The Intelligence: Indonesia’s election, more TikTok than tick-box
Jan 31, 2024
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Su Lin Wong, Southeast Asia correspondent for The Economist, sheds light on Indonesia's unique approach to campaigning, where social media savvy trumps policy discussions. She highlights a 72-year-old candidate’s transformation via TikTok, raising questions about authenticity in politics. The conversation also delves into the declining Panama Canal's impact on global trade and the challenges posed by wild boar hybrids in Canada, which are disrupting local agriculture while alarming American pork producers.
Probo Santoso, a 72-year-old defense minister in Indonesia, has gained popularity among young Indonesians by rebranding himself with viral TikTok campaign videos, highlighting the influence of social media on elections.
The Panama Canal's significant drop in trade volume due to drought has neighboring countries exploring alternative land-based routes, indicating the impact of climate change on global trade routes.
Deep dives
Indonesia's Presidential Election: A Rebranded Candidate Woos Young Voters
Probo Santoso, a 72-year-old defense minister in Indonesia with a controversial past, has successfully rebranded himself with young voters through viral campaign videos on TikTok. Despite his history of alleged human rights abuses and autocratic tendencies, Probo has gained popularity among young Indonesians who see him as cute and like a friendly grandpa. With more than half of Indonesia's voters being millennials or younger, Probo is likely to become the next president, aided by his association with the current beloved president and clever social media tactics.
The Panama Canal Faces Reduced Capacity Due to Drought
The Panama Canal, a crucial trading route, is experiencing a 30% drop in trade volume due to the worst drought in over 70 years. Shallow water levels are limiting the passage of large container ships, forcing authorities to reduce the number of ships passing through or require them to carry less cargo to conserve water. This decrease in capacity has neighboring countries like Mexico and Colombia considering alternative land-based routes to transport goods between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. However, these land routes face challenges in terms of slower transit times and unloading cargo, making maritime routes still more efficient.
Canada's Wild Pig Problem: A Consequence of Hybrid Breeding
Canada is grappling with a growing population of hybrid pigs resulting from crossbreeding with wild boars, initially done to improve gene pools in the 1980s. These large, adaptable, and prolific pigs are wreaking havoc on prairie provinces, damaging crops and disrupting food production. Efforts to control their population have been insufficient, and there are concerns that they will spill over into the United States, posing risks for American pork producers by transmitting diseases and causing billions in financial losses. The long-term and serious nature of this wild pig problem extends beyond just Canada and has become a broader North American concern.
Campaigning for a coming election in the world’s fourth-most-populous country has been almost entirely policy-free: a good social-media presence is nearly all candidates need. As the Panama Canal dries out, neighbouring countries spy an opportunity—but how much of that trade can they expect to siphon off (09:11)? And, the wild boar hybrids causing havoc on Canada’s prairies (15:56).
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