories go beyond society (Fukuyama 19). The Existence Of American Liberal Democracy In Indonesiu As Threat Or Opportunities 51 In Relation To Some Crisis description and definition to some statement sector. By early 1998, lndonesia experienced of democratic ideals. rising inflation, growing unemployment, and The global spreading of democracy declining GDP growth. ln this reform era, lndonesia always brings some critics of democracy. is still facing some crisis dealing power Thomas R. Dye and L. Harmon Zeigler with and wealth orientation such as observed that "E/ifes, not masses, govern corruption, terrorism, and violence. ln fact, America. ln an industrial, scientific, and there are some prominent factors to be noted here as nuclear age, life in a democracy, just as in a cornerstone in analyzing lndonesian totalitarian society, is shaped by handfut of crisis. They are democracy and capitalism. people. This the irony of democracl/'(1984:3- Seemingly, they are not fair enough to discuss lndonesian 4). The words of liberty, freedom, equality, crisis. But by using American security, and justice are merely descriptive Studies discipline with the main stream of than the word of democracy itself. Some inter-disciplinary study, it will cover them by forms of government provide security, others combining the different fields of study. This give liberty or even, they guarantee prosperity article highlights on historical, economical, and peace. Democracy may provide all these sociological and political aspect supported by the related social economic and spiritual needs if it is theories in analyzing lndonesian crisis. allowed to its functions. ln fact, democracy has in time been captured liberalism, nationalism, and capitalism. B. Problem Statement One of the personal dissatisfaction of The writer highlights on some democratic outcomes is from Bruce Gilley indispensable problems in this paper as (2009:114-116). He states democracy is follows: not desirable because it causes mob rule, 1. How is the existence of American liberal inequality, instability, inefficiency, repression, democracy identified or characterized in and Westernization. Democracy is not globalization era in relation to lndonesian possible because of aggregation problems, democracy along with some crisis? power differences, propaganda, and citizen 2. How the best way to filter the Western stupidity and ignorance. lt is reflected also and American values by comparing and in the unwillingness or inability of citizens to contrasting with our values in society in take up the heavy burdens of self-rule, or the order to build our nation logical problems of translating individualism preferences into public choice. ldeally, C. Goal democracy could bring individual participation in the decisions that affect one's life. As John Based on the above formulated- problems, Dewbywrote: "The keynote of democracy as a the writerattempts to gain a number goals way of life may be expressed as the necessity of such as: for the participation of every mature human 1. To identify and analyze American liberal being in formation of the values that regulate democracy and lndonesian democracy the living of men together". in line with the changing of era correlated with lndonesian crisis, and Therefore the issue of democracy is very interesting to be analyzed in correlation with 2.
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