tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383732783190307682.post1457649002434468074..comments2023-07-20T03:54:13.889-04:00Comments on A contrarian world: India: Toll Road Exemptions and Allure of PowerAthenaeumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06662860639414150880noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383732783190307682.post-55600159218702482582010-06-30T05:45:27.767-04:002010-06-30T05:45:27.767-04:00@Kumar SRinivasan:
"rub it on people who are...@Kumar SRinivasan:<br /><br />"rub it on people who are gracious enough to absorb the cost of our up bringing and education"...Only my dad absorbed the costs..no other indian did. <br /><br />"In US a typical presidential candidate needs to be so and so with enough money before even he can think about contesting"...Very false. Barack Obama was a penniless freshman senator who demolished a dynasty and created history. actually the role of money in elections is exaggerated. <br />"we are lucky enough to be in a position"...my being in USA is out of choice and hard work not just luck.<br /><br />You basically agreed with what I said but think that I have some glasses on. I have drawn attention to the ills ONLY because I 've no tinted glasses.Athenaeumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06662860639414150880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2383732783190307682.post-15230905893857832832010-06-29T10:24:32.036-04:002010-06-29T10:24:32.036-04:00Aravindan, while you are entitled to your views, i...Aravindan, while you are entitled to your views, it would be great to see your remove your tinted glasses and see the world in real colour. Every country, region and society has his ills, issues and no matter how stinking it seems they try to mend it and have a better life in their own little way. <br />India has all these issues and it would have been great if all those kids like us who studied, worked and found our way out have the guts to try to fix it with all this new found wisdom. Unfortunately we decide to stay in our ivory towers in western cities and use our time to rub it on people who are gracious enough to absorb the cost of our up bringing and education and still working hard to make it better for themselves and their kids.<br />In India anyone, including a cinema writer, actor and actress were able to make it into politics due to their passion to do something. While they too ended up being typical politicians over the years looking after their own and kin, it was a change which happened because of common people's vote. In US a typical presidential candidate needs to be so and so with enough money before even he can think about contesting. <br />Yes, India has this stupid concept of hierarchy and anyone in a position of trust like a teacher, doctor, godmen, politician, etc are treated with so much respect and people bend on their back, while they are just doing their job in society and nothing more. This translates to so many problems when these people in position of trust start misusing this misplaced respect. This issue is not there in western culture for sure. <br />That doesn’t mean that these western politicians are any different to their Indian counterparts in the way they treat their electorate. They both are in politics for power. In India they are also able to get away with things because of this misplaced respect.<br />My words are not an argument to say India is better but to say that your view is skewed and coloured; very similar to what some western tourists used to do, taking pictures of India’s filth. Filth is there everywhere Aravindan, just that people like us were lucky enough to be kids of well to do parents who helped us get to where we are today and we are lucky enough to be in a position to choose to live were we live and not have to slog like the less well in our respective western so called progressive societies.Kumar Srinivasannoreply@blogger.com