Fareed Zakaria's WaPo article talks about rural vs. urban dividing line in Western world politics; My short remarks on farm loan waivers in Indian politics
The new dividing line in Western politics, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-yellow-vest-protests-add-to-a-new-dividing-line-in-western-politics/2018/12/13/f468b8d8-ff1d-11e8-862a-b6a6f3ce8199_story.html, 13th Dec. 2018
The article talks about rural backlash against urban elites in the political arena in USA, Britain, France and Belgium (the latter two having had the 'yellow vest' protests recently).
The article claims that rural populations feel looked-down upon by the urbanites, and so the former have "deep resentment" towards elite urbanites.
It quotes a USA census article of 2015 that over 60 percent of USA population lives in cities and occupies only 3.5 percent of the land, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-33.html.
These cities are doing well as compared to rural areas which are facing lots of problems.
The article quotes a study that use of robots in industries reduces employment and that robots are being used in the USA MidWest and South, implying that these areas will see lesser employment opportunities due to robots.
I would like to add that in Indian politics too (and which I think is reflective of Indian social issues today), there seems to be a rural agricultural vs urban industry & services divide. The majority of Indians are still dependent on agriculture, directly or indirectly, for their livelihood. From http://www.fao.org/india/fao-in-india/india-at-a-glance/en/, "Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest source of livelihoods in India. 70 percent of its rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, with 82 percent of farmers being small and marginal."
One of the key mantras for success in recent Indian state elections over the past few months (and perhaps it has been similar in the past years as well) is a promise to waive farm loans! Rural India demands that via the voting booth! I guess that these farm loan waivers essentially become a subsidy to farmers which has to eventually be paid mainly via, I guess, tax revenue from urban industry and services sector.
It seems to me that one of the major challenges for country-wide social well-being and harmony today, and for the future, is ensuring employment with decent wages for rural people in many countries of the world including India, USA, Britain, France and Belgium.
The article talks about rural backlash against urban elites in the political arena in USA, Britain, France and Belgium (the latter two having had the 'yellow vest' protests recently).
The article claims that rural populations feel looked-down upon by the urbanites, and so the former have "deep resentment" towards elite urbanites.
It quotes a USA census article of 2015 that over 60 percent of USA population lives in cities and occupies only 3.5 percent of the land, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-33.html.
These cities are doing well as compared to rural areas which are facing lots of problems.
The article quotes a study that use of robots in industries reduces employment and that robots are being used in the USA MidWest and South, implying that these areas will see lesser employment opportunities due to robots.
I would like to add that in Indian politics too (and which I think is reflective of Indian social issues today), there seems to be a rural agricultural vs urban industry & services divide. The majority of Indians are still dependent on agriculture, directly or indirectly, for their livelihood. From http://www.fao.org/india/fao-in-india/india-at-a-glance/en/, "Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest source of livelihoods in India. 70 percent of its rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, with 82 percent of farmers being small and marginal."
One of the key mantras for success in recent Indian state elections over the past few months (and perhaps it has been similar in the past years as well) is a promise to waive farm loans! Rural India demands that via the voting booth! I guess that these farm loan waivers essentially become a subsidy to farmers which has to eventually be paid mainly via, I guess, tax revenue from urban industry and services sector.
It seems to me that one of the major challenges for country-wide social well-being and harmony today, and for the future, is ensuring employment with decent wages for rural people in many countries of the world including India, USA, Britain, France and Belgium.
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