Prabowo Tries to Remake Indonesia. At What Cost?: Moss & Vaswani

It didn’t take Prabowo Subianto long to abandon his carefully cultivated image as an avuncular figure devoted to his cats. The makeover, which propelled the former top general to the presidency of Indonesia after two failed attempts, served its purpose. His inaugural address in October was a very different story, replete with martial rhetoric and purpose. Citizens were urged to show patriotism, courage — and no small amount of ambition. Investors would welcome a bit less aspiration.

Prabowo didn’t go as far as the republic’s first president, Sukarno, who 60 years ago declared an intent to live dangerously. Sukarno was on ...