It is truly sad to hear of this effect occuring in such a beautiful place.
It certainly is...(sad)
What's
this got to with Bali?
The whole world is going through a major financial crisis (this one might be
the biggie). Despite Indonesian government hyperbole that this country won't be affected (much), the Rupiah has plunged and has been shored up by the central bank to look good and not terrify investors.
Greece is currently a basket-case - there is no way it can
ever pay back what it owes on the "loans" it already has. The EU
might cut Greece's deficit by 50%, opening the flood gates for other countries in serious trouble, like Italy, Spain and Portugal, for starters.
The EU is scrambling to come up with a "solution", right now.
All eyes in Europe are focused upon Germany...the Germans, with the strongest economy there, are not happy about having to bail out more and more countries. You can't blame them for that.
From the news, many ordinary Greeks are less than happy about more austerity measures. But if they don't play ball, (with the EU, IMF, etc), Greece
could be bankrupt in the next couple of weeks.
Greeks are effectively saying "we've had enough and we're not going to play this game any longer". If Greece actually goes down the economic shit-tube, the whole of the EU might be next.
And then there's the USA and its problems. China, too, is getting "restless" (paranoid?).
It seems to me that the "governance" of Indonesia has a snow-ball in Hell's chance getting anything right, ever, (and never "on time"). And Bali is a part of Indonesia.
Most Balinese I know have little or limited knowledge about what's going on in the rest of the world, and many couldn't care less. That their own island is being raped, pillaged and basically being destroyed under their own eyes, gets the occasional up-turned eyebrow of either disbelief, or "so - what can we do? - this country is corrupt". Or, just plain indifference ("I don't like to know/talk about politics").
Bali is declining rapidly and time is running out for traditional Balinese and their culture. Increasing numbers of tourist arrivals are not a barometer for cultural sustainability. The opposite, in fact, the way I see it.
Recent studies indicate that many young Balinese don't even want to speak Balinese any more because it's not trendy enough. Around 40% of young Balinese are sexually active and less than half use condoms. The number of HIV and AIDS cases is escalating, particularly in south Bali and Buleleng, in the north.
Governmental agencies "planning" something here and getting things done, leaves a lot to be desired (or to the imagination). They still can't decide where the new "international airport" will be located in north Bali.
The terminal for overseas' cruise ships near Padangbai is too short and the water isn't deep enough. Huh? More money will have to be spent to increase the length of the jetty.
Oh, and one other thing - the "planners" just discovered that the waters around there can be too rough, so they now want to build a breakwater.
Don't even start me on the new Bali bus system or the proposed railway around Bali, the water problems, pollution, lack of education, and all the rest.
So what do you think? Is Bali somehow going the way of the Greeks? Stick your head in the sand and pretend everything will be OK?
Either keep on dreaming, Bali, or wake up real soon...
(I'm
trying to help as much as I can, but it's not my career. The Balinese need to get their act together. After all, it's their island. Or is it?)
