■"In Vast Archipelago, Unlikely Force Gains Grip: Democracy; Muslim Nation Is Expected To Unseat Leader in Runoff; Undeterred by Bombings," by Timothy Mapes, Wall Street Journal, 17 September 2004, p. A1.
Yesterday I cited Seam States as where the bombs go off, like in Indonesia. But Seam States are also where you'll find the radical democrats standing up to radical terrorists, corrupt bureaucrats, and indifferent corporations:
Just six years after the bloody collapse of President Suharto's 32-year authoritarian regime, thousands of citizens groups have sprung up across the archipelago, fighting for everything from environmental protection to human rights, and challenging Indonesia's tradition of government by tiny elite. They have been aided by the blossoming of a free and aggressive local media after decades of suppression under Mr. Suharto.
The vertical shock of Suharto's stunning downfall unleashed a series of quiet horizontal scenarios:
While Indonesia's decentralization drive initially unleashed a wave of corruption, it also held the seeds for democratic reform. Undertaken to frustrate the ability of another dictator to take power, decentralization has given citizens the ability to make a difference and fight corruption in their local governments. Now, it's having an impact on the national stage.
Tradition yielding to new rules. An authoritarian regime yielding to democracy. A country opening up to the outside world, only to suffer corruption and terrorism and yet—life gets better as a result.
That's a Seam State in a nutshell. It's on the edge of both the Functioning Core and the Non-Integrating Gap. It's full of tumult and some real flashes of violence, but it's also full of hope and potential that needs to be nurtured by the Core's great powers.
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