Thread by @gauravsabnis

"Authoritarianism is one thing" is such a telling bit. Aatish was all cool with Modi the authoritarian as long as the authoritarianism was in line with his priorities. What bothers him (and Tavleen) is that this authoritarianism no longer is on their side. Niemoller type.

https://twitter.com/AatishTaseer/status/1452636347500580865

I remember a similar bit from some Jan 6 right wing terrorists crying "they are treating us like we are black".

Aatish or Tavleen have never had a problem with authoritarianism. They are just shocked SHOCKED that their Muslim heritage is being used against them by the BJP.

Sabka time aayega, Indians

Also notice the carefully chosen "sectarian distrust" phrase. It is plain and simple anti-Muslim bigotry. Bloodthirsty anti-Muslim bigotry. It is very much one sided. But calling it "sectarian distrust" keeps that centrist option open for both-sides-good-and-bad hedging.

Too many bhakt-lite & centrists, even when they criticize Modi, try to portray the current reality as "Hindu-Muslim sectarian violence", pretending like it's an evenly matched civil conflict.

It.
Is.
Not.

It is a shameless frontal attack on Muslims by the BJP & its minions.

The current Indian govt, civil society attitude towards Muslims is way way worse than even
- US white supremacists attitude towards black people
- Israeli hawk attitudes towards Palestinians

It is directly at 1930s Germany attitude about Jews level. It's been for a while.

I don't think the world or even India itself realizes just how turbocharged and extra mutated this current anti-Muslim campaign is. There were always anti-Muslim biases in India. But never has a govt, even previous BJP govts, gone so all in on stoking Muslimphobia.

Horrifying!

Calling what is happening in India right now as a "Hindu-Muslim sectarian conflict" is like calling 1930s Germany a "Christian-Jewish sectarian conflict"

This, @AatishTaseer. This. You were literally a Modi stan. You never explained fully or convincingly if your change of heart is out of conviction or because they decided to punish you. There has been no coherent logical evolution. You're so lazy!

https://twitter.com/thehistoryboy/status/1452947370753228802?t=DauXUPCJcJ5a4xc8824_Hw&s=19

Aatish is part of that same Dhume crowd that I have seen up close and once been part of. Immigrants who want to tack to the right and worship Reagan & Thatcher & Pinochet & Modi as long as they are "fiscally conservative". Until they realize they aren't white. And vacillate.

For this lot, "taxation is theft" is the only commandment. Anyone who cuts taxes, they like. Unless they are personally targeted or if tax cutters become unpopular in the media. But they will still hedge.

To desi libertarians, taxes are more evil than apartheid or segregation.

This desi libertarian gang of Dhume-Aatish-Rupa types make the right noises these days against Modi, but if Modi dangles a neo-liberal carrot, they will all be like "well actually, i am no fan of modi but farm bills are awesome".

Desi libertarians are useful idiots for fascists.

This btw is also the lot that supported the Iraq Invasion because Bush passed a big tax cut. Random desi libertarians were blogging then about how the Iraq War is a great thing. Because America capitalist and Saddam communist or some such.

This lot will post a lot of anti-Modi stuff when convenient and act like it's entirely on Modi that he wasn't as awesome as they bought into when they supported him in 2014. Be it Aatish or Dhume or that craven Columbia economics lot. They don't regret anything. They are perfect!

The refrain from the Aatish-Dhume lot is generally "Modi let us down by going all anti Muslim when he promised vikaas and growth but there is no growth"

instead of

"We were wrong even in 2014 for stanning a bigot who pretended that he made Gujarat rich."