India was an imagined idea:PM Manmohan Singh

[LaBong]

Obama's words were rhetoric, and any person worth his/her salt wouldn't take those at their face value. But Shah's Iran is a wrong analogy to that of today's India. Shah was a puppet of US after CIA toppled a democratically elected Govt in Iran. India is not comparable to them.

 

[roach]

I just want to remind you to please analyze the situation for yourself and come to your own conclusions. Relying on the words of a US President re how your country is doing - and that too while he is on a sales tour - can be very dangerous and misleading. They will say things out of their own self interest, not because they actually believe them.

I bring this up not to throw cold water on your enthusiasm, but in a genuine and friendly way. As an historic parallel, have you read Carter's famous "Island of Stability" toast which he gave on his very famous, much ballyhooed visit to Iran? The US already knew that the Shah was probably going to be overthrown and many groups believe that they even had a hand in it, but Carter still spewed this nonsense to mislead the Shah and placate him. Examine the irony in these words in a historic context:

“Iran, because of the great leadership of the Shah, is an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world. This is a great tribute to you, Your Majesty, and to your leadership and to the respect and the admiration and love which your people give to you.”

-- Jimmy Carter

Analyze each one of the statements. "Love which your people give to you". "Island of stability". "Great Leadership of the Shah". Each one of them, at the time Carter was saying these words, was a complete and utter lie. A great example of meaningless and non-genuine praise.

The unfortunate thing about US foreign policy is that it is always short term, the US tends to always lose interest and is thus unable to form longstanding relationships (please don't bring up the UK here, because we all know that clinging on to the coattails of the US is the only hope the UK has to remain relevant in today's world). In the words of Henry Kissinger:

“It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal”


The Big Apple: “It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal”

I agree.
I hate it whenever we Indians go on a self-back-patting spree. Perhaps it comes from being......'Down', for lack of a better word, for so long-under the colonial yoke, and then growing at 'The Hindu Rate Of Growth' for decades after Independence.

We latch on to even the most vague praise showered upon us by anyone and say 'We've Arrived! We're a World Power!'.

We, as a nation, are not above our poorest, most underprivileged villagers living in the Naxal-Infested states.

Until they come up, all this 'We have Arrived' talk is just a pipedream.

Now let's put our heads down, and work.

 

[LaBong]

Guy's it's 'Republic of India'. Republic being the keyword.

 

[ganimi kawa]

The real danger is from left wing loonies.

+1 to that, Indian lefties are far more lunatic than even the most hardcore right wing RSS follower.

And do not forget the "divide and rule" policy of our beloved Congress, belonging to the so called 'centre'.

 

[Dr sim]

"All the forces in the world are not so powerful as an idea whose time has come."

- Victor Hugo

wow..............

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Now let's put our heads down, and work.

Well said.

No matter how rich our respective countries become, we should always spare a thought for our countrymen who are not so lucky.

 

[Sprint]

“It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal”


Care to explain: where does pakistan stand? your govt (both present and past) says "we are friends of america and your public says america is enemy No.1".

At least it would help you to define your future course

 

[Jade]

I just want to remind you to please analyze the situation for yourself and come to your own conclusions. Relying on the words of a US President re how your country is doing - and that too while he is on a sales tour - can be very dangerous and misleading. They will say things out of their own self interest, not because they actually believe them.

I bring this up not to throw cold water on your enthusiasm, but in a genuine and friendly way. As an historic parallel, have you read Carter's famous "Island of Stability" toast which he gave on his very famous, much ballyhooed visit to Iran? The US already knew that the Shah was probably going to be overthrown and many groups believe that they even had a hand in it, but Carter still spewed this nonsense to mislead the Shah and placate him. Examine the irony in these words in a historic context and consider that they were delivered when Iran was already being rocked by the growing revolutionary movement:

“Iran, because of the great leadership of the Shah, is an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world. This is a great tribute to you, Your Majesty, and to your leadership and to the respect and the admiration and love which your people give to you.”

-- Jimmy Carter

Analyze each one of the statements. "Love which your people give to you". "Island of stability". "Great Leadership of the Shah". Each one of them, at the time Carter was saying these words, was a complete and utter lie. A great example of meaningless and non-genuine praise.

The unfortunate thing about US foreign policy is that it is always short term, the US tends to always lose interest and is thus unable to form longstanding relationships (please don't bring up the UK here, because we all know that clinging on to the coattails of the US is the only hope the UK has to remain relevant in today's world). In the words of Henry Kissinger:

“It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal”


The Big Apple: “It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal”

Comparing India with Iran is simply not apt. While Obama was praising India for its achievements, Carter was praising Shah to bring Iran into US fold. Many would agree with Obama's description of India, while few would agree with Carter on Shah and Iran.

As regarding US's friend and enemy, India is neither a friend nor enemy of US. India has always followed it's self interest and would follow in future...haven't you observed that the "strategic ally" thing is emanating from Washington and not from Delhi

 

[TechLahore]

Care to explain: where does pakistan stand? your govt (both present and past) says "we are friends of america and your public says america is enemy No.1".

At least it would help you to define your future course

We are friendly to America, but we do not see the US-Pakistan relationship shaping our future as we did in the '50s or '60s. And by the way, our public says India is enemy #1, not America, as evidenced by numerous polls. But that's another subject altogether.

The most important relationships for Pakistan are with countries like China, Turkey, some Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Malaysia and so on. Some would say that Russia will soon be added to this list, specially given our heightened interest in SCO.

Pakistan will pursue its self interest, despite Newsweek cover stories aiming to pressurize us, or backpatting, carrots and threats. We were and are a very young nation and I think we've learnt this lesson well. If things are moving in an acceptable direction, we will be friendly. If they are made to move in a direction unacceptable to us, we will become a threat.

 

[TechLahore]

Comparing India with Iran is simply not apt. While Obama was praising India for its achievements, Carter was praising Shah to bring Iran into US fold. Many would agree with Obama's description of India, while few would agree with Carter on Shah and Iran.

At the time, many people agreed with Carter's characterization, which is why he was able to deliver it with a straight face. Iran was a huge buyer of US weapons, goods and services. And Iran had achieved far more at that time, for its people, than India has. You may not be familiar with Iran's history, but Iran went from being carved up by the great powers, to being a very strong country, a shining economy, a nation with very high per capita income and the strongest military in the region. Iranian infrastructure was top-class, Tehran was called the "Paris of the Middle East", their roads, factories, the excellence of their universities and the revolution in Agriculture were all absolutely mind boggling. Pick up an old National Geographic featuring Iran from those times and take a peek.

Even today, India is no where close to the kinds of per capita income and infrastructural achievements Iran had achieved in the 70s.

But again, you are free to believe what you wish. If you think Obama's words were heart-felt and as another Indian friend said earlier, "India is the world's growth engine", then you are welcome to these opinions.

Finally, you said Carter was praising Iran to bring them into the US fold. This is hogwash. Iran had been in the US fold for decades prior to Carter's visit.

 

[navtrek]

'As Prime Minister, I sometimes feel like a high school student' - Rediff.com News

Amazing article thanks for posting

 

[RoYaL~GuJJaR]

nice article...our PM is simple man,,,lol.

 

[navtrek]

At the time, many people agreed with Carter's characterization, which is why he was able to deliver it with a straight face. Iran was a huge buyer of US weapons, goods and services. And Iran had achieved far more at that time, for its people, than India has. You may not be familiar with Iran's history, but Iran went from being carved up by the great powers, to being a very strong country, a shining economy, a nation with very high per capita income and the strongest military in the region. Iranian infrastructure was top-class, Tehran was called the "Paris of the Middle East", their roads, factories, the excellence of their universities and the revolution in Agriculture were all absolutely mind boggling. Pick up an old National Geographic featuring Iran from those times and take a peek.

Even today, India is no where close to the kinds of per capita income and infrastructural achievements Iran had achieved in the 70s.

But again, you are free to believe what you wish. If you think Obama's words were heart-felt and as another Indian friend said earlier, "India is the world's growth engine", then you are welcome to these opinions.

Finally, you said Carter was praising Iran to bring them into the US fold. This is hogwash. Iran had been in the US fold for decades prior to Carter's visit.

Nope i guess u have not read the article posted in the thread.
Its not abt what Obama said its abt what each and every indian feels our dreams of a better future an awsome economy etc ......

Its all about that optimism.... After all we are what we believe we are

 

[Lala_Peace]

Well said.

No matter how rich our respective countries become, we should always spare a thought for our countrymen who are not so lucky.

Well said!!!

 

[gowthamraj]

I agree with techlahore's points.