Kyrgyzstan?
Mar. 24th, 2005 12:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowApparently some wild things are going on in Kyrgyzstan; Askar Akayev has reportedly fled the country in the face of massive demonstrations, and the opposition has taken power.
I'm not sure what to make of this. In the first few years after the USSR broke up, as I recall, Akayev was pointed to as something of a democrat, but in the last few years he seemed to be working on presidency-for-life or, failing that, establishing a dynasty. On that basis, it's probably good to see the back of him. But from what I'm hearing the opposition isn't unified and may quickly turn to squabbling. There's been some good discussion at Obsidian Wings (which has become my favorite political blog - a good mix of left and right, with, in most cases, civil discourse, even in the comments).
I don't know, either, whether Kyrgyzstan has the kind of social institutions that can support a democracy. They can be built, if they're not there, but for the first while they can be awfully fragile. A lot can turn on the quality of the leaders who emerge - Robespierre or Washington, Mugabe or Mandela - and I don't know anything about the Kyrgyz opposition figures. We shall see.
I'm not sure what to make of this. In the first few years after the USSR broke up, as I recall, Akayev was pointed to as something of a democrat, but in the last few years he seemed to be working on presidency-for-life or, failing that, establishing a dynasty. On that basis, it's probably good to see the back of him. But from what I'm hearing the opposition isn't unified and may quickly turn to squabbling. There's been some good discussion at Obsidian Wings (which has become my favorite political blog - a good mix of left and right, with, in most cases, civil discourse, even in the comments).
I don't know, either, whether Kyrgyzstan has the kind of social institutions that can support a democracy. They can be built, if they're not there, but for the first while they can be awfully fragile. A lot can turn on the quality of the leaders who emerge - Robespierre or Washington, Mugabe or Mandela - and I don't know anything about the Kyrgyz opposition figures. We shall see.
