Random Crosschecking: Obama to Indonesia

In Kompas today.

Aviliani says if Obama cuts on military agression, the US budget deficit will improve. That in turns might reduce its import on oil and therefore oil price will be more stable. I think the opposite. If Obama withdraws his soldiers, yes budget improves. But it will not reduce the US demand for imported oil. It might even increase it.

A. Tony Prasetiantono says Indonesia might benefit from Obama being the US President if the US treats us like what they did to Mexico to help the latter cope up with the 1994-95 crisis. Somebody needs to tell Tony the real meaning of incentives. And yes he should read that Rubin book about what really happened in the White House at that time. The administration would not have helped Mexico if the US stake there were not that high.

Finally, A. Prasetyantoko thinks the economists who formulated Obama's econ plan are Volcker, Summers, and Rubin. I don't know if Pras confuses Clinton and Obama. But Obama's economists are Austan Goolsbee and Jason Furman.