India-US Strategic News and Discussion

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 25 Oct 2010 19:04

Venkarl wrote:
Philip wrote: PS:What is Michelle O's fascination with "sex workers"? I thought that that special perogative was Bill Clinton's alone? This is an insidious patronising insult to India,as if only in India do sex workers exist! The Penthouse founder died only days ago in the US,and the tales of US Congressmen, Senators and celebrities caught in the act with call girls keeps us entertained year after year! If I was the PM,I would refuse such a visit point blank and ask whether the first lady wanted to visit a brothel because of any former experience.

Please! Unworthy of this forum. Please consider deleting.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 25 Oct 2010 19:36

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/delhi ... al/701923/

Ex-NSA in currency

West Bengal Governor and former NSA M K Narayanan is still a much sought after man by Washington. US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns is said to have made the visit to Kolkata last week just to meet him. Some months back US embassy’s political counsellor Uzra Zeya also went to Kolkata for a meeting with him. The ostensible reason is that American officials want to get a briefing on Left Wing Extremism in India. But there are a host of other hot button issues, which often get discussed in the bargain.

why so?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 25 Oct 2010 21:03

milindc wrote:http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/oct/ ... antony.htm
Defence deals during Obama's visit unlikely: Antony
October 25, 2010 17:52 IST

India [ Images ] and the United States are unlikely to wrap up any defence deals during the high-profile visit of President Barack Obama [ Images ] early next month, Defence Minister A K Antony indicated on Monday.
"I don't think so," he told reporters on being asked if the defence ministry was expecting any deals to be signed during Obama's visit commencing from November 6.

There is tug of war here. The US wants to signal the PRC that Indian forces are their extensions with all those joint operability etc. India also wants to signal PRC they are not. recall the IAF saying they see no role for such joint operability.
Plain and simple. Let them both take care of each other.

No more sepoys or coolies.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 25 Oct 2010 21:34

Cosmo_R wrote:Please! Unworthy of this forum. Please consider deleting.

Boss, I don't see any diplomatic niceties in US's first lady doing what Philip's saar is alledgedly saying - US Fist Lady trying to take up the cause of sex workers in India. That is a nice thing to do but there are so many teenage rapes, incest cases particularly among African American communities within US. Her time is better spent in all those local cases. And there is a large continent Africa staring at us every night and day where a lot needs to be done.

We have a saying in telugu..intlo gelichi reccha geluvu...(literal meaning is win at home before seeking winning on outsiders) or can also mean...get your house in order before pointing fingures at others.

There is no *diplomacy* in what she is doing and if certain quarters in India react to that, they need to be understood in that context. When the diplomats don't understand simple things, why expect amm janta to care for it.

Not everyone can be Cosmo_R to take shit from any and everyone even when they are *guests* in our home. I hope and expect a lot of our janta show more self respect.

sum · Post by **sum** » 25 Oct 2010 22:01

Ex-NSA in currency

West Bengal Governor and former NSA M K Narayanan is still a much sought after man by Washington. US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns is said to have made the visit to Kolkata last week just to meet him. Some months back US embassy’s political counsellor Uzra Zeya also went to Kolkata for a meeting with him.

Oh,oh...something aint right here.

Regarding Mrs. Obama visiting the sex workers, hope that the babus are making a note of this and ensuring that this incident will not be forgotten and Obama-ji will be given a silent Desi thappad in due course for this BS.

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 25 Oct 2010 22:05

ramana wrote: There is tug of war here. The US wants to signal the PRC that Indian forces are their extensions with all those joint operability etc. India also wants to signal PRC they are not. recall the IAF saying they see no role for such joint operability.
Plain and simple. Let them both take care of each other.

No more sepoys or coolies.

Amen.

Unkil, fed briturd advice no doubt, likely believes it can fight cheena to the last yindian or something, eh? All the western powers need to get a cold hard shower, re-look 2010 and re-think where 2010-2050 is heading before making ridiculous demands only.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 25 Oct 2010 22:06

abhishek_sharma wrote:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/delhi ... al/701923/

Ex-NSA in currency

West Bengal Governor and former NSA M K Narayanan is still a much sought after man by Washington. US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns is said to have made the visit to Kolkata last week just to meet him. Some months back US embassy’s political counsellor Uzra Zeya also went to Kolkata for a meeting with him. The ostensible reason is that American officials want to get a briefing on Left Wing Extremism in India. But there are a host of other hot button issues, which often get discussed in the bargain.
why so?

Isn't MKN considered to be close to the sonia and the congress high command? He is supposed to be a die-hard loyalist of the family.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 25 Oct 2010 22:08

MKN has the pulse of the National security due to his long years in that role. Also recall he was the prime interlocutor for the IUCNA deal and many a time was ready to pack his bags and leave the table. So something is still not yet sealed.

____
Folks if the workers get some publicity and some resources allocated its for the good.

More jobs and better education will relieve the problem.. Also rural social and ecnomic decimation is also responsible for the mass migration to cities and consequent growth.

BTW somehow Wastern mind is delving into the issue of in a lot of scholarly literature. There are numerous tomes about the subject thru the ages.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 25 Oct 2010 22:12

putnanja wrote: Isn't MKN considered to be close to the sonia and the congress high command? He is supposed to be a die-hard loyalist of the family.

It means some Congress politicians are against some of Unkil's pet projects. People like Antony, or those who aren't 100% WKKs.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 25 Oct 2010 22:13

ramana wrote:MKN has the pulse of the National security due to his long years in that role. Also recall he was the prime interlocutor for the IUCNA deal and many a time was ready to pack his bags and leave the table. So something is still not yet sealed.

Did he promise something to the Americans? They are very pi**ed.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 25 Oct 2010 22:20

No they might have imagined he did. He doesn't promise nothing to anyone except the Gandhis!

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 25 Oct 2010 22:39

MKN by his own admission in an interview one of the 3-4 people who know *exactly* the types/counts of N warheads. This matter even coming into the newspapers should make one surprise/pause and point to something serious.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 25 Oct 2010 23:06

MW, Again meet those people and form opinion. All generalizations are general including this.

Ro Khanna is from Bay Area. He went to Uty of Chicago to study politics. Energised by his class on political proces he koncked on the door of one of his profs how was running for state legislature and was accepted in his campaign. The prof went on to become the POTUS.

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 25 Oct 2010 23:25

What to expect from Obama's visit
CHINMAYA R. GHAREKHAN

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article849041.ece

Nihat · Post by **Nihat** » 26 Oct 2010 00:02

India's future lies in its hands not in America's

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 26 Oct 2010 00:24

I am sorry to say this, but the comments of some of the fellow BRF forumers on Smt Michelle Obama's intention to meet the sex-workers are extremely insensitive. She is free to meet anyone in India and sex-workers in India does need someone to highlight their social and medical issues.

We pride ourselves in a humble citizen being able to pee on Rashtrapathi Bhavan walls, if s/he is in distress. That is freedom that even the Americans dont have (they will be jailed). So we should not stoop to the level of Chinese politburo in preventing this. Let Smt Obama meet anyone she wants to, as she is as much an icon of African-American women as her husband. As an Indian, the offices that her husband holds is irrelevant here to me.

As I had expressed before, we MUST get bona-fide democratic leaders like Smt Mayawati, Shree Lalloo etc to go to US inner cities, rust belts etc and reach out to the under privileged over there too as a reciprocal good-faith gesture. This has been a long pending project that I wish GoI would support. Otherwise Kancha Illaiah type "Daleeeet" activists with a huge chip on their shoulders, will be the sole face of India's under privileged.

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 26 Oct 2010 00:41

Ramana,

There are too many Ivy League graduates in law, business &
liberal arts who are in policy making positions. This is not a generalization. It is fact, and these persons are subject to group think about India which is flawed. Your friend(s) may be good persons, but their education and training is suspect by their actions.

Pulikeshi · Post by **Pulikeshi** » 26 Oct 2010 00:45

Folks in DC could sign up if interested...

Toward Realistic U.S.-India Relations

George Perkovich, Douglas H. Paal Tuesday, October 26, 2010 – Washington, D.C.
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EST

Obama in India: Building a Global Partnership: Challenges, Risks, Opportunities

Ashley J. Tellis, Geoffrey Pyatt, Daniel Markey Thursday, October 28, 2010 – Washington, D.C.
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM EST

negi · Post by **negi** » 26 Oct 2010 00:57

We should welcome first lady's kind gesture in fact I would say after her visit we should thank her for opening our eyes and making us aware of our primary responsibility i.e. welfare of the downtrodden and hence explain our inability to purchase expensive Amrikan military HW or even reactors i.e. open doors for baniya bargaining.

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 26 Oct 2010 01:58

negi wrote:We should welcome first lady's kind gesture in fact I would say after her visit we should thank her for opening our eyes and making us aware of our primary responsibility i.e. welfare of the downtrodden and hence explain our inability to purchase expensive Amrikan military HW or even reactors i.e. open doors for baniya bargaining.

That is indeed yet another way!

Cosmo_R · Post by **Cosmo_R** » 26 Oct 2010 03:35

I read George Perkovich's monograph^^^. It's the same old cap, rollback, eliminate stuff. He seethes at GWB saying India got more than Tony Blair did and for nothing!. He goes on to assert that in return, India went on to refuse support for Iraq war part 2 etc.

Unrepentant NPA this guy and always cloaked in "reasonability" . No friend of India for sure. Tellis OTOH, fires back.

SureshP · Post by **SureshP** » 26 Oct 2010 04:01

Couple of telling pictures

Fidel Guevara · Post by **Fidel Guevara** » 26 Oct 2010 04:33

The Obama Platter*

In the build-up to the least substantial POTUS visit in history, the media is obviously focusing on the fluffy aspects, like what Obama will eat, and his desire to have a Sheraton platter named after him, and how he will use the spa to keep his so-toned body in shape.

Then when he gets here, there will be high-society gala parties that will be splashed all over page 3, and socialites will swoon over the opportunity to attend.

My prediction : Ombaba will probably play basketball with a local school team and offer some tips. In fact, he is better qualified to give basketball tips than discuss geopolitics. And then he packs up and gets back on Air Force One for a whirlwind tour of IsSlumBad Airport.

* You know clicking on this link shows your interest in fluffy stuff, but you will click anyway, right?

Thomas Kolarek · Post by **Thomas Kolarek** » 26 Oct 2010 06:49

Some one in Puppet govt. should explain why they are so interested to pursue closer ties with US when:
US can't stop arming PAK
US can't support India for UNSC ( even though UN is an US proxy org)
US can't stop imposing restrictions on outsourcing
US can't remove India's premier organizations like DRDO from its banned entities lists
US can't allow India to wage war against Pak. when its citizens are harmed left and right. Although they have rights for offensive action from 12000 miles away

George Bush's, 8 years of hard built Indo-US ties are drowned in 4 years of ob-aa-maa's rule. So sad.
Its a wide know fact that, the 1989 proxy war idea against India was a plan hatched by the C-I'a and given for execution to ISI.

on a side note, does any body know if MMS daughter is an USC ?

Fidel Guevara · Post by **Fidel Guevara** » 26 Oct 2010 07:17

Thomas Kolarek wrote:
on a side note, does any body know if MMS daughter is an USC ?

One of his 3 daughters, Amrit Singh is a staff attorney for ACLU, and married to an American citizen...indicating that she is likely to be a US citizen, and definitely eligible for US citizenship if she is not a citizen already.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 26 Oct 2010 07:27

TK, I am not a puppet but support the need for this visit to be successful.
Its a state visit for starters. It was announced soon after taking office. And reflects the policy continuity in US govt wrt India.
US has other compulsions that make it act as it does.

- By spending money and propping up the TSP Army and politicians it is ensuring that the nationless state exists.
- By its presence in Afghanistan it is the lightning rod for the jihadis who would spread mayhem in India.
- Even if it supports the UNSC seat PRC wont accept and thus is a naroti or empty coconut shell until PRC comes around.
- There is work around for the outsourcing. Needs both side businesses to work together.
- Exemption from SS tax is worth more to the visa folks.
- GB's gifts came with Hyde act. The good thing is NSG waiver with its conditions.
- India is not reacting to TSP for the time is not right.
- India needs to break the duopoly and hence need the visit.

Some one in Puppet govt. should explain why they are so interested to pursue closer ties with US when:
US can't stop arming PAK
US can't support India for UNSC ( even though UN is an US proxy org)
US can't stop imposing restrictions on outsourcing
US can't remove India's premier organizations like DRDO from its banned entities lists
US can't allow India to wage war against Pak. when its citizens are harmed left and right. Although they have rights for offensive action from 12000 miles away

George Bush's, 8 years of hard built Indo-US ties are drowned in 4 years of ob-aa-maa's rule. So sad.
Its a wide know fact that, the 1989 proxy war idea against India was a plan hatched by the C-I'a and given for execution to ISI.

on a side note, does any body know if MMS daughter is an USC ?

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 26 Oct 2010 07:56

Sorry if posted before

'Obama does not have much of an option but to make India its leading partner’ : K Subrahmanyam

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/obama ... er/702549/

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/walk-t ... yam/171482

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 26 Oct 2010 07:58

He told that to one of our former members.

Rony · Post by **Rony** » 26 Oct 2010 08:05

The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power

by Robert Kaplan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lru7lcMqNds

Thomas Kolarek · Post by **Thomas Kolarek** » 26 Oct 2010 08:39

The visit is going to be beneficial only for one side. Thats definitely not our side. so no point in boasting unneeded expectancy. Other compulsions of what ? Logistics supply ?
So you grow a jihadists and then claim that you protect from them ? What will Strategic partners do ? They take your wishes and grant them on a strategic visit or at least try them, by which they show sincerity and honesty to the partner. Westinghouse and GE has made many countries bankrupt, he is gonna campaign for them. Thats the only purpose of this visit.

ramana wrote:TK, I am not a puppet but support the need for this visit to be successful.
Its a state visit for starters. It was announced soon after taking office. And reflects the policy continuity in US govt wrt India.
US has other compulsions that make it act as it does.

- By spending money and propping up the TSP Army and politicians it is ensuring that the nationless state exists.
- By its presence in Afghanistan it is the lightning rod for the jihadis who would spread mayhem in India.
- Even if it supports the UNSC seat PRC wont accept and thus is a naroti or empty coconut shell until PRC comes around.
- There is work around for the outsourcing. Needs both side businesses to work together.
- Exemption from SS tax is worth more to the visa folks.
- GB's gifts came with Hyde act. The good thing is NSG waiver with its conditions.
- India is not reacting to TSP for the time is not right.
- India needs to break the duopoly and hence need the visit.

Some one in Puppet govt. should explain why they are so interested to pursue closer ties with US when:
US can't stop arming PAK
US can't support India for UNSC ( even though UN is an US proxy org)
US can't stop imposing restrictions on outsourcing
US can't remove India's premier organizations like DRDO from its banned entities lists
US can't allow India to wage war against Pak. when its citizens are harmed left and right. Although they have rights for offensive action from 12000 miles away

George Bush's, 8 years of hard built Indo-US ties are drowned in 4 years of ob-aa-maa's rule. So sad.
Its a wide know fact that, the 1989 proxy war idea against India was a plan hatched by the C-I'a and given for execution to ISI.

on a side note, does any body know if MMS daughter is an USC ?

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 26 Oct 2010 08:51

Ramana,

I must say, you have a shameless bias toward the Obama administration and can not see beyond it. Last year, you and other prominent BRF members were singing praises about the AfPak Policy in terms of benefit of reducing terrorism. When in fact the results are mixed and TSP army is using it to consolidate the terrorists it needs for India.

1. Spending $4 billion/year on TSP aid has stabilized their macro economic situation, the nationless state means nothing if TSP's army can complete its objectives that it is.
2. The US can't afford economically or politically to stay in Afghanistan. They will leave in a few years and hand the keys to the TSP army. India and the world are in for a storm, while the Obama officials are retired and are lecturing at the Ivy Leagues on international affairs.
3. UNSC is not going to happen until India's economy is near a $5 trillion GDP.
4. The Democrats have passed outsourcing limitations as means of protectionism.
5. GWB's gift was the NSG waiver - which would have NEVER happened in a Democratic administration.
6. India's window to react to TSP is closed or closing - the time will never be right. TSP is militarily and economically in better shape today than it was in 1999. For military situation, see Dr. Shiv's photos - they reveal a lot as TSP's army is more combat ready. GWB started it, but the Obama administration has dramatically accelerated it with unprecedented military aid.
7. The Obama visit will be good for feel good photo ops and non binding agreements such as academic exchanges, health and agriculture. BTW, BO's daughter really cares about the survival of tigers. So expect BO to comment on that. Lets all feel good.

abhischekcc · Post by **abhischekcc** » 26 Oct 2010 09:26

>>UNSC is not going to happen until India's economy is near a $5 trillion GDP.

UNSC is not going to happen. Period. Barring a world war.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Oct 2010 09:47

India will have to pick and destroy a couple of small nations first before the USNC happens. only those with a historical track record of mass murder and killing on a industrial scale in pursuit of their national objectives are in the P5 today. japan and germany have the track record but not the current public support or political class for that kind of A1 level brutality. but being Munna's they will be let in and told to do what they are told. UK will continue to exercise undue power due to its nuclear arsenal.

it is better we cut the uk and france down to size by gnawing at and damaging their economies first.

as every seasoned hyena knows, even elephant and whale bones can be cracked with the right degree of persistent gnawing...the hyena is the perfect animal for our animal spirits to emulate - unremarkable even ugly in looks, but tough and good in stamina, enormously powerful jaws, unity in the tribe, and willing to even chase away lions from the kill. and good psyops/stealth operators in the night, slinking around, howling and spreading FUD in the grassland.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 26 Oct 2010 09:48

Mort I have been called worse.

All I can say is am no apologist for anyone. Af-Pak as crafted was good. In fact I came up with something like that. And showed how it results in that.

The main obstacle is the US not being tough with TSP. And reason is its much more jihadified then thought earlier. If the current admin accelerated its aid think why? Lets see there is still more time.

BTW India threw away the seat long time ago. I don't think any UNSC reform will happen at all. 911 finished the chances for that.

Again the visit has to be successful for some important reasons.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 26 Oct 2010 10:17

abhishek_sharma wrote:Sorry if posted before

'Obama does not have much of an option but to make India its leading partner’ : K Subrahmanyam

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/obama ... er/702549/

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/walk-t ... yam/171482

Very clear analysis and almost a summary of some of our threads. Its easy to whine and cry about. More important is to squeeze the lemons thrown at you into your vodka. By standing together when they have hit us with their best shot we stay in the play.

BTW the forum has kept pace with him continuously since we began.

SriSri · Post by **SriSri** » 26 Oct 2010 10:19

While there may be frictions, there certainly is a convergence of interest as well.

(Cross posting)

Apparently BRfites aren't the only one's with a "China Military Watch" dhaga ...

United States Commits $12.5 billion for Super Military Base in the Pacific

Pulikeshi · Post by **Pulikeshi** » 26 Oct 2010 10:34

ramana wrote: Very clear analysis and almost a summary of some of our threads. Its easy to whine and cry about. More important is to squeeze the lemons thrown at you into your vodka. By standing together when they have hit us with their best shot we stay in the play.

Couple of quick points:

1. The US does not need India, but India needs the US - this is a longer argument.
That said, the US could use India, however, for now it would suffice to say that India
should not delude herself about her self importance or that the US has no other option.
As the post above by SriSri, the US is planning bases in Guam and other islands to handle the
South China sea issues, etc. So, India will offer US carrots and vice versa...
The deals between US/India are bound to be sub-optimal to both parties and hence successful.

2. KS characterizes that the US has been bedeviled with nemesis, perhaps of her own
making. Any country that has played game to win, will optimize short time wins
that come with longer term costs. India has not been free of these forces either.
However, India unlike China, has not probed enough or played enough to bear longer term costs,
that strategy was perhaps relevant for a resource poor India, but it will have to change.

Interesting times ahead

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 26 Oct 2010 10:37

I asked the Q about the First Lady's prior "experience" ,in the context of enquiring whether she does the same at home,visiting American brothels and comforting US sex workers.If so I take my hat off to her.She would then be America's version of Princess Diana,who dod a lot for suffering AIDS patients.The US has its own share of human problems.But if she hasn't,then this intention smacks of the worst kind of racism,impudence,impertinence,arrogance and patronising of the most contemptuous nature.It reeks of the typical American cliche of India being a land of tigers,snake-charmers and fakirs,steeped in poverty where kindly Americans must give us hand-outs to feed our bellies and their evangelists to feed our souls!

However,I agree with Ramanna.This visit is important.India must behave as it should,an ancient nation whose heritage spans thousands of years welcoming the leader of America as an equal,without showing any servitude of any kind.The gush-gush sentimentality of Dr.Singh when he told Bush that we "loved him" should be abandoned for cool-headed dialogue between equals,in fact India a notch above being the world's largest democracy.We have a lot to tell him,about Pak's perfidy,repeated US arming of Pak,which uses these arms against india,India's legitimate role in Afghanistan and the need for NATO and the US to pack up their bags from the sub-continent where they are not required and go home.The true task that must be done is to defang Pak of its N-weapons and restore genuine democracy in that country. Horrendous US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan have also to be discussed,as if we are to have a "strategic relationship" with the US,then we cannot be a "partner" if the US troops behave like Nazis.

The issue of blacklisting of Indian PSUs and labs is another.It is outrageous that the US does so while handing over to Pak lethal weaponry.The extradition of Warren Anderson,our R&AW traitor who defected to the US and Headley-Gilani,the conspirator of 26/11 must be handed over to us to face trial and justice.If the US wants us to buy its arms,then as we obtain arms from Russia and Europe and Israel,there should be no strings attached and arms sales to Pak must stop.I have many more issues like visas,etc., to add,but you get the drift.The arrogance of the man in sending us an "advance wish list" must equally be met by us.The least that Dr.Singh can do to save his own self-respect and dignity is to send Obama a similar "wish list" himself.We are not servile lackeys of a pretentious neo-imperialist power but proud Indians! While welcoming the Mess-iah we do not have to worship at his feet.That dubious honour can be left at the door of Pakistan and her rent-boys.

Christopher Sidor · Post by **Christopher Sidor** » 26 Oct 2010 12:59

Dont know if this is important or not, but Obama would not be visiting Pakistan in conjunction with India. In fact he becomes the first US president in recent history to do so. May be this is just due to scheduling issues and I would not like to read something more potent into this. But I cant help wondering, what if this is not some scheduling issues after all?

Pulikeshi · Post by **Pulikeshi** » 26 Oct 2010 20:05

TOWARD REALISTIC U.S.–INDIA RELATIONS

George Perkovich wrote: Conclusion

The Bush administration, building on momentum imparted by
its predecessor and by successive Indian governments, sought to
“transform” the U.S.–India relationship. Both sides recognized that
an alliance was too much to imagine, but they were determined to build a
durable strategic partnership that would elevate their bilateral relationship
to the top tier of each country’s foreign policy priorities.
However, the rhetoric of “transformation” that attended the pathbreaking
nuclear cooperation agreement between the two countries
inspired unrealistic expectations. It implied a greater convergence of
interests and priorities than is realistic. Bush administration officials, in
their eagerness, hubris, and preoccupation with balancing Chinese power,
tilted in the nuclear deal and in their rhetoric farther to the Indian side
than U.S. interests could sustain. Th ey inspired India and built the trust
of its elites, but in the manner of someone offering a deal too good to be
true. Indeed, the courtship of the relationship between the early Bush
administration and the Vajpayee government was too romanticized to be
sustained as a long-term relationship.

Inevitably, Bush’s and Vajpayee’s successors would have to settle into a
more prosaic relationship that would more realistically reflect competing
priorities and interests. For Washington’s part, expectations, policies,
and rhetoric would need to be rebalanced to better reflect America’s
multiple interests and those of the international system it attempts to
lead. In searching for a more realistic and sustainable balance, the Obama
administration has disappointed India and invited attack from partisans of
the Bush approach.

Yet India’s “‘nonaligned spirit’ . . . limits the degree to which it can
align itself with U.S. foreign policy interests,” according to Kanwal Sibal.
“On most strategic issues, Indian and U.S. positions remain apart.” New
Delhi and Washington share core interests on policies toward China and
Pakistan, but they will differ on how to pursue them. In global negotiations
on trade and climate change, U.S. domestic political and economic
considerations impede it from accommodating India’s equitable demands,
while on the latter issue India’s short-term priorities threaten its own, and
the common, interest.

A realistic and balanced strategy would still cherish India. The United
States should still act to bolster India’s economic development wherever
possible, including by accommodating Indian positions on trade and
climate change that are compatible with other major developing countries.
Th e United States should bolster India’s capacity to prevent terrorism,
defend its borders, and secure international seaways, reaffirming India’s
non-aggressive intentions and interest in peaceful relations with China
and Pakistan. If, in these domains, and more broadly in policies to
address twenty-first century international challenges, the United States
can advance the effectiveness of global governance, it will create a better
environment for Indians to make themselves more prosperous and secure.
Autonomy is the imperative of Indian political culture and strategy;
leaders in Washington should recognize and respect this without distorting
India’s expectations or those of the American political class.

Sums up what to expect from Sri Obama's visit to the Indian subcontinent.
While some, such as George, have argued that that US and India differ on China/TSP.
It is not clear what the differences are? Especially since, it is unclear what India wants...

For those that believe that the US is a declining power the above makes no sense.
Yet, there is no evidence that the US is declining, if anything it seems to
be in a trough of a large plateau and will continue to be a major power for decades.
Basically, China is a roadshow compared to the USSR threat that the US faced and won!
Pakistan, is manageable with all its warts and what not. India seems confused on this...
India is useful, but is not needed - except maybe in the IOR and it is inevitable due to
geography - so the US will work on economy and IOR with India and hedge further.

One is useful in creating a problem or in solving one, but never in managing potential problems!

India is more attuned to the latter and thus has some hard choices and lessons to learn on this front.