I suppose one of the times that makes you most miss the United States is on days like Independence Day. After all, while people back at home were grilling burgers yesterday and today while having a break from work, we went in for two full days of work. Aside from a couple comments from fellow workers, wearing red, white, and blue and eating dosas, we didn't really get much in the way of a Fourth of July. My time in India, while it's been absolutely wonderful, has made me realize what a wonderful country we live in. There are many reasons for that (perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is American food--specifically, American hamburgers--which I've had a craving for since the day I left), but I just want to touch on a couple.
The first is the framework our government is built on. The United States boasts the world's oldest Constitution (even if said Constitution is applied very differently than when it was first written in 1787)--something we can truly be proud of. America was an experiment in democracy--an experiment which was challenged in its day by absolutism and later by totalitarianism and communism, but has in every instance adapted and succeeded. Indeed, that idea of democracy has become the basis for nearly every modern democracy, including India, which is the world's largest democracy and a couple months ago demonstrated the largest display of democratic involvement in history (400 million voters in the last election).
Yet aside from the sheer durability of our government (or perhaps because of it), Americans really do trust their government. That might seem like an odd thing to say--after all, Americans are always fighting over partisan divisions, and our president doesn't exactly have unanimous support. But as inefficient and bureaucratic as it might get, Americans trust their government to work properly. We expect--and get--law and order without too much deviation. Here in India, there isn't the same sense of the government having that sort of legal control. For evidence, all you have to do is look at the streets--cars writhing in a orderless mess without regards to any traffic laws or regulations. And naturally, the police force isn't pulling anyone over for that sort of thing.
After a half century of essentially mishandling the country, the Indian government has turned the country around and has set it on a course for a much stronger nation. The government is gaining credibility, and with that credibility it's become able to be more effective as a national government. Indeed, it seems that India looks to become the south Asian United States. Since our system seems to be a model for India and a plethora of countries around the world, I think it's not without justification that on this Independence Day, I'm proud to be an American!
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What I want to know is if Indian drivers can navigate their road system while on the phone and eating fast food or drinking Starbucks. Personally, I think being able to do such in Houston is one of the Top 5 most amazing talents. But it would seem, based on your detailed and in depth reporting, that doing such in India would trump a Houston driver. What do you think? Seen anything of the such? Or is it just an American way of life?
ReplyDeleteTalking on a cell phone while driving is technically illegal in India. Which is probably a good thing. Instead, Indian drivers must navigate around slow moving trucks, tiny four-wheeled cars, crazy three-wheel drivers, and two-wheelers of various types. As well as pedestrians, who cross whenever possible, and cows, who always have the right of way, and carts of various types. All this is done without regard to lanes or traffic laws. And they don't drive on the "right" side of the road.
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