I’ve read this opinion on here and other leftist places several times, and it’s gotten to the point where I’m absolutely confounded about whether people even understand geopolitics and know history. Truly weird take that would suggest hidden prejudices and having complete blinders on what is happening in the world.
Lazy post OP. Make your case.
You say they’re not marshalling the facts of history and geopolitics, but neither are you.
The school system in the US taught me approximately nothing about India, maybe only it’s name and the fact that it’s shape was British Empire coloured in that one historic map, but those were more like background details for smart kids who can piece together clues and grand narratives on their own rather than say actual intentional history lessons.
I’m not even sure I learned who Gandhi was in school, I think I absorbed that from pop culture references/movies/motivational posters/pacifist propaganda.
I’ve never heard of anyone calling India a vassal state tho, I’m not even sure who the liege state would be.
a general vibe of neocolonialism transposed to a former colony irrespective of the specifics of the country’s history. no-one’s going to have a nuanced perspective on every country but ‘still controlled by the imperialists after achieving independence’ will be close to the mark in a lot of places. not investigating that impression wrt the most populated country in the world is a bit incurious tho
Arguably Pakistan is though
Online leftists having extremely simplistic understanding on imperialism and mostly got their political education from internet memes? News to me.
Of course it isnt, one must look at the history of the cold war (and India’s role) to see that it isnt the case. The membership in BRICS also shows its lack of vassalage. Indian society is still effected by neocolonialism and the interference of the empire, but that is like every place in the world (maybe sans north korea).
India is a major factor in the US’ “containment” strategy against China, so they are doing everything possible to get India into their sphere of influence, but the major hurdle is India’s long relation with USSR/Russia. India is a big user of Russian military hardware, but since the US/West are trying sway India in their direction, India has started buying overpriced Rafale Jet fighters from France. Territorial disputes with China and the occasional scuffle keeps India and China from closer relations, which is useful for the US/West.
