Re: An ode to America

["Mahesh chandra Gupta" <>]

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Tip of the day:  Re-use your plastic bags. 
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It is obvious you are bewitched by America. Happy dreams and imagination!
Admiring somebody is always good. At least you are not talking ill of
anybody. Certainly, a nation needs to be admired if all its citizens stand
as one in times of crisis.

BTW, it certainly does not look very impressive to quote, of all others, a
Romanion paper. No disrespect meant to that country. But the credentials, in
this context, and on many counts, leave much to be desired.

Now, other comments. These are in two categories: comparison with India and
answer to your query.

COMPARISON

 India HAS stood like a rock in times of crisis. History of India's freedom
struggle is full of examples. Post-independence, those who have seen 1962
would tell you how women from all sections of life donated their jewellery,
even mangal sutras, in collection pheris in various towns and streets. In
1965 war, on a call by Lal Bahadur Shastri, whole of the country missed
monday dinner every week to contribute towards the war; even restaurants and
dhabas were closed. If people speak in different voices even in times of
crisis, it is an ode to their freedom of speech, not their antinationalism.
Our media are any time more free and independent than those in the US, where
a mere"request" from Rice Condeeleeza is sufficient for them to muzzle
themselves, all as a mark of so called "national solidarity". Their
president repeatedly announces he would "smoke out" [those rodents out of
their holes]. And their people and media praise him in one voice for these
infamous remarks! This is not collective nationalism, it is collective
arrogance and buffoonery. Please go through Arundhati Roy's article posted
yesterday by Fernandes on this list for hard details.. Can you expect such
words from an Indian head of state; if he utters these, he would be quickly
corrected by our media for his discretion; that would not mean being
anti-government. The Americans are, as a people, largely ignorant, because
they neither know, nor feel the need to know about others, thinking that
they are the only ones and beings in the world who matter; others are simply
to be ignored, tolerated or used.

QUERY ANSWERED

Your query is: "What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their
land? Their
> galloping history? Their economic power? Money? I tried for hours to find
an
> answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases which risk of sounding like
> commonplaces. I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion.
>
> Only freedom can work such miracles!"

About their "galloping history". Pray, what is that history, galloping or
otherwise? [Incidentally, real histories of really historical civilizations
do not gallop; they manifest very subtly, but definitively and unmistakably,
in their people, their thoughts, their traditions, their culture etc.].No
need to elaborate more on the history aspect.

Their money and economic power? Yes, that is closer to truth. Their national
arrogance is based upon their national riches. From what are those riches
derived is succinctly and factually described in Arundhati's write up.
Briefly, it is derived from  subjugation of countries, propping up of
dictatorships, and selling of arms, which is made possible by the former
two.

About their freedom? Yes, they Have freedom. Please get the description of
freedom from Arundhat's article. It is beautifully described there.

SUGGESTION

Please do go through Arundhati Roy's article, even though it is long.

MC Gupta
Oct 25
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====
From: "Goyal Nitin" 
To: "'Nukkad'" 
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2001 10:05 AM
Subject: An ode to America


>
> does this have lessons for india? or the world? especially the 2nd para?
> we DID unite to work on alleviating suffering of our fellow-countrymen
> during the kargil war and the gujarat earthquake!
> and yet we can be so apathetic and sectarian sometimes!
>
> ~~~
>
> Editorial from a Romanian newspaper
>
> An ode to America
>
> Why are Americans so united? >
> What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their
> galloping history? Their economic power? Money? I tried for hours to find
an
> answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases which risk of sounding like
> commonplaces. I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion.
>
> Only freedom can work such miracles!




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