Democracy
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Ambedkar’s Grammar of Anarchy and the Diaspora Letter
A diaspora letter quotes Ambedkar’s ‘grammar of anarchy’ against street protest. His 1949 speech and five decades of protests that became law complicate it.
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Dharms are Natural Democrats
The indigenous record was procedurally rich and narrow. The colonial record was procedurally borrowed and narrow. In 1950 Delhi adopted universal adult suffrage at a stroke, literacy under a fifth,…
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You cannot be a leftist if you support fundamentally illiberal positions
The author argues that one cannot be a leftist while supporting dictatorships or unequal citizenship rights, naming military rule in Myanmar and Pakistan, Iran’s clerical state, and restrictions on women…
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Poorer Pakistan OutFoxes Richer India?
X.T.M argues that although India is richer, Pakistan’s narrower, military-anchored power structure gives it structural resilience in confrontation, while India’s democracy imposes restraint. He says understanding this asymmetry beats arguing…
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Bangladesh Election Open Thread
Bangladesh election open thread. The opening comment asks how the vote can be fair with the Awami League banned, compares it to Pakistan’s democracy with Imran Khan jailed, and calls…
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Let Pakistan Throw Stones. India Should Build the Skyline.
Argues that India should answer Pakistan by outgrowing it, as South Korea treats North Korea, rather than retaliating conventionally. The author says conventional retaliation restores a false parity, feeds Pakistan’s…
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Farmers vs Government: The Benefits and Limits of Democratic Redistribution
The author argues that India’s democracy let its large farming population keep a steady share of redistribution during globalisation-led growth, unlike one-party China and Vietnam, where farm incomes fell relative…
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Open Thread – Brown Pundits
Open thread, 11 December 2018, with Zack asking what happened in the Indian elections, whether results matched predictions, and suggesting the big winner is Indian democracy.
