Do you and your country support China or India, if you had to choose a side?

[Easo]

Always startling to hear of the high illiteracy rate in India. And is it still 50% for women? I have to wonder at the "world's largest democracy."

It really is, even with half of women being illiterate. Do remember that India has 1.35 billion people and is very close to overtaking China as the most populous country in the world. Second largest democracy is USA, which has "only" 330 million.

Though as others pointed out - the democracy overall is quite shaky there, with huge contrasts between the big cities and countryside and full of nationalistic fervour/hate/propaganda. Everything from high tech to almost literal middle ages for peasantry.

[Adam Jensen]

(Tries to decide which one has better food)

Slight favor to China then.

But I do enjoy a good curry.

[OwenBurton]

Democracy in India is a bit of a joke. It’s always just about who tricks the uneducated the best. As far as ‘westernised’ goes, you’re looking only at the main cities. The rest of the country is still in the past. Worse still, the current regime is pitting communities at each other on a far more dangerous scale than even Trump is. Even though I’m from India, I wouldn’t support them. Neither would I support China. They’re both equally bad.

India's clashes with Pakistan over Kashmir concerns strategic control over critical water resources rather than religion, a secondary factory; the Indus has ever been the original source of ancient Vedic teachings and Indian civilization, so there are cultural sentiments as well. If India controls all of the region, Pakistan's entire economy would be seriously weakened, and New Delhi could block off access to the Indus at any time. Hence their water treaty.

The Indus originates from the Tibetan plateau (which is the source of China's civilizational Yellow River as well, a possible reason why they secured Tibet), and China and India are also at disputes over control over the Brahmaputra River's water resources. If they truly wanted to, they could block off a considerable amount of access to either river, potentially killing millions in a time of open war with each other's enemies.

https://archive.siasat.com/news/indi...utary-1032181/
http://reuters.com/article/india-chi...-idUSKBN28B4RB

[Yadryonych]

Democracy in India is a bit of a joke. It’s always just about who tricks the uneducated the best.

Implying democracy works the other way around somewhere else

[Easo]

Implying democracy works the other way around somewhere else

Implying there is something better? Or just a "freethinker.jpg", eh?

[Beuargh]

Me AND my country? Sometimes, I disagree with positions taken by my country. And Im not going to support those positions just because a few motherfuckers decided they talked in the name of the nation.

[cubby]

Interesting question. Have to pick India on this one. They seem much more like they are just trying to do their best and much less nefarious.

[JohnBrown1917]

Interesting question. Have to pick India on this one. They seem much more like they are just trying to do their best and much less nefarious.

Aside from electing a fascist and all that.

[OwenBurton]

It really is, even with half of women being illiterate. Do remember that India has 1.35 billion people and is very close to overtaking China as the most populous country in the world. Second largest democracy is USA, which has "only" 330 million.

Though as others pointed out - the democracy overall is quite shaky there, with huge contrasts between the big cities and countryside and full of nationalistic fervour/hate/propaganda. Everything from high tech to almost literal middle ages for peasantry.

India's policy towards Kashmir -- it is disheartening, and disappointing. Understandable, possibly. But it is a policy borne out of fear and nationalism. Even Nehru handled the situation quite poorly. A referendum should have taken place long, long ago. It says something that most Russians overwhelmingly support India. Just as most Indians overwhelmingly support Russia.

India has taken the moral high ground on many occasions -- it refused to support the Iraq War, it helped fight against the militant groups in Afghanistan even as the Americans supported them during the Cold War, and it aided Bangladesh tremendously in the 1971 war despite tremendous opposition from the United States. Just not necessarily on Kashmir -- solely blaming its neighbors for sponsoring extremism is naive and simplistic at best; most Kashmiris honestly dislike India. India has a long history of wise gurus -- such as the Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore, Yogananda, etc. It is sad that most Indians do not entirely heed the lessons of their forefathers, or their ancestral beliefs that inevitably, every action has a reaction.

[Doctor Amadeus]

I hate the caste system but outside of that I have no dog in the fight.

Not my monkey not my circus.

If I had to I guess China if all things are equal because why not.

[OwenBurton]

I hate the caste system but outside of that I have no dog in the fight.

Not my monkey not my circus.

If I had to I guess China if all things are equal because why not.

The caste system has long since been abolished. China is a more developed and modernized country -- but its population is predominantly clustered around its eastern parts, unlike India. Both China and India have allegedly supported militant groups and their activities in their neighboring countries in the past, India more recently -- ostensibly to help them fight oppression -- India also constantly alleges covert Chinese support for activities in Kashmir and other parts of their country.
https://books.google.com/books?id=GX...nistan&f=false

[Mormolyce]

(Tries to decide which one has better food)

Tough fight but I think India takes it.

- - - Updated - - -

It really is, even with half of women being illiterate. Do remember that India has 1.35 billion people and is very close to overtaking China as the most populous country in the world. Second largest democracy is USA, which has "only" 330 million.

Though as others pointed out - the democracy overall is quite shaky there, with huge contrasts between the big cities and countryside and full of nationalistic fervour/hate/propaganda. Everything from high tech to almost literal middle ages for peasantry.

Trying to figure out if the second paragraph is about India or the US.

[Easo]

Trying to figure out if the second paragraph is about India or the US.

India, of course. USA has issues, but let's not overblow the backwardness it has, especially compared to rural India.

[Shadowferal]

India, of course. USA has issues, but let's not overblow the backwardness it has, especially compared to rural India.

A strangely fair point.
Comparing the most backwards of rural spots, India woukd edge the US in nationalism (naxals in India), religious intolerance, (doing better with Sikhs, not so much with Muslims), and child brides are still far too prevalent, and illiteracy among women are still too high a number at near 40%.

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

China and India are Asia's two great superpowers. [/url]

russia is more powerful

[szechuan]

russia is more powerful

That's not true.

[Stelio Kontos]

I don't like any of them, but if i had to choose i would suport china, because they didn't use strenght to take macau from Portugal, but india used strenght to take Goa from us, so, china.

You shouldn't have been in either, honestly. They shouldn't have had to ask to get their land back.

That being said, if you weren't capable or willing to defend someone else's land you took, why is it bad for them to take back what is rightfully theirs?

As for the topic, while I do believe India's got some serious issues with Modi and how the country is administered, I'd pick them easily over China.

China's been infiltrating and financially undermining academia and business in the West for more than 20 years now, and it's not to anyone's benefit but themselves and the billionaires that are colluding with them.

[Biglog]

I know and have friends from both countries, so I'd say this is 100% directed towards their governments rather than the people.

China has been terrible about a) IP theft and b) expansionism (including bullying of neighbors).

The latter with expansionism especially has got much worse over the past 10 years. The Spratly islands were a push by China to claim areas owned by Vietnam and other countries in the South China Sea. They are encroaching on their fishing grounds. China is constantly pushing India on their borders to gain a few extra feet of territory.

Likewise, they've been horrible about IP theft for ages which is well-known. I disagreed with a lot over the past 4 years of Trump, but pushing back China on IP theft was one thing that I was all for and is badly needed. Many companies around the world sit empty and their employees without jobs because they were driven to bankruptcy after IP theft by Chinese firms that then started replicating their products much more cheaply without any R&D costs.

Not saying India or Bodi's government is perfect, but China has been shafting neighbors and doing mass IP theft from companies around the world for years. Don't forget as well that it's widely suspected (and the US government has provided evidence) China covertly gave Pakistan nuke technology in 1972 in order to be a check on India's military. Can you imagine India secretly providing nuclear weapons tech to Taiwan as a check on China? Because that's essentially what China did.

Oh and one more almost comical example of the Chinese government's credibility. About 15 years ago they purchased an old Soviet aircraft carrier from Ukraine. The Chinese claimed it was going to be turned into a floating casino. Under a very strict agreement both parties signed the vessel was to be refurbished to be turned into a floating casino and absolutely in no way would be used for military purposes. As soon as they got the ship, the Chinese reverse engineered the whole ship, refurbished it into a working aircraft carrier, and made it their first Chinese aircraft carrier, totally ignoring any obligations under their agreement. It allowed them to much more quickly overcome problems in aircraft carrier development and it is how they got a carrier in service so quickly. Just something to think about next time your country debates an agreement with them.

[Easo]

That's not true.

But it is, at least military wise. Nukes are hefty argument. Economically? No, of course.

[Gaidax]

But it is, at least military wise. Nukes are hefty argument. Economically? No, of course.

I find it kind of silly Russia still tangles with West. China is a much bigger threat for them in the long run.

But I bet the decision makers at some point will retire Putin and rebrand themselves in a decade or so to take on that one instead.