Lol. I discovered that the Indians have ENORMOUS pride in their old culture. I can't imagine why, either.
It must have been a GIANT HOOT when the British, by INVITATION, went to India. The British could out-snoot ANYONE on the planet. The Brits made it QUITE clear that they thought the WOGS were dirt beneath their feet.
It's too bad the Indians tolerate such poverty among their own...there might be an incipient genius in them thar slums. What a waste.
I have spent a lot of time in India, in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and New Delhi.
They do have a lot of poverty...but they are making some progress there, especially in the last 15 years. But there is a LOT more to go. THeir caste system, thugh officially not part of their “law,” is nonetheless so engrained into their culture that it is defacto “law.” But some progress is being made there too. It’s just slow.
Someone said we pay for their poor...not really. It is true American charitable organizations help, and a lot of Christian churches do missionary and outreach work there. They also receive UN monies...which part of which does come from the US. However, there is not enough money in the west or anywhere else to address their ills. They are going to have to help themselves and rise out of it.
Yes, there is a lot of corruption in their government...but sadly, there is within our own too.
Here’s the thing. India is a critical player in southern Asia...and their form of government and their basic instincts are a lot closer to our form of government than Pakistan or others. India should be a natural ally to us in the region, and particularly with the containment of China.
Someone else asked why they do not feed their poor more instead of developing nuclear weapons.
Seriously?
They are staring down the barrels of two loaded nuclear “guns.” The Pakis have nuclear weapons. The Chinese have nuclear weapons. India had to have a deterrent to those two...and it has worked. Hard to feed the poor if they are destroyed by a foreign, belligerent powers.
I am glad to see the Indian Navy coming of age. We will need their help and I hope we keep making overtures to them, and selling them more military technology and growing closer to them. It would be good to get them, over time, out of the Russian camp...or at least in a multi-polar relationship that includes us.
As I said...our carrier task force in the Indian Ocean will feel a lot better...particularly in coming decades as the Chinese continue to rise...with a couple of friendly carrier groups from the Indians available to assist if, God forbid, it ever becomes necessary.