Nobody will ever doubt the American President Barack Obama’s oratory skills, and his inborn talent for winning the hearts and minds of people around him. Being the first Afro-American president, in a largely white population, of the most powerful state in the world is in itself a testament to Obama’s political charisma.
Despite his personal power of persuasion, one is tempted to ask how Obama’s 18.5-hour visit to his so-called kampong means anything. While it is true that Obama spent a considerable four years in Jakarta during his childhood, his statement before the homo academicus at the University of Indonesia (UI) that “Indonesia is a part me” should not be overly emphasized, analyzed nor treated as anything but political rhetoric aimed at further boosting the vivacious intellectual crowd at Depok.
And yes, it is true that Obama had an Indonesian Muslim stepfather, who taught him a thing or two about religious tolerance and respect for all religions, the question over the substance and significance of his “transit” from India to South Korea still begs some answers.
Not much is offered by the national media and the political pundits, who merely provided their experts’ views on Obama’s childhood memories and liking for bakso and sate.
Others merely zeroed in on his supposed fluency in Indonesian language and the number of times he deployed “assalaamu ‘alaykum”.
Most Indonesian media celebrated Obama’s official visit as if the United States truly considered Indonesia a strategic and equal partner. The truth of the matter is that Obama views Indonesia, notably its burgeoning “middle class” as simply “new markets for [American] goods”. This was the bottom line, to which most Indonesians did not pay attention.
Since his presidency, the recovery of the American economy is not doing as well as Obama had earlier hoped.
The early November mid-term election debacle, which saw the Republicans taking over the House of Representative, also proved that Obama’s smooth talking style of leadership has not helped much in terms of reversing his growing unpopularity at home.
If Obama can help the US improve its economic situation by way of profusely offering Islamic greetings in all his speeches in Jakarta, and if it would take Michelle Obama to don the Islamic scarf on the premises of Istiqlal Grand Mosque, so be it. It would still be in America’s national interest, and by all means not Indonesia’s.
The so-called Comprehensive Partnership, which was only mentioned in passing at UI, is also a curious subject that needs to be scrutinized. What’s in it for Indonesia?
While the US$165 million exchange scholarship and university partnership programs are a clear benefit for Indonesians, more so than for the Americans, what is installed for Indonesia on the environment, climate change and clean energy programs, amounting to $136 million?
What specific programs can the US offer to help Indonesia mitigate these problems? Is Obama aware of Freeport in Papua and its various negative spillover effects, resulting in environmental degradation and further disfranchisement among the local people there?
The recent agreements with respect to the US on Science and Technology Cooperation and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation should also be factored in into our assessment on Obama’s recent official visit.
What about the current negotiations on the purchasing of F-16s by the Indonesian Air Force and the resumption of military ties? Shouldn’t these issues be looked at closely and critically as well?
As the saying goes, the devil is in the details. Unfortunately, Indonesians are far too often unable to place clear demands, let alone articulate their national interest. Obama’s magic spell has worked wonders among Indonesian journalists, diplomats and intellectuals.
If only we can focus more seriously on the detailed substances can one then really cheer on Obama and appreciate his contributions to Indonesia.
Otherwise, Obama’s “homecoming visit”, as Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono referred to it, will bear no consequences, and will only benefit the US politically and economically.
What is worst, the only unforgettable memory the people of Jakarta will ever have on Obama’s visit is the hours of heavy traffic caused by the thousands of police officers and soldiers deployed to effectively block off all streets used by Obama and his entourage.
The writer is the Asian Public Intellectuals’ (API) Regional Project manager. He received a Fulbright award in 1999 and now teaches the American Political System in the postgraduate school of Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta.
