I'm currently reading Max Havelaar and I'm wondering what Indonesian and Dutch people are thinking about this book

I'm currently reading Max Havelaar and I'm wondering what Indonesian and Dutch people are thinking about this book.

Do you agree with what's written in there?
Was it a good read?

Or just say anything you like about it

Other urls found in this thread:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puputan
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Janszoon
twitter.com/NSFWRedditImage

How popular is it in Netherlands? Here it's only mentioned in textbook but people hardly read it or even know the name of Multatuli.

People mostly know Max Havelaar because it's a Fair Trade brand, but most know what you're talking about.

Having read it is a whole different story, however. It was my grandpa's favorite book, because he ((fought)) in Indonesia back in the revolting days, although he never fired a shot.

I think it's a good read, especially with the 'novel in a novel' type of writing, but I wanted to know whether people see more to it than 'Exploiting poor farmers is bad mkay'.

reading is for fags and any nu-dutch reading this is guaranteed a cuck

I see.
How do Dutch see Indonesia nowadays and what's the general opinion about the colonial period?

We get taught about the colonial period as soon as primary school (and grandparents), where it's stressed that we did some bad stuff there, but it's not until high school that we get into detail about it, but only for the people who choose history as one of their classes (not many do this).

The general feeling towards Indonesia is pretty positive, though it's regarded as a bit of an underdeveloped Belgium. Kinda like a cousin you don't see that often anymore, but once in a while you hear him doing some things you wouldn't necessarily do yourself, but don't mind because he's partly you.

And how do Indonesians generally regard the Dutch?

90 of them dont even know where netherland is, its like "yeah they colonize us, ok", but generally dont see any difference between dutch and any euro citizen except when it come to MUH ARTIFACT.

That's pretty... sad to hear, at least to me.

But I guess that's the magic of FREEDOM and decolonization.

>multatuli
X--DDDD EBIN!!!!!!

Netherlands was a spanish colony for centuries and it really did well since it independance from their catholic ex-spanish masters, It's really impressive!

Welcome in the thread, friend. Is there anything you'd like to say, other than confirming le ebin memes about your country?

Your words do me well, I almost feel pride.

The dutch golden age (art, science..) after the papist persecution is really one of my favorite part of modern european history.

Oh, thanks.

Well, generally we see you in positive light, but once in a while we still like to blame you for the current state of our country. To be honest they make some fair points.

For example:
Why do most of Indonesian population were illiterate back then save for the ruling elites? The apathetic Dutch and their education system for the privileged, which is why you can say that we are dumb.

Why is Java the center of this nation and the most developed? The imperialist Dutch neglecting the infrastructure growth in other regions unless that region has valuable resources.

Not to mention the 350 wasted years and tons of various incidents like this one: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puputan

I thank you, although I do feel a tad ashamed I know not much about Algerian history.

What did you think, keeping the thread on track, about our colonial period?

OP here, I'm gonna have dinner now, be back in a while. Stick around!

Well this dutch guy sum up the last 500 years of our history en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Janszoon

Dutch indonesia last less than a century in 4000 years of history, I don't think it changed much, I don't think it was specially bad or good even if it modernised the country but other european empire would have done the same anyway. In the end it's just a random chanter of east indies history, not much to say about it.

You make a few good points, although I would argue that we don't really have much to do with your literacy anymore.

I'll give that a read.

I know, attributing all the faults to the colonists while neglecting the fact that we now is a free nation and have our own responsibilities is a great mistake. We have promoted literacy, which resulted in 99% of Indonesian youths are now capable to read.

But the funny thing is that the people that lamented the Dutch are praising the British and saying that we would be better if we were under the British rule. But at least the Dutch are better than the Iberian , you simply let our cultures to flourish instead of forcing your culture or religion here and you don't mess with the population dynamic by introducing foreign workers like British and their Indians.

per-bump-ulakan