Palki Sharma. The well-known Jai Hind propaganda mouth-piece had interviewed John Mearsheimer. It looks like a crowd of Indian elites are in attendance, eagerly listening.
A bunch of obvious questions were asked. But it seems that Mearsheimer is not giving the best answers that Sharma and the Jai Hinds wanted to hear.
Among the highlights for me are:
1) If China and India fights, who would Russia chose to side? Mearsheimer's answer is nobody. Russia will just sit on the fence, because it won't want to piss off both sides. I think that this is a realistic answer.
This reflects a silly mindset among the Jai Hinds, that Russia must somehow take India's side in a Sino-India war. No, Russia don't want to choose. But if it must choose, it has to choose to China. Simply because of economic importance, relative geopolitical power, and more importantly, geography.
2) Sharma asked Mearsheimer if China invades Taiwan, would India gang up with the US on China and block the Malacca Strait? Mearsheimer simply said no. He thinks that India would give indirect support, while it's really the Phillipines who would be America's true pawn in that conflict.
For me, Sharma's question is an indication of intent by the Indian elites. Their desire to backstab China in the event of a Taiwan conflict, or any other Sino-US conflict. So the Chinese leadership should do well to prepare for that eventuality. All India needs is to foolishly perceive that China is "losing", for it to act. Whether it's because of the Western media, or the Jai Hind propaganda. Just like what India had done during the Covid emergency in China. Maybe Modi might actually chicken out from doing it. But this is still an Indian threat to take seriously.
Gulf Arab leaders and SEA leaders should also take that Indian threat seriously. Because an Indian blockade of the Malacca Strait will massively impact their economies too. If they were serious, they need to plan a joint naval operation with China to reopen the Malacca Strait from a probable Indian blockade. But that is just my wishful thinking. I don't think that they would do anything serious in reality.
3) Sharma asked if the US would still be friends with India after helping it to rise against China. Mearsheimer gives a very straightforward answer. Now the US is trying to help India rise to contain China. But if China does fall, then the US will turn it's gunsights on India. That's a very honest answer by him.
The Jai Hinds were probably thinking, that once China has fallen, India and the US can carve up China together. And India and the US, will live happily ever after. Not a chance in hell that that will happen. India is definitely next on the chopping block. Mearsheimer has given a very honest warning. But I know that the Jai Hinds still won't get the message. All they care is about is their Akhand Bharat project.
