Also, the success in America is not because there are many seekers of the soul. The world knows it is a little low on that scale. The success of America is that there were pioneer seekers of pelf and there was an abundance of followers that were allowed to and made their money.
--- Rajib Das <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Ramda, got it right - the vast majority of the > middle > class is the profile he is referring to. The > providers > of soul - those few from far flung places as you > mention are relatively far too less. That proportion > exists pretty much so in the towns and villages > across > India. You will not necessary find that in those > Indian s switching their mobiles on before the plane > stops in as much as in those beer drinking, > potbellied, redneck > crowd you would find in noisy middle America. > > Any society needs the right balance between the > seekers of pelf and the seekers of soul. The problem > in India was never that there weren't enough seekers > of the soul. The problem is that there weren't > enough > seekers of pelf - obsessed enough to create > revolutions. > > > > --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > C'da, > > > > >The entire US intellectual base, by a wide > margin, > > is from the middle > > class; not the Brahmins, >Boston's or from > > elsewhere! And it is this class > > that has provided America's soul. They come from > > >obscure places, > > nondescript public schools, from far flung corners > > of a vast land, raised by > > folks >from modest backgrounds. > > > > While this is true and you will get little > argument > > from me, it is NOT the > > complete story. What Rajib probably is referring > to > > is the vast middle-class > > out there who are outside this core of > intellectuals > > who make policy > > decisions or are in academia, research etc. > > > > There are just many middle-class Americans eg: the > > Detroit auto body-shop > > worker - who makes an above average middle-class > > income, but has little or > > no use for any form of intellectual curiosity. > Same > > is the case with the > > rich Texas wheat famer/oilman, or Bible-thumping > > red-state intellectual. > > > > These are the folks who are ultimately the > decision > > makers in presidential > > elections and sometimes even US foreign policy - > > trade, war, whatever. > > > > And, what you say, was very true in the 40s and > 50s > > America. Not quite so, > > today. > > > > --Ram > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On 9/12/06, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > > > > >As for the middle class intellectual base, is > > there > > > > > > >indeed a middle class intellectual base in > > America? > > > > > > *>Not by a wide margin, I would think!* > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > * > > > *** That depends entirely on one's exposure. The > > entire US intellectual > > > base, by a wide margin, is from the middle > class; > > not the Brahmins, Boston's > > > or from elsewhere! And it is this class that has > > provided America's soul. > > > They come from obscure places, nondescript > public > > schools, from far flung > > > corners of a vast land, raised by folks from > > modest backgrounds. > > > > > > > > > Oh yes there are those who are the scions of the > > privileged. But that is > > > NOT a disqualification. It merely adds to their > > strength as a group. I would > > > have no complaints about positive contributions > to > > desi-society from scions > > > of the desi-upper-crust, if it were to be > visible, > > if it were to be found. > > > > > > > > > *** Those who live for material progress alone > as > > the sole purpose of > > > one's existence, will have little more to show > for > > their civilization than > > > consuming their way into glory that isn't. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 11:31 PM -0700 9/11/06, Rajib Das wrote: > > > > > > This discussion begets a question - why should > > indeed > > > being "ruly" be a desirable trait? Pulling out > > your > > > cellphones when the plane lands, pulling your > seat > > > back, being noisy - why is it so bad afterall? > > That is > > > just the way Indians are. As opposed to the > > > meaningless hello you keep getting here in > > America, > > > the polite antiseptic distance when that > distance > > is > > > not required in many Indians opinions. Does this > > noisy > > > habit in any way inhibit India's ability to make > > > progress? I don't think so. There are other > > reasons > > > for sure. > > > > > > As for the middle class intellectual base, is > > there > > > > > > indeed a middle class intellectual base in > > America? > > > > > > Not by a wide margin, I would think! Not if an > > average > > > American has no clue what the world thinks and > is > > very > > > surprised when told Fox News is not news after > > all. > > > That absence of the middle class intellectual > base > > was > > > indeed one of the causes of America's material > > > progress. The caricature of Butter Chicken in > > Ludhiana > > > would expand manifold in the towns and cities of > > > middle America. > > > > > > Finally to the question of airports. The > Hongkong > > > airport before the new gleaming one was a mess. > > Now > > > they outdo the Singapore Airport. Compared to > > either > > > Heathrow is a mess. I am sure the Shanghai > airport > > > gleams harder in comparison though I have never > > yet > > > been there. In another 5 to 7 years, when India > > does > > > indeed have those new airports in the major > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
