Post the Deal
I can safely wager that every single print news publication in India had as its headline a report on the nuclear cooperation deal inked between the US & India with a photo of Bush & Singh grinning away like the most contented Cheshire cats there ever were.
Expectedly, what has followed is a torrent of bipartisan skepticism & criticism of this deal, especially in the US & several other upholders of all that is good & pure around the world. Here I must admit that I am no expert on nuclear issues & I am far from knowledgeable when it comes to this deal in particular. However, my only grouse against those who are objecting to this deal are their reasons for doing so.
Out of all the publications I have scoured & news channels I have watched, the frequently mentioned fear by skeptics is how the US can provide India with civilian nuclear technology & allow it to keep its military one when, at the same time it is pressuring Iran & North Korea to dismantle dreams of nuclear weapons. This situation, the critics say, will give Iran & North Korea an excuse to continue with their own weapons programmes and will also leave the world community at a disadvantage to negotiate with these countries because of the precedent set by the US with India. Phew.
In theory, yes the US has now clearly indulged in double standards. Or has it? I find it simply astounding & baffling that seasoned politicians, diplomats & such are using the abovementioned example as a roadblock to this deal. I mean c'mon your honours get real. The arguement put forward collapses on its on flaws at the very beginning. In comparing India with Iran & North Korea, the know alls & skeptics have made quite a huge blunder. How can any individual in charge of his or her faculties even begin to compare a nation state with over 50 years of unbroken democracy with freedom & equality for its peoples being a cornerstone to 2 countries that have anything but these two virtues in their history & present. Does one see India's president deriding jews & claiming that the holocaust never happened? Does one see India killing its citizens for wanting to cross its borders? I could go on with several more examples but you get the picture.
So go ahead and knock this deal for the deal itself but please don't shoot yourself in the foot and say that this will put Iran & North Korea in a position of strength.
IF these two countries are to posture in this fashion (and this is the important part) the world community MUST stand clearly united in sending the message that: YES we will make a distinction between a friendly democracy & the jehad loving, communist believing likes of you. The world community must not shirk this duty for it is only when we send strong messages such as these shall it be clear that we will not tolerate oppression, deceit, fanaticism & dead ideologies to push us around. That the free world really is in a war against the opponents of liberty and that the free world not only has the strength but more importantly the will to spread this message, even in the darkest of places.
posted by Abs @ 3/03/2006 12:54:00 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
If the U.S and India were the only two countries on earth, then this deal would be a sound international policy agreement. India serves to benefit from this agreement for obvious reasons. Currently, nuclear technology accounts for 3% of the nation's electricity generation. With this new deal, by 2050, this number has the potential to soar to 25%. A huge victory for India indeed.
In the global context, however, this agreement has potential to seriously derail on going nuclear non-proliferation efforts. By signing this deal, Bush has violated the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) procription against aiding another nation's nuclear-weapons program. He has unilatereally shatted laws that five of his predecessors fought to uphold. This deal was not reviewed by the department of State, Defense or Energy before being signed. Nor has Congress had a chance to debate it. In true Bush administration style, this agreement was signed (and debated in much secrecy) without following proper political and legal proceedings. But, why would India care about that. They got what they wanted. And, some would argue, rightly so.
The International community is responding with rhetoric that resembles statements like this " When the Americans think you are important enough, they will break the rules to accommodate you. China is already rumored to be seeking a deal to provide open nuclear assistance to Pakistan - a practice it stopped in the early 1990s after a successful diplomatic campaign by the United States to bring China into conformity with the NPT restrictions. Will Russia decide that it can make an exception for Iran? "
Your point on Iran being a bad example of a democracy that upholds the basic tenets of a democratic society is well taken. But, how does one justify the U.S. telling Iran, a country that has signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, that they can't have uranium enrichment technologies, while concurrently make a special exemption for India, a country who has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
With this deal, India now has the capacity to increase its current production of nuclear weapons(estimated 6-10 peryear) to over a dozen per year. This should not bide well for anyone, be it a diplomat or a concerned global citizen, who cares for the future of nuclear non-proliferation. My point is this. This deal is a great boost for US-India relations. But, when talking global nuclear non-proliferation (or a serious lack there of), it goes beyond just US-India relations. Global repercussions have to be accounted for. The U.S. has yet again flexed its political and economic muscle (read hegemony). As an Indian citizen, I see the benefit this will do for my country. But I do not believe the ends justify the means. I would like to believe India could serve as a role model by showing the world that nuclear technology can be used for peaceful means. But, it can't single handedly pursue such efforts without acknowledging the violation of international standards, especially on behalf of the US.
Oh and if Arundhati Roy is a hypocrit for bashing globalization but still repeaing its benefits then so are we. We condmenn U.S. foreign policy and its war on Iraq but yet when the U.S wishes to unilaterraly sign an agreement with India, we endorse this. Some would call that double standards and hypocracy too.
if I might add, simply playing devil's advocate here:)
All points well taken sir. However two rejoinders:
-How does the US justify this action to Iran? That was a huge point I tried to get at in the post itself. This justification must be done, it is imperative that it is done to make the distinction between a country like Iran and a country like India. My last para of the post talks about this.
Secondly, I'll say its one thing to criticize some aspects of US foreign policy, entirely another thing to crank it up to the level where you portray the country as Satan bringing along only plans of deceit & devilry as Ms. Roy does.
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