Indian opinion of US in the Bush years

capt_mahajan · Mar 23rd, 2008, 15:11

Dunno about those you met, opoponax, but most well educated (as distinct from well informed) middle class folk I know have blinkers on, and their perception/reality is along the lines Munivar talks about.

Nick-H · Mar 23rd, 2008, 15:54

Mod note:

Anyone wishing to take up the rights/wrongs of the Iraqi war. WMDS, whatever, can go to Massala Chai and Chat and start a thread on it.

In fact, preferably, they can go to another forum and start a thread on it

No further posts on that topic in this thread please. They'll be deleted.

And this note acts retrospectively, so some might be already!

Nick-H · Mar 23rd, 2008, 16:49

Maybe you guys can't read blue type?

Just sometimes, just occasionally, once in a while, moderation here gets strict. This is one of them.

All posts on this subject have now been deleted, and if it takes off again the thread will be deleted.

BritAsian · Mar 23rd, 2008, 17:57

I think this link answers your question.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4185205.stm

India is one of the few countries that has a positive opinion of George Bush.

Almost makes me ashamed of my Indian heritage.

Nick-H · Mar 23rd, 2008, 19:52

When not thinking of getting a software job and driving a Honda Civic, that average man on the street is more likely to be watching a movie or serial on the TV rather than the news

the opoponax · Mar 23rd, 2008, 22:09

Quote:

most well educated (as distinct from well informed) middle class folk I know have blinkers on, and their perception/reality is along the lines Munivar talks about.

What I can tell you is that I never found myself in a tight spot of some middle class person praising Bush and wanting to know how totes awesome I think America is right now (and I talked to plenty of well-educated middle class folks). Mostly people I didn't already know didn't bring it up. I talked politics a wee bit with people I was staying with, most of whom were old friends and all of whom already know or would be able to easily guess where my personal politics are at (i.e. "left").

Some of my opinions about what Indians think of America and Bush are probably skewed by the fact that one friend I stayed with is a socialist Bengali who actually lived in the states for the first half of the Bush Administration and knew me when I was in my starkest 'leftist firebrand' phase.

Quote:

When not thinking of getting a software job and driving a Honda Civic, that average man on the street is more likely to be watching a movie or serial on the TV rather than the news

I found the average person on the street better informed about world affairs in general than the average person on the street in the USA. My taxi driver from the Mumbai airport to my hotel the very first night asked me my opinion on Hillary Clinton and whether I thought she'd be the first woman president in the US. His equivalent in the USA probably thinks Clinton would be the first female national leader in world history.

Scandojazzbuff · Mar 24th, 2008, 01:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFtoBLR

I got to wondering how the US is viewed lately in India. I doubt there could be a lower opinion than mine of Bush and US behavior in the world during his presidency. I find it downright embarrassing myself!

Maybe it's time to move to Texas.

gia · Mar 24th, 2008, 01:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

When not thinking of getting a software job and driving a Honda Civic, that average man on the street is more likely to be watching a movie or serial on the TV rather than the news

I agree that most Indians I met were concerned with "pocketbook issues" whether it was the taxi driver who drove me from the airport to the ashram at Neyyar Dam, the manager of the lodge I stayed at in downtown Trivandrum, or the auto rickshaw drivers in downtown Trivandrum, the most common remark, once they realized I was American, was "we are a very poor country compared to America." One auto rickshaw driver said "do you know there are 3000 rupees for $100?" and seemed pretty annoyed as he was speaking When I pointed out that India was a "rising enconomy" and that's how they are viewed in the west, most of them seemed dubious in terms of their own situation. The driver who took me around New Delhi talked about how Indian culture is changing because of the influence of the Internet. He was originally from Nepal (a Hindu) and he seemed to view the West, especially the U.S. as being a huge influence on India in both positive and negative ways. Granted, I was talking to the "man on the street," and not the intellectual elite of the country.

puchoo · Mar 24th, 2008, 02:17

Avg man = honda civic....???

no no ...avg man = maruti 800/alto...or maybe the Nano now..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

When not thinking of getting a software job and driving a Honda Civic, that average man on the street

Nick-H · Mar 24th, 2008, 02:28

Sorry, I mean doing a software job and driving a Honda Civic in America.

Even here they may dream beyond the Maruti: even I do that!

puchoo · Mar 24th, 2008, 02:31

On a more serious note - yes it could be and probably is well beyond an 800...owning a car in India is aspirational...and why aspire at all, if not aspire high...

Sama · Mar 24th, 2008, 03:25

during my first two trips to India in 2005 and 2006, I found that Indians were not hesitant whatsoever to tell me their opinion of Bush (mostly negative) -- more so in 2005 since I was there in September during Hurricane Katrina. when I would tell them that my opinion was the same as theirs, big smiles all around.

during my third trip, no one ever mentioned Bush to me when they found out I am American. in fact the majority of Indians I met in my travels assumed I lived in India, believe it or not! they were surprised I did not!

the opoponax · Mar 24th, 2008, 03:35

Clinton and Obama came up about 10 times more often than Bush did, in my political conversations with Indians. Again, this may be because a lot of those conversations occurred with old friends who already know my leanings and generally share them. But even on the street, I got asked about the prospect of having a woman or a non-white president WAY more often than I heard anything about Gee-dub specifically.

dzibead · Mar 24th, 2008, 03:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick-H

... and driving a Honda Civic in America.[/i]

A measley Civic? At least an Accord ... or a Lexus ... or better.

(A Civic is what I drive.)

I was in India before the last national election and the only person I really talked to about it (some guy on a train) was pro Bush.

Nick-H · Mar 24th, 2008, 04:12

First, the civic, the Accord comes next. Here that's quite a high-status car!

Mar 23rd, 2008, 15:54	#17
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,763	Mod note: Anyone wishing to take up the rights/wrongs of the Iraqi war. WMDS, whatever, can go to Massala Chai and Chat and start a thread on it. In fact, preferably, they can go to another forum and start a thread on it No further posts on that topic in this thread please. They'll be deleted. And this note acts retrospectively, so some might be already! __________________ . Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Mar 23rd, 2008, 17:57	#19
BritAsian Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: UK Posts: 20	I think this link answers your question. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4185205.stm India is one of the few countries that has a positive opinion of George Bush. Almost makes me ashamed of my Indian heritage. Last edited by BritAsian : Mar 24th, 2008 at 20:25.

Mar 24th, 2008, 03:25	#27
Sama a pain in the asana Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: the India inside my heart Posts: 5,462	during my first two trips to India in 2005 and 2006, I found that Indians were not hesitant whatsoever to tell me their opinion of Bush (mostly negative) -- more so in 2005 since I was there in September during Hurricane Katrina. when I would tell them that my opinion was the same as theirs, big smiles all around. during my third trip, no one ever mentioned Bush to me when they found out I am American. in fact the majority of Indians I met in my travels assumed I lived in India, believe it or not! they were surprised I did not! __________________ *My India, 2005-2008* BE THE REVOLUTION

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Mar 23rd, 2008, 15:11	#16
capt_mahajan (in charge of navel affairs) Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 10,568	Dunno about those you met, opoponax, but most well educated (as distinct from well informed) middle class folk I know have blinkers on, and their perception/reality is along the lines Munivar talks about.

Mar 23rd, 2008, 16:49	#18
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,763	Maybe you guys can't read blue type? Just sometimes, just occasionally, once in a while, moderation here gets strict. This is one of them. All posts on this subject have now been deleted, and if it takes off again the thread will be deleted.

Mar 23rd, 2008, 19:52	#20
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,763	When not thinking of getting a software job and driving a Honda Civic, that average man on the street is more likely to be watching a movie or serial on the TV rather than the news

Mar 24th, 2008, 02:28	#25
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,763	Sorry, I mean doing a software job and driving a Honda Civic in America. Even here they may dream beyond the Maruti: even I do that!

Mar 24th, 2008, 02:31	#26
puchoo Forum Leader Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Delhi & Himachal Pradesh (Shimla) Posts: 4,142	On a more serious note - yes it could be and probably is well beyond an 800...owning a car in India is aspirational...and why aspire at all, if not aspire high...

Mar 24th, 2008, 03:35	#28
the opoponax Maha Guru Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Brooklyn, via New Orleans Posts: 1,052	Clinton and Obama came up about 10 times more often than Bush did, in my political conversations with Indians. Again, this may be because a lot of those conversations occurred with old friends who already know my leanings and generally share them. But even on the street, I got asked about the prospect of having a woman or a non-white president WAY more often than I heard anything about Gee-dub specifically.

Mar 24th, 2008, 04:12	#30
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 27,763	First, the civic, the Accord comes next. Here that's quite a high-status car!

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