Creative Retirement - Great Decisions
4 . INDIA CHANGES COURSE -- March 13, 2015 d
Fed up with corruption, dynastic policies and ineffective public services, Indian voters catapulted Narenda Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party to power in the country's 2014 elections. For voters, Modi embodied real change and an India that wasn't stumbling, but running, to greatness. But for the U.S., change in India brings its own set of unknowns, heralding an age ruled by a prime minister new to national office and other policymakers who have been out of the public eye for a decade. Now, the U.S. has to determine how to best secure its interests as India asserts itself on the world stage.
Pre-meeting notes
1 . Hinduism
Brahmanism started 5,000 years ago. gradually became Hinduism.
There was a high culture you seldom hear about the cities of Mohenjo-daro and Harappam in the Indus Valley, now Pakastan, 5,000 years ago The capital city of 23,500 people had writing, contemporary to ancient, Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Brahmanism grew out of prehistory in that culture, gradually became Hinduism. Hindu do not think they have many gods, but one god in many forms.
There is a Hundu temple in Iowa. Web page http://www.iowatemple.org/
From DesMones/Grimes, go north on Iowa 17 about ten miles, half mile past the river, 4 miles before Madrid. This is not a Quonset hut, but a real Hindu temple, picture of it is ornamental as all-get-out just like Raj's on "Big Bank Theory" last night.
Open morning and evenings. Repeat web address is: iowatemple.org
2. Risk of WW3
India shares a conflicted state with her neighbor to the west that
occupies territory that was once her own.
Tensions of water and resources of the Indus River are not new.
President Clinton said India-Pakistan Border is the most dangerous place on earth. The Indus River flows thru Pakistan, but originates in India. Chief cities, formerly Indian: Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad.
Prediction is for WW3 to start with war between Pakistan and India.
650,000 soldiers man a 480 mile border -- some of those troops under the control of Al-Qaeda. And 230 nuclear warheads ready to be fired.
Newspaper headlines: "If the Blast Wave does not arrive within five Seconds of the flash, You are Far Enough from Ground Zero." A book, "The Zero Line" by Dr. Ken Moore describes the dangers of two hostile nations with no concern for mutually assured destruction. India has willingly fought several border wars with Pakistan and and China since War 2.
Bengal Dash the former eastern province is too poor to bother anyone.
My question is whose side are we on? They are each alien cultures.
Ghandi and Naruah each obstructed Allied efforts in WW2 and India fielded a division to fight for Japan. India's anti-British attitude and nearness with Russia joined the other block in the Cold War period. And we were once allied with Pakistan. When Russia fell, India went independent. And Pakistan has Muslim defensive ties to Al Quada, etc. When Russia fell, India went independent. And Pakistan has Muslim defensive ties to Al Quada, etc.
[Other candidates are Russia - Ukraine,Baltic is a good bet (Our NATO allies and our president are so weak that Russia feels strong) ;
Iran etal and Israel ; China vs. US, PI, Japan ; N.Korea is foolish,
but anything can escalate when other nations are a coiled springs. ]
3 . Jobs Problem
India is considered to be on the way to becoming the third largest
world economy, but I suspect that has to do with total population
than with anything relating to the common person whose share of GDP is $1,626.
Rural to urban is shared problem with other countries.
Although India had a sterilization program in the 1970s, they handle excess population by expatriation around the world.
The economy is not based on manufacturing which is 23% whereas Japan 40-50%. Growth rate is 4.5% whereas China has been over 10%. The biggest
employment group is government make-work jobs as unskilled guards at every ATM. Government borrowing is high (everybody knows interest is a waste, except politicians). Foreign investment is to obtain a footing in Indian markets. Usually with automated equipment rather than to provide jobs, For every dollar in, Indians send 65c overseas. Foreign investment and manufacturing is hindered by labor statutes that predate the War and have highly paid workers for life, whereas 70% of factory jobs are by contract employees with no rights. Thus there is a two-tier employment level. Half of industrial work is done in factories without electricity {as seen in the film}. With no trust in the future, saving is held in things such as the tradition of owning gold and not as investment into the economy. Youth education is high, but with no jobs, hence expatriation. The best come to U.S. Few woman in the work force. In fact woman have little respect and rape is rampant.
I have spoken with Indians who say the caste system continues and untouchable class is real ; Wiki says the discriminated group is 31%, poor, with a literacy rate of 55%. A government commission covered more than 3,000 castes in the Other Backward Class. I don't understand what that means and am unable to relate to any American concept.
The other two-thirds of population is made up of 26% Brahmin and 43% as middle castes.
Recall that Hindu is 81% of population, Islam 13%, with others the remaining 6%.
By religion, untouchables and poor are Buddhists, Sikhs, and Hindu,
The upper class is Jainist, Zoroastrians, Muslims, Sikhs.
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Last updated : March 13, 2015
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