India has a new prime minister, sixty-four year old Narendra Modi, whose party won the lower house of the Indian parliament outright, a feat not accomplished in thirty years. He comes from a modest background, contrary to the caste system that has stymied India for so long.
The Congress Party, which was soundly beaten, had generally ruled India since its independence from Britain in 1947. That party had continually used socialist concepts and the offering of food stamp programs to win votes. This time it didn’t work.
The median age in India is twenty-six. These young people want opportunity and jobs, not handouts. Prime Minister Modi had previously electrified rural areas in the province he governed by building roads, eliminating red tape and engendering rapid and sustained growth in this region.
If Americans want to see the potential in our upcoming elections in 2014 and 2016, I believe we should look to this amazing election in India. Anti-business forces went down in defeat because the young saw how growth was engendered by business-friendly policies of a truly progressive democratic leader.
America’s young people want prosperity that can only be provided by the private sector, a sector not hobbled by onerous regulations and high, complex taxation. I realize that our youth also seek green solutions and good citizen corporations, but these are certainly not mutually exclusive from solid, job-creating growth.
I hope Republican leaders take note of this election, and what we can learn from it. We must all understand that pro-business means pro-jobs, and that’s very pro-youth!
