Of all the nations hit by the great Asian financial crash of 1997, Indonesia has gone through the most widespread political upheaval (Smith, 2003). A hated dictator has been thrown out, and democracy is on everyone's lips. But in spite of this victory, the capitalist democracy that most of the mass movement imagines is not possible in a nation as super exploited and crisis-ridden as Indonesia. In the end only a socialist revolution led by the working class can prevent a new period of dictatorship by the imperialism supported military (Indonesia's Revolutionary Crisis, n.d.).

Built-up bitterness at the thirty two-year reign of military dictator-president Suharto, who had himself officially re-elected, was combined with anger at the rapid inflation and other austerity measures commanded by imperialist financiers like the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Starting in January, the assortment exploded in militant strikes, mass riots in opposition to rising food and fuel...
[ View Full Essay]