America & India Sitting in a Tree...

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I was reading The Economist and I found an article that stated the new nuclear grants given to India. Although they did not get a seat on the U.N, they did recieve more nuclear freedom. President Bush made sure to invite India's president Manmohan Singh and entertain him very well with the fifth feast Bush has thrown in his eight year term.

Unfortunetly the people of India are probably correct in thinking this is only a step in taking down China for America to stay a real superpower.

Thoughts? Comments?

[Taffy_is_a_Taff]

I'm sure India is concerned about China too.

It's not like Communist China hasn't claimed Indian territory and gone to war over it before.

[Strike For The South]

I cant read the economiat the words are to big . If I was India I would be scared to powerful eniemes call for powerful friends

[Soulforged]

Not a great way to go if you want to disarm this wonderful world. Just in my opinion.

[discovery1]

I was reading The Economist and I found an article that stated the new nuclear grants given to India. Although they did not get a seat on the U.N, they did recieve more nuclear freedom. President Bush made sure to invite India's president Manmohan Singh and entertain him very well with the fifth feast Bush has thrown in his eight year term.

Unfortunetly the people of India are probably correct in thinking this is only a step in taking down China for America to stay a real superpower.

Thoughts? Comments?

Hmm. Good. Or at least it would be if China was the only factor. This could hurt relations with Pakistan and probably would help contribute to an arms race on the Sub-Contenent.

And I think that it would be good for India to be another Superpower, certainly much better than China being one. They have, at least to my knowledge, no reason to threaten our interests and they are a democracy to boot.

[Geoffrey S]

Hmm. Good. Or at least it would be if China was the only factor. This could hurt relations with Pakistan and probably would help contribute to an arms race on the Sub-Contenent.

Antagonizing Pakistan is always a major issue, and why care is needed.

And I think that it would be good for India to be another Superpower, certainly much better than China being one. They have, at least to my knowledge, no reason to threaten our interests and they are a democracy to boot.

A dangerous attitude which has lead to more than a few problems over the years in various regions.

[AntiochusIII]

Antagonizing Pakistan is always a major issue, and why care is needed.

It is a major headache for any US foreign policy drafters to keep the balance. Both Pakistan AND India are invaluable allies for the US to keep its influence in the area.

And they hated each other.

It perhaps depends on who's more the danger: the terrorists of the Middle East or China.

A dangerous attitude which has lead to more than a few problems over the years in various regions.

True, but India is, nonetheless, safer than China to be a power, and I'll tell you why I believe it so:

They are faced by Pakistan, and therefore will never be able to devote their full attentions in gaining influence in the world. Pakistan cannot be taken over, either, without bringing US' wrath down on India. China's rivals include Japan, which had no real military power of its own (and, even though economically they could afford a powerful military, the culture forbids that.), Russia, which is careful not to enrage the flexing muscle of China, since they aren't as powerful as they were, and a few other small countries/states such as Taiwan and wavering South Korea. In other words, China dominated its locals, while India wasn't such a case.

India's a very divided country. You know you can never really become The One if you're internally divided that badly. America itself was hurt badly when the Vietnam War devided the nation in half. China, on the other hand, has millenias of common culture as a backup for public loyalty. The Chinese prided themselves and for good reason.

India still likes America, while China's...well...remember the Korean War?

India's concerned with China's growing power, and therefore see long-term benefit of being America's friend. Besides, apart from Pakistan they rarely conflicts with America's interests. China...they probably are concerned with how to peacefully topple American domination and take its place.

Besides, the less-modern minded can add the last reason: China's commie, man. McCarthy said so. We gotta remove them. India's our democratic friend, too!

[Geoffrey S]

I'd also prefer India to China; all I mean to say is that actively trying to make India more powerful as a counterweight to China is a dangerous policy with potentially troublesome longterm effects, as it has been in the past when nations helped others in an effort to provide a balance to other powers in the region. It serves to antagonize the power who loses out (in this case not just China, but also Pakistan, nominally ally of the US), and more often than not creates too radical a shift in balance which the various participants struggle to adjust to. Recent examples would be supporting Iraq against Iran or the support for the Mujahideen, though I'm in no way inferring the US is solely guilty of such practices.

[bmolsson]

India is the worlds largest democracy and a natural ally for US and the western nations.....

[Kaiser of Arabia]

I cant read the economiat the words are to big

Shhh....

[Lemur]

I cant read the economiat the words are to big

There's always Newsweek and Time -- they use little words, and no scary concepts. It's like a fabric softener for the brain. Or if that's too challenging, you could just poison yourself with a massive overdose of cable news ...

[Strike For The South]

nah Lemur Im fine with hog hunter

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Lol.

History lesson: The conflict in Kashmir right now stems from the fact that when Kashmir was supposed to chose India or Pakistan the king was Hindu, which made him say India. The people were mainly muslim which made them want to go to Pakistan...

[master of the puppets]

5TH FEAST?! i only got 1 .

but really it is good for america to have allies such as china and pakistan in the region as it is a toe hold for any operations in the future (pray they never come). also at one time it really was in the United States intrests to do buisness in labor filled india even if its hurting our economy today. i like to see such a good relationship with india, a little friend in the east.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

And I'm half Indian, in case anyone was wondering...

One reason for the post...