WHAT'S IN A NAME?:

An India-U.S. Alliance? (Austin Bay, 11/07/07, Real Clear Politics)

Is the India-U.S. post-Cold War rapprochement blossoming into an ... ?

The word intentionally missing from that first sentence is "alliance."

In the complex brawl India calls its domestic politics, alliance -- when linked to the United States -- is a ruckus-sparking word. Mention "alliance" and the United States in the same sentence, and India's strong left-wing parties, particularly its Communist Party, score an easy propaganda headline. The Communists portray themselves as protectors of Indian sovereignty. The accusation of alliance also rankles Indian ultra-nationalists.

So both the Indian and American governments avoid the word.

Heck, the media has gone them one better by not noticing 7 years of alliance building.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 7, 2007 6:30 AM