I’m nearing the end of the first (nine-month long) leg of my Indonesian Odyssey and I don’t feel much closer to understanding the heart of this torturously complicated but endlessly fascinating nation. I’ve done my best to try and sum up some of my thoughts in the June issue of Prospect, one of UK’s more intelligent monthly magazines.
For what they are worth, you can now read my reflections on culture, corruption and corpses on Prospect online. And no, Oliver, I don’t think it is at a crossroads…
I am not sure that one could reasonably call a country where more than half the population lives in or near poverty a miracle. I am not sure that one could reasonably call a country with some of the highest corruption levels on the planet a miracle. The word “miracle” is probably best reserved for over-achievers (i.e. Singapore, for example), not for chronic under-achievers.