Why does Obama always raise the bogey of India and China ?

shekhar

We in Asia have always suffered because our best minds left our shores to take jobs in the US and the West. The ‘brain drain’ as we called it was a big problem for the growth of our economies. Now that our economies are growing faster than the rest of the world, and there is a new found optimism in our own culture, the brain drain is reversing. Indian and China stand on the brink of creating new technologies, new international brands and we dream of coming at par with the West economically. It is time therefore for the West to welcome this new dream as part of the new world order. For in a Global world your neighbour’s prosperity is as important to you as for them. Not only is a prosperous trading partner good for your own economy, but poverty leads to social unrest wich can lead to global terrorism as we have seen.
But in the west the old thinking continues. They still see the rest of the world only in context of themselves. President Obama has yet again warned that if the US does not pull of it’s socks, Indians and Chinese people will take away their jobs. Why do all US politicians constantly raise the bogey of their people loosing their jobs to Indians and Chinese ? Like the West has a right to keep all the best jobs to themselves and Indian and China only deserve the jobs that the West decides to give them ???
It is the minds and the enterprise of the Indian and Chinese technologists who migrated to the US that have held together the US economy in the last two decades. The US medical system has been held together by the Indian and Chinese immigrants. And the only jobs that have been transferred outside from the US to India and China are jobs that we do cheaper. And most of the product goes back to the US in any case. The US gradually made India and China their outsourcing base, transferring polluting Industrial jobs (and therefore pollution) to China and back office low end work to India.
President Obama, of all people, must realize that the aspirations and enterprise of the Asian people are going to begin to take fruit. He of all people must stop looking at the growing prosperity of Asia with fear. The days of Western economic colonization are over and there is a far better and fairer world economic order that is emerging. The economic downturn and the rise in global terrorism are vital signs of a world that is on the brink of collapse because of extremes of wealth and poverty.
A fairer world is a more stable world. And President Obama must recognize that wealth, prosperity, and stability lies in a willingness to share.

31 thoughts on “Why does Obama always raise the bogey of India and China ?”

  1. We can take it in the positive sense as well.
    In the times of Maharaja Ranjit Singh his general Hari Singh Nalwa so frightened the Pathans by repeatedly defeating them in battles that a time came when Pathan women began to frighten their children who would not sleep with the words “go to sleep or Nalwa will come.”
    So now we can be happy too when Obama says to his people “Wake up or Indians will come and usurp your jobs.” This itself is an admission of our enterprising and technological ingenuity.

  2. Sir,
    I believe OBAMA’s new shoes are pinching him more than necessary.
    Asian Americans are 5% of total population in USA.
    And with strict visa and citizenship norms this is not going to change soon.
    The fear what I understand may be the result of ASIA soon becoming the consuming generation in time to come.
    A small percentage of India and China will account much more than the total consuming population of America. ( India + China is 37% as compared to USA 4.5%).
    Which means in time to come the worlds resources are going to be diverted to produce and feed the demands of these two upcoming consuming giants. Mobile Phones is a big example.
    USA’s own economy has developed and grown strictly on their consuming culture and this seems to be a serious worry for them in time to come.
    If US wants to be part of this economic revolution I am afraid they dont have enough hands to produce and supply to these eastern parts of the World.
    Its time now they have to put out their hands with technology and money to India and China without which their growth rate seems to be freezed.
    Vinod Agarwal – 10 Asians vs 1 American. (about) and it corresponds with the growth rate % as well.

  3. You make a very valid point in your post. The old method of wanting to dominate the agenda is still in the minds of the leaders.
    You might want to have a look at Umair Haque talk about Dominance vs Equity in this talk ..
    http://vimeo.com/3204792

  5. Many what we call “Blue Collar Jobs” are disappearing here in the United States. These are your typical factory jobs. President Obama and most other politicians here in the US of course need votes in order to win. So many people are losing their jobs here because of jobs moving abroad to countries like India and China. American politicians have to be seen as “outraged” in order to keep the voters happy. However, like you I see this as a result of globalization and while I do feel for the people who lose their job as a result of globalization, I do think the positives of globalization make it worth it.
    Excellent post by the way Mr. Kapur!

  7. Well, coming to think of it, if an Indian or Chinese youngster doesn’t work hard enough or isn’t bright enough, he or she is highly unlikely to lose a job opportunity to an American. Isn’t it? 😀

  8. Well said, this is the superiority complex of american people who see them as entitled to all the best that exist on this planet.

  9. Anywhere in this world, political heroes have to show a villain to the people against whom they pretend to fight. Obama is no exception although he represents a remarkable change in his own country.
    For USA The old villain Communism is aged. The current villain Terrorism is expensive. Now they want to save and are on the defensive against their soft targets of India and China.

  10. Dear Shekhar , Very good point raised by you and I also want to point out:-
    1.US and American president should be actually ashamed of US which on one hand gets all good manufactired from India/China (goto Wallmart and pickup any good it is made in India/China),
    2. gets all the services done by India and is the biggest consumer in the world .
    3. But the money to required to buy these goods also comes from China and India .
    4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_current_account_balance
    US is with close to 13 trillion $ debt from the entire world is biggest debt taking nation in the world . So US is actually the biggest bully .
    5. American lifestyle – people eat a lot outside their houses in restuaratns ,change lot of clothes , buy ultra luxurious houses when they can afford one and all this goes to their credit cards and bank loans .
    6. American lifestyle – Also once they grow hyper fat eating these food they spend a lot in dieting a and weight loss training , this also goes to credit cards .
    7. When Americans are not able to bear these loans they start defaulting and making a hue and cry and the Government comes to their help .
    8. Obama govt. declares a spending on 1 trillion dollar to boost up the economy .
    Now tell me where will this money again come from ?? It will come from India and China’s savings through some kind of comlicated Bank/Stocks derivative trading/hedging Scheme in which they will link the other nation banks also just for their own benifit .
    America is a nation of morally corrupt/manipulative people .

  11. Obamas acceptance speech was equally focussed on nature being our wealth! He’s been in office a couple of mnths now, is thr anything impactful or significant that he has moved to have faith in his delivery? He constantly is hiding behind the wrong that his predecessor did, how about doing some Right Mr Obama? Or will it be lip service all over again?!

  12. Hey Shekhar interesting comment there and something Obama would do well to reflect on…maybe the whole global attitude has been one of western predominance that it is taking time for ppl to get used to idea :-)and well so do the Indian and chinese which they are I think finally…that they can work for themselves and be the best and be trendsetters…I read an interesting article in Times of India that a lot of American Lawyers are making a beeline for India now that their job scene is looking down…so it is always mutual…where it industry,commerce and opportunity ppl will be attracted…and US has stood to gain either way…they got the best talent and even when they outsource it is cos they get to save money and improve their bottomline…like you say a fairer world is a more stable world and equal opportunity to all…that sounds familiar hmm

  13. American politicians have always tried to keep their people in fear of something or the other. Always…
    if its not communism and evil empire, it is terrorism, and now of late it’s been your job is being “bangalored”.
    Makes you wonder what Indians were celebrating when Obama won the election.

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  15. The President needs a whip to prod his country to action.
    And a bogey man, to scare them. We fit.
    I’d worry about backlash. Chi-India may be 5% of the population,but too visible and rich.

  16. Obama is simply saying “Swadeshi” in English. What is wrong with that ? The economic collapse of the United States of America warrants such a polity. He has to do it., otherwise USA is just “another” power in the world. He is not there to preside ovre the dissolution of the American “Empire” financially ($ empire). The US stands totally naked. Who will believe the US now. Those colored brochures, those colored charts., the presentation, the marketing – all those lies (tactical) stand totally exposed today.
    Bernard Maddoff symbolises the perfect icon of capitalism.
    The “myth” of US Economy has been shattered. It will never be the same, atleast for another 30 years. These are 30-year cycles. You dont wish away recession in 30 weeks ! This is a 30-year phenomena. Any positive talk would have to wait for 30 years. The reason why the US economy collapsed was, is because it was based on lies. The marketing of lies went on and on and on, and had to crash, one day or another. 2 unnecessary wars, the Empirium doctrine of the Neocons undid the story for the US. The rest is analysis.

  17. Somebody please ask all these luminaries to first read my book Self-Designed Unverse to know what really drives the evolution at all system/cycle levels from the base and then based on that knowledge judge where we are as a global culture and where we are supposed to go in the future. And laslty based on that, make conscious steps as far as they can to take the evolution to that direction. And the President may also be advised accordingly.
    Globalisation in the form of “acting globally to benefit individually (as an individual to as a nation)” may be passe. It may now be the time of “acting individually to benefit globally.” Which is only an other name for Gandhi’s saying “Bring the change in yourself which you want to see in the world.” In practical terms which may mean:
    1. Use minimum natural resources.
    2. Spend less.
    3. Waste less.
    4. Be self-reliant to the maximum extent possible.
    5. Live close to nature/nature’s ways.
    6. Live and let live.
    7. Use minimum of drugs/medications of all kinds.
    8. Increasingly turn to nature cures through water, air, fasts, relaxation, meditation etc.
    9. Become stoics while doing your work to the maximum.
    10.Accept what cannot be changed, change what cannot be accepted. Find the balance.
    Once they make a thorough study of where we are and where we are supposed to go according to my book, they themselves can find many more points to follow.
    I cannot do it myself because one man could only write the basic idea, more is beyond my energy. Because further exploration will need a generation of men.
    Even otherwise note increasingly the world coming over to these points.

  18. Wanted to add, that though I cannot write more and have reasons for that I can talk directly about the points if anybody can make the arrangements. Writing is really not the medium to convey the wholesome truth only a skeletal detail of which is contained in the book.
    By the way, Shekhar, are you involved in http://www.ted.com in anyway if you will like to tell?

  21. The intention here was to point out the competition the US faces from countries like China. It is meant to be taken in a spirit of challenge, not resentment. President Obama often points out the same to students. It is to wake people up!
    I wonder if this could be applied to Mexican immigrants, most of who shoulder the labor based jobs even if they happen to be illegal and then get unceremoniously thrown out/deported if caught. This is another example of something that benefits US small businesses and at the same time looked at as taking away jobs, especially in times of recession.

  23. Harb,
    Does live and let live means – no criticism et all?
    (I have friends who are so tuned to criticism that they live through it and don’t let live those that they see as illusioned clingings. Such is the flow of intensity I see in some of them that they dont let you live and one gets to ponder on their point of opposition.)

  24. An interesting retake on real meaning of globalization and its historical precedent.
    Some 2500 years ago Alexander began his own globalisation of sorts by trying to win the globe physically but had to turn back after reaching India because 1. His own resources got over-extended and 2. India seemed to be getting the better of him with every passing day.
    Some 2500 years later Financial Alexanders of the same West again began their globalisation of sorts by trying to win the globe now fanancially but perhaps are being made to turn back from India because of the similar reasons.
    Indeed, history repeats itself but at subtle and subtler levels.

  29. Greetings Shekhar. When Obama refrences americans losing jobs to the east; it is the “fear-tactic” of mental-terrorism; used of course, to control.
    In example: the Santa Claus theory-that Santa only brings presents to good girls and boys; not bad ones.
    When leaders use these fear-tactics on their own people for unclear motive; it leaves the leaders actions as non-transparant, thus is questionable.
    In that vein; your blog-topic is well-put!
    Because in my view; why isn’t Obama comparing having water, and not having water; to get people feared enough into losing it; that they will begin to be less wasteful?(read your bathtub blogpost)

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