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Because of tribalism. You care for your own community and in return, your community cares for you. US govt (a proxy for US community) cares for US citizens and

Because of tribalism. You care for your own community and in return, your community cares for you. US govt (a proxy for US community) cares for US citizens and US citizens have a mechanism to ensure that it continues to care for them. Indian govt (a proxy for Indian community) doesn't care about US citizens and they do not have any mechanism to make it care. So until we all truly believe in "global community" and have mechanisms to ensure that there is a legitimate proxy for global community to care for everyone, its better to stick to your own community. p.s. Even US might be a very big entity to have any sense of cohesion (and hence the polarization we see). Probably, we need smaller regional entities having bulk of the duties/responsibilities/powers, with federal govt performing only a minimal set of functions. But thats a separate political debate.

ashwinaj 10y ago
> US govt (a proxy for US community) cares for US citizens and US citizens On paper. But it seems like over decades it's become "US govt supporting businesses" which is ok as long as business leaders are somewhat altruistic, which is clearly not the case.
- RestlessMind 10y ago
  Originally coming from a developing country, the amount and quality of services offered by various levels of US Govt is astonishing compared to what I used to get from my country of origin. [eg. reliable public infrastructure like good roads, 24hr electricity, clean air, clean water; libraries; national parks; heck even travel protection programs like STEP while traveling abroad]. If you think all that amounts to nothing, or just amounts to "supporting businesses", try spending 5-6 years as a resident (not tourist) in some developing country.
  - ashwinaj 10y ago
    I did high school and college in India, so I understand your sentiment. Unlike developing countries which are now investing in their infrastructure/people, the US on the contrary is not investing in them as they used to (eg., education, technical training etc.). From what I was told by old timers, companies actually had training programs for their employees. Minus a handful of companies no company provides these kinds of benefits. All companies at the end of the day look at their bottom line and see employees as a liability rather than an asset and this eventually hurts the middle class.

ashwinaj 10y ago

> US govt (a proxy for US community) cares for US citizens and US citizens On paper. But it seems like over decades it's become "US govt supporting businesses" which is ok as long as business leaders are somewhat altruistic, which is clearly not the case.

RestlessMind 10y ago
Originally coming from a developing country, the amount and quality of services offered by various levels of US Govt is astonishing compared to what I used to get from my country of origin. [eg. reliable public infrastructure like good roads, 24hr electricity, clean air, clean water; libraries; national parks; heck even travel protection programs like STEP while traveling abroad]. If you think all that amounts to nothing, or just amounts to "supporting businesses", try spending 5-6 years as a resident (not tourist) in some developing country.
- ashwinaj 10y ago
  I did high school and college in India, so I understand your sentiment. Unlike developing countries which are now investing in their infrastructure/people, the US on the contrary is not investing in them as they used to (eg., education, technical training etc.). From what I was told by old timers, companies actually had training programs for their employees. Minus a handful of companies no company provides these kinds of benefits. All companies at the end of the day look at their bottom line and see employees as a liability rather than an asset and this eventually hurts the middle class.