Maoist rebels threaten to derail Indian elections

[Valmy]

Well, if they can topple the state of Nepal why not the slightly larger state of India? A civil war Maoists vs. Muslims could be fun; who would Languish side with?

Muslims.  Maoist ideology is only slightly more palatable than Stalinism.

[Valmy]

The Maoists are now believed to pose a substantial threat in 150 of India's 600 districts stretching from Andhra Pradesh in the south, up into the poor eastern states Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. In those 150 districts, the state is regarded as "non-functioning".

This caught my attention, and makes me wonder how things are stacking up.

Either Mexico's closer to a civil war than we've been led to believe, or somebody's really been engaging in hyperbole when saying Mexico was our biggest failed state concern, compared with shaky government in a country that's nuclear-capable.

Um...India perpetually has crazy nutters raising hell.  It is just as much of a failed state as it was 20 years ago or 40 years ago.  India is just that kind of place.  1 Billion people produce lots of crazies.

[Valmy]

India's an incredible country.  It makes literally no sense.  By every standard it should have collapsed, and indeed there've been people in almost every decade predicting India will collapse and yet it keeps going.  It also stays democratic, except for a brief phase under Indira.  Despite its huge linguistic, cultural, ethnic and religious diversity, despite the yawning chasm between rich and poor, urban and rurual, India keeps going and keeps voting.  It's a hell of an achievement.

India is the strangest and most fascinating country in the world.  I mean that in a very complimentary sense.  I have always wanted to go see it.

[Neil]

India is the strangest and fascinating country in the world.  I mean that in a very complimentary sense.  I have always wanted to go see it.

The eastern democracies are interesting places.  India and Japan are both interesting.

[Queequeg]

Well, if they can topple the state of Nepal why not the slightly larger state of India? A civil war Maoists vs. Muslims could be fun; who would Languish side with?

Muslims.  Maoist ideology is only slightly more palatable than Stalinism.

Actually, its a lot worse.  At least Stalinism is useful against Nazis. 

[DisturbedPervert]

Well, if they can topple the state of Nepal why not the slightly larger state of India? A civil war Maoists vs. Muslims could be fun; who would Languish side with?

Option 3)  Hindu nationalists.

This is the correct answer.

But if for some reason that was not possible, then Maoists over muslims. 

[DisturbedPervert]

It's a hell of an achievement.

Yet the majority of them still shit outdoors, while the Chinese are lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty and building gleaming cities whose buildings touch the sky.