Thoughts and Prayers to India

[jtur88]

The death rate in India is about 1,000 per hour. What is the nature and the content of your prayers for these few victims? With 15 people dying every minute in India, what makes these people so special that somebody on another continent prays for them? Do you pray to your Christian God that these victims, who do not believe in God, will be admitted to your special Heaven, or what?

Why don't you pray that the United States government and industrialists stop messing with the lives of people all over the world? There is something that you can actually do something about.

[Movie Lover]

Uh what!!

[calmdude]

Most of the issues in India are due to a very high population and poverty. India produces 1 Australia every year! Anyway, it is on the economic upswing and this is a slow process - if someone choses not to visit India, good for them. Some things you may not know about India - it had a woman prime minister (equivalent to president) for over a decade in the 1970s, at one point the 3 chiefs of army/navy/airforce were from 3 different religions (these are not ceremonial posts), the father of Indian atomic bomb is a muslim, the richest man in India is a muslim, etc - all pointing to a society which is primitive in many ways but still willing to give others a chance.

Terrorism has impacted India a lot - such incidents have occured over the last 10 years. Due to lack of resources, India cannot commit to a huge defense program like the US. Note that even in the US, funding is not unlimited. Funding poses a severe challenge for poor countries impacted by terrorists. Pakistan has genuine issues too - they actually have rouge islamist elements in their spy agency that have their own rouge agendas - including sales on nuclear technology. US's interest is in the western part of Pak (along the Afghan border) whereas India's interest is in the eastern part of Pak.

It is important that Pak - already a disintegrating nation - is not further destabiliszed as this can be a disaster for all in the region and it will result in more terrorism. OTH, India is calling for Pak to pay a price for activities (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/wo...l.html?_r=1&hp) originating in its soil.

When people are doing well economically, they fight less. Let us hope Pakistan / Afghanistan also find a way (like India) to somehow develop their economies. Else, some countries in the middle east will keep on dragging the world's progress down with terrorism and misplaced religion.

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by calmdude

When people are doing well economically, they fight less. Let us hope Pakistan / Afghanistan also find a way (like India) to somehow develop their economies. Else, some countries in the middle east will keep on dragging the world's progress down with terrorism and misplaced religion.

Do you suppose the USA will ever develop its economy to a level at which we can stop starting wars all over the world?

[calmdude]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Do you suppose the USA will ever develop its economy to a level at which we can stop starting wars all over the world?

Agree - the Iraq war was not needed. We are feeling the impact of shock-and-awe as the $650billion-$1 trillion bill bites us in the a$$. Wars are becomiing very expensive for all - maybe, the bill itself will be a deterrent for countries. OTOH, this is why terrorists can be so economically effective - actions of a handful of people can cost a country billions.