Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.
Trump has ushered in the age of humiliation. His method is to push around America’s friends rudely and publicly. He knows none of them can afford to fight back.
The Pakistani political leadership is weak and devoid of any intellect. Its diplomacy is entirely India-China-US focused and suffers from a presumptive view of Afghanistan as a vassal.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
By next weekend, Bangladesh will have an elected government. This is India’s moment to reboot broken ties by moderating the ‘ghuspethiya’ rhetoric in poll-bound West Bengal and Assam.
The key to fighting a war successfully, or even launching it, is a clear objective. That’s an entirely political call. It isn’t emotional or purely military.
No nation other than China can negotiate one-on-one with Trump on an equal footing. That’s why the middle powers who so far formed the core of multilateral bodies now feel orphaned.
Pakistan not only has zero chance of catching up with India in most areas, but will inevitably see the gap rising. Its leaders will offer its people the same snake oil in different bottles.
By mixing Indian maximalism with Western minimalism, desi influencers are using the hippie Met Gala to bring about a quiet revolution in festival dressing.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz eases supply fears, but controlled shipping, slow output recovery, and high costs may delay oil flow normalisation for months.
This special edition of Cut The Clutter, straight from the Siliguri corridor, details the strategic importance of the narrow strip of land in West Bengal, and how it’s a vital link connecting the Northeast to the rest of India.
American objectives are unmet. They neither have muscle nor motivation to resume the war. As for Iran, the regime didn’t just survive, it’s now led by more radical individuals.
Many in the comments are offended. But it is a tongue in the cheek satirical article by SG ji against the current dispensation and the uncritical support of middle class that sustains it.
Many many moons ago I thought SG was made of a different metal having a mentor like Arun Shourie,but he turned out a slimeball.No better than the Arnabs.Atleast AG is blatant about his bigotry.SG is a slimeball.I think I was amongst the first subscibers to the Print(Check your records Guptaji) but NO MORE.It cant be Independent Journalism if your financiers are the likes of Ratan Tata,Kiran Shaw,the AADHAR guy,Mohan Pi(All andhbhakts)…What a Shame…
Why this pathological hatred for so called middle class? Only because presumably most of them vote for BJP? But I am touched by this sudden concern for middle class. Looks like Print has become go to place for all BJP/Modi/RSS haters. Is it surviving for this cause only?
‘Listen, guys, you’ve made a lot, especially in the decade’s boom. It’s time you paid back a bit more.’ And maybe that it wasn’t quite virtuous to make even more money on your accumulated wealth”….Pray tell Mr Gupta…What Boom?
A journo of your caliber still sucking up to Modi when the whole world knows he is yesterdays new.Give us a break…Please stop the sucking up now…Mowgli is HISTORY….
Wow. Difficult to believe that severance package from Indian Express that catapulted Mr Gupta to riches beyond wild dreams had bred such scorching contempt in him for the class from whence he came. I don’t think even the finance minister has displayed such vitriolic hatred for the middle class whom Shekhar Gupta doesn’t even deign to categorize in financial terms. Is he aware that the rich would probably FT or WSJ and the poor won’t afford luxuries like online english news outlet. His entire clientele is that greedy, entitled, abused and maligned middle class. The middle class who didn’t have the luxury to leverage their doorkeeper status in the paleolutyens hierarchy to financially enrich themselves. After spending years in mind numbing education system, soul crushing job search, grinding it out in the small cities or metros, wasting away their health in the polluted air, ceaseless stress without any farm house in Haryana to retreat to, having barely 2 hours of time to themselves and going online to read how wrong it is to be greedy about their hard earned money, to be entitled to savings, and to the joy and pride in the collective love for the country. Well mea culpa Mr Gupta. But I dunno what the punishment would be. The government is already on the way to abolish the middle class, so it’s only natural that you would like to ingratiate yourself by piling on our collective misery.
Many in the comments are offended. But it is a tongue in the cheek satirical article by SG ji against the current dispensation and the uncritical support of middle class that sustains it.
I totally agree with you.Please read my comments aswell…If Guptaj has any spine left,he will not censor it…Well lets see…
SG has one thing in common with all of bollywood and with all the Oligarchs…..Missing Spine
Many many moons ago I thought SG was made of a different metal having a mentor like Arun Shourie,but he turned out a slimeball.No better than the Arnabs.Atleast AG is blatant about his bigotry.SG is a slimeball.I think I was amongst the first subscibers to the Print(Check your records Guptaji) but NO MORE.It cant be Independent Journalism if your financiers are the likes of Ratan Tata,Kiran Shaw,the AADHAR guy,Mohan Pi(All andhbhakts)…What a Shame…
Why this pathological hatred for so called middle class? Only because presumably most of them vote for BJP? But I am touched by this sudden concern for middle class. Looks like Print has become go to place for all BJP/Modi/RSS haters. Is it surviving for this cause only?
‘Listen, guys, you’ve made a lot, especially in the decade’s boom. It’s time you paid back a bit more.’ And maybe that it wasn’t quite virtuous to make even more money on your accumulated wealth”….Pray tell Mr Gupta…What Boom?
A journo of your caliber still sucking up to Modi when the whole world knows he is yesterdays new.Give us a break…Please stop the sucking up now…Mowgli is HISTORY….
Wow. Difficult to believe that severance package from Indian Express that catapulted Mr Gupta to riches beyond wild dreams had bred such scorching contempt in him for the class from whence he came. I don’t think even the finance minister has displayed such vitriolic hatred for the middle class whom Shekhar Gupta doesn’t even deign to categorize in financial terms. Is he aware that the rich would probably FT or WSJ and the poor won’t afford luxuries like online english news outlet. His entire clientele is that greedy, entitled, abused and maligned middle class. The middle class who didn’t have the luxury to leverage their doorkeeper status in the paleolutyens hierarchy to financially enrich themselves. After spending years in mind numbing education system, soul crushing job search, grinding it out in the small cities or metros, wasting away their health in the polluted air, ceaseless stress without any farm house in Haryana to retreat to, having barely 2 hours of time to themselves and going online to read how wrong it is to be greedy about their hard earned money, to be entitled to savings, and to the joy and pride in the collective love for the country. Well mea culpa Mr Gupta. But I dunno what the punishment would be. The government is already on the way to abolish the middle class, so it’s only natural that you would like to ingratiate yourself by piling on our collective misery.