Posted on 01/28/2006 10:55:06 PM PST by Gengis Khan
Global Attitudes Survey reports that Indians lead the world for the most favourable impression of the US — 71% of Indian respondents approved of Washington, followed by 62% Polish, 59% Canadians and 55% Britons.
The odyssey that India as a nation and a state has made from the Soviet bear hug of the 1970s to the American eagle’s embrace is a major transformation in world politics. President Bill Clinton’s admonishment of PM Nawaz Sharif and the subsequent Pakistani withdrawal from Kargil in 1999 were major diplomatic events that signalled new equations in the subcontinent.
The Indian Cold War-era misgivings about mala fide American intentions melted and the notion that Uncle Sam is no longer pro-Pakistan when it comes to Kashmir — gained credence. The rousing welcome Clinton got on his landmark visit to India in 2000 contained a sizeable positive hangover from the Kargil intercession.
The fact remains that the Indian public and the security establishment are ultra-sensitive to Washington approach toward Islamabad. PM Manmohan Singh’s expressed “great disappointment” at the delivery of F-16s to Pakistan.
The post-9/11 cozying up of the US to the Pakistani military regime and continued adherence of Washington to the idea of maintaining “strategic balance” in the subcontinent are irritants unlikely to vanish any time soon.
Conditionalities, such as India voting against Iran at the IAEA, are being brought up as exchanges that might appease the non-proliferation backers; but this moots a classic clash of New Delhi’s domestic politics with America’s.
But, long-term energy security interests and Left pressure will likewise constrict New Delhi’s flexibility on Iran.
The fact that the US is badly embroiled in a ‘Vietnamising’ Iraq suggests that full-scale war on Iran is an unfeasible scenario any time soon.
Bush has two more years to go at the helm and the timing of this visit is more profitable in terms of the policy cycle. Counter-terrorism and civilian nuclear technology transfer will be undoubtedly on the menu of the Bush-Manmohan summit, but these do not constitute the whole shebang.
Bush will endorse India as the regional hegemony by consulting with its leaders on escalating violence in Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Business delegations will accompany Bush to quietly notch out bilateral agreements on the sidelines. Bush’s trip will address Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture and discussions to deepen free trade, investment and armament sales.
NATO-class sophisticated military hardware is a key to the evolving bilateral relationship due to its implications for India as a countervailing force to authoritarian China, one of the favourite themes of the Republican administration. India’s long-term grand objective for competing with China will be to secure enough traction from the US. The Bush state visit may be better remembered for pushing the frontiers on these topics that ultimately thicken relations and reorder Asia’s chessboard configuration.
Golga Pa's.
It's disgusting.
"Bush has two more years at the helm." By my count he has three. In any case, I'm very pleased that America is liked in India...and also in Poland where I've had direct experience of it.
Huh?? Is that correct -- 59%?? Is there another Canada that no one's been telling us about???
Okay - I'll bite. What on EARTH is Golga Pa's???
Gee... I dunno - looks pretty scrumptious to me.
...I notice our "allies" the French don't appear at the top of the list...
Why post it twice?
See ya' this Summer?
This excludes Arab Indians I take it.
You mean Muslim Indians?
Yeah, Muslim Indians.
liqour is easy to get!
In fact, we Americans love Indians so much, we are willing to have sex with you.
All of you.
At the same time.
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