@ujl

Wow, wow. I'm impressed. You seem to have lots of 'book' knowledge, but little real world experience. I don't even know where to start. Let me give it a shot.

 

It's obvious that you have religious inclination and think vedic people will make a better society. India and 'sustainability' should not be put in a same sentence, let along discuss about it. If they so intertwined with 'cosmos' according to their vedic belief, why do you think they have a billion + (that is with a 'b') people? How is that sustainable? FYI, more people means 'LESS SUSTAINABLE' if that logic will ever make sense to you. And you say Indians are/will NOT be empowered in consumerism. Let me be wake you up, it is because they are poor, not because they care so much about the environment. Give them a chance to get rich, they will be the most consumerism society in the world, hands down. They will eat like a starving dog. You really thing Indian people follow veda to live their life in harmony, cosmos and peace? Please tell me what type of drugs you are smoking. Vedic belief is good only in the book, it has been abandoned by its own people for hunderds of years.Why? It is not practical, simply as that. I don't know which part of India did you see that was so in peace with harmony, but the one I know of is a very materialistic, show off, lavishness, takes every opportunity to consume Western, have no regard to environment (that is a foreign language to most Indians).

 

You seem to think you understand America by giving an example of Walmart. Let me assure you, you need to dig a lot dipper and stop relying on TV to understand Americans and their view about consumerism, cosmos, harmony and peace. America has 300+ million people, a third of India, and it is bigger than India. I accept Americans are wasteful, or at-least has been in the past. But things are changing. When they do change, they elect a black president, ie they take it to another level. They are in the for front of alternative sustainable energy, they are creating laws and enforcing (yea, it really happens) major auto makers to create high fuel efficiency vehicles. Every major cities are proactively pushing the 'green' theme and spending million of $ to make it happen. Cities are avoiding plastic bag, enforcing recyclable containers and bag. Overall, slowly Americans are becoming more green at a rapid pace. 

 

If you haven't had a chance to live with an American, please do that. They consume, but they are also a major 'recycling' culture. Every house hold has a 'blue' trash can and they don't mind recycling their waste. It used to be bottles and cans, but now even certain plastics, clothes and food waste are allowed to be dumped in the blue trash can. School teach kids to recycle and they carry on the value as they grow up. It is in the DNA of Americans who are born after the 80's. Know the difference between America (capitalism and corporation) and Americans. You'll see America on TV and magazines, but not everyday Americans.

 

How many Indians do that in India? I've had many Indian friends and from all the experience that I had with them, they are some of the least environment friendly people. Most of my educated Indian friends are only worried about success, money and status, eco-friendly is least of their concern. I might be wrong, but it gives me a general idea what happened when they were raised back in India.

 

Regarding America exploiting weaker nations. Do you really think India will not or is not doing it right now. I, as a Nepali, feel like they have exploited us. I can only imagine when they get more powerful. Every civilization has and will exploit the weak, it has been from the beginning of the time. 

 

Walmart has not been able to come to India is all political, you make it sound as if they did it our of their consciousness. Trust me, there is a Walmart version of India in India on every aspect of daily life back there, we simply don't hear about it on the news. You make it sound like as if there is no franchise in India, which you know it not true. Walmart will come to India, may be not now, but eventually (I'll bet you on this). They will need it more than the Americans, think about it.

 

So your vedic analysis of how it is or will be in India is so flawed that I'll suggest you NOT to mention in any discussion in the future, just a honest suggestion from a fellow Nepali. Honestly, it comes off very stupid and arrogant. Only ignorant, bleeding-heart liberal, hippies in America who are disassociated with the reality of the 'world' think India and vedic society are superior (they are called Hare Rama Hare Krishna), the reality is different.

 

 

Last edited: 20-Jan-14 02:34 PM