The avertible influence of anti-U.S. bluster
However, here's the danger. First of all, their titles and headlines are misleading. Mere clickbait. They include, often misleadingly, if not mischievously, the name of some important political bigwig or another. US President Donald J. Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in reverse order, are their favourites.
They also claim, week after week, video after video, that some 'big action' is being planned. Or some big crash, when it comes to finfluencers, is in the offing. 'Modi checkmates Trump' or 'Dedollarisation Underway' are examples of the kind of headlines I am talking about. Of course, few, if any, of their dire warnings or hopeful predictions pan out as promised. Instead, the viewer is taken for a ride through more dangerous drivel or speculative slosh. Worse, many content creators and handles are faking images and voices of famous personalities, such as Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett, or Jordan Peterson, to post content that has nothing to do with these worthies.
Some of this material is disinformation, plain and simple, weaponised and deployed for not-so-innocent and outright sinister ends. However, a lot of it is only boasting and bluster, good for business and profits. For, I am told, many of these channels are raking in huge bucks, some in stratospheric numbers exceeding ₹50 lakh or even ₹1 crore a month. With very little investment.
Even among the best of these influencers—whom I won't name, as some are friends—the content is variable and not always reliable. However, one clear trend among all the pro-government channels is a mocking of US President Trump and an exaltation of our own great leader. No harm in old-style patriotism, you say?
But there is a downside to this, which I must spell out. Instead of speaking softly and carrying a big stick, we may end up talking, even shouting and screaming too loudly, while holding a little one. This doesn't augur well for a rising power like India. Why? Self-delusion is sure to land us in a hole which we have dug for ourselves. I am going to stick my neck out here: India, to go on doing well, probably needs the US more than the US needs us.
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