I took this pic a day before Hillary's visit. Never seen Jakarta was so bright like this. lol it could be just my feeling though :)Hillary visits Indonesia for these couple days and it means something. There was a cartoon on national daily Kompas couple days ago pointing how Hillary was a good model of showing democracy we are pursuing. When Obama defeated her for Democrat presidential candidates nomination, her acceptance of that defeat and then turned to support Obama is very very interesting. It's so wise. The leadership is there. Kompas showed the very interesting lessons into Indonesian public.
And then Kompas continued exploring by revealing how the relationship between SBY (Indonesian President at the moment) and Megawati who was defeated by SBY on the last 2004 election. Megawati is not able to show her acceptance of being defeated. She is not politically matured. That's why in some points I lost my sympathy to her. I remembered when she was oppresed by dictator Suharto, and we mobilized supports to her but after she became president, she was totally changed. I do not see the true leadership in her rather than the ambition for political power like other most politicians here.
But again, the democracy we are building again (after authoritarian suharto) is on the way. it takes more time though. it takes more efforts. it takes hard work to be a 'big nation'.
Another point I do like for this Hillary's coming is the issue she put on the attention that is the building of poeple to people relationship. This is it..!!!
This reminds me the same issue when we had a talking to one of the guys in the us congress when we visited washington in 2005. and when back to indonesia, i tried to talk the importance of this as well, people to people relationship. and i am very glad when i found this issue appeared on this Hillary's visiting. Again, people to people relationship is the right foundation to build a strong and stable relationships of nations.
Despite the complicated facts over the last administration under George Bush, Indonesian now do not see american as a devil as used to be. I can see that from the fact when israel hit palestine recently, indonesians are not as spontaneously as used to be to blame american behind it or backing that action up. well, there were couple street demonstrations but i think that mostly for political purpose. election is ahead. and in many cases, indonesian understand that was not 'pure' showing the solidarity feelings of being muslims. again, its more political. i dont see the extremist muslim get much supports as used to be either. used to be. there were on tv shows how they were regarded as hero. but this very much changed right now.
Obama factor is very much defined it. Very much. It could be like a main factor. What I mean by Obama factor here refers to two things; first Obama as a person once lived in Indonesia or Indonesian factor in Obama and Obama as a symbol of change democrats and most american wants.
Again, Indonesian very much attached with the 'emotional' factor. Sometimes, its hard to explain this when the cultural context is not properly understood. What I want to say is in so many cases, indonesian, might be like other asians, i don't know, put the 'relationship' 'emotion' 'being family' 'friendship' first rather than logics. I mean, emotion first then logics. It doesnt work very much on the way around; logic first then emotion. i dont think it worked very much.
But I also believe that if just if Hillary who became the us president, Indonesians would be friendly as well although not as like this now.
so, again,.. thank you for the visit :)
and yes, there is a pride of that visit (indonesian feelings lol)
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