US Senate takes major step on India nuclear deal

[cosmicone]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N16238590.htm

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved long-stalled legislation that moves toward opening the door to U.S.-India nuclear cooperation for the first time in three decades.

The vote was 85 to 12 after the Republican-controlled Senate defeated a handful of amendments India said would kill the deal. Several more critical approvals are needed before the agreement can take effect but the Senate action moved India a major step closer to being able to purchase U.S. nuclear fuel, reactors and related technology.

[Ian David]

1. AWESOME! I LOVE MANGOES!

They're sweet, juicy and delicious!

I'm willing to risk nuclear war and global apocalypse for the sweet, sweet juice of Indian mangoes!

YummMMMmMmmm!!!

You know, if North Korea would give us a good deal on Kimchee...

[cosmicone]

2. Why would you risk nuclear war?

This deal REDUCES that possibility not increase it.

The facetious use of mangoes is frankly uncalled for.

India is a democracy with the same values as the US but actually enforced in practice. For a country of 86% hindus, India has a muslim president, a sikh prime minister and the leader of the ruling party is a white catholic woman.

This kind of embrace of diversity was not seen in the US for a very long time.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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[Ian David]

10. India does NOT share the same values, and the deal violates international treaties

Granted, India is more tolerant than Pakistan, but that's not really saying much.

It's still a hypocritical violation of the non-proliferation treaty when we're after North Korea and Iran for violating that treaty.

[cosmicone]

13. oh come on!

Pakistan is a tinpot military dictatorship that makes money with drugs and blackmail. India is a secular democracy and has cherished democratic institutions. India is also far far bigger than Pakistan and a true ally of the US while Pakistan is covertly supporting the resurgence of Taliban.

There is no comparison between India on one hand and one or more of Pakistan, Iran or NK on the other.

[fujiyama]

16. The treaty has now been proven useless

It's time to put up a better alternative to the NPT because it has been proven ineffective.

And I think comparing India to Pakistan is idiotic. One is a military dictatorship. The other is a democracy.

[Ian David]

20. India is not one of the worst countries in the world. n/t

[bleedinglib]

18. India and Iran ?

I think are good buds? So, why in hell would we want to trade nu-clear
tech that might end up in Iran??

Hey, I got it? lets send the mangoes to Iran and have India send our jobs back? maybe everyone would be happy?? well, maybe not dick & george

BLIB:nuke:

[KamaAina]

3. Buy American!

Mangoes grow in the 50th State, too, y'know. In fact, even in urban Honolulu, people have mango trees in their yards, and have a time of it trying to keep neighborhood kids from, er, liberating some. Plus, we're years away from having a nuclear program of any consequence! :-)

Then again, perversely, the (mainland) U.S. puts more restrictions (irradiation, etc.) on the "importation" of Hawai'i produce than it does on actual imports!

[Ian David]

4. Uhm... India has nuclear missiles. n/t

[OhioChick]

6. Hell

might as well give them nukes, since we're outsourcing everything else there. :sarcasm:

[Ian David]

8. Getting them to nuke Pakistan is ONE way to close-down those call-centers

"Can I please put you on hold? We're under nuclear attack."

"Hey, I can't get my PalmPilot to download my porn! Hey! Come back!"

[cosmicone]

11. I wouldn't joke about a nuclear war n/t

[Ian David]

12. I saw "The Day After" as a kid. I kind of HAVE to joke about it.

Otherwise, I'd go insane.

It's called gallows humor.

Look it up on the internets using the google.

[cosmicone]

14. whatever lifts your boat I guess ... n/t

[OhioChick]

15. Nice bastardization

of US slang. :eyes:

[KamaAina]

7. That is precisely the (satirical) point. Hawai'i does not.

Nor do we wish for any. We even have a Nagasaki Peace Bell out behind Honolulu Hale (our city hall).

Thus, satirically speaking: Indian mangoes -> Indian nuclear missiles; Hawaiian mangoes -> surfboards, maybe? :-)

[cosmicone]

9. Well so do China, UK and France ...

and there are no restrictions on selling US civilian nuclear technology to these countries.

[radfringe]

19. WHOOO-HOOOO!!! MANGO MANIA COMING SOON!!!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4764826.stm

And President Bush said "the US is looking forward to eating Indian mangoes", under an agreement to expand trade in farm products.

[Ian David]

21. How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb... and mangoes! n/t

[Drum]

17. I endorse India here, hope they prevail.

Of course I remember the messy Bush deal-making---within a week he gave that nuke approval to India days later (in person) refused it to "ally" Pakistan.

But I am more trusting of India's gov't, and MOST of all India needs the ability to generate more power...they can really use this technology for its stated purpose, and it would relieve some very hard conditions in a densely populated country.