American influence

If one characterizes films as cultural products with disregard of their quality, American cultural influence on Indonesians has been immense since the beginning of World War II, when Americans were not actually participating in the conflict.

Even today Indonesians freely experience American cultural influence with pleasure, via television programs that have audiences flocking to their television sets to follow live country music, jazz and blues performances, along with the waltz, cha-cha, tango and rumba and what have you.

Despite spreading anti-American sentiments, the American military has left no stone unturned in its efforts to renew ties with its Indonesia counterparts, by offering U.S. military equipment and in easing terms for concluding military deals. The Americans, or most of them apparently, are still suspicious that some if not many international terrorists leaders with ties to the al-Qaeda movement may be hiding on the many small islands or in the jungles and mountains of Indonesia.

Whatever the case, American, or for that matter any foreign capital investors, while they may dance the night away to the tune of country music, jive or blues, should carefully watch labor movements in private and state enterprises. They should only cooperate with moderate worker unions that can be asked to join the management or be given some stake in the corporations. The laws on regional autonomy may lead to greater confusion, with regions becoming more ambitious to participate in decision- making.

Other nations may envy the Americans in Indonesia, where the U.S. cultural influence, including pornographic videos, regretfully, will continue to flourish, with or without the controversial chicken legs being allowed to enter the country, dead or alive.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta