A New Partnership

Fire of Liberty

Michael Barone has a good piece in US News & World Report on the ever increasing strategic relationship between India and the United States with the most recent US-India Defense Relationship signed by the Secretary Rumsfeld and Defense Minister Mukherjee. Take a look at Barone's take on this strengthened relationship:

In any case, since September 11 Bush and his administration have moved closer and closer to India. It is obvious that the two countries have much in common: the English language, representative democracy, the rule of law. Since 1991, India has dismantled much of the "permit raj" that choked its economy, and its leaders have enabled the market to do its magic work of promoting economic growth. In recent years the Indian economy has been growing about 6 percent a year, and millions of Indians have moved out of poverty. India has become a center of high-tech innovation. And India, like the United States, has long been a target of jihadist terrorists.

Last Monday's agreement was another step in the process of adding to the list of America's military allies in Asia. Japan has recently been building its military forces and despite the pacifist clauses in its Constitution has aided us in Afghanistan and Iraq and has spoken out against a Chinese takeover of Taiwan. Australia was a major partner in Iraq and has taken the initiative on other occasions, notably on tsunami relief. Now we are building closer military ties with India.

I guess the Pentagon and the White House have been reading James C. Bennett's book The Anglosphere Challenge which notes that the strengthening of a relationship between nations with a common language and political systems like India and the US is essential to the future of the world and the promotion of freedom. Lets hope this relationship will blossom even further in the near future.