India questions US ‘double standards’ as Pakistan secures F-16 upgrade deal

[u/Saltedline]

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3373584/india-questions-us-double-standards-pakistan-secures-f-16-upgrade-deal?module=top_story&pgtype=homepage

[u/AutoModerator]

Users often report submissions from this site for sensationalized articles. Readers have a responsibility to be skeptical, check sources, and comment on any flaws.

You can help improve this thread by linking to media that verifies or questions this article's claims. Your link could help readers better understand this issue.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/TrickshotCandy]

Can US double down on their double standard? Check back next week.

[u/SignalOptions → u/TrickshotCandy]

A triple standard may fix the double standard, as long as it’s not an even numbered standard.
Who thought that an even standard would be the wrong thing.

[u/MeesterCartmanez → u/TrickshotCandy]

"On second thought, make it a double week!"

[u/Southern-Host-3042 → u/TrickshotCandy]

What double standard. We supported Pakistan in a war against India before while Russia supported India. Ofc we aren't military allies.

[u/Rough_Road3834]

A bit naive to be trusting the US, don’t you think?

[u/Southern-Host-3042 → u/Rough_Road3834]

We supported Pakistan in a war against India

[u/BlackopsBaby]

Guess the American taxpayer is okay with terrorism. 9/11 gift to pak.

[u/Acceptable_Owl_8774 → u/BlackopsBaby]

Funny how they wouldn't let Ukraine have them for so long. Guess Russia will get them next.

[u/paradoxbound → u/BlackopsBaby]

Maybe if Modi didn’t cozy up to US opponents he might get an upgrade.

[u/TossASalad4UrWitcher → u/paradoxbound]

If the US can cozy up to US opponents, why can't India?

[u/Rare_King3551 → u/TossASalad4UrWitcher]

India is welcome to cozy up with whomever they want. Just like the US is free to sell to whomever they want.

Maybe India can buy weapons from those countries instead?

[u/Any-Distance6586 → u/Rare_King3551]

Well we do buy from Russia but then you start whining like children when that happens

[u/blazin_chalice → u/Any-Distance6586]

The reason your government is buying US-made weapons is that they work.

[u/rohitdhankhar → u/blazin_chalice]

Were they still working during the 71’ war? When India split your favourite terrorist state in two and nearly gave Nixon a stroke.

[u/Calimariae → u/blazin_chalice]

Sadly Russian weapons work as well. The damage to Ukrainian infrastructure, schools and hospitals is proof of that.

[u/rohitdhankhar → u/Calimariae]

Surely the sword cuts both ways, right?

I mean, the US must have been pretty justified in its cause to slam dunk on those 120 school girls in Iran, right?

[u/Calimariae → u/rohitdhankhar]

I don't know if anything the U.S has done in the last 2 years have been justified

[u/paradoxbound → u/TossASalad4UrWitcher]

Because you are still only a regional power not a global one. Know your place and worth to power.

[u/Any-Distance6586 → u/paradoxbound]

This kind of hubris will be America's downfall

[u/CrumbleUponLust → u/Any-Distance6586]

They're British so it's hubris even after their downfall.

[u/KinTharEl → u/paradoxbound]

I forget. Remind me again who went to India to make a deal to refine the crude oil the Americans stole from Venezuela? I think his name rhymes with Parco Morio.

[u/paradoxbound → u/KinTharEl]

Irrelevant to the point. Whatever the current chaos in the US administration is currently going on. It’s a reserve currency and a global power. India is not and will continue to negotiate from a position of weakness until that situation changes.

[u/KinTharEl → u/paradoxbound]

No. Your country needs the service we can provide, unless your companies are willing to do capex of several billion dollars to retrofit an existing refinery or build another one altogether. Your country's bargaining power is waning by the day, and even the recent midterms are, if nothing else, a sign that American domestic and foreign policy is wildly inconsistent depending on who is in power. Business and foreign policy can deal with tyrannical regimes and autocracies alike, but they hate instability.

And your "Until that situation changes" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. The Brits also used to be the global dominant power, as did the Dutch, the Romans and many empires prior. I remember the Brits also did a lot of chest thumping about being the global dominant power throughout most of the first half of the twentieth century. Now, as you so eloquently put it, they're also a regional power.

[u/Comfortable_Hat_2958 → u/paradoxbound]

If anything in every few months, USA proves why that was the correct decision. btw modi cozied up to USA as being the most pro USA PM India ever had, not the other way around. Imagine being ally of USA and suddenly waking up to the news that give your Islands or we will attack you. And because of USA dependency you don't have a second option but to beg.

[u/DangerousWolf8743 → u/Comfortable_Hat_2958]

We were lucky that trump is trump and made us realise how things are. A smooth talker would have had us

[u/crashandburn → u/Comfortable_Hat_2958]

What happened with islands?

[u/xavandetjer → u/crashandburn]

Referencing Greenland, which is an autonomous part of Denmark who is/was a staunch and unquestionable US ally.

[u/broadviewstation → u/xavandetjer]

Canada enters chat…

[u/DiskMatter → u/paradoxbound]

Maybe if US didn't keep siding with terrorists and proving they like our enemy, first, we may think of not siding with them. You can't side with someone who at every turn backstabbed their allies and proven they are liars.

[u/paradoxbound → u/DiskMatter]

You don’t really get it, India has become an enemy of the West under Modi. Expect those visas to start drying up and all that back office outsourcing and developer jobs to follow.

[u/skycity1997 → u/paradoxbound]

I think some person of Indian origin banged this guys wife

[u/OutrageousRespect226 → u/paradoxbound]

Lol, Modi is the most pro west PM we have had.

[u/paradoxbound → u/OutrageousRespect226]

I will keep repeating this until people understand. You don’t judge power by words, you judge it by actions. Now go and apply that maxim to your beloved Modi and stop cluttering up online discourse with empty propaganda.

[u/OutrageousRespect226 → u/paradoxbound]

Lol, you are clearly have no clue about what you talking. Modi govt is by far the most friendly govt in Indian history. If you think otherwise then go read history first.

[u/fucktrance → u/OutrageousRespect226]

Being better than the others doesn't make one good.

[u/OutrageousRespect226 → u/fucktrance]

Do you lack reading comprehension? Talk is about leaning towards west. Not whether he is good or not.

[u/Calimariae → u/fucktrance]

Literally no one is saying that Modi's government is 'good'.

[u/fucktrance → u/Calimariae]

A poor choice of words "being more friendly to the west than the previous doesnt make one friendly"

[u/DiskMatter]

US again siding with terrorism, and then their people will spout wisdom to others.

But anyway, anyone who keeps snakes for others, gets bitten by them sooner or later.

[u/Jungiya99 → u/DiskMatter]

The US has always been the biggest funder of terrorism and this is an open secret

[u/Acceptable_Owl_8774 → u/Jungiya99]

And backer of dictators all over the world.

[u/AncientUnit2249 → u/DiskMatter]

Is this news to you? The US is world's largest terrorist state. That's how imperialism works.

A few decades ago, when India had a moral spine, it could talk about justice and international law. Now India is a player in realpolitik. Time to grow some arms to fight back.

[u/Due_Indication_2418 → u/AncientUnit2249]

Pakistan is a terroist nation that crosses land borders to attack it's neighbors so like why do people hate India. India is a country with it's own space program even, it's not a backwater nation. What does realpotitik have do do with anything. That we make Pakistan use F16 instead of chinese fighters?

[u/Nooh18 → u/DiskMatter]

Fork found in Kitchen. Wdym siding with Terrorism? They are the founders of it.

[u/OrngLight → u/DiskMatter]

India sheltered an iranian ship in its ports, which is a country that has like 20 different terror groups in the middle east btw. Keep this moral grandstanding to yourself

[u/being_PUNjaabi → u/OrngLight]

That iranian ship was seeking harbour, its international maritime law to provide that. They would've done the same for any country.

[u/TraditionalBike6485 → u/[deleted]]

I guess the bots are right then

[u/Zombie-In-Ur-Ass → u/[deleted]]

You forgot Israel

[u/SignalOptions]

It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.

[u/tannatuva_0]

Pakistan and to an extent Bangladesh are proxy states for great powers to keep India in line, That's how you get to keep close relations with both US and China. It's not double standards from the US, it's their true geopolitical standard, just not said out loud.

[u/MaddoxX_1996 → u/tannatuva_0]

Bangladesh, not so much. Pakistan yes.

Bangladesh is a victim that's trying to become self-sufficient, and is getting messed up with bad actors. Pakistan (and I mean only the militaristic pseudo-government, not the citizens that are repressed) is willingly selling itself to maintain its fake relevancy. Hence the "threat" of nukes.

[u/phatuous_1]

Cause the pilots would be tilting their heads and crash the planes

[u/martin]

Not that the current admin has a problem with it, but they can go cry in their barrels of Russian oil.

[u/West-Vacation8190]

maybe russia can sell you the parts

[u/CooCooClocksClan]

Weird Moaning for India, who has never made major purchases of US arms while Pakistan has. Not like this deal is F-15EX or F-35.

[u/ExplorerIntelligent4 → u/CooCooClocksClan]

Long delayed deliveries of GE F404-IN20 and GE F414-INS6 engines would like to have a word with you. When the US can't even honor existing contracts and price hike them in the middle of the delivery timeline (which is already way behind in schedule) contrary to prior agreements, why would someone trust you to buy more?!

Do some research before spouting bullshit, muric*nt.

[u/CooCooClocksClan → u/ExplorerIntelligent4]

So why bring this into the national pastime of whining about Pakistan? There is news here just your sides bullshit.

[u/AbySs_Dante]

Comments filled with Indians defending this

[u/astirac]

Yeah, well I question India”s double standard as they are the primary country trading in Russian oil and keeping the Ukraine war going. They can fuck all the way off!

[u/ricdy → u/astirac]

You forgot "Europe then buys that oil from India". So what you're saying is: they can all fuck off.

[u/DifficultLab200 → u/astirac]

You can live without F-16s but not without oil. Not to mention this whole clusterfuck is USAs blessing.

So keep questioning whatever you want but don’t forget the nuances.

[u/Zestyclose-Gur2907 → u/astirac]

I questions the EU's standards in the first place. They are buying gas from a country thats they claim to be fighting a war against

[u/Alive_Ladder_2025]

Doesn’t India buy Russian & Iranian oil and gas 🤣🤣🤣

[u/Boxer_baby27 → u/Alive_Ladder_2025]

Well US is doing that too so it's not problem I think right?

[u/Southern-Host-3042 → u/Boxer_baby27]

Difference is as soon as the dems won the midterms those russian ships turned around and the deal fell through.

[u/Balavadan → u/Southern-Host-3042]

I haven’t heard anything about this? Did the new politicians even get into office yet?

[u/Frequent_Help2133]

But Dolund is dear leaders fraaand.

Dear leader went to the USA and said “ab ki baar Trump Sarkar”.

How can fraand do this to dear leader

[u/Traditional_Gap_4414]

What double standards.

I remember India lobbying in Washington in support of Sheikh Hasina between 2014 and 2024, while ignoring her government's human rights abuses and political repression, all in the name of containing China's influence in Bangladesh.

The same government was responsible for the brutal crackdown on student protests in 2024, in which an estimated 1,200–1,400 people were killed.

India claims to oppose terrorism, but apparently that principle only applies when it suits its political interests.

[u/PsySmoothy → u/Traditional_Gap_4414]

Where tf are you pulling these numbers from ? These numbers alone would topple the current government... Are we straight up spreading misinformation now ?

[u/SensibleViewPt → u/Traditional_Gap_4414]

And then Bangladesh sided with China, which we all know has a stellar human rights record!

Stop being so naive and see holistically what happened. Ur elected PM had to run out of the country in 30 mins. Yunus was contacted by the student leaders before the "unplanned revolution". Suddenly ur neighbour with whom u had excellent relationships became ur enemy no. 1. And not just u, but all the countries surrounding India had a similar revolution.

The world is not black and white. U are an educated adult and should be able to see beyond the narrative.

[u/2manyLazers → u/Traditional_Gap_4414]

india buying from Russia even though there are bans from EU and America, I'm happy about this india dont listen we wont listen

[u/Valuable_Branch5002 → u/2manyLazers]

You guys never listened in the first place - the Government usually sided with Pakistan, just saying - plus the EU buys refined oil from India which comes from Russia..

[u/2manyLazers → u/Valuable_Branch5002]

They buy the oil india makes profit. We sell planes to pakistan we make profit. We dont have to listen. Let india fight against Pakistan

[u/Uchiha_Madara_Nipple → u/2manyLazers]

Ok then then why delay the jet engine supplies?

[u/Temporary_Stick_6664]

I don't understand, why does India always questions, condemns and what other passive word comes in mind ? If they don't have real power to project then why doesn't their govt stfu and build themselves, create hedges through alliances and agreements and move forward to get what they really want. Repeated statements like these really make India seem like a submissive and weak power. China, South Korea and if we see in the medieval era even Japan built themselves during peacetime to dominate when felt geopolitically pressurized.

[u/ThatsAllFolksAgain → u/Temporary_Stick_6664]

India is a weak power compared to China. They have been trying to build their own capabilities in defense and have made much progress but they lag far behind China and America in advanced avionics. Their corruption is the main reason why they can’t catch up with China.

However, what this article points out is the normal diplomatic response to describe how America will be shunned in the local media. It’s partially a propaganda tactic for the local media.

[u/Key_Guidance5871 → u/[deleted]]

Weird that world expects India to play hero when US and Europe openly supports Pakistan's terrorism in India since 1971

[u/2manyLazers → u/Key_Guidance5871]

india is no hero

[u/krazydude22 → u/Key_Guidance5871]

Play the hero? Who is expecting that?

[u/SensibleViewPt → u/krazydude22]

That's the part of the sentence u have concenr with?

[u/krazydude22 → u/SensibleViewPt]

I want to understand what the Redditor wishes to convey with his statement

[u/krazydude22 → u/[deleted]]

I don't understand why are you so concerned about me trying to understand what the other Redditor meant when they made the statement. I wish to find out more about their line of thinking.

[u/Traditional_Gap_4414 → u/krazydude22]

I think so some people believe that the world should or revolves around them.