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To be fair, Indonesia is hardly alone as a republic to have elected an appalling character for a leader. If anything, they're somewhat late to this past decade'
by Apocryphon 2y ago
To be fair, Indonesia is hardly alone as a republic to have elected an appalling character for a leader. If anything, they're somewhat late to this past decade's wave.
- defrost 2y agoLate? They were early adopters of appalling character leaders, Suharto was elected in 1968 after seizing power and self appointing in 1967. He was repeatedly elected for thirty years (with varying amounts of opposition and rigging during those decades).
- Apocryphon 2y agoI meant specifically the contemporary populist wave since Brexit or so.
- rsynnott 2y agoI think it's easy to see Brexit and Trump as the start of this in retrospect, but it goes back further; Burlusconi is a particularly glaring example.
- Apocryphon 2y agoBerlusconi is a perfect precursor to this type of character. But I'd say Conte and the Five Star Movement is far more populist and part of a global wave than Bunga-Bunga was.
- keybored 2y agoWhen someone points to something in the 60’s, it’s time to admit that your presumption that this is part of some outside wave might not be accurate.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- Apocryphon 2y agoBut that someone is wrong. Pointing out past strongmen (which both Suharto- and Sukarno, really, were) have led Indonesia in the distant past is not the same as Subianto being democratically elected into office and replacing the mainstream Widodo and ending the Era Reformasi. Subianto exists in the same company as Duterte, Modi, Erdogan, Bolsonaro, Meloni, Milei; 2010s and onwards figures.
- hdra 2y ago"elected"
- bboygravity 2y agoYou left out the bit where he murdered over a million or so unarmed civilians for possibly being communists.
- arczyx 2y agoThe election was just for show, he held absolute power those days.