SEC-S17W3: "National Festival (Satire Version)"

Every country definitely has its own national celebrations that set it apart from others. These celebrations differ depending on geographical, historiographical, or cultural aspects of a country. Let's take the example of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival in Brazil which I first got to know from the movie "Rio" (2011). There was a time when kids around me were absolutely hooked on that film to the point where they could watch it over and over again until until they got tired of it (my laptop was like a "punching bag" for them to watch their favorite movies). I even memorized some snippets of the movie's soundtrack because of them LOL.

All the birds of a feather
Do what they love most of all
We are the best at rhythm and laughter
That's why we love carnaval

Hmm.. hmm... 🎵🎶

_{In other parts of the world, you'll find the richness of celebrations like the vibrant Diwali festival in India, the mysticism and spiritualism of Japan's Obon festival, or the flair of Thailand's Songkran New Year festival. Each one has its own distinctiveness that sets it apart from others. One of a kind. Image source here}

And then there's Indonesia. Here, we have our own celebrations that are unlike any others in the world. Of course we have countless ethnicities spread across 8,000 inhabited islands (out of a total of 17,000 islands). But in the middle of this diversity,there's one celebration that's universally celebrated by all citizens across the nation. That celebration is called the "Nepotism and Oligarchy Power Perpetuation Festival." I bet your country doesn't have a festival as prideful as this one, right?

As the name suggests, the "Nepotism and Oligarchy Power Perpetuation Festival" will be led directly by the ruling oligarchy, with bootlickers playing the roles of event organizers as well as event promoters. These bootlickers will ensure that the festival runs smoothly without any hiccups. And if there are any hiccups, you can bet your bottom dollar that the security apparatus will crack down on anyone daring to disrupt the event, all under the noble oligarchy's control. Why? Anything strange? Since when did the security forces start siding with the people?

Just chill and don't worry. Every aspect contributing to the success of this event has been carefully arranged to the point where regulations and permits will be tailored to fit the "orders." The more money and influence you have, the easier the handling process will be guaranteed.

_{This is what drives all the men in this country to keep working hard because their families do not only need money to meet their living needs. Money is also needed to expand influence and increase immunity to the law. So whenever you get arrested for a corruption case worth millions of dollars, you can languish in a VIP jail with hotel-like facilities for just a few years. Image source here}

Yeah, to be honest this festival doesn't really require a lot of preparation or fancy decorations. It's just that everyone participating has to wear their "shameless" clothes so that the extravagance they display becomes even more evident. People dressed in these special clothes will be paraded around the country with an extraordinary sense of pride. All TV and radio broadcasts will massively cover them. It's clearly because control over these TV and radio stations is under the oligarchy's and their group's control.

I don't know the exact name of the typical food served at this festival, but this food can make anyone who tastes it feel extremely full. This feeling of fullness is only achieved at the expense of the suffering of the common people who struggle in hunger, cold, and barefoot conditions. Of course, it's the common people who suffer the most from this celebration. Who cares anyway? What contribution do they have to this country?

The people will be forced to watch this grand celebration for years, even decades. Don't get me wrong, many people eagerly lap up such spectacles. They don't resist because the culture of corruption and nepotism has become ingrained in this nation. Instead they see it as a nationalistic identity that must be preserved for generations to come. If not now, when? If not us, who else?

_{One of the local news headlines highlighted the cluelessness of Indonesia's human resources in contributing to the "Nepotism and Oligarchy Power Perpetuation Festival." A truck carrying CPO (Crude Palm Oil) is seen flipping over in an accident. Guess what the people around did? Yep, they flocked to the truck to loot the remaining CPO inside its tank. Click here if you want to read the news}

These are the people who represent the "face" of Indonesia itself. Sometimes, these people also curse out the oligarchy and the bootlickers. They are unaware that the seeds of corruption are also within themselves. It's not that they don't corrupt, they just haven't had the chance to engage in such despicable practices on a larger scale yet. These are the sitting ducks who are often used as political pawns by the oligarchs and authorities who love to abuse their power. These people are kept in the dark so they can normalize the culture of corruption and nepotism that continues to happen right in front of their eyes.

As for myself, how do I fit into all of this? Well, I've never gotten a piece of the "cake" at that festival, either because I'm not wealthy enough or because I have some sense of shame LOL. Honestly, throughout my life, I've been offered to be part of that festival, but I've always declined. Maybe if I'm offered the same thing again in the future, I'll choose to disappear to a place where no one can reach me rather than have to eat the rotten cake.

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Thank you for taking the time to read my post

Have a great day

El-Nailul