Bridges Not Barriers February 2021 by Wayne Forrest I often hear the idea that during the past 4 years the US government, apart from its Navy, has not been as engaged with Indonesia or Southeast Asia as many would like. The message: China’s influence grows in the vacuum of a lack of US engagement.
Outlook 2021 January 2021 By Wayne Forrest A large, red-tailed hawk landed on a tree outside my study just as I sat down to write this month's commentary. Some say that if you have a hawk sighting you are ready to take on a larger, more expansive vision of your world. I take it as
E Plurbum Tunggal Ika December 2020 by Wayne Forrest The past month's events reminded me of how often the US and Indonesia can be more alike than they are different. Yes, both countries share a similar motto: E Plurbus Unum, "Out of One Many", for the US; Bhinekka Tunggal Ika, "Unity in Diversity", for
Swing State November 2020 Commentary by Wayne Forrest The US election has been focused on swing states, key places where our two political parties contest for electoral votes every four years. Even more than it may have in the past, the US government now sees Indonesia as a swing state, important in our own
Omnibus Struggles October 2020 Commentary by Wayne Forrest Its hard to focus on economic topics during a pandemic that continues to grow and spread. But, it should not go unnoticed that the World Bank now predicts that the Indonesian economy will contract more than they had predicted only a few months ago and it
Labor Day 2020 September 2020 Commentary by Wayne Forrest With unemployment at record levels in both the US and Indonesia amidst an ongoing pandemic I've been reflecting on Indonesia's struggle to find meaningful employment for her growing population of 270 million. Of course, our two nations do not share Labor Day: Indonesia observes International
Remember America August 2020 Commentary by Wayne Forrest On the 17th of this month Indonesia celebrates the 75th anniversary of Soekarno and Mohammad Hatta's audacious declaration of independence from Dutch colonialism. With only a collection of militias and officers (some trained by the recently departed Japanese), an air force that consisted of one plane
Rays of Hope July 2020 Commentary by Wayne Forrest, President We're close to America's Independence Day, typically a time of public celebrations, parties, and mass gatherings. Of course, this year these events honoring the birth of our democracy are severely hampered by the pandemic. Indonesia modeled its Republic on ours, but only in part.
The Souls of Two Pilots June 2020 Commentary by Wayne Forrest, President Over the past few months I have been trying to make sense of our current pandemic and find a coherent truth in the cacophony of news reports and government policies. How is our economy going to open ? What are we doing about
Is Indonesia a COVID-19 Outlier? May 2020 Commentary by Wayne Forrest Reading the press must be troubling for Indonesian leaders. Many accounts describe an out-of-control virus, compromised healthcare system, and an impotent government reaction. Typical is this comment by a Carnegie Endowment scholar: "The government's disregard for data, reliance on military personnel for crisis