It was a burst of decades of hyper crapitalism forcing peoplle who weren't born into the right family to afford the right schools scrounge for themselves. Gig jobs, instant noodle stands, ect. Been to Indonesia 3 times now and each time is a humbling experience and a tesrimemt to the fucking fuck all permanent damage the genocide / purge of the left we helped enable did on generations.
I just got done living this reality for 2 weeks. The guy I was staying with worked 3 jobs.
- WARMINDO Instant Noodle shop / karaoke den / underground town LGBTQ hangout.
- Water delivery.
- Traditional Javanese wedding planner. (Eleaborate day long ceremonies)
He gets paid jack shit for typically 14 hour days where work isn't guaranteed. The rainy season is putting a dent into his noodle shop. His "house" was the noodle shack with a single room, and squat toilet room shared with 4 cats. Right on the side of a very busy road. If it wasn't blaring shitty midi and bad singing, it was constant noise and air pollution from the traffic and sweltering tropical heat. Or the damned loudspeakers and competition between countless mosques and their Imams who don't know how to not eat the mic blaring their bullshit religion to assault the ears at all hours of the day and night. The sun rise is at 4:30am over there.
His debt for his house is what I make in a month in the US and takes YEARS to pay off. (not if I can help it lol) noodles and drink only bring in a few dollars at a time and there is no tipping.
These people's basic needs are under constant threat at all times. The stress they live under is immense and yet they strive to be some of the sweetest, nicest people I've ever met.
So when the governemnt just squishes someone trying to survive andnthen cuts themselves some fat checks because of corruption I can see how it resonates with people well aware of how much they are fucked despite obviously enough to go around. How can one not constantly be on a knife edge of losing it like that?