Obama Visits India.
Abel
world, it's THE way to do things, it's THE way to prosper. This is the
way to be a world power. You increase the strength of your economy by
increasing trade with other countries. The old way is outdated and
counter-effective, you know, launching those barbaric wars to steal
other people's resources, that doesn't work any more.
This is how enlightened people do it, and President Obama is showing
us all how it's supposed to be done, the right way. We go to other
countries, and we ask them to buy our products. Inevitably, they will
reply that they want us to buy their products. Then we have a win-win
deal, where jobs are created here (in America), to make stuff which
they need over there (in India). Yes, government CAN solve problems,
and this is a perfect example of it.
With a population of 1.2 billion, India is the 2nd most populous
country in the world, and has thus earned the title of "the world's
largest democracy". Although India has only the 11th largest economy
in the world, but it also happens to have the fastest growing economy
in the world. With 1.2 billion people, you better believe there is a
major consumer market there, whether they buy our food products or our
high tech medical products, or what have you, this is major, major
market for our businesses to tap into.
Unlike China, which is currently our largest trading partner, India is
actually a democracy, therefore a much more natural trading and a much
more natural idealogical partner for us to get involved with. The
world's largest democracy (India) trading with the world's richest
democracy (America). It's a GREAT deal!
Hindi is the most commonly spoken language in India, although English
is their official language, since it's the international language of
commerce and so it's taught in all their schools of higher learning
(an important fact, because it highlights their eagerness to
participate in the worldwide trading community). Education is highly
stressed in India, as a part of their culture, where if anyone can
afford it, they go to school, although, only about 70% of the
population is literate. Most marriages are arranged in India, and
divorce is rare. Most women marry before they reach the age of 18.
India is home of the largest and most prolific film industry in the
world, called "Bollywood", located in the city of Mumbai.
Developing countries, like India, offer lucrative markets for U.S.
products. And the increase in trade benefits both sides, spurring
both economies, which would also have the added benefit of countering
terrorism, since poverty fuels much of the animosity which is directed
against America and directed against much of the rest of the free
democracies of our world. India, which is the world's largest
democracy, sits in the heart of a pivotal, vexing region, and so they
have long aspired a permanent seat at the UN body, and President Obama
offered them just that.
There are presently about 55,000 Indian soldiers serving in thirty-
five different UN peacekeeping operations thru out the world. India
maintains the third-largest military force in the world, which
consists of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and auxiliary forces such
as the Paramilitary Forces, the Coast Guard, and the Strategic Forces
Command.
Asian countries have been wary lately of China's growing military
might, and a higher standing by India is widely seen as an effective
way of keeping the power balanced in Asia.
President Obama endorsed the idea of India being a permanent member of
the United Nations with an admonition for India that "with increased
power comes increased responsibility." He said it is leadership, not
intervention, when a country acts to the stop the oppression of
another.
"Faced with such gross violations of human rights, it is the
responsibility of the international community -- especially leaders
like the United States and India -- to condemn it," Obama said in a
speech to India's parliament. "And if I can be frank, in international
fora, India has often shied away from some of these issues."
Conservative Republicans, who have made no secret of the fact that
they want America to fail economically, so that they can have a
campaign issue to run on in 2012, have been floating the widely
exagerated estimate that Obama's trip to India, part of a 10-day tour
of Asia, is costing $200 million a day. The usual culprits behind
this blatant lie, as always, all these malicious lies originate from
the conservative FOX network and Limbaugh, to be followed by all the
rest of the AM hate radio band. With history being a good indicator,
Republicans have never been ones to spend money wisely, yet they have
been whining non-stop about the Obama trip, claiming that Obama is
wasting money.
If our President is going to have the necessary security that he
needs, especially in a country like India, where there have been a lot
of violence and terrorist bombings and the sort, then you know it's
not going to be cheap, but it is certainly NOT costing hundreds of
millions per day. What will they lie about next? Nobody knows WHAT
their next lie is going to be, but everyone should know WHEN they're
going to lie...it's when they take their next breath.
Many conservatives were suggesting that Obama cancel the trip, which
would be a very bad idea indeed, especially when you consider the fact
that Obama has made a lot of progress in mending relations with the
rest of the world, relations that the previous President shattered to
smithereens. What conservatives do not realize is that when President
Bush went around damaging all of our most precious alliances, thru out
the world, insulting the Europeans and everyone else, he inflicted
major damage to our national security as well as major damage to our
economic opportunities too. So much for the myth that Republicans are
pro-business.
In summary, Republicans should be ignored, just as mental patients
should be ignored (although psychiatrists should not ignore them).
Cancelling this trip would have been a major insult to India, a
country that has become an increasingly important ally to the United
States. Not only has India been a good friend of the United States,
but it has also been a good trading partner.
America, in this day and age, needs all the friends that we can get,
and India is a friend.
A. Malcolm
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ThankYou/
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html