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08 14th, 2004 | 
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 08/14/2004 1:47 PM Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo, Jakarta Like Indonesia, the United States is facing a vital presidential election. The recent Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts, nominated Sen. John Kerry as the Democratic presidential candidate, with Sen. John Edwards as his vice presidential running mate. They will be running against the incumbent George W. Bush, who most likely will keep Dick Cheney as his running mate. It is far from clear who will win the election this November, but the entire world is wondering whether we can expect a different United States, whoever the American people elect. Many people know that the administration of the current U.S. president has stoked anti-American sentiment in many parts of the world. The most obvious example of this is the U.S. position in Iraq, where the U.S. administration has failed to validate its arguments for attacking Iraq and has been unable to build widespread support for its actions there, even on policies that should read more .....
Oleh Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo HUBUNGAN Indonesia-AS senantiasa merupakan pekerjaan rumah yang penting bagi masing- masing pemerintah. Meski letak AS jauh dari Indonesia, pengaruh ekonomi, politik, militer, dan sains-teknologi harus senantiasa menjadi pertimbangan penting bagi tiap pemerintah di Indonesia. Sebaliknya, meski Indonesia bukan negara yang kuat dalam ekonomi dan militer, tetapi faktor geografi, demografi, dan sosial membuatnya tidak dapat diabaikan oleh Amerika Serikat (AS) yang adikuasa dalam berbagai bidang. Sulitnya bagi kedua pihak adalah, hubungan itu amat dipengaruhi masalah-masalah mendasar yang sukar ditiadakan. PERSOALAN mendasar pertama bersumber pada identitas bangsa. Inti (core) identitas bangsa AS terbentuk dari sejarah terwujudnya bangsa itu, yaitu terdiri kaum pendatang dari ras putih, terutama dari Inggris beragama Protestan (WASP, White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). Meski kini AS menjadi masyarakat multirasial, namun dominasi ras putih amat nyata, yaitu 69 persen putih, 12 persen Hispanic, 12 persen hitam, 4 read more .....