Notes from the Field

As long as I can remember, Indians have liked and supported Americans. People used to brag that they had ties and links to America. Any American visiting India was treated like a celebrity, with a host of comments and questions that he/she was being asked. People would tag along after them, endear themselves to them, offer help and assistance in their local endeavours that was freely given. Everybody LOVED North America, generally. Even while the Americans were bombing Iraq, there were swathes of Indian society that felt invested in the American project, the American dream, and indeed, even American imperialism.

But the Americans, like all decaying and desultory empires before them, have predictably gone too far:

"Extremely well said. The real sufferers are the Afghani, Pakistani & people of India...Americans to become richer can do anything they can make china hate india, arabians to dislike other arabians & pakistan against india. It is time people tell the americans to leave everyone alone & close down all their embassy in the countries & go back to America.

I cannot say anything to this girl who at a young age has been tormented. What is proportionality here 4000 Americans get killed in WTC & entire country Iraq & Afghanistan is in rubbles. Atleast before americans people atleast despite being poor had some honor & precious life with the advent of them they not only destroyed Afghanistan, now they are destroying part of pakistan & now India also. Who wants Americans in this 3 countries please raise your hands & show up."

The problem is that people in these countries have basic human empathy. And it is a bit of a class struggle: the more that people in these regions feel that the response to death and turmoil in their backyard is cold and indifferent, the more that they resent that which they once welcomed, celebrated, and were proud to coexist with.

The United States is setting up numerous, intractable divisions. It is moving from a path of peace and global harmony to a situation in which the poor and oppressed are not even blinkered by the guise of hegemony. America's proud movements on the left were once the grace notes of its imperial privilege. Now, however, its face of apathy is becoming rightly associated with evil.