India reels over Obama's silence

[ensho]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JK12Df01.html


Diplomatic predicaments can at times be almost laughable. Indian officials were scurrying around like headless chickens because 120 anxious hours had passed and United States president-elect Barack Obama had not yet put a phone call through to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh - as he has done to at least nine other heads of state.

The Indians could learn a thing or two from the Kremlin. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev found himself exactly in Manmohan's predicament when by November 8 his Kremlin telephone still had not rung. But 43-year-old Medvedev did a smart thing.

He put a call through to Chicago to the 47-year old president-elect. The Kremlin thereupon went ahead and publicized the conversation in an upbeat account. A budding controversy was nipped before it could blossom.

-snip-

Delhi finds it appalling that Obama phoned Pakistani leader Asif Zardari on Saturday and the two leaders reportedly discussed the Kashmir issue. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee promptly reacted, invoking the Simla Accord of 1972 as the cornerstone of India-Pakistan relations, which rules out third-party mediation over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
-long snip-
---------------------------------


maybe he was busy not holding a grudge against Lieberman

[bunkerbuster1]

1. what's Hindi for "Whiny-Ass Titty Baby?"

I think that might come in handy now.

[MyNameGoesHere]

16. Oh yes becuase All Indians are Hindi speaking?

Let me help you with your ignorance, they probably can say "American whiny-Ass Titty Baby" in English. Just so you know.

[bunkerbuster1]

20. Hey, I'm just trying to be polite here.

I think it's whiny to be publicly complaining that the President-Elect didn't call. Others may disagree.

[ddeclue]

41. Well with over a BILLION people..I think they have a good reason to complain.

If one in 4 people on the planet are Chinese - one in SIX are easily Indian... it's not like he forgot to call the gov't of the Bahamas or something...

[bunkerbuster1]

46. Obviously, India is an important geopolitical player.

I just wasn't aware that presidents-elect were duty bound to call individual geopolitical leaders during the interregnum period by a specified time. This was news to me.

Can you cite examples of other presidents-elect who'd contacted the Indian PM more promptly? Is Obama's tardiness really all that unprecedented?

[Greyhound]

50. Not according to the "customer service" lady I talked to last night. n/t

:rofl:

[opihimoimoi]

2. Jessus...their panties are in a wad already?? Their time will come

or....did they call to congratulate him?

[amdezurik]

12. no worries he will need "tech support" soon

and they will take the call...

[skooooo]

13. And he won't be able to understand them...

...either. :rofl:

That is so hard talking to tech support from India.

[opihimoimoi]

21. Bushie wouldn't unnerstan shit even if it came from OHIO

[skooooo]

22. Funny thing is..

...because I have trouble understanding them, I think they have trouble understanding me - which usually turns out not to be true.

Maybe if they studied American English instead of British English it would help.

[opihimoimoi]

25. Social Evolution demands they comply with the best path to success...STUDY AMERICAN ENGLISH

LOL

[DainBramaged]

3. Just because they steal jobs they deserve special treatment????

[MyNameGoesHere]

14. How can they steal a job?

Maybe some of that ignorance should be leveled at the profiteers that caused this. Corporate America sold those jobs to India. If i lived in a developing country and was given the opportunity to work i would take it.

[DainBramaged]

27. Read my reply below and if you folks would stop feeling sorry for them

and think about buying American, we wouldn't have to worry about supporting India's outsourcing industry.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RB TexLa]

30. No one owns a job based on their nationality. Do you also think jobs are owned based on gender and

race? Is there a list of people that have been "stealing" from you over the years?

That concept that jobs should be distributed by nationality makes decent human beings vomit.

[DainBramaged]

33. (sigh) then buy American products and stop buying foreign vomit king

[RB TexLa]

34. You think Americans are more deserving of my money than non-Americans? Why?

[DainBramaged]

36. Know what, you are just like most of DU, to hell with Labor and American made goods.

If you don't know why, you aren't any smarter than the bastards that outsource our jobs and undermine our economy.

Go to hell.

[RB TexLa]

39. No, I actually don't know why you think Americans are more deserving of my money than non-Americans.

I'd really like to hear why you think they are.

[DainBramaged]

40. Do you live here? Do you support the economy of the country you live in?

Do you make a living here? Do you depend on goods and services provided for you through the taxes you pay, both local and National? Then you should spend some of your (hard earned?) money in the country you live in buying products made here. And as for your one line replies, pound salt. I've no time for you. I cleared my ignore list the evening of the election, but I've decide to make you the first member of the new political era.

Go to hell. Keep your money, We're better off without it.

One last thing. Since you live in Texas, you get a disproportionate amount of MY tax money sent to you thanks to the Booshe misAdministration. THAT will change on 1-20-09.

[MyNameGoesHere]

48. My taxes pay for Indian call centers? huh?

You do know that GM does a lot of outsourcing BTW. Also see a UAW logo. Can't you union people see that you failed in what unions are supposed to do? A vast majority of negotiations with unions and their overseers of the last decade or 2 is about MONEY MONEY MONEY. Why didn't unions push harder for SECURITY SECURITY? You let GM ship you jobs overseas, and now some here want to blame the Indian people for wanting to be employed. Like the poster said upstream, but with my twist "Whiny Ass American Titty Babies"

You don't like your job going overseas then strike and demand change. I can support that. But not this attack on a people that only want to enjoy a better way of life.

[leftynyc]

47. As an American citizen

Yes, I most certainly want my money going first to our companies and our citizens. Do you have a problem with that?

[pork medley]

51. because it's patriotic to support american multinational corporations

:patriot:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

31. I didn't know we had an opening for "Prime Minister."

:eyes:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

4. Tell Them To Call The Help Desk. There May Be A Problem With The Phones.

[renie408]

6. That was funny. n/t

[OhioChick]

9. ....

:rofl:

[brendan120678]

5. I guess I can understand their concern, especially...

if the reports are credible that President-Elect Obama discussed Kashmir issues with Zardari, but still hasn't contacted Singh.
Kashmir is a sore-spot between Pakistan and India.

[lib2DaBone]

7. Good. Bring our Jobs Home. I can't understand a word they are saying at the call centers.

[MyNameGoesHere]

19. Yes because Americans are the top of the class and by god

all people should make sure they can be understood to Americans. Because the world revolves around Americans and their need for pampering. Who do they think they are speaking with an accent?

[Justyce]

29. Yes, Americans paying for a service should be able to

UNDERSTAND who they're paying to help them. I don't see why that's so awful.

[Deja Q]

38. I've nothing against helping others build up their countries, but in case you hadn't noticed,

it's playing some part in dismantling our own.

Offshoring has to be done with some thought; not reckless abandon.

[OhioChick]

26. Yep.

From the articles I've been reading, they're freaking out over the job issue. They know there is an uproar over outsourcing in the U.S., and Obama made some promises.

[renie408]

8. Maybe he was busy being a grown up. You should try it.

Maybe he understands that grudges don't really get you anywhere or maybe he was busy, I dunno, trying to figure out how he is going to haul America out of the shithole that BushCo and their buddies put us into, or maybe INDIA wasn't really at the top of his list of worries with a depression, two wars and a new administration to put together to figure out.

If you want to take shots at Obama, you are going to have to find something other than this crap to post.

[ensho]

11. this India problem is not trivial - it also ref. to a nuke contract

nt

[LynneSin]

10. You know there are 200 countries and Obama is being pulled from all directions

stop your whining. I'm guessing 190 OTHER countries were not upset that Obama didn't call them right away.

[foo_bar]

15. this Manmohan Singh?

[ensho]

17. isn't he the guy who wanted to 'hug' her?

nt

[BlueMTexpat]

32. I believe that it was actually Zardari who got into a lot of

hot water back in Pakistan because he gushed over Mz Palin. :rofl:

[JVS]

18. BWAHAHAHA! I think you may have found the reason.

[Gin]

24. off topic... but even with all these jobs going to India and China

I don't see lower prices....just more profits for share holders.

[BlueMTexpat]

28. If Obama did phone Zardari to discuss Kashmir

and then did not phone Manmohan, that was a diplomatic faux pas and does not reflect well on Obama's foreign policy advisors.

Kashmir is a major issue between India and Pakistan. What WERE they thinking of, if this report is true?

Like it or not, India is now a major player globally. That is a fact.

[Fleshdancer]

35. I agree

India is considered a much stronger ally to the US. Of course they would be offended.

Refresh my memory, but didn't the US refuse to even recognize the Pakistani government after the 1999 coup? Until 9/11 I mean?

The tone in this thread is disturbing.

[petronius]

37. That's true, but I suspect Obama called Pakistan to talk bout Afghanistan

more than Kashmir. I'd say the Indian reaction is a bigger faux pas than the no-call, but in the long run it would be a serious mistake to take India for granted. They are poised and eager to become a serious regional/global power (for example, there are at least rumors that the Russian sub that had the accident last week is destined for India)...

[greguganus]

42. Who cares about Kashmir?

Cotton sweaters are cheaper and easier to clean.

[Chovexani]

43. LOL

In the span of just a few posts, we have:

1) A display of ignorance that a country of 1 Billion + speaks the same language
2) Tasteless call center jokes
3) Racist comments about Desi accents
4) DEY TUK OR JERBS!!!!!1111*


Stay classy, DU!

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRm1aEvZgCo

[pork medley]

45. yep

the sense of entitlement here is truly awesome

[liberalpragmatist]

44. Indian PM Dismisses Reports of Obama Snub

> http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20081112/main6.htm

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has dismissed reports of US President-elect Barack Obama ignoring India while making telephone calls to leaders of various countries following his election to America’s top office.

Asked specifically whether it was true that Obama had ignored India by not calling him, the Prime Minister said, “No, this is not true... President Obama wanted to talk to me day before yesterday (November 8). We could not establish contact because the time that was suggested was too short for me (to establish contact). Since then, I have been travelling... As soon as I go back (we will try to establish contact)”.

Obama had called up leaders of as many as 15 countries, including President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, following his election as the next President of the US.

Talking to reporters on his way back from a three-day tour of the Gulf states of Sultanate of Oman and Emirate of Qatar, the Prime Minister pointed out that Obama had written to him a “very warm” letter even before he was elected President. “I had myself written a warm letter to him,” he said.

He asserted that the Indo-US relations would become stronger under Obama. “I have every reason to believe that India’s relations with the US would become stronger than ever before under Obama,” the Prime Minister said.

[Greyhound]

49. Is there any chance that we might realize that none of these people are our friends?

America has few real allies in the world, yet we apparently believe that if we just give our mortal enemies enough they will somehow change their stripes.