This analysis of US policy towards Indonesian nationalism concludes that
Truman's support for independence was based on his Cold War priorities
and not principled backing for self-determination. It reveals how
Eisenhower's New Look led to a disastrous CIA-backed intervention in
1957-58 and propelled Indonesia towards the Soviet bloc. Exposing the
extent of Australian influence on US policy, this account reveals how
the personal prejudices of Eisenhower and John Foster Dulles undermined
the notion of rational policymaking.