Hello India

Interesting take on the West's (apparent) decline courtesy of India..

Not that there's anything in it we haven't heard before.

Let's look deeper into the author's assertions.

"It is important to recognise that the dominance of the West has been there only for last 200-and-odd years. According to Angus Maddison’s pioneering OECD study, India and China had nearly 50 percent of global GDP as late as the 1820s. Hence India and China are not emerging or rising powers. They are retrieving their original position."

Way to dismiss, you know, all the major innovations that took place before 1812.

While it is true and important to know China and India are older civilizations and were right up until the period we label The Renaissance, cultural and economic powers, the 200 year figure is rather low.

As an olive branch I suggest it was an overlpap and transtionary phase, 500 years (Asia and The Ottoman empire duly noted). And it's good quality olives.

The fact remains most of humanity's major scientific, medical, technological and artistic breakthroughs happened in Europe between, call it, 1304 and 1950. Never mind the massive contributions of Ancient Greece and Rome which further makes the 200 year figure somewhat preposterous.

"Similarly, the crisis. It is a US-Europe crisis and not a global one. The two wars – which were essentially European wars – were made out to be world wars with one English leader commenting that ‘we will fight the Germans to the last Indian’.

In this economic scenario, countries like India are made to feel as if they are in a crisis. Since the West says there’s a crisis, we swallow it hook, line and sinker."

Well, it did include Imperial Japan who in turn invaded China. So it kinda was a World War.

Nonetheless, let us concede, it was for the most part European. Fair enough. Europe lost its mind not once but twice.

"... At no point of time in the last 20 years has foreign investment – direct and portfolio – exceeded 10 percent of our domestic investment. Our growth is due to our domestic savings which is again predominately household savings. Our housewives require awards for our growth not any western fund manager.

The crisis faced by the West is primarily because it has forgotten a six-letter word called ‘saving’ which, again, is the result of forgetting another six letter word called “family”. The West has nationalised families over the last 60 years. Old age, ill health, single motherhood – everything is the responsibility of the state."

I don't know if it's primarily but negative savings doesn't help. He's conveniently overlooking the fact that in the post-war era, a country like Italy (along with Japan) were net savers. The bottom line is the biggest one on the block - America - is not.

Still, it's a point worth bringing up. Just observe around you. No one talks about saving money. They talk about how to redistrbute somebody else's coin. How to manage debt.

Hello. Cues.

Work ethic, family, a moral compass, respect for community, common sense, duty to one another where necessary and possible,  rational, critical thought, and yes, saving money to protect yourself and to perhaps fund a dream, are just some things that reveal the true measure of a healthy civilization. Not to mention comedy movies starring Will Ferrell.

We do rely on the state for the issues he mentions - to what degree I'm still uncertain. 

In fact, some people feel the government doesn't do enough. 

Question: These are notions that go beyond right or left. Are they concepts we're fast losing?

"...The demographic crisis impacts the West in other ways. Social security goes for a toss since people are living longer and not many from below contribute to their pensions through taxes. So the nationalisation of families becomes a burden on the state."

Before we go further, demographics in the United States, I maintain, actually look good. China has waayyyy too many problems and so does India. Bet on Passenger 57.

Western Europe on the other hand...not so good.

He may be right about the taxes. Taxes are a (an inefficient) means to an end these days. Our taxes go up because, in part, the programs we ask for in helping society also have to pay for itself.

The author points to something deeper and it's hard to ignore it.

"European work culture has become worse with even our own Tata complaining about the work ethic of British managers. In France and Italy, the weekend starts on Friday morning itself. The population has become lazy and state-dependent.

In the UK, the situation is worse with drunkenness becoming a common problem. Parents do not have control over children and the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation in London said: “There are all signs of arteriosclerosis of a culture and a civilisation grown old. Me has taken precedence over We and pleasure today over viability tomorrow.” (The Times: 8 September )."

We tend to move as a civilization with differences among the parts that make up that civilization: i.e. nations of the West. I just thought of a reality TV show: Drunk Englishmen on Vacation!

Where is Manning heading anyway?

"We need to recognise that Big Government and Big Business are twin dangers for average citizens. India faces both and they are two asuras we need to guard against. The Leftists in the National Advisory Council want all families to be nationalised and governed by a Big State and reform marketers of the CII variety want Big Business to flourish under crony capitalism. Beware of the twin evils since both look upon India as a charity house or as a market and not as an ancient civilisation."

Amen.

In many ways, just to say, Italy and Greece very much maintain their ancient heritage too.