I confess that I am utterly puzzled by the results of the Pew global attitudes survey (via Acorn) which says that Indians have an overwhelmingly positive attitude towards the United States. Apparently 71% of us like them.
Is that plausible? Yes, the survey is skewed. India is one of the few countries where they have asked only urbanites. But this means that it is skewed in a way that makes it easy for us to subject it to a smell test. I am afraid it doesn’t pass, which is why I am utterly puzzled.
I just cannot believe that Indians have that kind of positive attitude towards Americans. Most people I know are extremely cynical about their motives. As to how cynical, I’d guess that they’d rather trust the Chinese over the Americans. I’ve gotten into arguments with people where I have said that we should, on pragmatic grounds, make a limited alliance with the Americans because we have a common enemy in this case – only to be confronted by “We should be very careful about them. Have you forgotten what happened when we trusted the East India Company?” I don’t think this view is limited to a vocal minority. My impression is that this attitude is widespread. I can think of only two explanations to the results.
- The questions were asked by a foreginer. Naturally, we gave those answers so as not to offend them. But this is highly unlikely. If the organization has any sense, it will correct for this.
- We really do admire them, but in the same way that robber barons are admired. As someone whose tactics we wish we could emulate, but can’t because our stupid morals are holding us back. I can confirm that this attitude to life was widespread when I was growing up – “The only way to succeed in life is to adopt underhanded means”. As usual, I blame this on Socialism.
My view is that most Indians do like Americans as a people, given the economic and cultural influence they exert on us, but despise the American government.
The results are very observable, despite this note of caution. Most Indians like and admire America, in any case on a relative scale Indians would win hands down. Most of the countries in this survey are either Islamic or European countries and the anti-Americanism in these countries could make even Narendra Modi seem like George Bush’s Chaddi-Buddy
flattery. plus we admire something that gives us money (NRI savings) and saves us from people we hate (gult software engineers)
During my visit to my grandparent’s village in Karnataka, I found a lot of people indifferent to supportive towards US. Perhaps, we figure that Iraq war is a part of the global war on terror, something we have a lot of stake in thanks to our next door neighbour.
I agree that thinking people see a difference betwen American people and the American government. Maybe Indians think a little more than most.
Here in the UK even the most ignorant jungli will condemn Americans as ignorant and brainless. It’s plain unthinking bias. Personally, I’ve never met an American I didn’t like.
GM
Well, first of all, theres a difference between America the nation state and America the people. Its not like Americans are not likeable people. I havent met many unlikeable Americans. The problem is, to them, the world revolves around America. They have no empathy for the rest of the world. The mindset is, as long as I can get my oil and my cheap walmart merchandise, I couldnt care less how. Individually, they are beautiful, as a nation, they are ugly and self centered.
I don’t think that the poll is correct.i have found many who hate America for what they are what they think of themself and their attitude towards other countries.
I personaly believe that America can never be trusted but at the same time we should not create a negative impression.We should try to make the maximum ‘profit’ out of US irrespective of what we thnk of them.Do it in true capitalist way.
hi, (just came across this site thru another blog).
i visited south delhi (very rich and chic area) last november and read the press – both people and the media were surprisingly unoffended by bush. the 20something elite rich boys that i met were in complete support of bush or didn’t give a shit about politics. they came from an extremely hierarchical and privileged position which i think has everything to do with the way they aligned themselves.
it was very strange. these indians based their reading material on the ny times top ten booklist and music tastes from the latest UK trends. (canada is relatively invisible in their imaginations).
WELLL…
as learlier as ramayan…we never had a war with the east ..ie china …infact we gave them buddism , ayurveda..etc..
but …within last 2000 yrs alone ..alexender(greek), muslims, british ie the white man ..has looted us..
a war with china in 1961 was over the issue of macmohan line?(again britsh land division)..which after a brief period ..ceasefired by the chinese
again americans today are using divide and rule..as used by everyone else frm greeks to british
america is nothing but the biggest loot of land and resorces by white man .
from africa to australia to asia …this greedy white soul is always preying for wealth and resources …they are parasites
as far as futuere is concerned …both india and china should clean asia frm american military presence …
i think together japan , india and china have enough resorces and brains to build nething to everything..all that stops them is cooperation..(divide and rule)
asia in itself is big enough and rich that it never needed western disturbances to fl;ourish and prosper..and thats valid even today..
western civilizations never moved ahead of money and material.
our culute and soiety is much more than money and material..
jai hind
utkarsh bharatam
vaibhav
I am an American and I am embarassed for my people. You are correct that many in this country are small-minded and foolish. Most of those come from the ranks of the religious (Christian) right wing. They lazily and mindlessly follow a rediculous dogma that tells them that it’s OK to pillage the earth’s resources to whatever end they may and that they have the responsibility to convert the world to thier inane beliefs. They also mindlessly assume without, benefit of investigation, that thier government is doing a good job for everyone including the rest of the world. They are too lazy to mind the store and the thieves have moved in.
On the other hand there are many of us though who desparately want the US to be the secular and altruistic country we were post WWII and we are working to that end by holding our politicians accountable for thier actions. The majority of the country now realize that Bush is a total moron at best. Hopefully his ineptitude has stired enough of thinking America to vote in some real change.
You are correct that the white man has done much harm out of stupid, short-sighted, arrogant, self-centeredness. As a white man I offer my most humble apology for the actions of my peers. Please try to remember that many of us here are fed up too and are trying to make changes.
Sincerely,
david
you know people all this thing is totally and entirely useless…i am an indian and i believe that the indian breed i.e the indian race is second most abundant human race type after the chinese.diffrent indians may have diffrent views about america.most highly educated indians (like me)think that america is the country of gold , glory and god, a land of opportunities and a place which seems to have all the nessisities of life.
coming down to american people— ,i think they have big egos and its quite natural .there is nothing wrong with it . even indians are very egoistic and are very proud of their cultural heritage and moral values.these moral values is the strength and also the most orthodox human emotion that is binded very tightly in an indian”s mind .the highly conservative indian thinks that americans are pitty fools lacking morals and all that stuff , whereas a highly broad minded indian (like me) thinks that “it took about more than a thousand years for man to pass the food gathering stage , it will not take a long time for us to pass this country stage”. it will not be long when nationality of a person will not be considered as the soul criteria to judge the way he/she thinks.
coming to racism –. as long as diffrent races with diffrent physical features are concentrated in isolation in the barrier called as a “country” racism will exist on this planet..the only solution to all this prejudist statements is mass communication and the need to understand that underneath every person”s skin there is the same flesh and the same blood..the outer skin is just the physical reflection of the conditions a human being is subjected to.each and everyone of us is just human and only human nothing else . we all have the same thinking patterns, same brain size . there is no such thig as racial intelligence..so far..
Hey hello I think u are a American posing as an indian.
ah !! the last message is nice… ” Truly International” ..im proud of the cockroach
INDIAN OR AMERICAN ?
Life some day it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you.
Nationality is such a lame thing..duh !
Dude Dyutimay…..u forgot the last few lines…..
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters.
I know Dyutimay,he is German, thinks that he is Indian.Met him years ago.True Indians are nothing like him.He has no cultural values and is an eloquent speaker!
The dude has no qualities that deem him as Indian.He is just shitting around with Indian emotions because his Nationality is Indian.His blood is racist Nazi Aryan German!
Chinese people probably like Americans more than Indians do…