There is an escalating diplomatic spat between India and the United States that highlights a clash of pathologies of two political cultures.

India's deputy consul-general in New York, 39-year old Devyani Khobragade, a career diplomat, was arrested Dec. 12 for alleged fraudulent statements on the visa application for her Indian maid.

The arrest took place in public as she dropped her child off at school. She was then strip-searched before being placed in a holding cell. According to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, consular officials may enjoy diplomatic immunity solely when performing official duties.