British Shopkeeper David Cameron and His Sales Pitch
By Naveed Tajammal
Pakistan
Napoleon Bonaparte was correct in his assessment when he termed the British a nation of petty shopkeepers.
The traits of that nation have still not changed, and so, to understand the bombastic outburst of David Cameron, you have to understand the reason why he said what he said in New Delhi.
Shopkeeper Britain was throwing a sales pitch to please a customer, India. So the representative of the Once Powerful Sole Power, where the sun never set, was groveling before the half naked Fakirs, to sell goods.
The Indian navy of late has been thinking of replacements of its leftover, vertical-takeoff, British-made, Harrier naval jets. These jets had been bought between 1983 and 1985, 40 in number at a tag price, then, of $18 million each.
As the Indians had bought two vintage, British aircraft carriers, HMS-Hercules which had been renamed INS-Vikrant and the other HMS-Hermes, now INS-Viraet, the lousy Indian pilots have lost 29 of the 40 jets in various accidents and botched technical repair jobs at a loss to the Indian exchequer of $ 522 million. But who cares, the Indians have to maintain a face too, hence the scramble for more.
The Indian navy and India itself, wants to flex its muscle power, and keeping that in view the harsh harangue of Cameron, is all in line of a sales pitch. The main item the Brits hope to sell the Indians is Queen Elizabeth class-aircraft carrier, with a current price tag of Pounds 2 billion. Bear in mind that one billion in British currency has 12 zeros. The American has nine. So that will be the amount to be paid by the Indian government just for the aircraft carrier. With it will come the additional demand for more Harriers at the current prices. Both the old vintage Indian 1957 model aircraft carriers had a capacity of twenty each, but their tonnage varied from 23,000 tons to 28,000. The new Queen Elizabeth is of 65,000 tons. It is anybody’s guess, as to how many new Harrier jets will be needed for this new toy. So, it is not just the strings attached with the new sales but the question of the after-sale and the supply of spare parts. The new toys can help India claim a global power status as opposed to a regional one.
The other major factor is that the ‘Aqua Bombs’ India is constructing on our three rivers, Indus, Chanab and Jhelum, are to be ready by 2014. So the buildup is a prelude to the future. What to speak of terrorism, Mr. Cameron apparently forgot the British Act of 1800 by virtue of which since the then Irish were put under the Hob-nailed boots, of the English, the violent history since then speaks volumes, should one care to look in ones backyard.
No, David Cameron?
( The writer has over 26 years of experience in Investigative Historical Research. This article is an exclusive to PakPotPourri2.blogspot.com where it was first published under a different heading. This is a slightly edited version. WWW.PAKNATIONALISTS.COM)
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