For a long time it was an article of faith among economists that India

[KlatooBNikto]

and China will be held down by their large populations and their population would outstrip their resources.In fact, a Stanford Professor called Paul Ehrlich issued dire warning about impending catastrophes in India and China.During those years,a sane economist called Julian Simon went against the grain and predicted the exact opposite.He said that the populations of both countries are not liabilities at all, but as they emerge into the modern era, might well become huge assets.I think, by and large, Simon's predictions have come true.

To a great extent, his predictions have come true because in both countries there were leaders willing to see that their people are their biggest resource and empowering them with health, education and political power would benefit their countries.Deng Xiao Ping in China and Atal Behari Vajpayee in India.This country, which pioneered that concept of empowering its people has, in the meantime regressed and seems bent upon declaring war on its own people.

What a sad turn of events we are witnessing!

[whistle]

1. India especially is turning to Hindu fascism....

....<snip>

Only Answer to Imperialist Globalisation & Hindu Fascism


Peoples’ Struggles and Peoples’ War

— Kamlesh




Many are gathered in Mumbai to voice their disgust with the ills of society. They want something different; a change from the present state of affairs. Corporate greed, US war-mongering, racism, communalism, fascism, consumerism, casteism, patriar-chalism, etc are evils all are sick of. We all find these intolerable. They must no doubt be eradicated from this system. But, on the contrary they tend to fester and grow. The question before us is: Why? Unless we answer this it is difficult to make "Another World Possible".

Yet, they say that another "World is Possible"! True. But, what does it entail? Can it co-exist with the despots of today? Can it be born through a small fraction of the billions (nay trillions) of dollars with a handful of families getting redistributed? Can it come through such gatherings? Can we hope for the rulers to reform and change their ways?

So, what is the method to usher in this "Another World"? Why could not the millions coming on to the streets in February and March 2003 against war, stop Bush’s war on Iraq? Such huge gatherings have never taken place before, yet, it could not; then, what could have? Or, could imperialism change its colours? It has caused massacres of a size unheard of in prior human history — WWI, WWII, and killer regimes in Latin America, Africa, and Asia leading to the murder of millions — can we still stay it can become more humane?

Finally, what can be the character of this "other world"? Will it continue to be capitalist, or will it be socialist/communist, or will it be some form of stateless system, or will it be some indefinable utopia?

<more>
<link> http://www.peoplesmarch.com/archives/2004/jan2k4/only-answer.htm

[KlatooBNikto]

3. India's emergence as a major power in Technology has been made

possible by the large investments in Education and the opportunities offered for their absorption into the world economy.I think India's development will continue along the lines of its recent past.The Hindu Fascists that have always been part of their landscape will make noise but they have to join the revolution of rising expectations in India sooner or later.

[dcfirefighter]

4. People are always an Asset

Potentially

If given the education and access to the materials to be productive.
We are far from the 'carrying capacity' of the planet, and Malthus was wrong.
We just need to share what we have fixed amounts of.
Since we can't divy everything up into neat shares, we need to 'rent' natural & societal wealth to users, who compensate the rest for their exclusion.

It's not that difficult. We rent Federal lands, extraction rights, broadcast spectrum, and patent rights older than 7 years. We return seignorage to the US Treasury. We charge for corporate liability shields. We auction pollution permits. Our states tax the land value of property.

We remove taxes from productivity, and place them on rights to exclude.

We'd have noninflationary full employment, and economic growth like we've never seen. We'd be energy independent. We'd benefit from real free trade. We'd work less and have better families.

[whistle]

6. You have mentioned some fairly good suggestions, could you...

...please elaborate on for instance:

"...remove taxes from productivity, and place them on rights to exclude"

[autorank]

2. Ehrlich was right, I'm sorry to say.

The populations of India and China are assets in terms of brain power. India could soon have the equivalent of a United States economy embedded in it's billion population. Yes they have stressed education and democracy too. China is another story but they too have the numbers game going in their favor vis a vis the skilled class.

However, Erlich is proving out. The economic success of India and China is producing record economic growth and i n d u s t r i a l i z a t i o n !!!

Well, that means more cars, refrigerators, coal power...more oil use...and more pollution. That very growth, fueled by their policies and implemented by their vast numbers will be the tipping point for global warming. Water shortages and significant increases in seal level will be a huge problem for them. Their populations are predominantly in coastal regions. While they beg for drinkable water, they will watch their cities flooded by the ocean's rising level...brought on by ALL of us; but, in particular, by their success in the old economic model of constant growth at any cost to the world around us, i.e., the environment.

I hope that they have enough smart people to come up with a solution to this. We'd all be very grateful and I promise to buy the tee shirt.

This is a fascinating post and a critical topic.

[Yupster]

7. Good post autorank

Americans are going to learn in the next century that what we want isn't necessarily going to happen. I think events in India and China may be more important to the world than the US soon, and as far as pollution and global warming, etc, that won't be good news.

PS - you have one of the funniest typos in a long time pointing out that global warming and water shortages will be significant problems, but at least we'll have a "significant increase in seal level" First our population goes out of control, and now the damned seals too. No offense, it just got a chuckle.

[autorank]

8. Thanks and, hey, I have an explanation for the seals.

The seal level will increase since a rising tide elevates all seals.
:shrug:

[ConsAreLiars]

5. The Hindu nationalist party. the VJP, did little to provide education

or other infrastructural enhancements in India. The Congress Party, based in an anti-communalist (anti-sectarian) and semi-social democratic program created the social programs that have allowed at least some portion of the Indian population to gain the skills and training needed to take some advantage of the so-called "outsourcing" that simply reflects the inherent drive of country-less multinational capitalist enterprises to pay labor as little as absolutely necessary. Attributing the current upsurge in tech jobs in India to Vajpayee is silly, since these workers were mostly educated under the prior administration.

Happily, India rejected the fundie Hindu nationalists in favor of a Congress Party gov't led by a Sikh, a Moslem, and a Hindu. Maybe the US will become so lucky or enlightened.

(edit grammar)