Anonymous
ID: ZMMMg2uL
6/17/2025, 6:25:07 PM No.507739386
> Be India
> Dream of being a great power, top dog on the world stage
> US keeps giving you tech, weapons, nuclear deals, wants you to rise to counter China
> Secretly don’t want US as the only superpower, want “multipolarity” so you can play everyone off each other
> Refuse to join any real alliance, keep hanging out with Russia, Iran, even China sometimes
> Think you’re being clever, actually just end up alone and weak
> Economy’s growing, but not fast enough
> China’s economy still 2-3x bigger even if you get lucky, their tech and military way ahead
> Manufacturing? Nah, still stuck in protectionism and not investing in R\&D
> Military? Biggest in South Asia but not by much, Pakistan shoots down your jets with Chinese missiles, always worried about two-front war
> Want to be regional boss, but can’t even control your own neighborhood
> At home, used to be poster child for democracy and diversity
> Now: Hindu nationalism, minorities sidelined, institutions getting weaponized, democracy getting shaky
> Internal polarization rising, risk of civil unrest, more energy spent on keeping lid on things than projecting power
> US support not guaranteed anymore, especially as both countries get more illiberal
> If world splits into US vs China, you get stuck in the middle, neither side fully trusts you
> Keep hoping for multipolar world, but reality is trending bipolar, and you’re not one of the two
> By 2050, maybe 3rd or 4th biggest economy, but still not a superpower, still can’t match China, still need outside help to keep China at bay
> Refuse to commit to alliances, so can’t build real balancing coalition
> “Strategic autonomy” just means you’re isolated when it counts
> Internal politics and economic underperformance mean you’ll be stronger, but never as strong as you think
> Global influence always less than your size
> mfw India’s great power dreams are just delusions
> Dream of being a great power, top dog on the world stage
> US keeps giving you tech, weapons, nuclear deals, wants you to rise to counter China
> Secretly don’t want US as the only superpower, want “multipolarity” so you can play everyone off each other
> Refuse to join any real alliance, keep hanging out with Russia, Iran, even China sometimes
> Think you’re being clever, actually just end up alone and weak
> Economy’s growing, but not fast enough
> China’s economy still 2-3x bigger even if you get lucky, their tech and military way ahead
> Manufacturing? Nah, still stuck in protectionism and not investing in R\&D
> Military? Biggest in South Asia but not by much, Pakistan shoots down your jets with Chinese missiles, always worried about two-front war
> Want to be regional boss, but can’t even control your own neighborhood
> At home, used to be poster child for democracy and diversity
> Now: Hindu nationalism, minorities sidelined, institutions getting weaponized, democracy getting shaky
> Internal polarization rising, risk of civil unrest, more energy spent on keeping lid on things than projecting power
> US support not guaranteed anymore, especially as both countries get more illiberal
> If world splits into US vs China, you get stuck in the middle, neither side fully trusts you
> Keep hoping for multipolar world, but reality is trending bipolar, and you’re not one of the two
> By 2050, maybe 3rd or 4th biggest economy, but still not a superpower, still can’t match China, still need outside help to keep China at bay
> Refuse to commit to alliances, so can’t build real balancing coalition
> “Strategic autonomy” just means you’re isolated when it counts
> Internal politics and economic underperformance mean you’ll be stronger, but never as strong as you think
> Global influence always less than your size
> mfw India’s great power dreams are just delusions
