Public sentiment versus intelligent action
I don't know yet if I agree with the author of this article, although I'd like to. What he's suggesting is that India has shown political restraint and careful strategy in not reacting explosively to Pakistan's (all links have now been established) Mumbai attacks.
If what he says is correct, and if India's strategy will yet yield adequate results, then it begs the larger question of how and when a country should go to war. Or perhaps larger still about how prevailing public sentiment should be represented by the country's political action.
A democracy elects its politicians to represent them, but they also do so in order that the politicians may act according to their best interests. Public opinion is well known to be myopic and politics is not supposed to be. Indian politics has regularly proven itself to be myopic in terms of pandering to its fickle voter base, and the Indian populace isn't really well represented due to very poor exercise of franchise. In that sense the supposed-to-be-voting public is apathetic except when it comes to issues of this magnitude.
While the domestically focussed politicians have much to gain through myopia and greed, I wonder if it is too naive to hope that those politicians focussed on international issues have a loftier goal ? And are therefore making the right, not just political, decisions ?
If what he says is correct, and if India's strategy will yet yield adequate results, then it begs the larger question of how and when a country should go to war. Or perhaps larger still about how prevailing public sentiment should be represented by the country's political action.
A democracy elects its politicians to represent them, but they also do so in order that the politicians may act according to their best interests. Public opinion is well known to be myopic and politics is not supposed to be. Indian politics has regularly proven itself to be myopic in terms of pandering to its fickle voter base, and the Indian populace isn't really well represented due to very poor exercise of franchise. In that sense the supposed-to-be-voting public is apathetic except when it comes to issues of this magnitude.
While the domestically focussed politicians have much to gain through myopia and greed, I wonder if it is too naive to hope that those politicians focussed on international issues have a loftier goal ? And are therefore making the right, not just political, decisions ?