***India, the USA, Empire and CDMA*** Tim, the Roman Empire had Rome, the British Empire had London, the world now has Washington. Like it or not. Unlike in the British Empire, the subjects of the USA Empire are not even citizens of the USA, but are still subject to USA control.
That's okay by me. Sure, there is a real military threat [gunboat diplomacy in the old ways but smart bombs in the new] from the USA, but if you stay in line, it's okay. Same as it was in India. Same as in most Empires. The truth is, by and large, people benefit from Empires, even if they are not full citizens of them. I'm really benefiting from the USA empire but can't vote and am not a citizen. I'm very nervous that on Saturday, the people in NZ who want full independence from the USA Empire will win the election.
It's a fraud on India that freedom from the Evil British is good. It's good in some ways, but bad in many. The Maharajahs did NOT get all the wealth when the British were there.
People working in the bureaucracies and businesses as part of the British Empire's international trade did very well. Just as a billion people around the world do very well from working in the bureaucracies and businesses as part of the USA Empire's international trade. Sure, the Mysore Palace is something to behold, but quite run down these days. But there were flash buildings everywhere 50 years ago. Now they are looking shabby and old. There's not much new and momo. Even in Bangalore, there's not much.
As WWeb rolls out, those USA Empire benefits will increase. Many people around the world own stock in Qualcomm and Globalstar. Much thanks to the USA Empire!
Actually, we aliens have the best of both worlds. We have the trade from the international USA Empire, but without having to have the local laws such as freedom to machine-gun your schoolmates.
Maybe Indians are happy to be 'Free'. They didn't look very free and not specially happy [though quite happy enough which gives the lie to the idea that material property causes happiness]. Mostly they seemed really keen to get MONEY!! They want to get more stuff!!!
Neither can they blame being conned or tricked by the political system. Same in the USA. It is not misinformation, the bullet or the bomb which makes electorates choose their own shambles. If they got their thinking straight, they could change in 10 years. Look at Singapore, not far from India, and how it has improved over 30 years. Once they knew what to vote for, they kept doing it!
Ghandi was a little fakir. A swanky young lawyer who traded in his suits for the power and prestige of being boss. Okay, I'm sure he thought what he was doing was good and that independence was good and that the Evil British were to blame for India's woes and that 'freedom' would mean they'd become like Britain in material wealth. But I bet the average Indian doesn't feel any more well-off under Congress rule than under British rule. In the end, Ghandi starved himself to near death, [before being murdered - shot], in dismay at the murderous shambles he saw around him. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Yes, I think the Indian middle class would be actually well-off instead of in poverty [under any OECD definition] if India had not become independent and had voted for capitalism instead of communism. Of course, they would not have been ALLOWED to stay part of the British Empire. They would have been kicked out of being British not long after Independence. 50m Indians in Britain would NOT have been acceptable to the locals in the UK.
Even a few New Zealanders are not acceptable and we are excommunicated from Britain. So are they from us.
If India was better off, there would now be as much excitement over the prospects for CDMA there as there is in China. But it is poor while communist China, which is increasingly not communist, but capitalist, is buying cellphones like crazy.
Mq |
