Editorial – Okay, so Donald Trump has been elected the next president of the United States. Some people think that is a good thing. Many more people think that it is the first step towards an unthinkable global apocalypse.
The truth probably lies somewhere in between those two, but we imagine that, like us, many people living in Indonesia are extremely upset about this result. After all, Donald Trump has been famously bigoted against Muslims during his campaign, promising at one point to ban all members of the Muslim faith from traveling to the US (although he later morphed that racist policy into something called “extreme vetting”).
But since we now have to come to grips with this insane new reality, we’re going to do our best to grit our teeth and try to look at the bright side of a Trump presidency for Indonesia (if only so that we don’t become completely overcome with depression).
1. A lot of our best and brightest citizens will flee from the United States and come back home – We certainly can’t blame any Indonesians who decided to move to the United States in an attempt to look for better opportunities and a better life. But in Trump’s America, where xenophobic attitudes and policies against immigrants and Muslims will be on the rise, we imagine that many Indonesians living in the US will strongly consider returning back to their homeland. Call it reverse brain drain. Hopefully those re-pats will work to create a better, more tolerant society in Indonesia – the kind of country they thought they had found in America.
2. Trump shouldn’t have too much of an effect on US trade relations with Indonesia – Trump has promised to bring American manufacturing jobs that had been outsourced overseas back home. But we know that even when he says something is made in America in can come from other countries. Remember Trump’s “Made in the USA” suits that turned out to be made in Indonesia?
But on a more serious note, Indonesian leaders such as Vice President Jusuf Kalla have said that a Trump victory would be unlikely to have much of an effect on trade relations (though he did say that it would make world peace “difficult”).
3. Trump thinks we like him, so maybe he won’t be a total dick towards us – Unlike many Americans, Trump at least seems to know that Indonesia is a country and has even famously met some of our politicians . In September 2015, former House Speaker Setya Novanto famously said “Yes, highly,” when asked by Trump, “Do they like me in Indonesia?”
So if The Donald thinks we like him, maybe his foreign policy towards Indonesia won’t be totally shitty?
Alright, we admit we’re kinda grasping at straws here but we’re not sure what else to do right now except get really drunk. Actually, y’know what, that sounds like a great idea. We’re gonna go get drunk right now. See you later.
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