Arif Maftuhin

Why did the United States invade Iraq? There are many ways to answer this question, two of which are more established in the international studies literature: Realism and Liberalism (Idealism). I would like to say I am a realist; however, I believe that even a realist should calculate power politics and security on various levels of power: capability to influence other states, rather than mere raw military; and the security outcomes rather than a strategy. Mankind is made up of unique creatures whose natures differ and vary extremely. As we know from our daily life, for example, not all children can be treated in a same way. Some children would love to listen what we say and obediently follow what we ask them to do. Some would like to do what we prohibit and not to do what we urge them to do. That is also the case of human being at any ages. States, as a highest manifestation of human organization, would behave in such various ways that a mere military approach in power politics, no ma...

Jogja was rocked by earthquake yesterday. I received an SMS from my wife 30 minutes after the first shake saying that she and the children are OK. I have tried to call her but to no avail. I then call my sister who was in Magelang, 20 km away from Jogja. She said she had not able to make a call, but she also just received SMS from my wife that they staid away from home, joining others to stay at the field. My sister was trying to go to Jogja but wondering if the transportation was available. Last night, I received SMS from my brother in law saying that my wife and my children had been in Kebumen, with my parents in law, avoiding the possibility of no-electricity in Jogja. Ok. Everything, as far as my family is concerned, are fine now.

No matter how my position on the ideas embraced by American writers is, what I like about reading them is that their arguments are clearly stated, well-organized, and convenient-to-read. In our class, we have learnt how Huntley, Mearsheimer, and Mandelbaum, for example, present uniquely diverse and contrasting perspectives enriching our understanding of global system and security in such a way. Though the main camp of the discourse is only two, idealism and realism, they can show us cleavages that they can fill, presenting arguments from left to right in different levels of similarities and differences. Our today’s book, Of Paradise and Power, is another smart, fluid, and concise argument — characters forged by the limitations of space in writing a column for newspaper — explaining the relations between the now super power, the United States of America, and a union of the world’s ex-super powers, the European Union where Britain, French, Spain are its members. Robert Kagan, senior asso...

Amid the diffuse news on Merapi, the Volcano close to my city, there happens a "little war" between modernity and tradition, rationality and non-rationality (I would never call it "irrationality), state authority and personal authority, and, ultimately, Mbah Marijan and Sri Sultan. As the news told us, Merapi may has reached it eruptive phase and will not have a greater eruption. And... thank God, Mbah Marijan and the people in his village who believe him are safe. Mbah Marijan based his knowledge on non-scientific method. Some believe that, as the one who is "in charge" in Merapi, he can communicate with the spirits of Merapi. Sultan Hamengkubuwono X is supposed to have the same way of communication with the spirits who live in Merapi and south ocean, but from the interview I watched in SCTV, it is obvious that he is not like the traditional sultans. He is a modern and rational sultan and he doesn't have what his predecessor had: a close relation to the ...

I have had a hot debate with my Hizbut Tahrir buddy on establishing khilafah. When we reach a point of no agreement, I mockingly said, "OK. If you want to establish this khilafah, I insist from now that I will not live in this khilafah. I prefer to live in the US than in your khilafah." His response is interesting, "You know Arif, the US will be part of this khilafah, it is only a matter of time when Americans embrace this religion. The America you prefer to live in would be an integral part of khilafah." Surprised by this answer, I was thinking how far they dream about this world. I would not say that such a dream is utopian; but, it is not realistic bro! My American roommate even do not believe that such "miracle" would happen for even next a hundred year. Wait a minute. Have you ever heard another Muslim group who believe that American hegemony will not last for longer time? Referring to American leftists, this Muslim group use their argument and believ...

It is just a happenstance, I think, that I read a piece in the New York Times written by Max M Kampelman who headed the U.S. delegation to the negotiations on nuclear and space arms in Geneva from 1985 to 1989, when I am writing my review on Cultural Norms & National Security. Recalling what he did as an arm negotiator in the Reagan Administration, a success in negotiating two different and contradictory agenda with two different parties: negotiating elimination of nuclear weapon with Soviet Union, and on the other hand negotiating with the speaker of the House to approve request for more MX missiles, he says, “There is a moral to these stories: you can be an idealist and a realist at the same time.” Peter Katzenstein clearly states his position in fairly similar vein, finding a third way to go beyond two prevailing approaches of idealism and realism in security studies. He observes that both theories are correct but not enough. They both overlook a cultural explanation in differen...

You will not believe it. I found terasi in Uwajimaya, a Seattle-based Asian store. When I returned to Indonesia last month, I was thinking about how to bring terasi and keep it. I love this food much and I had been staying here for 8 months without this favorite food. I know that we can find blacan (terasi in Malay word) in some Vietnamese stores here. However, because I have never gone there, I didn't think that I will buy it. Last week, I was surprised that I can find this blacan in Uwajimaya. I had to think at that time if I need to buy it or not, because, you know, as friend of mine said, "Its smell goes beyond space and time". Would I? Yes I would. I will try as hard as possible to keep its smeel away from our kitchen. Now, I can eat this blacan, cooking it with tomato to serve sambal terasi. Wah, enaaak tenan.