Obama’s Visit to Indonesia Mixes Pride With a Dose of Reality

Barack Obama spent four years of his childhood in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation. His first visit as US president to the stable democracy was poignant and reflects Indonesia's status as a new foreign-policy priority. “The Obama administration has become increasingly solicitous of Indonesia, viewing it as a key counterbalance to an emboldened China,” writes Chico Harland for the Washington Post. “U.S. officials laud the 86 percent Muslim country as a template for moderate Islam, adept at weakening the extremist groups that launched high-profile attacks on tourist sites, embassies and hotels in 2002 to 2005.” Indonesians, keenly interested in Obama, follow US politics, including health-care reform, mid-term elections and mosque-construction policies. The US Embassy organized an Obama-trivia game show, with three winners of trips to other Obama homes. Writer Mark Twain suggested that “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” The same can be said of countries that warmly welcome those from other lands. – YaleGlobal