CONTROVERSY: Bush blames India's middle class for rising food prices

[That's a cartoon by Massachusetts-based Thommy Kodenkandath; you can see a high-rez version at his cartoon blog, "DrawOpinions".]

It all began on Friday, May 2, with a question about rising food prices during a presidential press conference in Missouri. The answer from President George W. Bush, taken from the official transcript, included these thoughts:

Worldwide there is increasing demand.  There turns out to be prosperity in developing world, which is good.  It's going to be good for you because you'll be selling products into countries -- big countries perhaps -- and it's hard to sell products into countries that aren't prosperous.  In other words, the more prosperous the world is, the more opportunity there is.

It also, however, increases demand.  So, for example, just as an interesting thought for you, there are 350 million people in India who are classified as middle class.  That's bigger than America.  Their middle class is larger than our entire population.  And when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food.  And so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up.

And in the last couple of days, there's been a lot of coverage in India about those comments and the heated reaction there from politicians, analysts and others:

• Times of India: Parties unite to slam Bush food remark
  All major political parties, including Congress, BJP and the Left, on Saturday lashed out at US President George W Bush for blaming the growing demand in India for the spiralling global food prices even as the Opposition also used the opportunity to attack the government.

• Hindustan Times: Bush's 'cruel joke' may rock house today
  Defence Minister AK Antony on Sunday said US President George W. Bush’s statement that the growing demand for foodgrains in India had led to the spiralling of global food prices was a “cruel joke”. The BJP, too, attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his silence on Bush’s remarks and said that it would raise the issue in Parliament on Monday. Anger over Bush’s statement continued unabated on Sunday with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee saying “he has gone out of his mind since his downfall is near”. Antony, the first cabinet minister to speak out against Bush, said, “USA’s policies were also responsible for the foodgrain shortage. Those who criticise us shouldn’t set apart agriculture land for other purposes. The countries, including US, should rectify their mistakes.”

David C. Mulford, the U.S. Ambassador to India, has had to respond to the controversy and defend the president. From an Economic Times article, "Bush is an admirer of India, Says Mulford":

Reacting to the domestic political criticism against Mr Bush, Mr Mulford said the president was not making any critical comments against India or Indians and maintained, “hostile political commentary is not productive.”

Mr Mulford pointed out that Mr Bush is a "great friend and admirer" of India who in his remarks had merely expressed his support for the progress developing nations were making in both food production and nutrition. The president, he said, had expressed concern about the global food price increase and called on all nations to help in the fight against hunger. He further said that Mr Bush has increased the US food aid contributions to $5 billion over the next two years.

The White House clarified Bush's statement on May 5:

The White House has sought to clarify President George W Bush's remarks blaming India for the surge in global food prices, which evoked wide protest from politicians in India.

"We think it is a good thing that countries are developing, that more and more people have higher and higher standards of living," Deputy White House Press Secretary Scott Stanzel said in reply to a question in Washington on Monday.<snip>

The White House official said, "The point I think is that as you increase your standard of living, the food that you eat can venture more into meats that require more commodities to feed the livestock, which uses more of those commodities, whether it's corn or wheat or other commodities, and it drives up the price. So, that is just a function of how those food prices that we have seen spike around the world."

A May 6 editorial in the Times of India sided with Bush:

This newspaper is no uncritical admirer of President Bush. We have held the view that many of his policies, especially the Iraq war, are disastrous for the US as well as the world. However, the US president's take on the global food crisis is quite reasonable. In his reply to a stray question at a conference in Missouri, Bush said food prices are high for a number of reasons — including high energy costs — and partly because there was now more prosperity in the developing world, which is good. He cited the example of India, where a 350-million middle class, larger than the population of the US, is demanding better nutrition and better food. Bush hasn't said anything original; he has only repeated what economists have been saying for a while.

The hysterical response from our politicians and sections of the media to Bush is simply out of place. It reveals a sense of immaturity that is unbecoming of an aspiring global power. If India sustains the current rate of economic growth and manages to deepen the roots of democracy, it should emerge as a global power in a few years. But do we know what it means to be a global power? Do we recognise that big power status calls for a sophistication in our understanding of the rest of the world? Do we realise that big powers don't see themselves as victims or always define international relations in conspiratorial terms? A big power has to behave like one.

What do YOU think? Post your comments below. See SAJAforum's coverage of the rising price of food and the rice-purchase limits in some U.S. stores.

Comments

[Bhamy V Shenoy]

We should not get excited about this innocent remarks by a President who did not know who the PM of India was before getting elected. Today he is an admirer of India and he might have made that comment in all innocense. Let us worry more about the corruption and indiiference of our political class than about the comments of a President who is not all that well infomed.

As crude prices were increasing since 2002, energy pundits were attributing that to the increasing demand of India and China. In fact in 2005, India's demand was stagnant and in 2006, it went up marginally less than what may be the loss of crude oil shipped to the USA. It is only after 2006, pandits stopped giving Indian demand as the factor for crude price increase. This is now repeated in the case of food price. The same is true for global warming and green house gas problem. India is singled out by many as one of the significant countries when on per capita basis we have one of the lowest emissions.

[Pratap Somvanshi, Resident Editor Amar Ujala, Hindi Daily newspaper, Kanpur (India)]

George W Bush statement has raised an issue, where we need to discuss two culture, one is rare Indian life style and another one who came here from America and European society. One supplementary question add with the problem, when we talk about technology and market then use a term of GLOBAL VILLAGE, and another hand when discuss about food then differentiate with Nation to nation. This shows for sucking world s one for so called super power, and for responsibility they see the whole world in many-many frames. This would be more better when Mr Bush delivered a statement, who cover whole of humanity. If we see the food and eating behaviour in Indian system then we get, never be this was a personal question. Food always be cover tho human being to complete nature. The meaning of a person eat, always have a share of animal, bird, guest and for whole family. The demand of food for a person goes as MAI BHI BHUKHA NA RAHUN, SADHU NA BHUKHA JAAYE..The crisis generate when we change our eating habits, storage for money making and using food grains instead of eating. That would be real comment by Mr Bush, if he delivered his statement in broader prospects, but the few hidden agenda never allow to him go one right path.

-Pratap Somvanshi
pratapsomvanshi@gmail.com

[Arun]

I don't think 'Blames' is the appropriate word here. There's nothing in his statement which suggests President Bush is scapegoating India's middle class - simply that this is a global problem where rising demand will have an impact. Given his language - "you start demanding better nutrition and better food" - he actually seems quite sympathetic. And he's only repeating what has been stated in the American news media for months.

[cal]

Let's just hypothetically consider what if this was a briefed answer from Bush instead of a off-the-cuff remark as it appears. Note the framing of the issue:

1. India's prosperity leads to higher food prices...
NOT Falling USD rates reduces profit margins for India's or Global food exporters (many of whom are US companies)
2. Investment in biofuels like ethanol is not the cause...
FRAMING & LIMITING debate to biofuels vs. food prices
3. Prosperity of others is good only because they can afford American goods...
(no comment necessary)
4. There is food scarcity in the World which is effecting US citizens...
NOT Food distribution pattern is changing and US is on the other side of the equation which it subjected others to because of strong USD
5. We send food to Africa
NOT We first buy food from South America (or even Africa) then package it with low quality control & put a USA label on it to send back to Africa

One thing good about this whole issue is that some truths about Global food production/consumption might come to light. Perhaps even our dependence of South American farms. Or at least one hopes. Unless the media sticks to the Administrations framing of the issue.

I could be wrong...

[Rob Seitz]

While I agree that Bush probably did not mean anything derogatory by his remark, it's just another example of what the late Gov. Anne Richardson said about the man: "George W. Bush was born with a silver foot in his mouth." For eight years he has failed to take any responsibility for his disastrous policies. Instead of embracing and supporting positive developments in other parts of the world where the culture does not perfectly mirror that of the USA, Bush’s solution has been to bomb into suppression anyone who does not embrace his right-wing xenophobic positions. Perhaps the one good thing about his silver footed mouth is that it has left a silver lining for all of us to look forward to: 1-20-09!

[Indrani]

Late President Abraham Lincoln had once described USA as a “democracy of the people, for the people, by the people”. With Mr. Bush as the President, USA is fast becoming a “democracy full of fools, for the fools, by the fools”.

Mr President of USA proclaims that food crises in his developed country are caused by the increased demand from India’s middle class. Little did he forget that India is a net exporter of the food grains. Little did he forget that the multinationals from his developed country would find their profit lines bottoming without India’s middle class population of 350 million people. Little did he forget that USA has the maximum number of obese population in the world.

Now someone from the ministry of USA makes equally idiotic statement that the oil crises in USA have been caused by the growing demand in India and China. If this developed country has become so susceptible to the outside forces and if its economy has become too fragile to withstand the pressures from the developing economies such as India and China, then its time for Mr President and the people of USA to stop living in fool’s paradise.

Bill Gates would not have been Bill Gates without Microsoft and Microsoft would not have been Microsoft without Indian IT professionals. CITIbank had to appoint an Indian CEO to bale the bank out if its financial crises. Pepsi had to call upon an Indian woman to head the company. Most of the motels in USA are owned by Indians. More than 20% scientists in NASA are Indians. Without Indian medical professionals, the country would all but stop breathing. The list is endless.

So much for the hypocrisy!

USA has the biggest nuclear arsenal. Not only USA is the largest manufacturer and supplier of weapons, but for past three decades or so it is the largest end user of these weapons. USA has caused ultimate destruction of life and countries alike than any other nation in the world. It has funded, trained and equipped numerous antisocial outfits. Yet, USA has the audacity to say that the world’s existence is in danger, because of nuclear capabilities of Iraq, Iran and North Korea. For selfish personal and national interests Vietnam was ravaged, USSR was broken and Iraq is being destroyed.

Finally Mr. President, if people in your country are going hungry, feel free to come to we Indians. Pleasure would be ours to feed the hungry people of the richest country in the world.

[Kirit Desai]

"Blaming" is an improper word coined by media. It may be a random observation used as a trial balloon where let one idea (of finding faults in less approachable places) to fly in order to bury few probable reasons (that may require introspection) on home front. As far as responsible utterances are concerned, the buck must stop at the door of a leadership in free world.

Since WMD saga, even if any episode begins with a blunder, it needs some verification that there is no freight train disaster looming behind such whistle stop campaign. We have enough food to go around the globe and the focus should be on poor management of distribution system. Food crisis must be looked as an integral arm of the major crisis which may include energy, pollution & climate changes around the world. Let us not pick on some one's hard earned meal when enough food wasted in US that would make up for the meals for one third of starving population of India & China combined.

The statement is so out of character that there is no need to bring any counter argument. Let us keep up with a tradition in India: "Let's not pick on the quantity of meal while at the table; but certainly say some thing if there is any left-over in the plate!"

George Bush’s problem is his underestimation on the understanding power of his audience whom he tries to teach or preach especially in the area of science & economics.

Kirit

[Jaya Kamlani]

Food Price Rise Could Last Another 2 Years

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/104978/Food-Price-Rise-Could-Last-Another-2-Years

Jaya Kamlani

[SUJU]

Posted by: Rob Seitz | May 06, 2008 at 10:10 AM

WoW Rob, WOWWW,,,,,,,, These were the exact Points many indians want to ask Bush, U did it on Behalf of us, ,, Gud dude....... GUDDDDDD

I am really Inspired