Why I hate tax

In Indonesia, the tax payment deadline is coming, many people are reluctant to pay since the Gayus gate... While the who-call-themselves-a-nationalist or the Mulyani's supporters still insisted to pay. I still pay... but I admit that I hate to pay.

Today tax is very different from the Roman or the Caliphate era tax. Indonesia is using the fiat money, which means that Indonesian government can issue the money in any amount they like. As the result is, the condition that make Indonesian government lack of money is less likely to happens. This condition however, create inflation, which make currency values decrease. If it doesn't dealt quickly will result in economic depression or even a bust.

Beside the issuing money, Inflation comes from :
1. increased in the welfare of the people, the more fluid the money the higher inflation (that answer my highschool question, why when our income increased, the tax will also :( )
2. Corruption, more money comes from unlegitimate source will add the money in the public, that create even worse inflation
3. Forgery, unregistered money will also creates inflation

There are two ways of overcoming inflation, which are :
1. fiscal policy (tax, issuing obligation)
2. monetary policy (interest rate)

Indonesian government see the only way to fight inflation is by increasing tax subjects <= this is totally gay dude... the problem is in the government, the corruption, government's fault... and still the people who work hard must compensate the problem... I wonder, why not use obligation instead? we get the money, and inflation handled?

On Resilience

Resilience according to wikipedia is the positive capacity of people to cope with stress and catastrophe. It also includes the ability to bounce back to homeostasis after a disruption. I think, resilence is a man greatest virtue... if a man can put it correctly. With resilence a man can handle any obstacle with positive attitude.

I learn resilience when i heard Soekarno's speech on Prophet Mohammad in 1963. At that time Indonesia were gearing up for war against England occupation on northern borneo. The speech was simply splendid, And so i decided to copy it below (in indonesian of course :)) )

Kemarin aku baca Ramayana, saudara-saudara, Ramayana. Di dalam Kitab Ramayana itu ada disebut satu negeri, namanya Negeri Uttara Kuru. Uttara Kuru, yaitu artinya lor-nya negara Kuru. Kuru yaitu Kurawa itu.

Disebutken di dalam Kitab Ramayana itu, bahwa di Negeri Uttara Kuru itu ndak ada panas yang terlalu, nggak ada dingin yang terlalu, nggak ada manis yang terlalu, nggak ada pahit yang terlalu. Segalanya itu tenang, tenang. Ora ono panas, ora ono adem. Tidak ada gelap, tidak ada terang yang cemerlang! Adem tentrem kadya siniram banyu wayu sewindu lawas!

Di dalam Kitab Ramayana itu sudah dikatakan, hmm negeri yang begini tidak bisa menjadi negeri yang besar. Sebab tidak ada oh up and down, up and down! Perjuangan tidak ada! Semuanya itu adem tentrem seneng seneng senengpun tidak terlalu seneng, tidak terlalu sedih, setenang tenang tenang tenang Uttara Kuru.

Apa engkau ingin menjadi satu bangsa yang demikian, Saudara-saudara ?

Tidak !
(this is the part when Soekarno really emphasizes resilience)
Kita tidak ingin menjadi satu bangsa yang demikian. Kita ingin menjadi satu bangsa yang
seperti ini tiap hari, digembleng oleh sadar!
Digembleng! Hampir hancur lebur bangun kembali !
Digembleng! Hampir hancur lebur bangun kembali !


(and this is the part when he said that political figure did wrong, although Mohammad didn't do any mistake )

Bagi orang-orang besar ini satu persatu tidak luput dari salah. Oleh karena sekadar manusia biasa!

Saya ulangi, siapa berani berkata bahwa Bismarck tidak pernah bersalah?!
Siapa berani berkata bahwa Mirabeau tidak pernah bersalah?!
Siapa berani berkata bahwa Gladstone tidak pernah bersalah?!
Siapa berani berkata bahwa Garibaldi tidak pernah bersalah?!
Siapa berani berkata bahwa Mao Tse Tung tidak pernah bersalah?!
Siapa berani berkata bahwa Gandhi tidak pernah bersalah?!
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
Siapa berani berkata bahwa Stalin tidak pernah bersalah?!
Siapa berani berkata bahwa Jose Rizal Mercado Filipina tidak pernah bersalah?!
Pernah bersalah, oleh karena memang khilaf salah adalah sifat manusia
(and I believe he added sentence below just to pleased NU supporters :D, since it has nothing to do with the sentences above, although this is Mohammad birthday speech )
Namun Muhammad seorang nabi, rasul... maka ia tak pernah bersalah


At that time, I also had several issues regarding my organization, PSIK... my personal issues with a woman and academic, and my financial issues... I really glad that I heard that speech... It really motivates me... although I sometimes failed, but I manage to get on my feet again :)...the good thing is you dont have to pay for a motivator to do it, just download the speech and hear it everyday! I thank God that a man as good as Soekarno had live and teach many things to this nation...

To learn the code of samurai

yesterday, i had a lunch chit chat with my friends, one of them told me about learning the samurai code... He said that according to Musashi, the code of samurai cannot be learn if you hadn't face near death experienced. Well, I completely agree of Musashi.

In Business most of the Tycoons had the opportunities to face near bankruptcy. According to research that business week conduct, 40 % of Tycoons had near bankruptcy experience. Well, I had them on the december last year, my company only got 50 US dollar left =))... hope this is a good sign though...