Interesting survey.

I'm usually a sceptic of most surveys, especially random sex surveys conducted by the national newsmagazines - I mean they were so ridiculous, it wasn't funny. But now, BBC World has conducted a survey nearly 40,000 people across 33 countries on how they view other countries and India's role in the world is seen as tepid. I mean, here we are in debating whether India should be a huge nuclear hipocrite, like the Permanent Five and vote against Iran at the IAEA, and then the survey goes that the Iranians really like us. Sweet! And of course, America like France has a bad habit of snapping Ambassador's who can't quite get to grips with the fact that India has better functioning democracy than they do. I mean please someone, the reason people don't vote in the US is because they way they choose their leader is majorly screwed-up. First past the post works, even if it brings the Evil Commies into positions of power.
Anyway, back to the survey, I'm trying to figure out why Filipina's hate India - 57% of Filipina's think India has a negative influence on the world. But what did we ever do to the Philippines, other than maybe learn a bit from their politicians on how to be grossly corrupt, and go on show-buying sprees (I believe there is a senior lady politician/dictator in Nad-land who has a show collection that would put Imelda Marcos to shame, and of course, there is the former BJP firebrand who has among the world's finest collection of Barbie dolls). But still, I racked my brains trying to figure out why they hate us, and then it struck me. You see the Filipina's want to be a global power in the BPO business, but when it comes to BPO, there is only one choice India. After all, it does make sense coming here than going to some small archipelago, even though it was ruled by the US for some time. Hey, they hate us, so I can be nasty too!
Even though that is a very childish explanation, and it still doesn't make sense. India is a lot of things, but I've never thought of it as a 'hateful' sort of place.
But, really until today I only thought that some rabid Pakistani's hated India - I mean being defeated in three wars (OK, 1947-48 is debatable but we kicked ass in 1965 and 1971) is a justified reason for hating your neighbour, however illegal movements of 'Old Monk' across the border might have toned down that hate. But we obviously did something to the Philippines sometime for them to hate us so. Any plausible explanations?
Oh and on another note, everybody's favourite management institute has started taking out large adverts again, and I couldn't help but notice how the salaries of their highest placements have come down! I mean, the economy is booming and I thought that average starting salaries - even if you were going to end up making calls selling credit cards to people, calling them on their mobiles when they just happen to be on roaming (I got at least one of these everyday while I was in Delhi, not just credit cards, Reliance Info and Airtel also called urging me to switch operator and given Hutch/Orange's extremely poor coverage in parts of Bandra/Khar and downtown, I was considering). But back to the point, the tag-line is the same, numbers are bandied about without evidence - in fact a friend even pointed out that some companies have done the disappearing act in adverts from last week to this week. So despite the cartoons and the articles, it seems that the man without the plan is back to his oily old ways. After all, somebody has to pay for the Cayenne! Kinda like the latest Titan advert where they treat an MBA degree with the dose of irreverence that it needs - and also pointing out that anything and everything can be acquired. On another note, talking about shady B-School's, Rashmi Bansal pointed out to me that the Allahabad HC has upheld AICTE's decision to strip the Amity Business School of its official recognition.
And Adage has an interesting article on Oprah Winfrey's takedown of another fraud. I wonder if we had an Oprah in India, if she would have done a takedown on the Ponytail for the 'tall' claims.
India IIPM