Kate Skolnick May 2003
Hist. 186B: Amit Garg Mark Mancall
The Impact of U.S. Foreign Policy on India: A Reaction to Arundhati Roy’s “Not again” “Not again,” an article published by Arundhati Roy in the British newspaper, The Guardian, is a scathing denunciation of the United States and its current expansionism. Though Roy certainly is not representative of Indian public opinion on the United States war on Iraq—or on any subject for that matter—her article does manage to bring up several issues that are of importance to India as a developing country. Through her primary message of denouncing U.S. foreign policy, Roy also addresses two issues that are central to India today: the potential nuclear conflict with
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She has criticized the caste system, the Indian government, and now, the United States, which threatens to become the newest world hegemon. Though her opinions are not indicative of those held by the greater Indian population, she serves the useful function of pushing rhetoric to the left, and, in doing so, raises many of the crucial issues that India must address in today’s world. “Not again” is an article criticizing the leaders of America and their foreign policy, which she sees as full of reductionist dichotomies and a thinly veiled attempt to propagate corporate capitalism. As she says in “Not again,” “Wars are never fought for altruistic reasons” (3). Though Roy is clearly denouncing the United States government in her article, the hidden message is the implication that this rhetoric—and action—by the United States can have for developing countries, among them …show more content…
Though the world economy as a whole has grown in recent years, a factor that is not taken into account is that the number “of the poor in the world has increased by 100 million” (Roy 3). In other words, the gap between rich and poor is widening. For India, this has startling implications. Though it is a nation that is developing in many ways, it also is a nation blessed with over one billion citizens, a population tally that continues to grow at a rapid rate. This population increase will greatly tax resources, which can create a setback in the development process. The tragedy, of course, is that the world is full of resources and wealth. In fact, Roy quotes a statistic showing that corporations, and not even just countries, represent 51 of the 100 largest economies in the world (Roy 3). For a country struggling to develop, such information is disheartening. However, there is also a more nefarious consequence of the growing disparity between rich and poor, and power and money being concentrated in the hands of multinational corporations: war is propagated in the name of resource acquisition, and corruption can reign as multinationals seek confederates in developing countries that will help companies drive through their plans, resulting in not only environmental destruction but also the subversion of democracy (Roy 3).
Mukherjee begins her essay with an exposition of her and her sister’s story. She uses repetition in order to emphasize the main differences between the two. For example, she states, “I am an American citizen and she is not. I am moved that thousands of residents are finally taking the oath of citizenship. She is not.” This line is used to set up her subject. She is stating that she is an immigrant whose dream was to envelop the American culture, while her sister does not believe that she should be assimilated into it. The use of repetition also appeals to her audience, Americans, by capturing their attention. Many Americans are nationalistic, if not jingoistic, and believe that America is the greatest country in the world. The notion that others do not feel this way may intrigue them, or potentially offend them, causing them to read on in attempt to find flaws within her argument.
Dalton, Dennis. “Mahatma Gandhi Selected Political Writings.” Indianapolis, Indiana. 1996. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. 125. Text
It was here that he became more maturely and outwardly aware of the social injustices brought upon a people group as a result of a harsh political system with no rights for its Indian people. It was not just the mere understanding and compassion for others that was born. It was also his direct experience with the dehumanizing treatment at the hands of the European authorities. He took this experience back with him to India, and whether it was with intent or not, he began to build upon his experience and gain a reputation for “saintliness” (Lal, 2012, p. 2) with those he came in contact with. Again, it was not only his physical ability to exude peace and love to people but his educational experience afforded him the ability to write detailed and adequate propositions to facilitate change among his nation. Even more notable is his response to the resistance of authorities, whereby he remained a peaceful opposition in spite of imprisonment. Ultimately, Gandhi’s driving force was to see India a nation independent and at peace. Gandhi, by the late stages of his movement had gained such a following and support that he boldly challenged those that felt and believed in his mission be just as committed as he was to lay down their lives (in the turn your other cheek type of action) in order to see India freed (Lal,
It is somehow strange for today’s reader to find out that the situation with America’s foreign affairs hasn’t changed much. As some clever people have said, “The History book on the shelf is always repeating itself.” Even after nineteen years, Americans think of themselves as citizens of the strongest nation in the world. Even after the September the 11th. Even after Iraq. And Afghanistan.
To begin with, one must find a peaceful approach to defeat discrimination. According to the text, on “from Letter to Viceroy, Lord Irwin”, Gandhi stated “My ambition is no less than to convert the British through non-violence and thus make them see the wrong they have done to India.” This evidence shows that Gandhi wants to be heard without using violence. Another example is on lines 17-24 which says “It has impoverished the dumb millions by a system of progressive exploitation…reduced politically to serfdom…sapped foundations of our culture…degraded us spiritually.” This evidence reveals that Gandhi is showing the effect the British is having a right now in India.
In conclusion, this extensive review of American foreign policy is just very broad. This topic is his shortened summary of a broad topic in a narrative arrangement, if they contributed anything to the historical understanding of this book. Ambrose and Brinkley made the topic very fascinating and easier to comprehend than a plain textbook. By writing Rise to Globalism and narrating stories without including unnecessary truths and statistics. Thanks to this book, I gained a more thorough understanding of the struggles in the Middle East after Vietnam and a new perception on where American presently stands in the world.
The modern world has only existed for a few centuries. Industrialization doesn’t belong to the west, it belongs to modernity. Zakaria argues that American diplomats are so used to having their way so this may be difficult for them. To show the variety of growth seen in the rise of the rest, Zakaria contrasts the rise of China with the rise of India. Even though they’re both different, both countries have seen huge economic growth over a short period of time. China has an authoritarian government whereas India has a diverse democratic government. Also, the political goals of the two countries are quite different. China’s goals are focused on growth but also involve issues revolving around Taiwan. India’s status as a comparatively recent nuclear power makes it politically different from China. Zakaria warns that America must be careful in how it responds to both countries. In particular, Zakaria suggests that America’s greatest strengths is in its ability to generate ideas. He notes that many of the best universities in the world are found in America. He also suggests that American public education at the
[6] Kripalani, Majeet & Egnardio, Pete. The Rise Of India. Business Week Online. December 8, 2003. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_49/b3861001_mz001.htm
Gandhi said “only on condition of our demands being fully satisfied may you remain in India; and if you remain under those conditions, we shall learn several things from you and you will learn many from us” (Gandhi 410). Gandhi believed that it was possible to have peace between the two opposing cultures by being willing to learn and understand each other. He was one of the biggest influences on ending the brutal relationship between Indians and the English, but he did not believe that violence was necessary mean. Fanon argues “decolonization is the meeting of two forces, opposed to each other by their very nature, which in fact owe their originality to that sort of substantification which results from and is nourished by the situation of the colonies” (Fanon 424). He believes that the concept of colonies stands between these two different cultures being peaceful with each other. The idea of colonies means that one culture or nation is dominant to another which causes conflicts like those in India between the natives and
Since its independence in 1947, political stability has been a key factor which has ensured that India is the largest democracy in the world today. In spite ...
...an HDI of 0.36. These discrepancies in levels of development have led to an exodus of people, from less developed areas to the areas that have been benefitted by development. This situation seems to depict that predicted by the Dependency theory in which the developed countries progressed due to the exploitation of peripheral nations; the same seems to be happening in India. The states that are wealthier are exploiting the poorer states. It would be difficult to imagine India having the economic status that it now has, if it was not for the terrible working conditions and wages at which the Indians are willing to work and the massive work force available in the country. Now that India has seen economic growth the government should start taking care of its citizens by implementing policies that protect the labor rights of the workforce.
Malik, Y. K. (1988). India: The Years of Indira Gandhi. The Netherlands: Brill Academic Pub .
Many Indians feel that the Quit India Movement was one of the most influential and successful moments in history. The s...
The intent of Gandhi in Gandhi's inten was to remove the India he loved from trusting in the greatness and infallibility of Western Civilization and to encourage her to take pride in India’s own identity as a civilization and culture. His enthusiasm slightly exaggerates the grandeur of India and accounts for some margin of error in his esteem for his homeland, but Gandhi’s overall message is sound and wise; India must be proud of her heritage and mindful of sacrifice, for by these means, true freedom and true swaraj will be reached.
in relation to development. Development is explained by the Oxford Dictionary as the process of developing or developed in a specified state of growth or advancement. Underdeveloped as according to the Oxford Dictionary is ‘not fully developed or not advanced economically’ which is meant for a country or a region. We can certainly see the difference between underdeveloped and developed where the changing situation emerges from the economic point of view. To be more specific, worlds within world were created i.e. the nomenclature of First World and Third World came into picture. The First World is said to be the industrialised, capitalist countries of Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand who are developed (as explained in the definition). The Third World includes the developing countries of- Asia, Africa and Latin America who are still in the mode of developing. Normally we understand the situation of underdevelopment is because the third world was under the colonies or the colonial rule for a certain period of time and lags behind the first world in every aspects like- social, economical, political, technological advancements which are yet to be seen in the third world fully like the first world. In this paper we will talk about various theorists from - Karl Marx (capitalism and class conflict), Kay and Amin (merchant capitalism, colonialism and neo-colonialism), Vladimir Lenin (imperialism), Andre Gunder Frank (third world dependency), Lipton (urban bias) and dependency theory. Here in this paper we will try to explain and understand the relevance of the various underdevelopment theories and different attributes related to it terms of the Indian Context.