The GOP and its neglected four legs

The GOP and its neglected four legs​

By: Amit Bhushan Date: 6th Mar. 2018

A big animal needs four legs. It balances itself on its four legs and needs/uses them to walk or to run or even to dance. However it should have adequate awareness about the capabilities of each of these legs. Those watching politics are however amused if GOP seems to be aware about these legs or the Italy charge has some strength. This is because of a rather weak understanding of the ongoing affairs connected with people and the government seem to being allowed to escape by shouting ‘systemic failures of the past’. In fact the ‘news media’ (drop of commercial term to be noted) seem to playing a rather much more matured role in bringing these up. However the GOP Netas or even the larger opposition Netas seem to be having a rather timid response.

Let’s look at these four legs each of these have a people connect but the opposition response to the same seems less than adequate. They seem to be following the media whereas they should have been rather ‘leading the charge’ to sustain leadership. Let’s go into these one by one and let start with one where the news media actually led. This is pertaining to Educational Institute or the much touted ‘skilling’ industry which is also one of flagship schemes/projects of the government. I want to be clear that these articles did raise some noise here but the news media raised it in much more systematic manner to highlight the plight of the youth/students. Even when the opposition unity seems to be on cards, it seems to be boiling down to ‘caste unity’ rather than the ‘public issues’ around the quality of education/skilling or others and the issues remain everywhere whether Phulpur, Gorakhpur and elsewhere. There has been little effort to arrest this decline but a rather big budget of ‘noise spend’ on this pet scheme while ‘common people’s party’ easily gets the blame for such misdemeanors with the ‘media’ in cohorts. If there are systemic failures here, what has been efforts to arrest and reverse this decline? If there are none then why should public not look for alternatives.

The second leg is where these articles have been quite systematic and this is around the issue of jobs. Some of the heft and in particular, the controllable of the Center and the State government under their direct budget as well as supervision has been picked and highlighted in the media. This again has implication for the youth but the Netas seem to be shy even as they continue to loose in a string. There are no question in parliament and legislative assemblies regards how many ‘selection exams’ are pending results in government and their undertakings. Once such a data including respective number of candidates is out, at least the size of the issue could be estimated. But unfortunately, the Reps would not be ‘paid’ for such a question and they would rather loose meekly than ask such tough questions. Of course the decline of the private sector job growth due to demonetization would take years to compile and the lack of data to estimate jobs is simply not there although we would have accurate surveys on which party or Netas is winning elections and there would not be any dearth of information on the same in our democracy.

The third leg is again the Banking NPAs. With the government’s ‘recent embarkation’ on rounding up drive of the banking ‘seniors’ to re-assess/scrutiny loans above a certain cut-off say 50 Cr., we again are in a situation where fresh NPAs and frauds are likely to come up. Even the news media would agree on the much superior role of social media in bringing this up. That cleanliness needs an external trigger including some tough hauls from the media as well as social media seems to be the mantra rather than ‘opposition’ role for this. This is while the ‘agents’ of the systemic fraud remain in shadows and we only have some top villain on runaway drive while the rest celebrating within their ‘homes’. Again this seems quite concentrated to select cases rather than some large drive to cleanse the system though being regarded as systemic fraud where expectation is that for a large number of cases as well as players.

The last of the four legs is healthcare. We have a huge over-capacity in power where we need to import the machinery as well as fuel. However in the healthcare we might be the net exporter based on heath tourism, we can’t even train adequate number of people to serve our own population well. And this doesn’t even sound like a fraud. This is in spite of epidemics like bird flu, dengue, child-deaths (in a city likely to undergo polls), mis-management of the government health spends as well as private sector billings amongst many of the ills. In fact government with its noise rather than any solid action seem to leading rather than on the defense. What has been the actions to arrest/reverse the systematic decline in the sector and plans for its revival? Please note that the socialist logic of adequate wages and cost is not being looked at but a 'supply' of professional and services so that cost decline to allow more people to afford the healthcare and the same might also be true for education/skilling, sports and many other manpower based services and we are expecting a reasonable but systematic expansion with sound management only.

With tough question politics, the Netadom should understand that any blame on systemic neglect/decline can be given up to first two years in government or else status quo is an endorsement of the past policies on account of the new Netas which then needs to be explained. With ministers being touted to be working day and night in pushing public interest, getting to be aware of such huge holes after four years is then likely to be challenged and quite rightly so. It may be noted than in the above analysis quite a few rural issues like farm-produce or rural industry sector has not been touched upon as of yet. Otherwise the tentacles of octopus would be falling short and the issue list would be larger. Let the ‘Game’ evolve…

PS: Aside of the above, my severe criticism for pulling down of statues of historical personalities, whatever ideologyies they represented. May and hope this is put back on its pedestal unless it was in contraventions to some well defined rules

 

[Swaswati Borpuzari]

The metaphor of the "GOP and its neglected four legs" offers a vivid, albeit unconventional, perspective on the current state of the Republican Party in the United States. Traditionally, the GOP has been a strong, resilient animal, capable of adapting and thriving in various political landscapes. However, recent developments have highlighted a significant imbalance in its structure. The "four legs" of the party—economic policy, social issues, foreign policy, and grassroots engagement—have not all been given equal attention. Economic policy, for instance, has often been the party's primary focus, with an emphasis on free markets, tax cuts, and deregulation. Social issues, such as abortion and gun rights, have also remained central, galvanizing a large segment of the party's base. In contrast, foreign policy has seen less coherent direction, with internal divisions over interventionism versus isolationism, and a lack of a clear, unified stance. Perhaps most critically, grassroots engagement has been the most neglected, with the party failing to effectively mobilize and listen to the diverse voices within its ranks. This imbalance has the potential to weaken the party's overall stability and effectiveness, as each leg is essential for its strength and adaptability. Rebalancing these elements will be crucial for the GOP to regain its footing and address the complex challenges facing the nation.

 

[Simran Rai]

The analogy of a four-legged animal to describe the foundational pillars of a functional democracy presents a compelling framework for understanding the interconnected challenges facing governance today. Each of these metaphorical legs—education and skilling, employment generation, banking sector integrity, and healthcare infrastructure—serves a critical function in ensuring not only political stability but also societal well-being. Weakness in even one leg leads to imbalance; weakness in all four threatens collapse.


The first leg, education and skilling, is often regarded as the bedrock of a nation's human capital. The attention drawn to institutional decay, ineffective schemes, and misallocation of resources exposes a deeper malaise. Media initiatives, especially those highlighting specific instances of student and youth distress, appear to have taken the lead where the political opposition has shown hesitation. The overemphasis on budgetary noise rather than measurable outcomes only widens the gap between policy and reality. Any failure to arrest systemic decline in education not only disenfranchises future generations but also places the economic trajectory of the country at risk.


The second leg—employment—mirrors the deepening disconnect between administrative action and ground-level experience. Unaddressed examination backlogs, pending recruitment results, and bureaucratic inertia continue to plague aspiring job seekers, particularly in public sector roles. Absence of rigorous questioning in legislative spaces over such tangible governance failures is symptomatic of a broader issue—the lack of will to pursue uncomfortable truths. While macroeconomic data remains fuzzy, media coverage of youth unrest and grassroots unemployment provides a partial but potent glimpse into the extent of dissatisfaction brewing silently.


The third leg, relating to non-performing assets and banking sector mismanagement, points to the erosion of financial trust and institutional credibility. The scrutiny of high-value loans and recent government efforts to investigate top-level banking decisions represent delayed yet necessary interventions. However, when these actions are initiated more as reactions to media and social media pressure than as part of institutional oversight, long-term reform seems unlikely. Lack of visible systemic overhaul and the selective targeting of a few individuals raise uncomfortable questions about consistency, fairness, and the true depth of institutional decay.


The fourth leg—healthcare—reflects a disturbing contradiction. On one hand, rising visibility in the global medical tourism space is seen as a badge of honor. On the other, basic healthcare services for domestic populations remain insufficient, underfunded, and plagued by chronic inefficiencies. The lack of qualified personnel, mismanagement of public health funds, and regional disparities in access continue to impede equitable growth. Structural reform in health manpower supply, regulatory mechanisms, and service affordability remains an urgent requirement. Without this, healthcare will continue to remain a privilege rather than a right.


The overarching concern raised here centers around the opposition’s passive stance. When media—especially non-commercial and social outlets—emerge as stronger watchdogs than elected representatives, democratic accountability stands compromised. Opposition must not follow; it must lead. Without sustained advocacy and legislative pressure, systemic issues remain unchallenged and unresolved. Simply put, delay in raising these questions effectively converts temporary administrative failures into long-term governance deficits.


The closing remarks regarding the removal of statues touch on a deeper societal debate about historical memory and public symbolism. Destruction of public icons—irrespective of ideological affiliations—sets a dangerous precedent. Preservation of history must be governed by transparent frameworks, not by political passions or reactionary sentiment.


As this evolving political 'Game' continues, the coming cycles must bring clarity—not just in leadership narratives, but in measurable progress across these four foundational legs. The realignment must be inward first, before it can reflect outward transformation.​