On Wed August 16 2006 5:12 pm, Udhay Shankar N wrote: > Did you intend to imply that the events above were connected? If yes, > citations? If not, why are you bunching them together?
I am making the connection. I am asking people who read my message to make the connection and test the connection themselves for validity. There is no compulsion to believe it - but I see a definite connection in terms of the Indian not wanting to look at uncomfortable questions as to where terror might be coming from or consider harsh measures that may be required to stop it. > It might also be an indicator of the relative amount of available > data about each set of events. No? Sorry? What data or lack of data are you referring to? There is plenty of data available - only there is a selective lack of interest in some data which forms the basis for the self flagellation. Vast amounts of data generated by anglophone media (which essentially dominate the world) are selectively picked up and propagated by anglophone Indians which may be "natural" in terms of language, but I think it is totally unnatural in terms of relevance to India. This is particularly true in reference to terrorism. Let me try and explain with a hypothetical example. Assume that a terrorist group (called"A") sponsors two terrorist attacks, one in the US and one in India. The US overreacts, and successfully prevents al further attacks. The extent of overreaction is to such a degree that concerned citizens and the anglophone media start to lash out against the US security apparatus and Bush, alleging that they are hitting out at non existent threats. This is incidentally lapped up and echoed by anglophone Indians. India, OTOH under-reacts and fails to prevent further terrorist attacks. Security agencies are blamed for lapses and bungling, and any ""successes" that security agencies claim are criticised as false alarms by bungling agencies. The result is that the terror group continues to have successes in India while Indians enthusiastically endorse the anglophone press's views that security agencies either raise false alarms or indulge in excesses. The view that the airline bomb threat is false is a luxury that the US and UK citizens can afford given that their security agencies have been largely successful in thwarting serious terror at the cost of overreacting. This is not a luxury that Indian citizens can afford - given that terror killings remain a daily occurence in a cronically underreacting India. Hard choices are required, and we are not willing to make those hard choices. Yet. Sorry - this is a hasty reply - will try and clear up any emantic/rhetorical errors that may have crept in. shiv
