President is undoing one of the biggest changes in American policy. During the Cold War India although a Democracy was allied with the Soviet Union. This changed under the Bushes and Clinton. India opened up its economy and we began to see eye to eye on the Islamic threat. Obama eager to please Islam has decided to turn its back on India.
Barack Obama’s India-Pakistan Mess
The Indian alliance is an almost perfect lynch-pin for American strategy in Asia. India’s population is growing, which means that they will actually be there for decades to come. While hardly Westerners in culture and outlook, they share more in common with the West than do the other regional powers, including even Japan. Its military, while not yet on the level of South Korea’s, is professionalizing and learning the bluewater trade. Aside from a few breakaway regions left to go and the odd round of interfaith violence, India is a fairly stable State beset on its West by a terrorist breeding ground, and to its North by a power-hungry China. In other words, it is an Anglophonic, common law democracy beset by tyrannies and lunatics, and so naturally inclined to ally with other Anglophonic, common law democracies facing the problems attendant with tyrannies and lunatics. American foreign policy has always been about American priorities — and rightfully so — but it is a rare and wonderful thing when American Realpolitik priorities and the moral imperative to stand next to young democracies align.
Or rather, it was a rare and wonderful thing. It’s rapidly becoming a fading memory, as the Indians are finding to their dismay.
India which has come a long way is now being ignored. India’s sin, it stands against Islamo-Fascism and that is a no no in Obama’s mind. Like Israel, India now is considered a nuisance.
Much as with Obama’s turn at “Make Peace In The Holy Land” (a game American Presidents play too often as if the Israelis are unhelpful opponents instead of an old, democratic ally), Obama’s India policy has all the signs of being confused, amoral fantasizing disguised as hard-nosed realism. On the one hand are repeated, pointless sleights, like not calling the world’s largest democracy after being elected; neglecting to include India in Hillary Clinton’s first trip abroad as Secretary of State; and subtly letting India know that the Obama Administration sees India’s nuclear development as out of place in the world. On the other hand are gentle — ultimately probably futile — attempts to have Pakistan divulge detail on which faction of its intelligence services perpetrated the Mumbai massacre.
India is getting the Israel treatment. As always, Non Muslims must make painful concessions while Islamic nations don’t. This is a double standard. As much as I detested Bush he at least had it right when it comes to India. They are a growing nation of 1 Billion people and a Democracy. They should be our friend. Instead Obama wants to be friends with islamo-Fascists and Sino-Fascists. This sickens me as an American and we will regret this.
