The Maoists portray India as semi-feudal because they are limited by the Stalinist theory of two stage revolution. If they accept India is capitalist, they would logically have to be for workers power and socialism. Instead they would be happy working in a capitalist first stage government.

It really feels like we’ve gone past the point of no return, which is why it the consumer politics-oriented arguments make so little sense.

Yeah. I identify with that feeling, although I think we have a responsibility to do everything we possibly can to at least mitigate the damage. Which is why I personally cringe every time I see Live 8 or some other stupid Celebrity Bullshit Against Global Warming event… that sort of thing is just beyond pointless.

The floods in India and Bangladesh have now been officially blamed on climate change by the UN, by the way.

Naveen: Yes, “India Shining” was the BJP’s election-year campaign slogan. It has since become the prevailing commonsense, especially among the urban middle classes.

Therealpotato: I think I agree with what you are saying, despite the double negative! On the global warming question I tend to feel a lot more pessimistic than I do on any other issue. It really feels like we’ve gone past the point of no return, which is why the consumer politics-oriented arguments make so little sense.

Preya: Sometimes the liberal strongholds are precisely the ones that are most closed off to radical points of view, no?

In the final analysis, of course, it isn’t so much a question of what we write in these blogs, or even what we teach in our classrooms. The material realities of people’s lives have as much, if not more, of an impact on what they think. (Pooja–that’s true of your situation too, although I’m sure you’ll stick your tongue out at me for this as well!)

Showing our students the lineage of their own ideas is a useful way of going about our work.

This is an important point. I happen to teach in a place Bill O’Reilly calls a “liberal progressive stronghold,” so, in reality, I have the advantage of dealing with kids who, out of habit, say, “Can I recycle this piece of paper,” rather than, “Can I throw away this piece of paper.” I just worry about the kids who don’ live here and don’t have the advantages that my kids have. In any case, your post is about India, and the figures you mention are stunning.