India-US relations: News and Discussions IV

[Mort Walker]

In 2009 Holbrook was formally rejected using the Vienna Convention. India may say Gor can be ambassador to India, but India does not recognize his Special Envoy status.

[A_Gupta]

It is easy enough, but abhorrent - e.g., India nominates Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, say for IMEC or I2U2, if not for Op Sindoor cessation of hostilities.

Or induce some of the Indian billionaires to do desh seva and sink some of their money in some of Trump family enterprises.

[Rudradev]

Sergio Gor is a pure Chump Chaploos whose sole qualification for any role in the Chump administration is vetting other people for sufficient loyalty to Chump.

Chump nominated him because Chump is feeling insecure. In his own Pentagon, State Dept, & Commerce Dept (let alone corporate America), dealings with Indian govt & business entities have proceeded almost as usual despite his rants. Joint military exercises will go ahead, Apple will make even more phones in India, the GE Tejas engine deal is still under way, etc.

This makes Chump and his Chaploos crew suspicious of the abundant org-to-org & person-to-person connections that keep US-India relations resilient despite all the voluble Pak-pasandi that Chump himself is spewing. It seems to Chump that it is easier for all parties to ignore him and continue with the relationship in spite of his tantrums— and no camera-addicted loudmouth can stomach such an obvious lack of control.

That's why he has appointed an unter-flunky like Gor, who reports only to him & his family, as Ambassador.

I would like to see Modi Sarkar publicly spit on Gor (direct personal proxy of Chump that he is known to be) and instead invite say, Elon Musk for a visit with the appearance of full state honors— red carpet reception, massive coverage, meetings with everyone from the PM down.

India should show the US establishment it is fine continuing to do business with them, but refuses to take Chump seriously.

[Mort Walker]

The rumor is that Gor's temporary national security clearance expired in July 2025, but he's a Trump loyalist. Gor's SF-86 (National Security Standard Form 86) was rejected. Most of the time these are rejected due to financial irregularities or incomplete profile. The Senate hearings will be most interesting.

[Mort Walker]

Invite Elon & say Tesla cars will have zero tariff, but other US vehicles will be subject to tariffs & duties. Have someone like Piyush Goyal tweet about it.

[g.sarkar]

https://www.rediff.com/news/report/indi ... 250823.htm
India suspends postal services to US amid new customs rules
Hemant Waje, August 23, 2025
Postal services to the United States have been temporarily suspended, as US-bound air carriers have denied carrying shipments due to a lack of clarity in new norms issued by the American customs department, the Ministry of Communications said on Saturday.
However, services will continue for letters, documents and gift items worth up to USD 100.
Under an executive order issued by the US administration on July 30, 2025, goods valued at over USD 100 will be subject to customs duties in America with effect from August 29 onwards.
According to the order, transport carriers delivering shipments through the international postal network, or other "qualified parties" approved by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are required to collect and remit duties on postal shipments.
"While CBP issued certain guidelines on 15th August, 2025, several critical processes relating to the designation of 'qualified parties' and mechanisms for duty collection and remittance remain undefined.
"Consequently, US-bound air carriers have expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after 25th August, 2025, citing lack of operational and technical readiness," a statement from the ministry said.
......
Gautam

[Rudradev]

Invite Elon & say Tesla cars will have zero tariff, but other US vehicles will be subject to tariffs & duties. Have someone like Piyush Goyal tweet about it.

Yes. Repeat with other industries and sectors too. Reward the players Trump has fallen out with. Bheda.

[skumar]

Dr S Jaishankar spoke on Operation Sindoor at the ET World Leaders Forum 2025 and lays out exactly what transpired. Calls were made and received as happens during every conflict which cannot be construed as mediation but the issue was resolved on the battlefield.

What he says is validated by events. It is clear that Trump lied during his Middle East visit when he made those bombastic claims about stopping the war by threatening trade.

MEA could have said that India would never compromise its national security over trade and actually considers it an affront to see that trade was mentioned in that context. The bridges have been burnt by Trump anyway.

I hate to see the MEA establishment constantly defending our decision to buy Russian oil by saying why us, why not China, why not Europe? It is time to grow up and stop whining. Let our actions speak for themselves.

We cannot legitimize diktats by other countries by saying you asked us earlier to buy oil and stabilize oil prices, what changes now etc? By saying that, we are saying we are legitimizing their diktats.

There are internationally recognized UN sanctions on Iran and countries have to follow the "rules" as they stand. There are no international sanctions on Russia because of its veto.

That there are no international sanctions on Russia is not India's fault even if India does not support the Russian invasion. it is the "global order" created by the winners of WW2 that gives veto powers to certain countries and abjures crimes by these countries. Every P5 country has shielded itself or its friends by using its veto powers.

[Vayutuvan]

so what's the utility in weaning away Pakis?

Hmm. Good question. There must be something else then. Something happened before/during/after Op Sindoor.

[Vayutuvan]

^^^Unfortunately almost all of the MAGA Trumpers are lightweight. Don't expect much if any changes.

Ms. Asha Jadeja Motwani posted on X eulogizing Gor. India should never trust her again ever, IMHO.

See below.

[Amber G.]

I am a foreign minister. I dont comment on Ambassidorial appointments of other countries, that too in public,"

-s EAM Dr Jaishankar on Trump nomination of new US Ambassidor to India

[Vayutuvan]

It is easy enough, but abhorrent - e.g., India nominates Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, say for IMEC or I2U2, if not for Op Sindoor cessation of hostilities.
Or induce some of the Indian billionaires to do desh seva and sink some of their money in some of Trump family enterprises.

Bingo. Very chankyan way of taming the shrew. I apologize for the mixed metaphor though.

[Vayutuvan]

^^^Unfortunately almost all of the MAGA Trumpers are lightweight. Don't expect much if any changes.

Ms. Asha Jadeja Motwani posted on X eulogizing Gor. India should never trust her again ever, IMHO.

See below.

I take that back because I am being too simplistic and wanting to show that my morals are better than hers.

She had been consistent throughout. Her logic is probably something like cultivate not only Trump but his coterie as well. I would do the same if I and my friends in tIE cumulative have invested 100s of millions of USD in Indian startup ecosystem.

What India can do is to play daana, saama, and bheda all at once.

daana - Let suvarnakapi build his towers and grease the process of permissions (within reason, ofc)
saama - Say we will nominate him for a Nobel if he is able to get a Russia-Ukraine deal. If Ukraine is sacrificed, it no skin off Indians' nodes.
bheda - 0% tax on Tesla and few others who have fallen out with Trump

[skumar]

Dr. Brahma Chellaney
https://x.com/Chellaney/status/1959129654318543066
Trump waited over seven months — until U.S.-India ties had sunk to a new low — to name an ambassador to India. By doubling the nominee’s role as special envoy for South and Central Asia, Washington signals a throwback to the Cold War era that bracketed India with Pakistan. America weakens its own hand by reducing India from a global partner to a South Asian player.

[Cain Marko]

Invite Elon & say Tesla cars will have zero tariff, but other US vehicles will be subject to tariffs & duties. Have someone like Piyush Goyal tweet about it.

This could be done in the guise that India is really pushing hard to meet climate pledge goals and the desire to be less reliant on fossil fuels. This should come from someone slightly lower on the totem pole but it will be read as a veiled threat. Make similar remarks about dedollarization and his India is the only one who stands in the way of this happening in the brics. I think people will get the message.

[skumar]

The frequency of Trump's assertions regarding the India Pak conflict are indirectly proportional to his assessment of the chances of helping to resolve the Russia Ukraine war where his contributions are at least acknowledged by both parties.

He is shooting for the big deal but wants to have a smaller deal all nicely decked up to look big in case the bigger one does not come through.

[Amber G.]

Trump’s administration’s war against basic science—spanning medicine, the environment, and even common sense—has become increasingly dangerous. From firing renowned nuclear experts and intelligence officers who questioned his claims about Iran, to discarding decades of vaccine science, dismissing top space researchers, and sidelining data scientists for producing statistics he didn’t like, the list goes on ..

Here is another item -- *very* concerning about top scientists here is US.. it wrote about this in Math dagha but very relevant here.

Terence Tao – widely regarded as the most respected mathematician of our time – is suddenly at the center of U.S. politics.

Tao is a Fields Medalist (often called the Nobel Prize of math). He won a medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad at just 10 years old, becoming one of the youngest medalists in history.

Beyond his research, Tao has been celebrated for his mentorship and accessibility: his blog makes cutting-edge mathematics approachable, and his influence spans across number theory, PDEs, harmonic analysis, combinatorics, algebra, geometry, and more.


He is also a member of the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), underscoring the respect he commands across academia and government.

In short - by any account, one of the most famous mathematician in the world today.

Normally, Tao is not politically outspoken. But he is now speaking out after the Trump administration’s abrupt suspension of federal science funding.

In his own op-ed (Home of the Brave, Aug 18, 2025), Tao revealed that his NSF grant was suddenly suspended, leaving him without resources to support graduate students or even receive his deferred summer salary. The Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) at UCLA, which he helps lead, also lost its newly approved five-year extension:


In an interview with The Bulwark (Aug 6, 2025), Tao admitted the personal toll:

“

A year ago I was absolutely sure I would be staying at UCLA for the foreseeable future. But now that there are existential risks . . . I cannot make any long-term predictions.

”

Link He’s the ‘Mozart’ of Math and Trump Killed His Funding

This isn’t just about one mathematician. It’s about whether the U.S. will continue to sustain the scientific ecosystem that made it a global leader—or whether political whims will drive top researchers elsewhere.

For someone like Tao, usually above the political fray, to speak this bluntly tells you just how dire the situation is.