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How to save $200 million instantly. Cut off foreign aid to India, which just swore allegiance to Putin.

You’ve seen the picture above all over the internet this week. India’s prime minister Modi (persecutor of minorities, human rights violator, and the guy who imposed martial law on his country last month). He’s giving Vladimir Putin a “bear hug”, to affirm that they’re BFF.

Wait . . . wasn’t it just a year ago (June 2023) that President Biden was feting Modi at a lavish white house state dinner? And announcing a new era in US-India ties? Which included trade concessions, and supplies of US weapons? (see Reuters link below). Da-yum!! This may be the shortest-lived strategic alliance ever!

Before we go any further, let me give props to America’s progressives. Last June, before the Sumac roasted sea-bass (marinated in dahi Indian yogurt) was even out of the White House kitchens, the American left pointed out that Modi is a snake who can’t be trusted. You internationalists were 100% right. You should have yelled louder last year. Me too. The NYT and WaPo should have paid attention. Perhaps the US media was too preoccupied with ignoring Biden’s advancing Parkinsons disease? The incomprehensible speech and jerky body movements. Which white house staff tricked this “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” to kiss up to Modi, and why? Is this some long game regarding Hindu American democrat voting blocs? Showering money on India, and selling them jet fighters certainly isn’t about our national interests. I already opposed US foreign aid to India because they’re a nuclear bomb toting power, with long range missiles. What the hell do they need US taxpayer dollars for?

Back to the $200 million in foreign aid (see link). This isn’t the largest amount of American aid to a single nation, but it’s still substantial. And all money is fungible. That means $200 million from the US allows India to spend $200 million from its own savings to buy . . . Russian oil, in violation of the international sanctions.

Wait, India NEVER agreed to honor the sanctions. That’s their choice, and it’s legal. Modi can give bear hugs to all the dictators he wants. But we don’t have to hand out $200 million and sell him jets and share intel while he cozies up to mass murderers. These sort of dictator payoffs are what cooked our goose in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Pakistan. Let’s cut Modi off, immediately. There’s no rainbow here, let alone a pot of gold at the end of it. A (balanced budget) journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

~U.S. Foreign Assistance by Country~

~Biden, Modi hail new era for US-India ties and tout deals | Reuters~

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chilloutab2 · 41-45, M

persecutor of minorities, human rights violator, and the guy who imposed martial law on his country last month

WHAT??? The NYT-WP wokies do shove the first 2 tropes down you Americans' throats... but martial law??? Where did that come from? Last I checked, a very democratically elected government was installed in India last month!
Besides, this "persecutor of minorities" as the woke West likes to call him, is actually setting historic injustices right in India that Westerners have no inkling of.... which is why the Indians elected him again for a very rare third straight term.

Regarding the arms sale: That brings Indian money into America. It's something that Indians wish their government would stop and American should pray India doesn't stop. It's beneficial to the American economy and detrimental to the Indian economy.
Also, the US carefully orchestrates the balance of power in the region so that India does not get a space of time without security threats in which it can invest money into its own arms industry. Instead, the US keeps things at a low simmer so that India's needs for arms always remain immediate and they turn to the US to buy because they have no time to develop their own.

And it's actually great for the US that India is a nuclear bomb totting power with long range missiles. This means it will be Indian bombs and missiles that will be proxy for American ones when China eventually and inevitably goes to war with the world.

India will keep buying Russian oil until someone else offers a better price. If the US is so concerned about India buying it from Russia, it could offer oil to India at the same price. India does not care where the cheap oil comes from so long as it does. And it would even prefer the oil to come from the US than Russia if the price is right. In a country without any substantial petroleum resources, 1.5 billion Indians still need their transport and electricity needs met.
By the way, as the Indian foreign minister pointed out not long ago, India spends less on Russian oil in a week than Germany spends on Russian gas in an hour. But somehow Germany buying Russian gas is not a violation of international sanctions even though the Germans HAVE agreed to honour those sanctions.

India is little-known, little-studied, little understood in the West... and Westerners are not even interested, but if an approaching impending tyranny from the Far East and the Middle East is not to overrun the world in the not-so-distant future, the West will have to join hands with India, for neither can halt this tyranny on their own.

As for the $200 million, that's small change in India anyway. The Indian government spends more on fertilizer subsidy than that, which is an apt metaphor for that argument (Paraphrasing an Indian politician here). Indians would prefer the US kept that small change.

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SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@chilloutab2 here's the link to martial law:

https://www.vox.com/world-politics/24160779/inside-indias-secret-campaign-to-threaten-and-harass-americans

i assume the other 1,000 words in your reply are uninformed garbage, since you aren't even aware of current events.

nice work. thanks for your reply

in10RjFox · M

@SusanInFlorida first get to know the difference between martial law and authoritarian rule. US has a long history of meddling with India using reporters and journalists as spy. So that was India's crackdown on all those.

And btw India buys Russian oil using it's own rupees. Russia is now wondering what to do with those rupees and is now forced to buy from India. So no USD was used.

Get matured and stop believing what ever you read.

chilloutab2 · 41-45, M

@SusanInFlorida I can see you are less informed about world affairs outside of the US, especially about India, than I previously thought. The link you provided talks about the problem of Jammu & Kashmir... I guess you have no idea about what that problem is, possibly apart from what Western propagandists tom-tom. Please acquaint yourself with it.

India imposed "President's Rule" on Jammu & Kashmir state not long ago. Imposing "President's Rule" on an Indian state as per the Indian constitution does not equate to martial law.... it was done legally and constitutionally with the ratification of the Indian parliament. One would presume you'd have at least this basic knowledge about a country before you start commenting on it. I'm also assuming that the news about Modi being re-elected in the Indian election in the largest democratic exercise in human history has not yet reached the rock that you live under. Being democratically elected, that too for a rare third time, is diametrically opposite to an imposition of martial law.

Also, you have never seemed to be of the leftist or woke persuasion. So why are you reading a woke and leftwing propaganda site like Vox? Or even believing them. If you need news about India, shouldn't you be trawling Indian news sites?
There are numerous assessments of Vox as a left-biased website. Here is one:
https://www.allsides.com/news-source/vox-news-media-bias.
It's but obvious that Vox would spread lies and propaganda against what they consider a right-wing government in India.

Not just Vox, the Democrats and the American left, as well as the US leftist-wokist media like NYT, WP, etc, have distinctly racist, anti-Hindu, anti-Modi and anti-India positions. The Indian government has for a long time now been cracking down on their allies and paid agents within India, because this anti-India sentiment is detrimental to both India's interest and America's, as India and the US are natural allies that the left does not want to come together. Hopefully, Trump will change that soon, like he did in his first term.

I have been reading your posts for a while, and the tragedy of our conversation here is that we are both broadly on the same side of the political spectrum, yet we have been reduced to bickering because of your false characterization and misrepresentation of India, which is the result of your lack of knowledge about India... but that is a common American malaise, sadly.

Please get acquainted with India. The free world of the future depends greatly on a Western-Indian alliance, led on the West by the US.

i assume the other 1,000 words in your reply are uninformed garbage, since you aren't even aware of current events
You might want to swallow your hubris and reconsider the above statement, because you are clearly the one who has displayed an American insularity and a lack of knowledge about the eastern hemisphere.

Carlam · 70-79, F

You’ve raised valid concerns about the current state of US-India relations and the implications of foreign aid. Considering India’s role as the largest democracy and the US’s leadership position in global affairs, what do you think are the most effective strategies for the US to pursue in its foreign policy to address these challenges?
The recent developments between India and Russia certainly add layers to the discussion about how the US should navigate its alliances and foreign aid strategies. Are there specific changes you believe should be made to better align US foreign aid with global peace efforts and democratic values?

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Carlam you cannot claim to be a democracy if you impose marital law. wishing doesn't make it so.

here's the link.

https://www.vox.com/world-politics/24160779/inside-indias-secret-campaign-to-threaten-and-harass-americans

Carlam · 70-79, F

@SusanInFlorida In navigating foreign policy, particularly concerning alliances and aid, it is imperative for the US to prioritize informed decision-making over surface-level assessments. Constructive engagement and dialogue are pivotal in promoting democratic values and advancing shared interests globally.

Moreover, a strategic partnership with India presents significant opportunities for mutual benefit. By fostering a strong, principled relationship, the US can better uphold its values and safeguard national interests. It's crucial that US base its policies on thorough analysis and reliable sources rather than solely on isolated viewpoints.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

The US should cut all relations with Russia and with all countries that continue to have relations with Russia and target them for a nuclear attack.

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jehova · 31-35, M

@Diotrephes not nukes guns tanks bombs but no nukes

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in10RjFox · M

India and Russia go a long way. Russian crude processed by India becomes India's oil as per cartel agreements. Go ask Europe to stop importing gas from Russia.

You are talking as if India is poor asking for Aid. India is not pakistan or Afghanistan.. and it's the US that dumps money in the name of aid to sponsor terrorism and none of it works with India.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@in10RjFox i don't want to give tax dollars to nations supporting Putin.

in10RjFox · M

@SusanInFlorida 😀😀😀. Where did you get educated? Why do you give millitary equipments to Afghanistan iraq Pakistan etc. ? You don't know how you gifted military equipments to Taliban in the disguise of fleeing.

How do you know that Putin is not retaliating in his defence?

You should stop paying tax then. You talk as if India is begging for money without realising the number of Indians earning USD around the world. And if Modi wants it, he can get billions.

May be you are not aware of the numerous foreign remittances sent back.

You go investigate your side why 200 M was sent.

InOtterWords · F

It is a really short-sighted economy if you are worried about $200m when the Indians in America pay approx. $250billion in income tax.

Take away that $200m investment.... yes investment and not foreign aid and you will see indians taking their business back to india

I think what your real problem is ... you are stuck with the colonial mindset that india is a 3rd world country and not the super power that it is becoming.

You are threatened by its connection to Russia which was forged when the usa were an ally to Pakistan in the 1971 conflict.

USA and india have a good relationship that benefits both

Russia and india have a good relationship that benefits both

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@InOtterWords i don't follow your thinking here. buy giving foreign aid to india, does america ensure that hindus living here won't go home, and continue to pay US income taxes?

Perhaps they will quit their US jobs in anger?

clue us on why America must give handouts to every nation where people emigrated to the USA.

whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

Yeah... Nahhh.. But maybe.. The problem is that India and russia had a long standing thing when India was a poor "non aligned" nation. Now they aint so poor and they are a lot closer than America, which is trying to keep a toe hold in the region..😷

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whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

@SusanInFlorida Good question. And there are good reasons. First, because weapons are one thing American still makes and sells overseas for trade.. Second, because India has a simmering border conflict with China and America wants to show its support. Third because India is a possible vehicle to replace US influence in the middle east and the south China sea with ports bordering both and an established navy to replace US assets being pulled back closure to home . Thats something Australia was supposed to provide with US built nuclear powered submarines that America may not be able to provide as promised...And finally Hindu nationalism is on the rise and a natural antagonist to Islam through Pakistan.. (Which America also sells arms to)😷

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@whowasthatmaskedman if india can send up moon probes, and build nuclear warheads, they can also build their own rifles, cannons, and tanks. it's a lot easier. that's world war 2 technology. they don't need handouts from the USA.

whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

@SusanInFlorida I agree. But we both know thats not how US foreign aid works..Its about strategic and trade interests. Just as Chinas One belt, One road program is. The Chinese just refined it. Easier for them with a centralised economy..😷

pdxlinux · 41-45, M

outsourcing of American jobs to Indians is already benefiting their country and has strengthened all aspects of their economy, infrastructure, education and defense. I did not know that the USA sends cash on top of that. Opposition to outsourcing and offshoring used to be a ****DEMOCRATIC PARTY**** GOAL. it is most certainly NOT a Republican/GOP goal.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@pdxlinux i blame american corporations for outsourcing. not congress or the white house.

Prison1203 · 61-69, M

Or we could cut off pay to all the hot air in the house and senate along with Biden’s pay

justanothername · 51-55, M

200 million is pocket change compared to what big tech companies are investing in India right now as they set up assembly plants as they move their assembly factories out of China.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@justanothername big tech companies are allowed to whatever their shareholders vote on. this thread is about how i want my tax dollars spent. i don't want them sent to tyrants who declare themselves putin's best friend.

justanothername · 51-55, M

@SusanInFlorida I don’t know any big tech companies that are friends with Putin.

jehova · 31-35, M

Lets stop wasting money this is one step id take as president.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@jehova

Lets stop wasting money this is one step id take as president.

Why not stop giving foreign aid to Russia and China?

jehova · 31-35, M

@Diotrephes i agree we shouldnt give anyone money its not our battle. And we dont have money to be giving away (we have our own bills)

in10RjFox · M

[media=https://youtu.be/5Uby7l5qrhk]

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SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Jimbo1 thread hijacking award of the day. If you want to post antisemitic polemics, start your own thread. don't piggyback on legitimate top posts.

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SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Jimbo1 i recognize reflexive anti-semitism when i see it. i'm just sayin' . . .

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