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Jakarta Is Sinking So Fast, It Could End Up Underwater

nytimes.com

21–30 of 129 posts

Re: Jakarta Is Sinking So Fast, It Could End Up Underwater

#21
post #3

Entire Indonesia is falling apart. Economic development is terribly slow over long term and their main export industries (oil, mining, coal and palm oil - [1]) do not seem to have a future due to underinvestment and drying demand. Quite sad.. Such a beautiful, diverse country and nice people. [1] https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/idn/#Exports

This is a bit of a nitpick but saying a country has nice people bothers me. It sounds like an empty platitude when they don't have much else to be proud of. Do you really mean Indonesians are nicer than people from somewhere else? What countries don't have nice people?

I think it's a shorthand way of saying, "I travelled there, I had nice experience. I would recommend it." People tend to use various phrases they hear over and over again, becoming automatic and it loses some of its literal meaning. For example, "Good morning", should not be taken literally. In the US, I also get tired of people saying, "Hi. How are you?" It doesn't mean they want to know your true feelings, just something they say. But, I just have to ignore it, or at least not tell people how much I hate it.

Re: Jakarta Is Sinking So Fast, It Could End Up Underwater

#22
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree but Jakarta is not terribly poor, with a GDP of over $400B [1]. The problem seems more rooted in a low-trust political environment that is riddled with corruption. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakarta

Right, it's the corruption and disorganization that's the problem.

Why not blame the socialism?

Re: Jakarta Is Sinking So Fast, It Could End Up Underwater

#23
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article says they are draining the ground water aquifers too fast and causing the sinking.

Well, probably one of the biggest factors affecting the aquifer recharge rate would be the loss of forests and mangroves.

Or maybe they are just overdrawing it above the recharge rate like it happens in the Central valley in California.

Re: Jakarta Is Sinking So Fast, It Could End Up Underwater

#24
post #3

Entire Indonesia is falling apart. Economic development is terribly slow over long term and their main export industries (oil, mining, coal and palm oil - [1]) do not seem to have a future due to underinvestment and drying demand. Quite sad.. Such a beautiful, diverse country and nice people. [1] https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/idn/#Exports

This is a bit of a nitpick but saying a country has nice people bothers me. It sounds like an empty platitude when they don't have much else to be proud of. Do you really mean Indonesians are nicer than people from somewhere else? What countries don't have nice people?

Madagascar. Least nice people I've ever encountered

Re: Jakarta Is Sinking So Fast, It Could End Up Underwater

#25
So the city is sinking many inches, even feet per year(due to excessive ground water withdrawals). With all the problems the city has, how does climate change(an average sea level rise of a few millimeters per year) even wind up on the reporters radar?

I'm no denier, but it aggravates me when someone tries to force a connection to global warming/climate change.

Re: Jakarta Is Sinking So Fast, It Could End Up Underwater

#26
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a bit of a nitpick but saying a country has nice people bothers me. It sounds like an empty platitude when they don't have much else to be proud of. Do you really mean Indonesians are nicer than people from somewhere else? What countries don't have nice people?

Madagascar. Least nice people I've ever encountered

Any stories?

Re: Jakarta Is Sinking So Fast, It Could End Up Underwater

#27
post #3

Entire Indonesia is falling apart. Economic development is terribly slow over long term and their main export industries (oil, mining, coal and palm oil - [1]) do not seem to have a future due to underinvestment and drying demand. Quite sad.. Such a beautiful, diverse country and nice people. [1] https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/idn/#Exports

This is a bit of a nitpick but saying a country has nice people bothers me. It sounds like an empty platitude when they don't have much else to be proud of. Do you really mean Indonesians are nicer than people from somewhere else? What countries don't have nice people?

I have travelled there for four years and for Indonesians good social relations are more important then to many other modern societies I have seen. So people are generally friendly, welcoming, smiling and easygoing - more then in other countries I have been to including my own.

Of course in a country of almost 300 million people there is huge bias in my observation.

Re: Jakarta Is Sinking So Fast, It Could End Up Underwater

#30
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a bit of a nitpick but saying a country has nice people bothers me. It sounds like an empty platitude when they don't have much else to be proud of. Do you really mean Indonesians are nicer than people from somewhere else? What countries don't have nice people?

I think it's a shorthand way of saying, "I travelled there, I had nice experience. I would recommend it." People tend to use various phrases they hear over and over again, becoming automatic and it loses some of its literal meaning. For example, "Good morning", should not be taken literally. In the US, I also get tired of people saying, "Hi. How are you?" It doesn't mean they want to know your true feelings, just som…

I know people say it without thinking. But I for one really do not mind it if people tell me how they are actually doing. Beat down. Bored. Optimistic. I'm okay with all of these answers.
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