Which of the Presidential Candidates Gives Indonesia a ‘Soft Power’ Edge?
Has Indonesia finally found its place as one of the world’s leading nations? No doubt, the answer is yes. This is not to say that Indonesia has become a world power. It is a middle-income country with a large economy, but still not a wealthy country. It has neither the economic nor the military clout to qualify as one of the big boys in international affairs. And yet in the face of a global economic and financial crisis, the worst in decades, Indonesia is not at all seen as part of the problem. It is clearly regarded as a considerable part of the solution. It is one of three Asian countries — the other two being China and India — that today serve as icons of economic resilience. While it is not a population billionaire like these two Asian giants, its domestic market of around 230 million is nothing to sneeze at. It represents about 40 percent of the Asean region. And that large domestic market happens to boast the most confident consumers in the world. When your consumer confidence is
