India as a great power: Know your own strength

[Kompromat]

@Aeronaut:

We spend a lower percentage of our GDP on defence than Pakistan. We spend a much higher portion of our GDP on social welfare schemes (some of which are the biggest in the world). We spend more on health, education, infrastructure than your country does. Our poverty rates have been decreasing faster than our military power has been increasing. We have our priorities right, and sermons about spending money wisely should be reserved for certain countries that boast about spending money on nukes even if they have to eat grass.

Why do you always have to make comparisons with Pakistan? Has anyone done that? Is that even the topic?

 

[Maj. Kuldeep Singh]

Sir, then You have to take back your "at the expense of a state's own citizens" comment. Because if we are discussing sh!t pakistan is knee deep as compared to us and a pakistani would be the last person on this planet to use that phrase and sermon us.

 

[janon]

Why do you always have to make comparisons with Pakistan? Has anyone done that? Is that even the topic?

A comparison was in order to drive home the point that India's military spending is well within the norm. You can compare with other countries too if you want, I picked Pakistan because you are a Pakistani and I was responding to you. If you were Iraqi, I would have compared Iraq's spending as a percentage of its GDP and made the same point.

Whether a country is spending "too much" or "too little" can be gauged by comparing global averages, regional averages etc. By ANY yardstick, India does not spend too much on defence, in fact we probably should spend more, at least 2-2.5 percent, instead of the 1.8 percent we do now.

 

[Koovie]

This will explain.

No state can achieve greatness by feeding off its citizens to achieve military greatness instead of feeding its citizens. India may become the 4th largest spender on bombs and guns in next 6 years and claim greatness, however the same country ranks 135th on international human development index and is home to one of the largest malnourished population on earth.

It applies to Pakistan as well, as we spend more than we can afford to but Pakistan isn't willing to claim greatness nor do we have any hegemonic desires. This is why i said that India should invest in its citizens instead of buying arms, or keep a balance to achieve real greatness. For example Indian defense budget is around 36 billion a year while the Education budget is around 9-10billion.I am no friend of India, i would rather have India carry on with ignoring development of its own citizens which will do to India what no enemy can.

This cartoon is (as expected) made by some ignorant India hating person...
Military budget is less than 2%. All our economic success is only possible thanks to stability and democracy. We have the largest anti poverty programs in the world, we will spend +100 billions USD on infrastructure in the coming years and we spend billions on subsidies on food and gas.

The education figures are from the Union budget, which does not say much. Defense is a national matter, education, healthcare are state matters. India is one of the most federal countries in the world. The success in education depends largely on each state, not the GOI! Just take a look at the different HDI values in India which include the highest ones in all of south Asia.

 

[Kompromat]

Sir, then You have to take back your "at the expense of a state's own citizens" comment. Because if we are discussing sh!t pakistan is knee deep as compared to us and a pakistani would be the last person on this planet to use that phrase and sermon us.

Now you can stick that on your face and walk through India gate from my sake!

 

[KRAIT]

@Aeronaut Never read it.

I remember what Golda Meir said to her Israeli people. She said the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) had once scarcity of food but had more swords. She said that I learnt from him that you should be able to defend your country and the ones you love even if that means being hungry.

 

[Hellraiser007]

Now you can stick that on your face and walk through India gate from my sake!

India Gate itself is a symbol of foreign invasion we do not give much importance to that

@Aeronaut Never read it.

I remember what Golda Meir said to her Israeli people. She said the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) had once scarcity of food but had more swords. She said that I learnt from him that you should be able to defend the ones you love even if that means being hungry.

Kraity no need for being hungry when we have enough food . We can achieve both food security, welfare and at the same time we can also become a strong power to recon on international stage.

 

[Kompromat]

@Aeronaut Never read it.

I remember what Golda Meir said to her Israeli people. She said the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) had once scarcity of food but had more swords. She said that I learnt from him that you should be able to defend the ones you love even if that means being hungry.

You have a strong argument there,however what Golda Meir didn't mention is that Mohammed [PBUH] was a bit of a socialist and a selfless man, he walked around with stones attached to his stomach so his fellows can eat his food. It doesn't mean that the state he founded wasn't getting rich, it was getting wealthy. What she didn't mention is that He also was a business oriented guy and believed in trade,economics and education.

In the context of India, there should be streamlined growth across the society and that builds a defensive shield of its own. Military might alone has never achieved greatness.

 

[anilindia]

This will explain.

No state can achieve greatness by feeding off its citizens to achieve military greatness instead of feeding its citizens. India may become the 4th largest spender on bombs and guns in next 6 years and claim greatness, however the same country ranks 135th on international human development index and is home to one of the largest malnourished population on earth.

It applies to Pakistan as well, as we spend more than we can afford to but Pakistan isn't willing to claim greatness nor do we have any hegemonic desires. This is why i said that India should invest in its citizens instead of buying arms, or keep a balance to achieve real greatness. For example Indian defense budget is around 36 billion a year while the Education budget is around 9-10billion.I am no friend of India, i would rather have India carry on with ignoring development of its own citizens which will do to India what no enemy can.

India defence budget per capita is less than USD 10. It is one of the lowest in world.

Pakistan military consume 50 % of total income

 

[nair]

Long way to go to become a great power...... too early to say..... If we start believing that we are great power.... I am sure we become complacent and stop progressing.... Lets look at progressing on every front and when we can compete with top countries on all the fronts.... thats the say we can say we are a great power.... lekin Dilli Bohuth dhoor hein!!!!!!!

 

[Pandora]

@Aeronaut I will rather die hungry than let my country, my motherland taken over by enemies. I am ready to sacrifice everything, so that my coming generation rremains in freedom for what our forefathers fought for.

I know we have 450 million poor people, but we have 1.2 billion Free Indians. Self Respecting India.

We will get out of this condition. I, as an Indian will make sure to do my part.

We may die of hunger, but we won't sell our freedom or let our sovereignty breached.

Well come tell me that when you skip a couple of days meal. You are far from being poor so don't gloat. It is real pity for both india and pakistan that people who sleep with their stomach full keep bragging about how they can starve them selves for sake of greater india or pakistan. You and me cant even begin to understand the misery of people who have to watch their loved ones sleep without anything to eat.

 

[Maj. Kuldeep Singh]

In the context of India, there should be streamlined growth across the society and that builds a defensive shield of its own. Military might alone has never achieved greatness.

There is an old saying in India, Bhaya Bin hoye na preeti.
Ie without fear, peace is not possible. hadnt it been for our strong military, there would have been dozens of 62 and 65. Its in the defence prepardness that we are spending the money, which is very vital for stability and growth.

Its common sense and I know you have some. You are trolling for trolling sake.

 

[Kompromat]

There is an old saying in India, Bhaya Bin hoye na preeti.
Ie without fear, peace is not possible. hadnt it been for our strong military, there would have been dozens of 62 and 65. Its in the defence prepardness that we are spending the money, which is very vital for stability and growth.

Being vital and being top priority are two different things.

Its common sense and I know you have some. You are trolling for trolling sake.

Cool the rhetoric, don't make me repeat.

 

[janon]

On topic:

Since we plan to indigenize defence production to a great extent in the forthcoming years, defence expenditure itself can be a good way of poverty reduction, IF planned and implemented properly. A lot of defence manufacturing is labor intensive, like ship building or vehicle manufacture or construction of border roads.

Instead of doling out cash or useless subsidies, we could pay people some honest wages, and earn their pay, while contributing to the nation's defence. I hope that all new manufacturing units will be developed in backward, poverty stricken areas of the country, and not in places where it is politically beneficial to put one.

 

[Koovie]

On topic:

Since we plan to indigenize defence production to a great extent in the forthcoming years, defence expenditure itself can be a good way of poverty reduction, IF planned and implemented properly. A lot of defence manufacturing is labor intensive, like ship building or vehicle manufacture or construction of border roads.

Instead of doling out cash or useless subsidies, we could pay people some honest wages, and earn their pay, while contributing to the nation's defence. I hope that all new manufacturing units will be developed in backward, poverty stricken areas of the country, and not in places where it is politically beneficial to put one.

True. But I dont see much hope for states with poor location factors. Unless those states dont get their **** together they wont get anything from the pie... may it be our defense industry or FDI.