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India's Road To The Future
Paul 03244 writes "Historians, economists and technologists agree that movement of ideas, goods and services are fundamental to trade & advancement of the human condition. Today's online version of the NYT has a rather lengthy but fascinating article on the construction of a modern highway system in India that details some of the social & cultural changes being brought about by this highway project." Interesting to look at the parallels between the spread of tech and services in India and the same process in the U.S.
Close, but no cigar:
http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/airstrip.asp
The highways/interstates were never intended as landing strips. Besides, when's the last time you heard of traffic being shut down/diverted for the practice landings?
You are not even from India, and you are sifting the anti slash DB for high karma posts to copy and pasting them. Your comment can also be found here.
Saying Java is nice because it works on all OS's is like saying that anal sex is nice because it works on all genders.
I am a big believer in India, rather than China being the country to watch for growth and development. A great deal of this surrounds India's legal system, which closely follows the English common-law system, with a great respect for precedent and contract law. Take a look at the econmic success of both the U.K. and the United States, and you can clearly see the benefits of this system.
It might just be the opposite. Because intellectuals/planners in India fully understand that corruption can undermine the economic progress India has made since 1991, many large projects which were earlier undertaken by government bodies are now awarded based on International tenders. Same is the case with this project.
It is a pity that most Americans think that outsourcing has initiated Indian economic progress, while the fact is that we started progressing after the country was left with 15 days of foriegn reserve in 1991 and the Prime Minister invited one of the best economists in the country Dr. Manmohan Singh to join the cabinet as the finance minister. The economic growth of 6.9% that we saw this year was a result of reforms introduced in 1991.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3725357.stm
Yes, outsourcing does boost the economy, it probaby does not drive it.
Ofcourse we are far from what we should be after 50 years of independence, but lately we have made enormous strides and things are begining to change. 15 years back Indians could not even dream of such a project and today they are talking about linking all rivers in India; a feat if achieved would be a significant engineering achievement. Whenever, there is a discussion on how India is making progress, there are be numerous who refuse to see the glass as half full and point to corruption and poverty that rots our society. While the statements are true they fail to see the winds of change sweeping India.
The change is symbolised by the following facts. By coincidence or by design, the Prime minister of India today, Dr. Manmohan Singh, an economist, is the artitect of the biggest economic reforms in the country. The President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam, a rocket scientist, is considered to be the father of Indian missile and space programs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/countr y_profiles/1154019.stm#leaders
In contrast, the President of United States is a cowboy. (No offense, but I could not resist the comparison).
The term 'Arayan' means people who came from the Northern part of India, those who practiced the Vedic society (Sanatana Dharma) not blonde Europeans (who in Vedic scripture were refered to as Mlechas - barbarians).
Hitler, who also hijacked the Swastika (inverted/perverted from it's real direction) as the symbol of National Socialism, was a Vedic symbol of good luck, prosperity. Just as with the Swastika, he also hijacked the term 'Arayan'. Interestingly enough, Vedic culture for the most part were vegetarians, which Hitler also was.
He probably read a bit about India and Vedic Culture, and incorporated perverted misconceptions of these ideas he fancied into his whole sick, concocted philosophy.