Instability in the Indian economy

I can’t say I feel bad for India. They have shown us who they are with their support of Russia.

 

As someone who was born in India, I can say this cuts both ways. Historically, the US has always supported Pakistan despite them encouraging and actively supporting terrorist groups in India while the erstwhile USSR and now Russia have supported India in their fights against Pakistan.

 

I take your point. However, one can always use history to support any position that is already in their self-interest. The Indian government could have just as easily gone the other way, for instance, by citing U.S. support of Indian independence from the British Empire or, as a former subjugated people, by professing its disgust for Russian barbarism in subjugating another people Russia simply feels it is entitled to rule. But let’s be frank. This is not about history. It’s about cheap fuel. India has compromised its soul for cheap fuel. Would this make Ghandi proud?

 

India is staying with Russia because that’s where much of their armament was made so they need them for technical reasons. They also are still showing loyalty to Russia who supported them during the Cold War. But more basic to their needs, they have burgeoning economy with almost no oil production and hundreds of millions who can’t afford price increases.
I read an article the other day that India says they have “figured us out” and that we will do nothing because we need them. Pretty dangerous game to play, given their relative GDP and geopolitical clout. If they want clout, aiding against the vast majority of the world’s GDP and firepower isn’t usually the best first step.
But I wouldn’t expect anything less from Modi, dude is a polished version of Trump.

 

I don’t care for Modi or any of the political parties in India. But I have seen this claim about India supporting Russia a few times on this forum and wanted to provide perspective. You can’t just ignore 70+ years of the West supporting a terrorist state in Pakistan and then expect India to suddenly turn against the one country that has stood by them.

Additionally, India can’t afford to antagonize Russia given its border skirmishes and past wars with China too. If China and India have a conflict, India needs Russia’s support.

 

The fuel is more important than the weapons. I think India understands this. There’s somewhat of a field laboratory going on that is demonstrating the low quality of Russian weapons. If India was thinking long-term, it would accept the lack of arguable moral relativism in this and negotiate with the West for better weapons and alternate sources of fuel. Of course, part of this is the Administration’s lack of strategy in the matter, just like with Orban in Hungary. Instead of appealing to their conscience and shaming them when they reveal they don’t have one, appeal to their self-interest and get them, however you need to, inside the tent pissing out, instead of outside the tent pissing in.

 

Who is India’s bigger enemy China or Pakistan? If it’s China supporting Russia seems a bad move.

 

While certainly interesting to ponder, I would argue that India being involved in starting a nuclear war with Pakistan would be more likely than the US and China having one. I would also question how they could shut it down, and why it would make them the preeminent power if they somehow helped get a negotiated settlement.
Indias GDP is around 3 trillion, the US is 21 trillion, with 1/4 the people. Indias per capita GDP is around $2100, the US is 65k.
Their military budget is around 1/15th of ours.
Heck, even India themselves isn’t targeting being a developed economy for another 25 years or so.

/stat rant

 

Predictably, they have turned this into an attack on India, and compared it to an English massacre of peaceful Indian protestors from colonial times.

Adani slams US short seller 'attack on India' as stock rout hits $70 billion | CNN Business

 

The best line in the article:

 

Was watching a documentary on Ghandi and there was significant information about
the partition. A sad story for sure.

 

Ate you following the border conflicts between India and China? Shooting and casualties in several recent encounters.

 

Adani Group set for independent audit amid $92b meltdown: report

 

Yeah, India hasn’t exactly come out great in those to this point. But it does mean China has to worry about another large army on their border, which could be good news for Taiwan.