Enjoying a touch of Schaudenfreude

I have to admit to having some perverse pleasure about the riots in Britain. Mean you say, cruel even? Maybe! But lemme explain why.

About 10 years ago, I was walking around somewhere in New Delhi Airport. Some western looking woman sidles up to me and says " Sir, Have you Indians ever heard of the concept of "queue"?". I thought she was asking for directions or something coz I was just passing by and was not cutting in front of her or anything like that.

It took me a while to figure out what she was saying coz it seemed it was a strange question to accost a stranger for. Now after I figured out her question, I did not know what to answer. And I was furious. Its obviously an insulting thing to point out but there is obviously a grain of truth, in fact lots of truth to it. The lack of civic sense in every city in India (with the honorable exception of Mumbai) is a byword. So there was nothing I could say except mumble a few words of grudging apology. (We still live in a world where, whether I like it or not, somehow all acts of Indians everywhere, good or bad is somehow my responsibility too, but I digress).

But I was still infuriated at the gall of the woman. Then she went on how she had to suffer through the hell of India trips for work.

I have been to Britain, and I didnt think it was kosher for me to accost a passing stranger about all the things I found wanting in that country.

Now since she had very deftly caught a weak point in our culture, I could not really come up with a quick comeback. And generally I rather enjoy dealing with this sort of international quarrels, coz I can come up with a devastating response more often than not. Then I have noticed British (and its always British, and I suspect probably always English, never German/French/American) making nasty remarks about Indians, on their TV shows etc. And in my limited interaction with Brits, they are the rudest westerners I have come across (Now most people are nice, so its not they were especially nasty, just worst among a pretty good lot overall).

So now, no damn British woman (or man) will ever dare to comment on India's civics again. And if they do, oh man I will be ready ;).

I must say I have been very impressed with David Cameron's tough response on the riots. Sound leadership like this for a few decades, and maybe Britain will become a better nation. And for the causes of the riots, I think the writer Theodore Dalrymple aka Anthony Daniels has some good ideas about why they are happening.