Peter Livine explains why he felt let down by the kind of people he would have liked to support- the democratic Left, and what the alternatives in India are after Nehruism.

Although some blame for this unresponsiveness should be assigned directly to Mrs. Gandhi and her ministers, the example surely illustrates a more general problem. Centralized state bureaucracies that deny market preferences tend to become arrogant. Of course, mid-20th century state-socialism and neoliberalism are not our only alternatives. There are various Third Ways, including efforts to decentralize democratic governance. Nevertheless, it’s sobering to consider the enormous waste that good intentions can cause.