George Bush and Indian Middle Class
I was rather taken aback at this news bit on yahoo pages about George Bush's comment on Indian Midddle class. I didn't feel like getting the link but the content is all the same as given below. I think those of you who had read it will be able to add on to what I missed.
Bush seems to have noted the correlation between the rising food prices and Indian living standards and complained that because the Indian Middle class was getting richer and richer, there was an increased consumption of food. He says this has caused a cyclically increased demand that led to a global rise in food prices. How sad....Can you beat it? At a news conference on May 2nd in Mussouri, Bush mentioned India's growing middle class and said, "when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food, and so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up." (unquote)
A similar statement was also made by the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Our people seem to have reacted with great annoyance hitting back saying "Why do the Americans think that they deserve to eat more?"
If we were to discuss this, where in the world can any country be compared to America's consumption of food, locomotives, fuel and anything available for consumption, edible or non edible?
What I enjoyed most was the rejoinder by Pradeep Mehta, General Secretary of CUTS(Centre for International Trade)-
If
only the third world countries get access to one third of the food that
the Americans want to burn out of their bodies through liposuction, we
would all be nutritionally well balanced. After all America consumed
twice as much as food as India ever did, in spite of our larger density
of population.
Moreover, Jairam Ramesh, the minister of state for commerce, seems to have told The Press Trust of India after Bush's remarks, that it only proved again how "comprehensively wrong" Bush is,"George Bush has never been known for his knowledge of economics..."
Considering the fact that China and India've been consistently blamed for everything right from rising prices to global warming and told to correct themselves, it could be the first time that Indians retaliated with equal fervor in self-defence. This, irrespective of the uneasy feeling that sanctions may be imposed against us for raising voices. LOLL..Surprises of surprises, it was the first time now, that this got us a mellowed apologetic response from the Bush Administration.
The White House Spokesman,Scott Stanzel and the US Ambassador, David Mulford had to fall on top of their noses to tell the world that the President is a great admirer of India and it is a good thing that people are getting richer and more affordable. After all, this is the time for global co-operation, unhealthy fights and verbal exchanges are wholly unproductive for general welfare. Cool.
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