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From: arora@sunybcs.UUCP (Kulbir S. Arora)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.india
Subject: Re: Re: India and the Media
Message-ID: <1304@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 11-Mar-85 17:39:45 EST
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.1304
Posted: Mon Mar 11 17:39:45 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 14-Mar-85 05:13:20 EST
References: <2440@hplabsc.UUCP> <197@gitpyr.UUCP> <409@crystal.UUCP>
Organization: State University of New York @ Buffalo,NY
Lines: 42

> 
> Indians definitely have a far better perception of the USA than Americans 
> have of us (educated Indians, that is; if you must bring up the question of 
> illiterate Indians, then I suggest you compare them to illiterate 
> Americans).  The reason is simply that we hear more about the USA than the
> negative aspects of life here:  That the chances of death from violent crime,
> for instance, are greater those from heart disease, cancer or auto accidents, 
> or that some 30% of children may be sexually molested.  Our perception would 

  I don't have anything to say about the above statement, but I do get
  irritated by its premise.  The reason you can use statistics about
  American life is because they are compiled !  Are they collected in
  India ?  The last time a sociological survey was done in Delhi, it
  revealed 60% of the brides in arranged marriages were potential
  candidates for bride-burning.  People talk about cancer, auto-accidents
  etc. in the US and make smug judgements about the state of the society.
  But, of course, ignorance is bliss.  What do we know about cause of
  death statistics in India ?  What do we know about children in India ?
  What do we know about anything measurable in India ?  Most of our
  perceptions are based on localized experiences we've all had wherever
  we were brought up.  Compare that to a society like the US where
  every statistic is not only collected but made public, and maybe you'll
  be more objective.


> Sure, and Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt.  They of course, were
> properly elected.  Nehru, Indira, and Rajiv, for some reason, were not.  When
> the Kennedy mystique gets votes, is what is happening any different from what
> happens when a corresponding thing happens back home?

  You just dug a hole for yourself, my friend.  Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt
  just happened to be second cousins.  That's a far cry from a father -
  daughter - grandson lineage.
  And what Kennedy mystique are you talking about ?  JFK just barely managed
  to defeat Nixon in the 1960 elections.  As a matter of fact it was one of
  the most closely fought US Presidential elections.   Whether Bob Kennedy 
  would have won or not is largely an academic question.  And Teddy Kennedy
  is popular ?  You must be kidding !

  Kulbir Arora