For the better good

Someone once said that we in India take one step forward and two steps backward. Our progress was termed remarkable because we were moving ahead inspite of our system and not aided by it. Many found this idea charming. I didn't.
I must admit, though, that lately, I was becoming convinced that my cynicism was unfounded. Considering that we are growing at an average rate of 8.5%, something must be going right!
But there are some things that never change. The Indo-US Nuclear Deal has been put in deep freeze, thanks to the lack of support from the Left. Nuclear Energy as such has its share of proponents and opponents, but I would say that for a 'rapidly growing' country like India, alternate forms of energy is the key to a successful future. The Congress, after deliberations, has concluded that without the Left's support, the UPA Alliance will not be able to form the required majority in Parliament in the event of early polls. The end result: save your backside first, and if there's time, the country.
In my opinion, the present cabinet is one that is far more capable than many others before it. They have disappointed me, at least.
But again, this spineless behaviour is definitely not uniquely Indian. History abounds with instances of responsible goverments who ignored selfish interests and worked for the larger good. They were inevitably voted out of office in the next poll, as a reward for their far sightedness.
The upside is that there will not be early polls. During every election the obscene sums of money that the political parties spend on their campaigns have disgusted me. I can find atleast a 100 other better ways in which the money could be spent! Not to mention the prevalance of goonda raj and poll booth kidnappings in some parts of the country. No, we'd rather do without early polls, thank you very much.
The fact remains however, that we continue to take one step forward and two backward. I am not one to preach about what we should or should not do. All I want to say is, work for the better good of the country, not yourself.