Archive of English and Indonesian Articles
(including PDF files)
A call to arms against bigotry and the politics of amnesia
by Jennie S. Bev As part of international efforts to commemorate the Rwandan genocide, a New York-based group is calling for the United Nations to declare April as Genocide Prevention Month. Here at home, next month will bring the 11th anniversary of the...
Lifting moratoriums and loan restructuring hope
by Jennie S. Bev The foreclosure moratorium, which basically banned foreclosure sales and evictions for mortgages funded and securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, ended on March 31. It came with many consequences: the good, the bad and the sexy. Loan...
On the carpenter and resurrection
by Jennie S. Bev Two millennia ago, a simple man from Nazareth made his debut in the world of politics and religion by starting a minuscule Jewish sect. Jesus was a humble man whose values and virtues were remarkable. He was inspiring to all mankind, and Christians...
In search of radical public intellectuals
by Jennie S. Bev Contrary to popular belief, academics are intellectuals but not all intellectuals are academics. Additionally, not all intellectuals are known to the public, and not all public intellectuals are radical. Radical intellectuals can be found somewhere...
Measuring progress amid the patriarchies
by Jennie S. Bev Adam Smith hypothesized that people are inherently greedy, and that’s what it takes to run the engine of wealth. And to measure a country’s economic health, gross domestic product comes into play. But while numbers look neutral and impartial on the...
A flourishing state lives on compassion
by Jennie S. Bev In modern societies, compassion is scarce. Almost every day we read news about deadly brawls, mass shootings, hazing, social unrest, murders, robberies —even servants are killed in their employers’ homes for petty reasons. Two weeks ago, a high school...
The marriage of politics and economics
by Jennie S. Bev Politics and economics make an incredibly sexy partnership. Their erotic affair is based on influencing people, getting them to respond to desires. According to Thomas Sowell, a Stanford-based economist, political decisions tend to be categorical or...
Fight for equality is still far from over
by Jennie S. Bev An Athenian tragedian Euripides (480 BC-406 BC) said, “Equality will never be found among humans.” Some 2,500 years later, women are still struggling for their equal position in society. Speaking from experience, living in the United States as a...
Decline of pluralism, a cause for concern?
by Jennie S. Bev Indonesia is a pluralistic country, and it shows how people of different religions and ethnic groups can live side-by-side in harmony. The Indonesian brand of Islam is generally considered to be moderate and liberal. However, a survey conducted by the...
This election, a little Socrates for debate
by Jennie S. Bev Prior to Socrates (469-399 BC), there were the Monists and the Sophists. While the Monists subscribed to superstitious primitive beliefs, the Sophists were much more sophisticated. They taught and philosophized. Above all, they were well-versed in the...
Jennie M. Xue is an award-winning author and a bilingual columnist based in Northern California. She writes in English and Indonesian and is known as one of the most prolific Indonesia-born bilingual authors and columnists. Her English-only site and writing portfolio is JenniferXue.com.
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