Is it true that our consumerist middle class and ignored me for the problems of the country? Their true class hedonist who usually just shopping at the mall or hanging out at Starbucks, without ever care about social issues such as corruption or decadence of the people's representatives? Is it true that they are "class audience" is just silent and barren as an element of social change? Initially I think so. But two events last month to change my views on the social care side of our middle class.
The first event was a city election and the election of Jokowi-Ahok as the new governor of Jakarta. The second event is the occupation of the office scene by the Police Commission last week. Two of these events reinforced my belief that, as experience in other countries, the middle class we do have very powerful potential as the driving force of democratization and the establishment of a more civilized political practice.
Election Middle Class
In this blog a few weeks ago I wrote that the 2012 election is a reflection of the city middle class aspirations. Yes, because the per capita income in the city voters USD10.000 year dominated by middle-class society. They are intelligent and rational, they tend to be non-partisan, and they know very well the quality of the chosen leader.
As "middle class elections" (let's call it "Election 3000"), I see the city Election 2012 is a very special elections. Why? Because this is the election where the citizens of Jakarta, particularly the middle class, and immediately moved to care about the fate of the region the next five years. This is the election where the middle class suddenly Jakarta feel the responsibility to determine who should lead the capital of the next five years. They came to TPS (2nd round participation rate sizeable 67%) because of the encouragement that sense of responsibility. This is the most substantial elections in the history of elections in Indonesia.
Election 2012 Jakarta is also special because for the first time we see how potent the power of the middle class vote as "informal political machine" against the party's formal political machine. We know that Jokowi-Ahok only supported 2 PDIP and Gerindra party, while Foke-Nara backed coalition parties large class Democrats, Golkar, PPP, PKB, PAN, PKS, until Hanura. In a matter on paper should Jokowi-Ahok lost, but the opposite happened.
That means, victory Jokowi-Ahok not driven by party machines, but purely because of the political aspirations of middle class Jakarta. Indeed most of them are not involved in the party, but that does not mean they are apolitical and indifferent to the socio-political problems of society. City election yesterday clearly shows that concern. I saw this phenomenon to be optimistic middle class we can really be a powerful democratizing force.
# SaveKPK
The second event is pendudukkan KPK building by police Friday night last week (5/10). During this time we are all troubled by the systematic efforts to weaken the KPK. Case-by-case repeatedly hit KPK ranging from Antasari case, case Cicak vs Crocodiles, until the last revision by Parliament and the Law Commission Novel Baswedan case. What is interesting is the case of the latter. Novel Baswedan, one of the best KPK investigator, accused of committing a crime while on duty in 2004 Bengkulu Police. Then dozens of police officers then came to the KPK building to pick Novel. This step is considered as part of a systematic attempt to once again undermine the KPK.
What does the middle class to respond to this case? This is interesting. Directly responded to the police action to support action in cyberspace. SaveKPK and # hashtag # presidenkemana was born to inflate the issue and build support to the wider community. Chirp second in size to the Commission also provides support rumble on Twitter timeline. And in a short time came to the KPK building mass menyemut Friday night. Salingsaling site noted, throughout Friday, appeared about 40 thousand chirp with the hashtag # saveKPK.
KPK support action does not only happen on Twitter. Also appear on the site change.org signing initiative petitions made anti-corruption activist Anita Wahid titled "Give Into KPK Police Corruption Case! Stop weakening Commission ". While in Facebook support is also appearing in the form of the page titled "Save KPK Save Indonesia". Essentially they support the Commission and questioned the attitude of SBY should step in to resolve the dispute KPK and police.
Care
Who is the real driving force of the overall support to the Commission in the above? They are none other than the middle class we are concerned about the problems of his people. They are a strategic group with a middle-class intellectual abilities Indonesia wants to be better. They are members of the middle class who can not only buy sale items in the mall or kongkow out in a cafe, but is actively contributing to the advancement of the nation.
For me and the # hashtag # saveKPK presidenkemana is special because this is a phenomenon unique way of middle class political aspirations and build a social movement for the improvement of his country. When formal channels such party or barren Parliament did not move, then Twitter can be a powerful tool to trigger massive social movements and powerful. Through Twitter, the middle class is not only good at spreading viral video Gangnam Style, but also roll-political issues for the social good of the nation.
I predict middle-class concern over issues of socio-political as it did in the case of city elections and case # saveKPK will continue for cases other crucial state. And I see social media such as Twitter and Facebook will be a powerful tool for political education process our middle class.
Indeed, we can not samaratakan that the middle class as a class hedonist and consumerist. No matter how small, there is still a middle class that is not selfish and insensitive to the country's problems. In the concept of "figure 8 Indonesian Middle Class", I refer to them as the middle class "Aspirational". Although the numbers are small, but because of intellect, insight, and ability to adopt information technology makes them very powerful as an agent of change toward a more democratic Indonesia.
So ... Who says we apolitical middle class.