The Surprising Lameness of the India Lobby

The Washington Times tells us that we're getting shaken down by Pakistan:

Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States on Wednesday warned against cutting off U.S. aid to his country, after a Republican presidential candidate called for an end to foreign assistance to the South Asian country where intelligence officials are suspected of supporting terrorists.

“By shutting down [U.S. aid to Pakistan], you are sending a message to people that you dont care,” Ambassador Husain Haqqani said at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

May I suggest to Amb. Haqqani -- while he still has that honorific -- that he's sending the message that something bad will happen to the U.S. if we decide we'd rather not subsidize people who help attack our soldiers? That isn't how allies talk. That's how gangsters talk. And those gangsters had better not talk that way to the people they kick up to. You fly our F-16s, remember? Sure would be a shame if a shipment of spare parts got delayed. 

Meanwhile: where's the India lobby in Washington? How inept can you be? How can there not be a widespread media and lobbying campaign to raise the stakes on pro-Pakistan (or, more importantly, lukewarm/neutral) politicians? You're a giant democracy, rising global power, dynamic economy, besieged by Pakistani terrorism. They're a schizophrenic basket case nuclear quasi-state sponsor of terrorism that repays U.S. aid with dead bodies. And you're not making this case! You're not making this case at a moment of supreme political frustration with your enemy! 

Pakistan has one advantage in Washington. His name is Husain Haqqani. I'll let you in on a secret. Everyone loves Husain. He's an kind, witty guy, and an expert bullshitter in an endearing way. He cultivates relationships, especially in the press, and it pays off. And Pakistan may be about to do the stupid thing and fire him. The lane is wide open for you, India lobby.  

Comments

[The Largest Democracy]

What do you want the India lobby to do? It's not like they haven't exposed Pakistan's double crossing. In fact they have been warning your politicians against Pakistan for a long time. If your congressmen and senators are unable to see the truth, and let American soldiers die, it's your problem, not the India lobby's.

[Naelok]

Ich. Ackerman, it would really help if you knew what you were talking about before you started talking.

The reason the India lobby is indifferent to US aid to Pakistan is because they know very well that it's completely poisonous. In the last ten years they've seen their main rival get its arm twisted into a war that it didn't need to fight and then get embroiled in a civil war. It doesn't matter if Pakistan shunts some US military aid into weapons against India rather than weapons against anti-American insurgents. Pakistan as a whole is being bombed and is collapsing into a state of anarchy and chaos. Thumbs up from India!

Ackerman, your problem here is that you seem to think that US Aid money is somehow a net positive for Pakistan, when in fact reading up on the subject would tell you that Pakistan has spent 67 billion dollars on the war on terror and has absolutely nothing to show for it (http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapter_11/Special%20Section_1.pdf). This is why it's important to actually know what you're talking about before speaking.

[Seedee Vee]

Once again Ackerman is in way over his head.

Learn a little about India and the politicians that reside there before the lectures in "How to Climb in Bed With America and Respect Yourself in the Morning".

Stick with telling Israel on how to suck America's Terrorism Teat for fun and profit.

[J]

Indian amb to US Rao responded to this article on twitter: @NMenonRao: @pierrefitter Thanks. We have a wide circle of friends within and beyond the Beltway. @attackerman India is not somnolent.@IndianDiplomacy

[fuster]

It's good to hear that India thinks it's doing well in DC....Americans generally hear nothing about Indian influence in DC and hear nothing about India putting in much effort.

[Madhu]

I agree with you completely, Mr. Ackerman. As an American of Indian origin, I have been watching this relationship my entire life.

For reasons that are unclear to me, Indian lobbying has traditionally been very weak. But more than that, Indians responsible for presenting India in the best light do little to effectively educate Americans. They do not talk directly to Americans and do not educate them in the ways of the amount of misinformation that permeates the international and national media.

In short, The UK, the Americans, and their traditional non-NATO ally - and the Chinese - are all better at communications. If you point this out, you will get push back as you have seen in these comments. Some people can't handle valid criticism. Welcome to being a long distance India watcher. They always miss an opportunity.

No self-reflection on what one could do better, but accusations that, "we Indians are perfect! You don't know what you are talking about! We have tried!"

No, you haven't.

Not effectively. Want an example? Use any standard search engine and look for "Kashmiri Pandits," for example. I have no opinion on Kashmir being an American but if the topic is so important, don't you think Indians could provide good quality photos or resources describing how such people have suffered? I've started to think Indians are making it up. I can never find anything.

Educating the Americans out of the misinformation that exists over years of intellectual misdirection (BS cold war-era intellectual psychologic strategems such as "strategic depth, encirclement, fears of India" - come on, is a nation playing games under the most deadly conventional military on the planet really so afraid? Sure, go on believing that bit of drama).

At any rate, Indian diplomacy would do well to listen carefully to the Americans and help to dispell international myths.

Effectively protecting your people does not mean you are automatically "sucking on the teat of the Americans.'

Ugh. No wonder the Indians lag behind, at times.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=571076365]

My humble guess is that India doesnt want Pakistan to collapse, since what would come in its stead could be very ugly and nuclear armed. Just saying.