Uhh, No

by Joshua Foust on 1/16/2007 · 4 comments

Just in case any of you heard about that study from the Moscow State Institute for International Relations that ranked Kyrgyzstan second-to-last on its “Statehood” Index—i.e. the states most or least likely to survive on their own—suffice to say it’s probably bunk. Kyrgyzstan is far from a failed state, and placing it in the realm of Afghanistan or Chad (or Somalia or neighboring Tajikistan) is more than a bit unfair. I would of course need to see their methodology to say for certain, but I daresay this conclusion was driven by an ideological agenda, and not any kind of reliable or objective factors.

{ 4 comments }

1 Nathan 1/16/2007 at 11:35 pm

I saw the headline on the story at IWPR and was going to comment on it. Then I read it, realized how silly it was, and let it go.

2 Joshua Foust 1/17/2007 at 5:01 am

In all likelihood, you had the more mature response.

3 Andy 1/17/2007 at 2:16 pm

Given that it’s a Russian study – I wonder how high up the list Russia itself came…

4 Gene Daniels 1/17/2007 at 3:54 pm

It seems to me that Russian is strengthening its hand in Central Asia, as it has been for some time. So, if we think ahead to any more political disturbances in Kyrgyzstan, which could easily come in the spring, this could be a move toward justifying Russian intervention.

What do you think?

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