Archive of English and Indonesian Articles
(including PDF files)
Intellectual politicians, treason, and schismogenesis
by Jennie S. Bev The "notion" --borrowing Barack Obama's favorite word according to Dr. Lee Thornton, the president of American Journalism Review-- that a public intellectual who decides to plunge into the political arena is either inappropriate or...
To love our country, our country ought to be lovely
by Jennie S. Bev I once attended Robert "Hollywood Guru" McKee's screenwriting class in downtown San Francisco. During the analysis session Casablanca (starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid) was played on the projection screen. I was...
Beijing olympics: between friendship and power
by Jennie S. Bev "One world, one dream" is the official slogan of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It is said to reflect these six values: unity, friendship, progress, harmony, participation, and dreaming. It also expresses the common desire of people all over the...
Here’s to punditocracy
by Jennie S. Bev We all live in an interesting time today. All kinds of forces have been affecting long and short-term policies, as well as macro, meso, and micro ones. There are thousands of causes to fight for, starting from the bottom of Abraham Maslow's...
Generation X, Y, and leadership
by Jennie S. Bev Indonesia's 2009 presidential election campaign promises to be exciting for Indonesians and the world. Unlike the two previous post-Soeharto elections, dominated by Baby Boomer candidates who eventually won, candidates from Generation X will...
Indonesia in food, fuel, and compassion crises
by Jennie S. Bev I live in Northern California, considered one of the wealthiest regions in the United States, where the global intellectual hub of Silicon Valley neighbors the panoramic San Francisco Bay area and where luminaries like Larry Page and Sergey Brin (the...
Citizen diplomacy and cross-cultural pollination
by Jennie S. Bev Post Sept. 11, the world is getting more polarized and more religious as well as anti-religious. This tiny blue planet is getting more divided and Indonesia is no exception. It is a reality check to acknowledge, to reflect and to act upon. It is true...
Conscientiasclerosis and legalized persecution
by Jennie S. Bev I love Indonesia and Indonesians, but I have some reservations whenever it comes to acknowledging a particular government. I had high hopes for Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for he is the first president of Indonesia directly elected in a fair, square and...
Islamic view on jurisprudence and compassion
by Jennie S. Bev When I was pursuing a law degree at the University of Indonesia, I became fascinated by Islam as the one and only religion of laws approved in Indonesia out of only a few “official” religions. At the time, I did not learn much about Islamic notions of...
The fallacy of equality and persecution
by Jennie S. Bev Two centuries ago, John Adams said, "Facts are stubborn things, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence". This still rings true to this very day and...
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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