Archive for December, 2009
Why Obama skipping Jakarta might not be so bad
Image Source: javno.com
By Evan A. Laksmana and Hazelia Margaretha
They say Indonesia is the most important country that the United States knows very little about. Cynics recited this clich* when airing their disappointment as President Barack Obama went on his big Asia tour recently, skipping Jakarta.
After all, Obama supposedly has deep, long-standing ties with Indonesia, going way back to his childhood. In fact, “Barry” – as President Obama is popularly known by Indonesians – has become something of an icon in Indonesian politics in the past year.
As such, some have been tempted to argue that perhaps Indonesia’s role in the American grand strategy is not so pivotal after all. Upon a closer look, however, Obama skipping Indonesia was perhaps not such a bad thing for both countries. Read the rest of this entry »
