Socialism: Loot-Thy-Neighbour-Through-Government Scheme
The Brits, whatever they were, left India a place with rule of law, and a vibrant free market system. Airlines was private, banks were private, HAL was private.
They left primary schools in villages in which teachers actually used to come and teach. India was one of the richest countries in Asia, better than Malaysia, China, S Korea, even war ravaged Japan.
Enter Nehru the Leftist, followed by daughter the ultra Leftist, followed by dumbs of various intensity.
There is a fertiliser factory in Barauni. It was set up by Sanam Progetti of Quattrocchi (yes, the same guy who later sold us Bofors). It was set up in early '70s. It has everything inside- a sprawling campus, staff colony. If it ever produced a kg of urea, that was highly subsidised. It was declared sick in 1992. Its employees were paid full salaries till 2002. In 2002 they were offered VRS, with the condition that they would have to vacate the staff quarters before being paid the severance package. Many did not opt for VRS and had to be dismissed and evicted.
Vajpayee duly lost the 2004 elections for the crime of shutting down a factory that produced nothing for the preceding ten years.
If total Capital wasted in India's Public Sector is audited, it would be the world's biggest scam.
But the worst part is that socialism put in place by the Nehru-Indira, off which their progeny is still feeding, has corroded the character of citizenry. We now actually claim that looting our neighbour through government is our Right !!!
Capital can still be created quickly, but character rarely comes back. Loot-the-neighbour-through-government scheme put in place by the Greeks so destroyed the character of citizenry that once the greatest power, that gave the present Western Civilisation its foundation in science and mathematics, went under slavery 2000 years ago, and was independent again only after first World War, and has quickly gone back to bankruptcy and collapse.
Loot-the-neighbour-through-government scheme put in place by Romans so destroyed the greatest Empire in world history, very advanced in science and technology, that it has never recovered. Italy is bankrupt again.
People are given political and legal equality, and soon they use that to demand economic equality. But economic equality can be brought about only by seizing from some and giving to some without they having to work. That is by looting some through government.
And a society that approves loot, soon discovers that crime doesn't pay, even if government is complicit in it. Only; citizens lose trust in each other, corruption seeps into blood. People lose sense of right and wrong, and sense of shame and honour.
In case of India also, with socialism and loot-the-neighbour-through-government Scheme, up went in smoke the empathy and sympathy. People who used to feed neighbours in distress, who used to maintain Dharmshalas all over India; now take neighbours to be enemies-to be looted, or to be wary of, who may loot you.
Dharmshalas have disappeared, teachers no longer teach in the schools in the villages.
Kiss of socialism is the kiss of death. Not just for the economy, but for the society itself.