^^I dont hold a brief for Fareed Z, and there is little merit in personalising a substantive discussion..But it is extrmeely unreasonable to expect every "Indian" to think along a specific thought process...Or even if they do, articluate in as many words (after all, going back to FZ, he is editor of Newsweek International - he cannot come across as the editor of Times Now

)..
The broader view of India as a "power" is not based on the construct of "anti-Pak", or anti anything..the larger strategic interests of India stand on their own - and frankly are much bigger than Pakistan...Therefore, the touchstone of "friendliness" that we look for, ie, a repeated harangue of Paki behaviour all the time, is actually counterproductive...WE spent countless years trying to get hte hyphenation out, but seems that some of our "nationalists" wnat to keep the hyphenation in!
On the speciifc issue of the MRCA deal, from a purely strategic perspective, FZ has a point, or at least half a point...If we selected either the F16 or the F18, capabilities-wise, it wouldnt have been greatly different from EF/Rafale...But it would have signalled further cementing of strategic ties between US and India..Where I think he misses the point though is by extrapolating this deal as the "be all and end all" of opportunities in that direction...Clearly, he doesnt see (or for this article, chose not to!) the C17 order that is getting cleared as we speak...And guess what? The C17 order does more for the domestic job market in the US than the F18 (or maybe even the F16) being chosen would have (simply because the Indian order will preserve the C17 lines, while there are existing orderbooks, very large ones in fact for F18)...So "strategically", India is giving more political cover with the C17 deal than it would have with an F18 deal...
Separately, it would be instructuve for everyone dissing FZ to read his "Post American world"...The confidence about India and India's prospects drip from almost every page of that book...Tinged with wistful regret for lost opportunities of the past...It is this India that is more relevant than an "international Mamta Bannerjee" shouting unfairness of US policies and Paki perfidies from every rooftop given half an opportunity...
Its a viewpoint really..And FZ is perhaps symptomatic of the same..
And yes, someone mentioned he is "elitist"...Well, more power to him - he (and btw, his whole family, starting form his late father) has done enough to belong to really "elite" clubs anywhere...Its people like these (and some more below these levels as well!) who project the best idea of India...