Indonesia, anarkis.org: Nationalism Local Products: Who Benefited?

(en) Indonesia, anarkis.org: Nationalism Local Products: Who
Benefited? [machine translation]

Nationalism has become an ideology that we have encountered in all aspects of our lives as 
citizens of Indonesia. Gues that our education from primary school level, or even 
kindergarten, giving us the charges that instill the spirit of nationalism into our minds. 
Flag ceremony performed every Monday and Independence Day Celebration in schools is also 
one of the efforts of educators to foster nationalist learners. Inevitably, being a 
nationalist is considered a necessity as someone who lives within the territory of the 
Republic of Indonesia. ---- Nationalism is seen as something that is inherently good. 
Labeled as a nationalist who does not make us feel uncomfortable so we are trying to show 
that we are someone who nationalists through our actions.

Manifestations of nationalism then appeared in various forms. From the form of support for 
Indonesia's national football team in the international arena, to the aggressive form, 
such as hatred towards the neighboring country. The manifestations appear also in our 
consumption patterns. We are invited to support local products. Jargon like "love 
Indonesian products" diperdengungkan repeatedly in public media. We also believe that by 
buying local products, we have helped the national economy; that buying local products is 
our solidarity to fellow Indonesian nation. Formed a kind of understanding that by 
continuing to buy local products, the welfare of Indonesian society became a necessity.

The original product label Indonesia had become a kind of selling point for local 
entrepreneurs. "Buy our product, you have contributed to the welfare of the Indonesian 
people," so to speak the message they want to convey. It is certainly disturbing 
nationalist spirit potential buyers. Planting nationalism very intensively conducted by 
the government, education practitioners, and the general public make the tactics fairly 
effective. Who ever does not want to show their nationalism in romanticism hegemony of 
nationalism that exist in this country?

Buy Indonesian products then become a trend in itself, but of course, foreign products are 
also still survive in the market. Support local products does not necessarily mean having 
to stop buying foreign products. Moreover, not all of our needs can be met by local 
products. Importantly, the products of local production also we buy. Especially products 
that show 'to the Indonesian-ness' we.

Batik is a typical example of local products are loved by people of Indonesia since the 
past few years, especially since the batik confirmed as World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
Coupled with the issue of Malaysia who wish to claim batik as part of their culture. 
Buying and using local produce batik, which is native to Indonesia is perceived as one of 
the way we participate in preserving and promoting the culture of Indonesia Indonesian 
economy then (expected) will bring the people of Indonesia to prosperity.

Actually, the premise is not entirely wrong, because there must be (the) peace from the 
sale of local products. Only, perhaps because we've been absurdly swallow nationalist 
propaganda, we forgot to question, "the people of Indonesia which one will prosper if we 
buy local products?". Either we do not know or deliberately do not care that there are 
different classes of the society in the nation. Nationalism cover the difference by saying 
that all of society must unite for the common interest as a nation. When in fact, they do 
not have the same interests as a result of their hierarchies and classes in society.

In a review in Etnohistori on September 18, 2013, there is a heartbreaking story of how 
the commodification of batik by the capitalists make batik workers in the village of Mbayu 
Sumurip, Imogiri, Bantul, Yogyakarta, all women become alienated from the products they 
make itself. Small and Medium Enterprises that rely on traditional networks and a handful 
of intermediaries or the buyer does not guarantee that workers can ultimately manage 
independently its own production tools (self-managed). Those intermediaries manipulate 
wages to buy batik claim workers at low prices and then resell them at higher prices.

Wages given to workers batik is diverse; depending on the media which became the main base 
material, size, and complexity. When the media material is cloth with plain shawl size 
priced at Rp 35,000. For fabric of size 2 × 1 meter with a simple motif or being priced at 
Rp 75,000 - Rp 125,000. As for the motive that is very complicated to measure the same 
fabric that the processing time could take a month priced at Rp 200,000 - Rp 250,000 only. 
This figure is certainly not comparable to the price of batik when it entered into a large 
store or department store where prices batik shawl can be appreciated to $ 150,000. Even 
for intricate patterned batik cloth price could reach Rp 600,000 to millions of rupiah.

Some other events that harm the batik workers also often occur. One of the workers only 
get paid once the clothes are worth Rp 20,000 after doing batik complicated for two weeks, 
because it is considered less quickly by the buyer.[1]

Meanwhile, the batik workers in Pandak, Bantul, Yogyakarta only paid Rp 20,000 - Rp 22,000 
per day. Imogiri, there are batik workers are paid only Rp 150,000 per week.[2] in Tuban 
even more sad again, the workers only paid Rp 3,000 for a piece of batik cloth.[3] While 
in the village Kemplong, Kepatihan, Mayangan and Village Waru, District Wiradesa, 
Pekalongan, batik workers are paid Rp 9,000 per day should also be laid off.[4]

Realities on the ground it's not as sweet as the rhetoric offered by nationalism. Buying 
local products does not necessarily lead to prosperity masyarat Indonesia. At least, not 
the working class society which is becoming increasingly prosperous, but the bourgeoisie, 
especially the local bourgeoisie. Nationalism has an important role in the efforts of the 
bourgeoisie to keep the existing class system. Nationalism is the key factor in their 
efforts to obscure the reality of the existence of class differences in society and make 
those who oppose the hierarchy accept it as a natural thing.

Nationalism never be a solution to the economic problems that are very basic, the class 
inequalities. Nationalism is not a threat to capitalism and the class system is at the 
root of these disparities. Conversely, nationalism instead become a tool for the local 
bourgeoisie to maintain privileges they have. As Mikhail Bakunin on the French bourgeoisie:

"I'm not saying that it is unpatriotic bourgeoisie; otherwise, patriotism, in its most 
narrow, is their main virtue. However, the bourgeois love their country just because, for 
them, the State secured the privileges of economic, political, and social development. "[5]

The government's call to love Indonesian products is a form of State protection against 
the privileges of the local bourgeoisie. The appeal gives the national capitalists 
advantage in competing against foreign capitalists; nationalist sentiment in the products 
they produce by exploiting local labor.

The community was convinced that the interests of the local capitalists are common 
interests as a nation. We can not see the economic problem with the mentality of Us vs. 
Them; against a foreign national. Suppression of the national capitalists did against 
local workers do not become more understandable than exploitation by foreign capitalists.
It is time we look at the economic problems that exist with the class perspective and 
against the real enemy, the capitalist economic system that exploits the working class 
around the world![]

The author is a collective member of the People's Solidarity Learning Circle (Libertas)

Source:

[1] 
http://etnohistori.org/edisi-genealogi-gerakan-dan-studi-perempuan-indonesia-buruh-batik-tulis-perempuan-dalam-pusaran-kapitalisme-oleh-karina-rima-melati.html

[2] 
http://jogja.solopos.com/baca/2014/09/15/ironis-buruh-batik-dihargai-rp17-000-harga-kain-batik-tulis-mencapai-jutaan-rupiah-536213

[3] 
http://realita.co/index.php?news=Pemerintah-Diminta-Lindungi-Buruh-Batik~3b1ca0a43b79bdfd9f9305b81298296283e9d372b775031f8cb152d28821fed0

[4] http://www.radarsemarang.com/2015/07/02/lesu-buruh-batik-diberhentikan.html

[5] https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/bakunin/works/1870/letter-frenchman.htm

http://anarkis.org/nasionalisme-produk-lokal-siapa-yang-diuntungkan/