If you want to know anything about the political economy of CIS countries, there is no better place to turn than the Financial Times. Always erudite, FT’s special reports provide a broad evaluation of the region’s economy, politics, culture, and society often without the usual ideological claptrap about the incompatibility between capitalism and authoritarianism. Take for example the business daily’s most recent special on Kazakhstan.
I think that FT understands the essence of post-Soviet politics as a combination between one man rule, family circles, elite clans, and bureaucratic pressures. There is no total one man rule, only a network of alliances between competing elites. At the center stands, in the case of
The canny Mr. Nazarbayev has built an authoritarian regime with greater skill than most of his regional counterparts, cleverly balancing competing interests. He has promoted the influence and wealth of his family, not least his three daughters and their husbands, but he has appeared to be aware of the dangers of alienating others and provoking international criticism by betting everything on the bloodline. Since the 2005 election, Mr. Nazarbayev has begun to address the succession question by encouraging the development of institutions to which the presidency could devolve some power. In key reforms this year, he increased the role of parliament and local governments. Parliamentary elections are to be held in August to legitimize the changes.
The question is whether post-Nazarbayev
“Your definition of a sock puppet is anyone agreeing with me.”
No, my definition of a sockpuppet is a fake identity used in an Internet forum, such as Alexandra and Andrew Waller used to be before I liberated them. They are very grateful too. They leave thank-you messages on post-it notes all over the apartment: “Thank you Chris for saving us from Averko. We will be there for you always. XOXO.”
They’re not going to send you a card on your birthday either, you sick sockpuppet-abusing son-of-a-bitch.
The ignorant sock puppeting prick in the form Chris Doss strikes again with another set of falsely stated non-substantive comments.
BTW, “the worthless prick in the form [of] Chris Doss” is bad English. Taken literally, this sentence would imply that I was some kind of avatar, or manifestation, of a worthless prick, which would be something standing outside of me but not me myself. Unless one believes in a Platonic Form of worthlessprickness, this is hardly likely.
Sorry, that should have been “ignorant sock puppeting prick in the form [of] Chris Doss.”
Sorry for the misspell.
Why do you continue to deny that Alexandra and Andrew were your sockpuppets? Have you no respect for them at all? What is this, “wham, bam, thank you sockpuppet”?
Beat you to it oh great editor who insists that “there’re” isn’t valid short hand for “there are”.
A&A aren’t my sock puppets. Moreover, others besides them have proven to be far more intelligent than yourself (your sock puppets included).
Why can’t you deal with the substantive issues discussed here?
Has this become the official “My sock-puppets can beat up your sock-puppets thread?”
More like: Socking it to the Sock Puppeting Sicko (Chris Doss)
Well Wally, I did challenge Mike to an Ultimate Fighting, No-Holds-Barred Fight-to-the-Finish Sock Puppet duel once, but he declined. Are you chicken Mike? BWAK-BAWK-BWAK-BWAKA!
Mike, the substantive issue here is how you abused a couple of very beautiful people, Andrew and Alexandra, as sockpuppets, and now you try to run away from your responsibility like a coward. Shameful. Just shameful.
Chicken as in Chris not providing a formally written rebuttal to any of my articles. Like his apparent differences of opinion on Vlasov and Suvorov.
Herr Doss took the names of other posters and proceeded to post using their names.
His idea of brilliance.
No Mike, your sockpuppets defected to me. It’s sort of a Cold War thing. They are currently working on their magnum opus, “The Gulag Sockpuppet Archipelago.”
He really finds this amusing which is (depending on how one wants to view his form of entertainment) either amusing or pathetic or both.
Note his utilized version of the Nazi concept of the big lie.
Anyone out there ever eaten ????? I’m going to Kazakhstan in a few weeks. I don’t like horses, so I wouldn’t refuse kazy out of any moral objection… anyway, just trying to get back to the subject of Kazakhstan…
One of the interesting the Kazakhstan gov’t has done is support educational exchange: the Bolashak scholarship program sends hundreds of students abroad — to Europe, the US, Russia — every year. Upon graduation, students must return to Kazakhstan and work for five years. ???, ?? ????. Knowledge of the Kazakh language is a prerequisite.
A few other countries in the region(and even a few regions within countries — like Tatarstan) are getting in the game, too.
My flatmate (oh no, I’m speaking British English nowadays!) just got back from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. She loved it.
What’s kazy?
Some kind of horse sausage… I’ll eat just about anything, even ???????.
Unfortunately, it isn’t so easy for us Yankees to get a visa for Uzbekistan anymore. I’m going to Turkmenistan, too, which I think will be more interesting.
My flatmate (one of two actually) is French. She didn’t have any visa problems. Might be different for Americans.
She brought me back a nifty Uzbek hat.
Anyone out there ever eaten ?????
Umm. Nope. I’ve been to Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, but haven’t touched that one. I haven’t tried kumas either, although it is sold all over the place by street vendors, etc. God help you if you wish to eat a horse sausage.
I would recommend you try mante (a type of steamed dumpling) and plov (pilaf, but as it is meant to be, seasoned, fragrant, with lamb is best). Typically the best food is served in the home.
I have two kowpak’s myself .. tall white/black one that adult men wear, and the smaller skull cap style.
I think I’m going to have to eat horse. And think about, oh, Secretariat or something.
Manty seem to be everywhere — my first exposure to them was in Buryatia (I lived in Irkutsk a few years ago). After subsisting on pel’meni in Siberia, I no longer crave dumplings of any sort, except Chinese/Dim Sum (is there Dim Sum in Moscow anywhere? the Chinese place at Druzhba is excellent, but…). Plov, on the other hand, I will never tire of…
Speaking of Kazakhstan, some years ago I had to work with several groups from there. One included Nazarbayev’s son in law (not the one that was in the news recently, the younger one). I was surprised how well middle level managers were talking about investment and activities of international oil companies. Especially how much one particular company (sapientis sat) had affected western Kazakhstan, contributing to noticeable change in work ethic and standard of living.
Horsemeat is wonderful if it is a young colt. I would not recommend camel meat. Too tough and smelly. Kumys is a total must. Even if you have to throw up later, the experience is what counts. I’d recommend any of the lamb soups as well – especially in the morning after a night of irrational exuberance.