苏加诺：自传

和许多自传一样2017年8月15日在英国评论这是自传，和许多自传一样，（或者，事实上，战争回忆录），自我服务。我也没有发现它是一本轻松或有趣的读物，（辛迪-亚当斯的《我的朋友是独裁者》关于苏加诺的同一主题绝对是如此）。同时，我很高兴苏加诺做出了这种努力。这是一个关于他为什么要这样做的信息矿。他说的都是实话吗？可能不是，所以健康的怀疑态度可能是有必要的，但至少我们有一些东西。每个人都会对苏加诺为什么在这本书写完后不久就失去了权力有自己的看法，但我的看法是，这可能是马来西亚的原因，尽管他承认在阿尔及利亚支持恐怖主义，而且他有明显的亲共倾向，（尽管有所有相反的抗议）。实际上，他在很大程度上是自由世界的敌人，支持伊斯兰恐怖分子和共产主义者。苏加诺可能喜欢美国，他在获得西新几内亚的过程中确实得到了肯尼迪政府的宝贵帮助，但在内心深处，他是美国和自由世界的敌人。此外，很明显，印度尼西亚的经济状况不好，苏加诺自己也对经济状况不好的原因做出了解释，（荷兰人的离开以及他们在经营印度尼西亚经济重要部门方面的专长），尽管他没有把失败的原因归咎于自己。主要的性格缺陷可能是他的虚伪。他不断吹嘘 "印尼人 "的自由，而 "印尼人 "可以理解为 "爪哇人"，但却完全不打算让东印度群岛的许多岛屿获得独立，这些岛屿可能不愿意接受爪哇的帝国主义/殖民主义。在这一点上，他就像日本人的共荣圈和亚洲人的亚洲，即长于讽刺，短于实质。当然，其结果是，例如，阿肯人、摩鹿加人，甚至今天西新几内亚的巴布亚人都试图脱离，这只是比较明显的例子。简而言之，有很多人受到他的政策的不利影响，无论是在国外还是在国内，他们都希望他能离开。在第193和194页，有一个Muchtar事件。他解释了为什么他不能拯救艾克曼研究所的所长Muchtar博士教授。他似乎认为Muchtar博士犯了给罗穆沙人注射错误疫苗的罪行。事实上，罗摩沙人死亡的可能原因是巴斯德研究所的日本人负责准备的一批有问题的疫苗。指责Muchtar博士是日本人的一种面子行为。更糟糕的是，Muchtar博士的两名同事被折磨和饿死，Muchtar博士本人先是被斩首，然后被蒸汽压路机碾压，最后被扔进乱葬岗。见芭芭拉-希默和盖-霍布斯所写的《爪哇和苏门答腊的肯培泰》第12和13页。总之，这本书是一座信息的宝库，如果研究印度尼西亚的历史，就必须阅读这本书，但我不认为这是一本轻松、有趣的书。对我来说，这是一本令人沮丧的书。我从头到尾都读了一遍，但我不喜欢它。最多三颗星。

and like many an autobiography

2017年8月15日在英國評論

It is autobiography, and like many an autobiography, (or, indeed, war memoir), self-serving. Neither have I found it to be an easy or entertaining read, (which My Friend the Dictator by Cindy Adams on the same topic of Sukarno definitely is). At the same time I am delighted that Sukarno made the effort. It is a mine of information about why he did what he did. Is he telling the truth throughout? Probably not, so a healthy scepticism is probably in order, but at least we have something. Each person will have their own opinion on why Sukarno lost power shortly after this book was written, but my view is that it is probably Malaysia, although in addition he admits to supporting terrorism in Algeria, and there is a significant pro-Communist leaning on his part, (all protestations to the contrary notwithstanding). In effect, he is very much the enemy of the free world, supporting islamic terrorists and communists. Sukarno may like the United States and he did receive valuable help from the Kennedy Administration in acquiring West New Guinea, but deep down he is very much America and the free world's enemy. Furthermore, it is clear that the Indonesian economy is not doing well, and Sukarno himself gives an explanation as to why it isn't doing well, (the departure of the Dutch and their expertise in running important sectors of the Indonesian economy), although he fails to blame himself anywhere for the debacle. Probably the main character flaw is his hypocrisy. The constant bleating about freedom for "Indonesians" for which can be read "Javanese", but with absolutely no intention of granting independence to the many islands of the East Indies archipelago who might not want Javanese imperialism / colonialism. In this he is like the Japanese with their co-prosperity sphere and Asia for the Asians, ie long on irony and short on substance. The result, of course, are the attempts at breaking away by, for example, the Achenese, the Moluccans, and even today the Papuans on West New Guinea, just to mention the more obvious examples. In short, there were very many people adversely affected by his policies, both abroad and at home, and who will have wanted him to go. On pages 193 & 194 there is the Muchtar incident. He explains why he could not save the Director of the Eykman Institute Professor Dr Muchtar. It seems he thought Dr Muchtar to have been guilty of having injected romushas with faulty vaccine. In fact the probable cause of the death of the romushas was a batch of faulty vaccine prepared under the responsibility of the Japanese at the Pasteur Institute. Blaming Dr Muchtar was a face saving exercise by the Japanese. It gets worse because two colleagues of Dr Muchtar were tortured and starved to death, and Dr Muchtar himself was first beheaded, then had his body run over by a steam roller, and then dumped in a mass grave. See pages 12 & 13 of The Kenpeitai in Java and Sumatra by Barbara Shimer and Guy Hobbs. In conclusion, the book is a mine of information and has to be read if studying the history of Indonesia, but I didn't find it to be an easy, entertaining read. It was, for me, a frustrating read. I read it all from cover to cover, but I didn't like it. Three stars, tops.