Years ago I read that M. K. Gandhi defended caste in the ideal against Western critiques by pointing out that it dampened some of the competitiveness one finds in Western society. I dismissed this defense at the time, but in some ways I am now willing to concede its validity. Over the past few years I have come to the conclusion that we are now entering into a new age of radical inequality. Globalization is a fait accompli, but so is the rise of a new elite. The uplift of the peasant masses will occur, but de facto endogamous ruling castes will also crystallize. India has shown that thousands of years of endogamy and inequality can maintain civilization. This example is India’s gift to the world.
