Palantir Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > CT - No one really disagrees with your comments on > India’s pols doing what they do. Do you really > think Indians are happy with the way things run? > Criticizing them is probably India’s favorite > pastime after cricket. Point is - what exactly are > you (not specifically you, but the broader western > media) adding that people already don’t know? > > > > > Btw, in my earlier comment, by the opposition, I > actually meant the BJP. But not going to go there. Let me tell you one more thing about the actual Indian psyche - Indians love criticizing institutions. They will criticize each and every institution, no matter however clean record it might have, no institution is safe from Indian affinity towards criticizing institutions. Now, this gets automatically factored in PR decision making, and that’s the biggest problem. In such scenario, any criticism becomes worthless on assumption that there’s no escape from it, and when people become addicted to criticizing too much too often like a druggist needs daily dose of cocaine, it ceases to be a mechanism to improve things. This leads to growth of different propaganda to create larger than life characters. Indians love heros and larger than life figures. You can not sustain an institution here, without a heroic figure. This is the point where opposition fails, they work like team where no one outshines others - once they had such a figure and they managed to get the public office. No matter, how ineffective the PM or the main leader is, they garner respect because of their whatever achievements. It’s the same respect which gives them chances to screw up again and again, and even a smallest good deed is enough to wash out their terrible wrongdoings, hence it’s win or lose situation when someone throws dirt on their reputation - it then transforms into a war not a debate. Indians are not happy with the system, but they are slaves to the reputation of people holding highest offices,they will not listen to someone who gives them a logic or a solution, but they will blindly follow someone they respect. Indians are themselves responsible for current state of affairs, they will do best for themselves when they will stop being reputation whores and start placing more importance in building strong institutions. Right now they think, only a crusader, a god like figure will pull them out of their miseries, and ideas of building strong and accountable institutions is just gibberish. Call it immaturity or whatever, but it’s the state of affairs here, however gloomy it might be. This is probably the biggest cultural difference between East and West.
You are definitely right about heroes and larger than life figures. In every single field, in so many different ways. You might recall the reception Diego Maradona got in Kolkata!
Palantir Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > As I pointed out, BBC loves the ruling party > because they are much friendlier than the > opposition. > > Do you feel the West/other nations would prefer > dealing with MMS/SG or would they prefer > Modi/Advani/Jaitley in power? > > > Remind me the last time foreign news outlets said > anything nice about LKA. I guess they would prefer dealing with the BJP. BJP is extreme right, they are all in for privatization, dismantling trade barriers, letting foreign companies enter India, increasing FDI etc etc. But, no one ever says anything bad about any high ranking politician, here you can not survive like that. Even the media persons won’t dare to shout on TV until are not confirmed that they are just crashing in the party, they would never throw the party.
Palantir Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > You are definitely right about heroes and larger > than life figures. In every single field, in so > many different ways. > > > You might recall the reception Diego Maradona got > in Kolkata! And what about politics of South Indian states - where all the top ranking politicians are movie stars. It’s just insanity. Btw… whatever I have expressed are not my views entirely, I inherit plenty of ideology from the Future Group’s philosophy on running a retail business.
You’re right also about the opposition’s lack of a dominant personality, they have a number of “midlevel” stars in Modi, Nitish, and maybe potentially Maya, but nothing like Congress’s anointed son. However, they would never prefer BJP. You’re thinking of the American Right, when you say they’re pro free markets/FDI etc. A right-wing govt that pursues its interests aggressively wouldn’t be favored by other nations…think of all the ripples that it would create in South Asia and perhaps abroad.
BBD, this phenomenon isnt restricted only to South India. The Terminator became the Guvernator in California. Ronald Reagan was a film and TV actor ! but yeah its much more crazy down South. there were riots sometime back when a well known film star passed away and his fans weren’t allowed to pay their last respects ! also, i agree that the country has problems . Hell, more problems than you or i could ever even list out ! but simply deriding the “middle class” and criticizing everything around adds to zilch. Doing nothing…THAT is the typical Indian mentality and the reason why its STILL in this state. also, have you guys not seen Anna Hazare??? the man practically curses the ruling party EVERY time he speaks and the media gives it prime time coverage ! not trying to paint a rosy picture here but there IS hope and there ARE people trying to do something. @ Palantir, the “Anointed” son’s star is declining lately. people are starting to see him for what he actually is. a third rate uneducated politician whose sole qualification is his surname.