Why are so many Indians pro-communist?

[500grains]

Protest yesterday over food prices:

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/51384000/jpg/_51384389_51384263.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12549050

During the Cold War, I found it odd that India, a republic (although incorrectly called a democracy) was so close to the Soviet Union. Even today, there is substantial support among the general population of India for communism. I do not understand it because capitalism has brought much of India out of the depths of despair to a reasonable standard of living, and the economy overall has done well.

If someone has some insight, I would appreciate your remarks. There must be something more to it than simply the theory that poor people like the idea of communism.

[mr_smiles]

If someone has some insight, I would appreciate your remarks. There must be something more to it than simply the theory that poor people like the idea of communism.

Not really, when you're truly as poor as they are it looks like paradise.

If your driver (in India people are so cheap even if you own the cheapest car you have a personnel chauffeur who basically lives in your car) hits and kills someone walking across the street it's around $300 American dollars to make it all go away, I know this to be a fact.

I mean they don't even have sewage infrastructure in most of the country, people just shit in the streets or in a field.

[The_War_Wagon]

WHY are so many AMERICANS pro-Communist?!?! :eek:

For starters, you've GOT to be 30+ now, to have ANY memory of the Soviet Union. You've got to be around 50+, to remember when Communism was ROUTINELY taught to be/proclaimed to be, the 'evil empire' that it was - by teachers/clergy/the media.

By the 1970's, the media rarely portrayed the empire's evils, which is why lefties were so scared of Reagan's election in 1980. Movies like, "Red Dawn," or ABC's mini-series, "Amerika," were few & far between in the '80's. Since algore hadn't invented (mass-marketed) the interweb yet, you REALLY had to search to find out how crappy their factories were, how poor their agrarian practices & harvests were, or find any writings of Solzhenitsyn, to see how bad social & living conditions really were.

When you see a young commie punk these days, tell 'em how it REALLY was back then. They may not even believe you, but it'll shut THEM up for a while...

[Redmanfms]

If you had ever been to India, you'd find it a great deal more understandable that a huge number of people are outright Marxist and that Communists are present at every level of government including a significant presence in the Parliament. The constitution of the nation specifically defines the nation as socialist.

It doesn't have anything to do with parliamentary republic v. Soviet dictatorship, because honestly Marxism and republicanism aren't actually mutually exclusive, but it does have something to do with the unbelievable endemic inescapable poverty in that nation.

[montanadave]

Chillax, boys, Caribou Barbie is gonna set those curry-eatin' commies straight!

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/24/india-trip-hurting-palin-in-new-hampshire/

:lol:

[Rider79]

For starters, you've GOT to be 30+ now, to have ANY memory of the Soviet Union. You've got to be around 50+, to remember when Communism was ROUTINELY taught to be/proclaimed to be, the 'evil empire' that it was - by teachers/clergy/the media.

By the 1970's, the media rarely portrayed the empire's evils, which is why lefties were so scared of Reagan's election in 1980. Movies like, "Red Dawn," or ABC's mini-series, "Amerika," were few & far between in the '80's. Since algore hadn't invented (mass-marketed) the interweb yet, you REALLY had to search to find out how crappy their factories were, how poor their agrarian practices & harvests were, or find any writings of Solzhenitsyn, to see how bad social & living conditions really were.

I miss the Cold War. :sad:

[Business_Casual]

I miss the Cold War. :sad:

I'll pass on the fear of thermonuclear annhilation, enslavement of millions and constant proxy wars.

B_C

[Cagemonkey]

I'll pass on the fear of thermonuclear annhilation, enslavement of millions and constant proxy wars.

B_CI wouldn't say I miss the Cold War, but the threats you mentioned are still here except things are less overt. If anything, things are less stable then before. Rogue nations posses WMD's, proxy wars are fought through terrorist organizations and political ideology has given way to fanatical religious fervor.

[mr_smiles]

I'll pass on the fear of thermonuclear annhilation, enslavement of millions and constant proxy wars.

B_C

:lol: Loved the response.

[skyugo]

If you had ever been to India, you'd find it a great deal more understandable that a huge number of people are outright Marxist and that Communists are present at every level of government including a significant presence in the Parliament. The constitution of the nation specifically defines the nation as socialist.

It doesn't have anything to do with parliamentary republic v. Soviet dictatorship, because honestly Marxism and republicanism aren't actually mutually exclusive, but it does have something to do with the unbelievable endemic inescapable poverty in that nation.

is marxism a symptom of the problems or a cause?

so many well meaning social programs in this country end in ruin....

[Redmanfms]

is marxism a symptom of the problems or a cause?

so many well meaning social programs in this country end in ruin....

Good question.

I'd say both in the case of India. It was pathetically impoverished before political socialism came to the front.



In truth, the government in India is more corporatist. Either way, the suffering continues in spite of platitudes about ending poverty.

[skyugo]

Good question.

I'd say both in the case of India. It was pathetically impoverished before political socialism came to the front.



In truth, the government in India is more corporatist. Either way, the suffering continues in spite of platitudes about ending poverty.

as i understand it there are many parts of india that capitalism smiles upon. It's home to a growing middle class isn't it?

[Rider79]

I'll pass on the fear of thermonuclear annhilation, enslavement of millions and constant proxy wars.

B_C

We had a well-defined threat. We knew who the bad guys were. And we didn't have all these commie lovers running around. Plus the bad guys in the movies were cooler too. I don't seriously want to go back to it, but I am nostalgic for those days.