[politics] For once, some good news.

Good bye Hindu fanatic motherfuckers.

The people of India have spoken, and unmistakably. India's Hindu nationalist party, the BJP, got spanked in yesterday's elections. 100 parliment seats: gone. The foreign minister: spanked by his own district.

Prime Minister Vajpayee: conceeded and resigned.

The Indian stock markets? Tanked when they thought the BGP would squeek through, rallied when it was clear they were ousted.

The reason? It's the economy, stupid. The rural population noticed that rich people were talking about a golden age of India's economy while they were starving in the street. They put two and two together rather well and have put in a secular coalition lead by the members of the Ghandi family. While not all members of that family have gotten on board with Mahatma's politics, it's definately a step up.

Some may recall that the BGP did alot of winking while Hindu fundamentalists murdered and otherwise oppressed Muslims and Christians.

I'm hard pressed to list each and every lesson United States voters might draw from this.