Yeah, I still don’t understand the Pakistan thing. Pakistan:
harbored Osama bin Laden
has pretty uninteresting economic output
has serious beef with their much larger neighbor India, and are somewhat friendly with Iran and China
Whereas India:
has a ton of people
already has pretty extensive economic ties to the US, which could be strengthened, and is a ripe alternative to China for production
has tensions w/ China, so we have mutual enemies
is highly unlikely to harbor any of our enemies
Yet we keep them at arm’s length.
I could say the same for Israel and Saudi Arabia. Why are we so intent on picking the worst possible countries in a given region? The only explanation is that we want war…
More like India remembers our position in the cold war and doesn’t have any desire to be beholden to us. Doesn’t matter if it’s the Hindutva or INC, neither are friendly to US hegemony. I’d hold the same position if I was them of course. I mean we still embargo Cuba for fucks sake.
I think they’ve gone beyond somewhat friendly with China. They’ve got PLA troops in Pakistan now doing anti terrorism work. The chances of the Chinese establishing a naval base in Pakistan is far from remote at this point, though I think it would be a back channel red line from the Americans regarding further military funding.
I guess. But on the other hand, a closer union between the US and India should give the US a chunk of that growth, as well as allow the US to shape how India develops.
Yeah, I still don’t understand the Pakistan thing. Pakistan:
Whereas India:
Yet we keep them at arm’s length.
I could say the same for Israel and Saudi Arabia. Why are we so intent on picking the worst possible countries in a given region? The only explanation is that we want war…
Sunk-cost fallacy stemming from Cold War-era choices.
Yeah, my guess is that since they have nukes, we feel obligated to keep them close so those nukes don’t end up in the wrong hands.
More like India remembers our position in the cold war and doesn’t have any desire to be beholden to us. Doesn’t matter if it’s the Hindutva or INC, neither are friendly to US hegemony. I’d hold the same position if I was them of course. I mean we still embargo Cuba for fucks sake.
This the same India that’s been spending the past 20 years cozying up to us? And vice-versa, of course, we’ve been very interested in India as well.
Pakistan is the major stumbling block remaining, not the policy of half a century ago.
I think they’ve gone beyond somewhat friendly with China. They’ve got PLA troops in Pakistan now doing anti terrorism work. The chances of the Chinese establishing a naval base in Pakistan is far from remote at this point, though I think it would be a back channel red line from the Americans regarding further military funding.
India is a contender for becoming a major power in a multipolar world, where the US is not the hegemon anymore.
So it makes perfect sense to help Pakistan and stir the conflict so, India is slowed in its advances to become a major power.
I guess. But on the other hand, a closer union between the US and India should give the US a chunk of that growth, as well as allow the US to shape how India develops.