Leading the Aspiration Nation
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, conservative political columnist and psychiatrist, coined the phrase ‘Bush Derangement Syndrome’ in 2003 during the presidency of George W Bush. Krauthammer defined the syndrome as “acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency and the very existence of George W Bush.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appears to be afflicted with a similar disorder. Choosing to gloss over facts at the altar of political expediency, Gandhi rushed to agree with US President Donald Trump when the latter proclaimed that the Indian economy was a “dead economy”. Trump’s remark came in response to India’s refusal to stop Russian oil purchases and halt what Peter Navarro dubbed “Modi’s war” in Ukraine. In July, hours after he announced a steep tariff on Indian goods, Trump declared, “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.” Trump’s attitude towards India had triggered criticism even within his country, with independent foreign policy analyst and adjunct professor at NYU, Edward Price, maintaining, “I used to think that President Donald Trump had a very poor understanding of economics and statecraft. And I realize now that that was wrong... in fact, President Trump has no understanding of economics and statecraft.” But Rahul Gandhi, who projects himself as a standout rushed in where angels fear to tread, made this stunning remark: “The Indian economy is a dead economy and the entire world knows it, except the prime minister and the finance minister.”