India-US Strategic News and Discussion

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 22 May 2014 02:42

TSJones wrote:
ramana wrote:I guess Ombaba better get used to Modzilla.
Ramana, what exactly does Ombaba have to fear from Modzilla? Will Modizilla have FBI officers in Pakistan? Will Modzilla even have Raymond Davis shoot-first-ask-questions-later secret agent cowboys in Pakistan? Will Modzilla have an active drone squash the bugs and go splat program (all over the world)? Will Modzilla have the top tech military procurement process in the world? The fact is Ombaba has powers that he really doesn't even want to *use*. I think what you are really saying is that the US State Department is going to have to be more thoughtful in its approach to India in order to get any cooperation. Which I agree with.

The fact is Ombaba better get used to the notion that GoI is no longer going to ask "How high?" when GOTUS screams "Jump!", while India's interests be damned. Instead under Modi, now GoI is more likely to say "Eff You!" right back at GOTUS and do what is in India's interests.

All the above points you make are the equivalent of "My d1ck is bigger" boasts which have zero meaning or impact in the larger context. Yet for all the largeness of the d1ck in question, one slice from a small knife is enough to render it useless (AfPak anyone?). GOTUS's discomfort with Modi and its squirming in face of the Indian Lok Sabha election results is pretty evident. The discomfort has nothing to do with any religious persecution or riots that it claims have been induced by Modi. After all GOTUS loves dictators, tinpots and religious fanatics as a matter of long standing policy. That's the problem with these pesky democracies....they don't produce results which the GOTUS wants, but dictators/tinpots/Saudi jehadists do. Democracies OTOH go off and elect someone who will be impossible for GOTUS to push around - now that's just Unamerican I say!

GOTUS's discomfort and constipation has everything to do with the fact that Modi is an outsider with whom GOTUS has Zero leverage unlike the Nehru-Gandhi retards hence, getting him to do the poodle act will not be possible. And that is causing GOTUS's chaddis to dye themselves mustard yellow with amazing periodicity.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 22 May 2014 03:10

Raja Bose wrote:
TSJones wrote:Ramana, what exactly does Ombaba have to fear from Modzilla? Will Modizilla have FBI officers in Pakistan? Will Modzilla even have Raymond Davis shoot-first-ask-questions-later secret agent cowboys in Pakistan? Will Modzilla have an active drone squash the bugs and go splat program (all over the world)? Will Modzilla have the top tech military procurement process in the world? The fact is Ombaba has powers that he really doesn't even want to *use*. I think what you are really saying is that the US State Department is going to have to be more thoughtful in its approach to India in order to get any cooperation. Which I agree with.
The fact is Ombaba better get used to the notion that GoI is no longer going to ask "How high?" when GOTUS screams "Jump!", while India's interests be damned.

Care to quote a few instances where that has happened ? Preferably with some proof, not forum conspiracy mongering.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 22 May 2014 03:13

ramana wrote:AmberG, you might want to reconsider your position when it same as TSJ.

Is that a vanvaas worthy crime hereabouts ?

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 22 May 2014 04:10

KrishnaK wrote:
Raja Bose wrote:
The fact is Ombaba better get used to the notion that GoI is no longer going to ask "How high?" when GOTUS screams "Jump!", while India's interests be damned.
Care to quote a few instances where that has happened ? Preferably with some proof, not forum conspiracy mongering.

What do you think happened with the sudden love for all sorts of US defense products? What did you think happened when our own foreign minster Khurshit publicly proclaimed that NSA spying on India was fine and dandy. What did you think happened when GoI tried to initially sweep the Khobragade affair under the carpet till her goon father raised enough of a ruckus that they were forced to take reluctant action. Even there they stopped at getting her declared PNG and flying her out of US and did nothing more. Heard anything being done about the American school tax evasion except some chai-biskoot f@rts? Did you think Constable Singh's Sharm-el-Sheikh statement concerning Balochistan came out of his own volition just for his desire to get a piss prize? Even MMS is not that stupid. The simple fact is as much as we like to proclaim our independence in international matters, our b@lls have been twisted by massa since the 1950s. Now that is going to stop as the guy in charge of the country is some ascetic weirdo who has no obvious vices or weaknesses, very focused and is a strong willed character with a lot of smarts and treats everything with a serious hard-nosed business-like attitude unlike the pampered Dilli nawabs who have been in charge since 1947. That causes GOTUS major takleef. All the hard work done over 60+ years, all gone down the drain. Tsk, tsk. One almost feels sorry for them.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 22 May 2014 04:34

JE Menon wrote:The invitation to Saarc leaders, including Nawaz, is a serious move by Modi ... The ball, effectively, is now in their court and they will find it increasingly that way. There is plenty of room for mutual and common benefit.

Those who don't want to play or want to disrupt the game from the sidelines would not only not get any medals but be broken up into small groups. Those who want to join the game would be graciously accepted to take part in the fun. Others, after getting ejected from "sooth asia" (SAARC) can be the ball boys in the great game up north and get some pennies thrown their way as bakshish.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 22 May 2014 04:38

svinayak wrote:This move is a checkmate move against PRC govt in the region.
Each of these countries have to choose between India and PRC going forward and remove zero sum game in the region

While that is true, I don't think India wants an adversarial relationship with Chinese nor play second fiddle. The relationship would (have to) be one of coopetition.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 22 May 2014 04:56

TSJones wrote:
ramana wrote:I guess Ombaba better get used to Modzilla.
Ramana, what exactly does Ombaba have to fear from Modzilla?

TSJ: "Getting used to" does not equal "fear" as you put it. President Obama has to work with PM-designate Modi. The only fly in the ointment (kabab mein haddi) - as you rightly pointed out - is the DoS populated by "meat eating RAPE friendly non-RAPES of TX".

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 22 May 2014 05:03

Amber G. wrote:
रहिमन वे नर मर चुके, जो सी-आई-आई-स जाय
उनते पहले वे मरे, जो चाय पार्टी अफीम खाय

Bromide in this ersatz doha is as good as that one would find in dohas of the one and only (Khanzada Mirza Khan AKA) Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana (17 December 1556 – 1626).

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 22 May 2014 05:11

Cosmo_R wrote:This is what Cohen was alluding to—"Who lost India?"

Jury is still out on whether it is to President Obama or to the tweedle dee and tweedle dum SOSs pair of HillKerry hillbillies and their staff who were handed down from Albright (some going a*s far back a*s Baker III may be?) era.

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 22 May 2014 05:14

matrimc wrote:
Cosmo_R wrote:This is what Cohen was alluding to—"Who lost India?"
Jury is still out on whether it is to President Obama or to the tweedle dee and tweedle dum SOSs pair of HillKerry hillbillies and their staff who were handed down from Albright (some going a*s far back a*s Baker III may be?) era.

It will be the DoS cretins but it's Obama's legacy. That's what Modi can do.

Shreeman · Post by **Shreeman** » 22 May 2014 07:27

matrimc wrote:
Amber G. wrote:रहिमन वे नर मर चुके, जो सी-आई-आई-स जाय
उनते पहले वे मरे, जो चाय पार्टी अफीम खाय
Bromide in this ersatz doha is as good as that one would find in dohas of the one and only (Khanzada Mirza Khan AKA) Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana (17 December 1556 – 1626).

As long as we are quoting Rahim, I might as well stick this in,

Rahim wrote: जो रहीम ओछो बढ़ै, तौ अति ही इतराय।
प्यादे सों फरजी भयो, टेढ़ो टेढ़ो जाय॥

It is only natural to expect the behavior.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 May 2014 07:42

The huge $400B gas deal between Russe and China shows the alliances developing because of Uncle Sam's globocop games.Mr.M establishing equally close relationships with the two is Washington's nightmare."Poof" will go its pan-Asian mil. alliance against China.The SCO and BRICSare going to be gamechangers.Just look at the US' s statement. Wanting naval tie-ups in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.So crude and exposes the US' s selfish motives.Pr*cks!

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 22 May 2014 08:13

Raja Bose wrote: What do you think happened with the sudden love for all sorts of US defense products?

Nobody else has the same quality of wares and at prices the US sells for. When required we've gone our own way even under Constable Singh and Khurshit. MMRCA being an example, which was the biggest of all the deals.

What did you think happened when our own foreign minster Khurshit publicly proclaimed that NSA spying on India was fine and dandy.

I doubt he ever said that. All you could blame him for is not saying much, which is a reasonable thing to do IMO. Germany, Brazil et all have raised hell and achieved what exactly ? Nothing. The US holds all the cards there and we've been pragmatic about it. I'm sure we'll do the same, when we get to hold the cards.

What did you think happened when GoI tried to initially sweep the Khobragade affair under the carpet till her goon father raised enough of a ruckus that they were forced to take reluctant action. Even there they stopped at getting her declared PNG and flying her out of US and did nothing more. Heard anything being done about the American school tax evasion except some chai-biskoot f@rts?

I followed the Khobragade affair right here on this forum and I don't think the GoI tried to sweep it under the rug at all. There's pretty much nothing we can do about American courts, any more than they can do about ours. One thing brought about repeatedly on a Brookings talk over modi's win was this incident in the early 90s when India opened up her economy. A bunch of american companies invested in the power sector, one of which, incidentally was enron. The gent on the show claims, none of them got paid in full, inspite of state and sovereign guarantees by the centre. His point, please make it easy for the US to invest when modi opens the door. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the matter, we've been more than capable of putting our foot down and giving anybody and everybody the finger. The US hasn't been able to overrule court decisions in India either, as in the case of Enron. Hell, if what that gent claims is true, non-Enron companies got the finger too. India is about as headstrong as the US if not more.

Did you think Constable Singh's Sharm-el-Sheikh statement concerning Balochistan came out of his own volition just for his desire to get a piss prize? Even MMS is not that stupid.

Pure speculation.

The simple fact is as much as we like to proclaim our independence in international matters, our b@lls have been twisted by massa since the 1950s.

Nobody is truly independent. On the contrary. We've been so insecure, that we chose to proclaim strategic autonomy and chose not to interact with the rest of the world economically. Poor countries have their strategic autonomy conscribed, no matter how much they tomtom it. Incidentally the US must've been pretty incompetent at twisting India's b@lls, that India has voted more times against US sponsored resolutions than Iran. All the while getting substantial US aid. From Wikipedia

In the first dozen years of Indian independence (1947–1959), the US provided $1.7 billion in gifts, including $931 million in food. The Soviet Union provided about half as much, largely in the form of steel mills.[20] In 1961, the US pledged $1.0 billion in development loans, in addition to $1.3 billion of free food.

They certainly tried to take advantage of it, which we resisted.

Now that is going to stop as the guy in charge of the country is some ascetic weirdo who has no obvious vices or weaknesses, very focused and is a strong willed character with a lot of smarts and treats everything with a serious hard-nosed business-like attitude unlike the pampered Dilli nawabs who have been in charge since 1947. That causes GOTUS major takleef. All the hard work done over 60+ years, all gone down the drain. Tsk, tsk. One almost feels sorry for them.

Other than the fact the GotUS (most probably the SD) aren't super fond of Modi is no secret, it's just as balanced by the business community and quite probably other departments of the GotUS. A lot of American money just flowed into the Indian stock markets and a lot more wait to invest in India's growth. They were always there, along with lots of other investors.

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 22 May 2014 08:36

www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/20 ... er-succeed

HuffPost M.E. Jimmy Soni transfers to India, Kate Palmer to succeed
by Jeremy Barr, capitalnewyork.com
May 21st 2014

The Huffington Post has reshuffled its masthead, replacing managing editor Jimmy Soni with national editor Kate Palmer.

Soni will leave the No. 3 editorial position and head to India, where The Huffington Post plans to launch a new edition.

"We are getting ready to announce our partnership and timeline for HuffPost's launch in India," editor in chief Arianna Huffington said in a statement provided to Capital confirming the move. "It has been Jimmy's dream to spearhead the launch in India, where his parents were born and raised, and as India is such a huge and important market for us, I'm delighted that he will be there from the beginning of this effort until the launch."

Huffington said that Soni will return to New York in a new role after the site is up and running.

Palmer came to the site in May 2012 from The Onion, where she served as managing editor. She was deputy managing editor for Foreign Policy magazine before that.

"Kate Palmer has done a fantastic job as National Editor, and I'm excited for her to build on her many accomplishments in her new role as Managing Editor," Huffington said.

Soni's deputy managing editor Elyse Siegel has also taken on a new role, with the title of director of global growth strategy.

As Capital reported on May 8, in an article about the site's evolving editorial strategy, Soni's management style, described by some as imperious, has not always been well-received.

"Part of my goal is to preserve the culture that started nine years ago when HuffPost was a small, scrappy place," he told Capital at the time. "I'm also proud that I've empowered people to really take leadership positions. The newsroom is stronger, smarter and better than it was."

A former chief of staff to Huffington, Soni has served as managing editor since March 2012, when he was promoted to the position at age 26. He was previously a management consultant for McKinsey and a speechwriter for the mayor of Washington, D.C.

Announcing his appointment to the position, Huffington said, "In his 9 months with HuffPost, Jimmy has proven himself to be a man of many talents — dedicated, highly organized, a good listener, a first-rate problem solver, and an unwaveringly upbeat and positive presence in the newsroom."

Arjun · Post by **Arjun** » 22 May 2014 08:43

Many across the world, including the US, hoping to learn hugely from the phenomenal campaign run by Modi: What GOP can learn from Modi's election

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 22 May 2014 08:51

Brazil Germany etc at the very minimum achieved a baseline from where they can ratchet up. We are as usual did not do anything and play down what others do as well. Good job.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 22 May 2014 09:43

KrishnaK wrote:
What did you think happened when our own foreign minster Khurshit publicly proclaimed that NSA spying on India was fine and dandy.
I doubt he ever said that. All you could blame him for is not saying much, which is a reasonable thing to do IMO. Germany, Brazil et all have raised hell and achieved what exactly ? Nothing. The US holds all the cards there and we've been pragmatic about it. I'm sure we'll do the same, when we get to hold the cards.

Really?

Here you go, It is not actually snooping: Khurshid on US surveillance.

What did you think happened when GoI tried to initially sweep the Khobragade affair under the carpet till her goon father raised enough of a ruckus that they were forced to take reluctant action. Even there they stopped at getting her declared PNG and flying her out of US and did nothing more. Heard anything being done about the American school tax evasion except some chai-biskoot f@rts?
I followed the Khobragade affair right here on this forum and I don't think the GoI tried to sweep it under the rug at all. There's pretty much nothing we can do about American courts, any more than they can do about ours.

You started hearing it on BR after Papa Khobragade raised a ruckus and got his media contacts to focus on it. Till then the same "NSA surveillance is not snooping" Khurshit was happy to say it was a minor misunderstanding and tried to sweep it under the carpet. And where the heck does the question of American courts comes into the picture? We had an accredited diplomat manhandled, stripped and cavity searched by US Marshals and NYPD goons and you are talking about American courts and how we cannot do anything about them? And what have we done about the thing that we can do something about....such as the massive tax evasion happening for the last 30+ years from the American School in Delhi?

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 22 May 2014 14:36

Philip wrote:The huge $400B gas deal between Russe and China shows the alliances developing because of Uncle Sam's globocop games.Mr.M establishing equally close relationships with the two is Washington's nightmare."Poof" will go its pan-Asian mil. alliance against China.The SCO and BRICSare going to be gamechangers.Just look at the US' s statement. Wanting naval tie-ups in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.So crude and exposes the US' s selfish motives.Pr*cks!

Remove the BS out of BRICs can make GOTUS CRI. Its like being SCOlded by the old world for being a NAughTOboy.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 May 2014 18:19

habal · Post by **habal** » 22 May 2014 19:57

new US ambassador

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Stephens

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 22 May 2014 22:28

Did US consult India before appointing her ambassador? Strange to appoint ambassador when there is no govt in Delhi

Sanju · Post by **Sanju** » 22 May 2014 22:30

putnanja wrote:Did US consult India before appointing her ambassador? Strange to appoint ambassador when there is no govt in Delhi

I believe that she is temporary till the new Ambassador is appointed.

Link from PankajS's post 2 pages back

Kathleen Stephens, a former US ambassador to South Korea, will serve as head of mission until a new permanent ambassador is nominated and confirmed.

Psaki said Stephens will arrive in Delhi in early June.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 22 May 2014 22:45

Raja Bose wrote: Really? Here you go, It is not actually snooping: Khurshid on US surveillance.

I was wrong. Khurshit did grovel. Nothing really changes still. I'd have preferred to just stay quiet.

And where the heck does the question of American courts comes into the picture? We had an accredited diplomat manhandled, stripped and cavity searched by US Marshals and NYPD goons and you are talking about American courts and how we cannot do anything about them?

I should've said their legal system. I'm not defending Khobragade being stripped and cavity searched, just the fact that they haven't dropped the case against her. Which was your point originally. That is quite likely not going away, anymore than US companies are going to get paid their fair (or for that matter unfair) dues. As far as the school goes, we're most likely to use that to get the parity we're looking for.

Only two points left (of which only one is really tenable) of the list backing your claim that Constable Singh was week kneed in front of the US ? Not very convincing if I may say so.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 22 May 2014 22:48

Philip wrote:The huge $400B gas deal between Russe and China shows the alliances developing because of Uncle Sam's globocop games.Mr.M establishing equally close relationships with the two is Washington's nightmare."Poof" will go its pan-Asian mil. alliance against China.The SCO and BRICSare going to be gamechangers.Just look at the US' s statement. Wanting naval tie-ups in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.So crude and exposes the US' s selfish motives.Pr*cks!

You never fail to amuse Phillip. SCO is a game changer only in your wild fantasies. It however does make India's hand stronger in bargaining with the west. China and us can never be buddies till the CPC changes it's politics of grievance. No wonder you're so gaga over the PRC

Nandu · Post by **Nandu** » 22 May 2014 22:49

From her background, I don't think she will be the right fit for India. Hopefully, temp will remain temp.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 22 May 2014 22:54

KrishnaK wrote:
Philip wrote:The huge $400B gas deal between Russe and China shows the alliances developing because of Uncle Sam's globocop games.Mr.M establishing equally close relationships with the two is Washington's nightmare."Poof" will go its pan-Asian mil. alliance against China.The SCO and BRICSare going to be gamechangers.Just look at the US' s statement. Wanting naval tie-ups in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.So crude and exposes the US' s selfish motives.Pr*cks!
You never fail to amuse Phillip. SCO is a game changer only in your wild fantasies. It however does make India's hand stronger in bargaining with the west. China and us can never be buddies till the CPC changes it's politics of grievance. No wonder you're so gaga over the PRC

Actually I was wrong. SCO is going to be as earth shattering a game changer as the NAM, which provided an alternative to the west with India being the centre of gravity !! THOSE HEADY DAYS ARE COMING BACK !!!!

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 22 May 2014 23:02

KrishnaK wrote:I was wrong. Khurshit did grovel. Nothing really changes still.
..

this is what is colorfully called in tamil as 'kuppura ulunthaalum meesaila man ottala' - i fell down but no mud on my mushtache.

Only two points left (of which only one is really tenable) of the list backing your claim that Constable Singh was week kneed in front of the US ? Not very convincing if I may say so.

given the volume of stuff on mms being massa pliant - the onus is on you to prove it otherwise.

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 22 May 2014 23:19

Gus wrote:
KrishnaK wrote:I was wrong. Khurshit did grovel. Nothing really changes still.
..
this is what is colorfully called in tamil as 'kuppura ulunthaalum meesaila man ottala' - i fell down but no mud on my mushtache.

Very nice

going to use it in various places now.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 23 May 2014 01:30

Something for President Obama, Secy. Kerry and their merry foggybottom women n men. This is a very famous doha of Rahim. The sujan he refers to are the Indian citizenry (not DIE and nor their progeny living in the lands of the erstwhile rulers from across the pond). Indians are really muktha (two meanings - pearl or liberated).

Rahim wrote: टूटे सुजन मनाइए, जो टूटे सौ बार।
रहिमन फिरि फिरि पोहिए, टूटे मुक्ताहार

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 23 May 2014 01:32

matrimc, After all urdu is Persianized Deccani!!!
No wonder you are quoting tiger after tiger!!!!

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 23 May 2014 01:34

Gus wrote:this is what is colorfully called in tamil as 'kuppura ulunthaalum meesaila man ottala' - i fell down but no mud on my mushtache.

Funny, but do you have anything besides humour ?

given the volume of stuff on mms being massa pliant - the onus is on you to prove it otherwise.

I hope volumes here doesn't refer to Phillip's voluminous bellyaching.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 23 May 2014 01:40

humor and ridicule is enough for this subject.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 23 May 2014 02:04

Sanju wrote:
putnanja wrote:Did US consult India before appointing her ambassador? Strange to appoint ambassador when there is no govt in Delhi
I believe that she is temporary till the new Ambassador is appointed.

Link from PankajS's post 2 pages back

Kathleen Stephens, a former US ambassador to South Korea, will serve as head of mission until a new permanent ambassador is nominated and confirmed.

Psaki said Stephens will arrive in Delhi in early June.

It will probably be a series of career service trouble shooters serving as ambassador until the US can figure out if a rapprochement can be made with the Modi government. The US adminisratation is not likely to seek congressional approval of an ambassador untill they see which way the ship is going. OTOH they may have have someone in mind but mid term elections are coming up for congress and they are in no mood to deal with Obama about anything.

vsunder · Post by **vsunder** » 23 May 2014 03:05

Raja Bose wrote:
.....as the guy in charge of the country is some ascetic weirdo who has no obvious vices or weaknesses, very focused and is a strong willed character with a lot of smarts and treats .

Not the first time this has happened. There was 65 years ago the case of A Connecticut Yankee in King Ramana's court and he too could not make head or tail of Ramana( hahahaha!) oh well maybe later, many years later he made some sense:

The Weird Ascetic

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 23 May 2014 03:52

@ KrishnaK ^^^:

SCO is a laugh. The new COMECON without the money or the power.

India/China/Pakistan/Russia all have bilateral issues. Dustbin of the present not even history.

Give me a break Philip. Maybe, we order a few Berievs to sooth your savage breast wot?

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 23 May 2014 04:04

TSJones wrote:Kathleen Stephens, a former US ambassador to South Korea, will serve as head of mission until a new permanent ambassador is nominated and confirmed.

Psaki said Stephens will arrive in Delhi in early June.

It will probably be a series of career service trouble shooters serving as ambassador until the US can figure out if a rapprochement can be made with the Modi government. The US administration is not likely to seek congressional approval of an ambassador until they see which way the ship is going. OTOH they may have have someone in mind but mid term elections are coming up for congress and they are in no mood to deal with Obama about anything.

Kerry once said during his unsuccessful Presidential bid in 2004 that his hair was a flotation device. I think it's his head.

Man! $60bn a year for the State department and the US has gotten everything wrong from Vietnam onwards.

This Stephens character won't get a serious 1/1 with Modi let alone meaningful interaction. What are they thinking?

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 23 May 2014 05:59

KrishnaK wrote:
Raja Bose wrote: Really? Here you go, It is not actually snooping: Khurshid on US surveillance.
I was wrong. Khurshit did grovel. Nothing really changes still. I'd have preferred to just stay quiet.

We are talking about Khurshit and MMS here, not your preferences. Unless you are mistaking yourself for Khurshit or MMS in which case BRF is truly blessed by the presence of such august personae.

I should've said their legal system. I'm not defending Khobragade being stripped and cavity searched, just the fact that they haven't dropped the case against her. Which was your point originally. That is quite likely not going away, anymore than US companies are going to get paid their fair (or for that matter unfair) dues. As far as the school goes, we're most likely to use that to get the parity we're looking for.

Really? When? When MMS gets rebirth as a rat? Or Rahul Baba has a baby? Not a peep from the MMS government after some initial posturing and noise.

And ask yourself why the US haven't dropped the case against her....a case which was tenuous at best to begin with, not to mention assumes jurisdiction over matters where it has none. Ask yourself (Rahul Gandhi style if required) how and why US thought it could get away with spiriting away individuals against whom there are court cases pending in India. Do you think US would even thinking of attempting that in Israel or Russia?

KrishnaK wrote: Only two points left (of which only one is really tenable) of the list backing your claim that Constable Singh was week kneed in front of the US ? Not very convincing if I may say so.

So basically you cannot dispute any examples given of Constable Singh & co's grovelling in front of the US. Hardly convincing that he took a strong stance against the US, if I may say so.

In the future, do some research instead of mindlessly trolling here. And if you continue your trolling like the post you made above where you used full CAPS to yell, you will get an official warning. Consider this an informal warning.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 23 May 2014 06:33

Cosmo_R wrote:
TSJones wrote:Kathleen Stephens, a former US ambassador to South Korea, will serve as head of mission until a new permanent ambassador is nominated and confirmed.

Psaki said Stephens will arrive in Delhi in early June.

It will probably be a series of career service trouble shooters serving as ambassador until the US can figure out if a rapprochement can be made with the Modi government. The US administration is not likely to seek congressional approval of an ambassador until they see which way the ship is going. OTOH they may have have someone in mind but mid term elections are coming up for congress and they are in no mood to deal with Obama about anything.
Kerry once said during his unsuccessful Presidential bid in 2004 that his hair was a flotation device. I think it's his head.

Man! $60bn a year for the State department and the US has gotten everything wrong from Vietnam onwards.

This Stephens character won't get a serious 1/1 with Modi let alone meaningful interaction. What are they thinking?

Don't underestimate her. From reviewing her wiki bio she appears to be quite good at immersion into the host culture. If she is in India for more than a few months she'll start picking up Hindi and try to be conversant in it. She's probably a natural linguist. The USSD wouldn't send her unless they thought she had the skills to trouble shoot.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 23 May 2014 06:56

UlanBatori wrote:A

AmberG, after 15 years, we have the right to celebrate for a few days, hain? Will take time get used to the idea that *we* have been proved to have been right all along: it took a long time but the 220 million voters of India who voted the same way we felt, have proved our point.

The new line of the racists and commie-pakis is:
Modi may be OK but his supporters are right-wing extremists/dangerous/bigots/unwashed/incapable of thinking (see Slimy Uneven Cohen for example)
Oh, well, been called worse.

UlanBatori ji -
Yes WE have right to celebrate, and certainly more than a "few days", but this "we" include, not a narrow brand of pukka "deshbhakts" but all Indians, and American I might add. EVERYONE ought to be proud to see a true democracy in action. Even those who did not vote for NaMo of BJP. ( GOI and NaMo will be representing whole India, not BJP or people who voted for him etc)

So I was happy about celebration. Most Americans I know ("Slimy Uneven Cohen" does not represent USA any more than, say Angana Chatterji represents India) will join in that celebration.

My point is, it is silly to go overboard (and repeat ad-absurdum post after post after post) and paint an Americans as "he/she might be okay but his supporters are right-wing extremists/dangerous/bigots/unwashed/incapable of thinking" ... Oh, well, been called worse.

Just to give an example, I saw (on American TV) an interview with a well known INC bigwig
(routinely condemned in BRF).. he wasn't sad, said nothing bad about NaMo, (in spite of really being pushed by the interviewer).. all he said was he was proud to see the democracy (election - with nearly billion people voting) in action, and be part of that process.

Just few tidbits reported in main-stream media caught my eye - Posting here..

- About 40-50% of the "precincts" (I don't know what they are called in India) where BJP won, had 20% (or more) Muslim population.

- In 2 precincts where Muslims had majority (>50%) BJP candidate was elected.

(This actually surprised those guys who think everything in one dimension)

***

PS - forget about small things .. the real cooperation between US, India (two great nations) is not shown by what some talking heads say.. but a routine news of the type:
New Plan for U.S. Particle Physics: Go International

To finally get started on building their next megaproject at the United States' sole particle physics lab—Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, Illinois—they want to stage it as an international collaboration...

That recommendation comes from a draft road map for U.S. particle physics presented today to a federal advisory panel in Washington, D.C. Requested by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) 8 months ago, the report of the ad hoc Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) largely embraces the same main projects that physicists have been mulling for years. But it strikes a decidedly more international tone than previous plans. "Pursue the most important opportunities wherever they are, and host unique, world-class facilities that engage the global scientific community," reads the first of its 29 recommendations.

...Fermilab researchers already have a specific plan for such a project, called the Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) ..

.

...I am sure people here know about INO (http://www.ino.tifr.res.in/ino/)

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 23 May 2014 07:01

putnanja wrote:Did US consult India before appointing her ambassador? Strange to appoint ambassador when there is no govt in Delhi

There is a government in Delhi. (In democracy like India, Transition take place orderly but there is always a government)