The president of the great super power nation is going do descend to the land of the third world where some people still live on a dollar a day.
Bush is going to visit Bogor, a small city just a few miles outside the capital Jakarta on Monday to meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the Bogor Presidential Palace. They’re said to discuss about health, education and poverty as well as some global issues from North Korea and Iran nuclear plan to terrorism. Bush is scheduled to stay briefly, just about 6 hours and off again he goes. He’ll be visiting on his Asian tour after Vietnam and Singapore. This will be his second trip to Indonesia. The first one was when he visited Bali to meet the previous President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
Of course one would expect that he’d receive a warm welcome here in Indonesia. The warmth has been shown weeks prior to his arrival by the Muslims and students. Hundreds of hard-line Muslims have been demonstrating in front of American Embassy wearing Bush masks, carrying American flag and banners saying USA is the real terrorist. That just shows you how much we, I mean they love Bush.
Civilians in Bogor city have also been protesting for Bush’s visit is making their routine lives interrupted. Students might be dismissed for the day (which I’m sure they’d be loving it), street vendors who sell cigarettes, sweet potatoes and corn, ice cream and candies might not be able to earn money for a day and unable to satisfy the hungry locals, employees who aren’t as lucky as to have a day off might have to find alternate ways to get to work. Yes, that is too much hassle for hundreds of people to be caused by one person. That one person is the President of The United States.
Security will also be super duper extra tight. We have to protect our honorary guest by all measure. Main streets around the area of the Presidential Palace will be closed and there will be more than 18,000 police troops deployed within the area. Soldiers equipped with rifles and members of the elite anti-terror squad will be patrolling around the area where the two will meet.
The Indonesian government is said to spend billions of rupiahs to ensure Bush’s security. Of course some people don’t like the idea. The money could be allocated for something more pressing and important in a country where most people are still living below the poverty line. But if we don’t ensure his security, and Bush ended up being shot to death on our soil, what would happen? Who would take the responsibility? Although some people would be jumping up and down in joy if that would ever happened.
Of course there are other ways to Rome. An Indonesian witch doctor has sworn to hex Bush during his visit with black magic.
He slit the throat of a goat, a small snake and stabbed a black crow in the chest, mixed their blood with herbs before drinking the potion and smearing it on his face.
He said the ritual will be performed within one kilometer radius from the palace and would cause Secret Service agents guarding Bush to fall into a trance and believe the U.S. leader was under attack, causing chaos. I am not sure what it would do to Bush, but if he returns with rashes or severe stomach ache, advice him to take X-Ray examination. There might be some nails and pieces of glass inside his stomach. If so, then you know who to blame. You can contact me and I’ll give you the name and I want asylum and citizenship in return.
It’s ironic how Bush is so unpopular in Indonesia while the two governments are actually very close. Indonesia is considered America’s ally in South East Asia in anti-terrorism efforts despite the differences over the Middle East policy.
It is early Monday morning here. Bush will be coming in a couple of hours. I don’t care whether people love or hate Bush, but I, for one would like to be there and shake his hand and say, “Good luck, dude!”
What do you think about his visit to Indonesia despite all the warnings and threats? Do you know anything about the political relationship between US-Indonesia governments? Good comments, bad comments are all appreciated.
