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Notes on Tajikistan

mattlakeman.org

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Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#231

Post by admissionsguy »

aprilthird2021 wrote: post #112
slt2021 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tajikistan had civil war in 1990s where Islamist radicals were the opposition and wanted to turn TJ into sharia run state. open political system actually makes islam opposition stronger (and easy to influence with $$$ from Gulf monarchies). Keeping islam in check, also means keeping in check Gulf oil $$$$ that install their own version of islam. the pipeline of volunteers from *stans to join ISIS/Al-Qaeda was funded…

> open political system actually makes islam opposition stronger (and easy to influence with $$$ from Gulf monarchies). No it doesn't. Provide one example where this has happened?

Egypt before the latest coup?

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#232

Post by optimalsolver »

ngcc_hk wrote: post #225
optimalsolver wrote: post #184

Be sure to check out his Notes on the Gambia, which for some reason is the world's premier destination for female sex tourism: https://mattlakeman.org/2023/07/10/notes-on-the-gambia/

Quite a good article on Gambia, but just get you to want to know more about the chinese involvement there on top of Russia. Btw, the sex part is not a click bait and not important part of the article. The usual failed African politics and economy is usual. Just want to know any “success” story. Even if it is odd by western “standard”.

Botswana?

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#233

Post by blackhawkC17 »

coldtea wrote: post #203
blackhawkC17 wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Incredibly friendly, warm, kind and happy people to a degree I did not know was possible on planet earth. Sadly they're held down by corruption, ineptitude and the West. The problems are significantly of their own doing. I live in one such country (Nigeria), and many people say the same thing about my people- warm, friendly, and whatever. But being warm and friendly doesn’t build a successful nation. Tribalism, hig…

> But being warm and friendly doesn’t build a successful nation No, but kicking out the greedy WASPs and their lackeys and post-colonial infuence schemes does though - though seldom realized

> No, but kicking out the greedy WASPs and their lackeys and post-colonial infuence schemes does though - though seldom realized

This is the same mentality that contributes to these countries remaining poor. Just kick out the “WASPs”…so that the local kleptocrats take over.

The problem is corruption and lack of rule of law, not WASPs or whatever acronym can be used to blame foreigners instead of taking responsibility.

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#234

Post by sooheon »

DEADMINCE wrote: post #41
ranni_ending wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah at another point he distanced himself from making racist movies about country he has 0 idea about. then you bring up an example of him trying to hide behind his Jewish identity to be above criticism as a "joke". it's trivial to punch down and then act like a victim by bringing up your own identity. People who find it easy to make fun of others while being extremely thin-skinned themselves: https://www.timesofisr…

He's not punching down or hiding behind an ethnic identity, he's mocking the idea of someone being upset over a parody/mockery/comedy.

Rich dude makes fun of a nation for being poor and when they take issue he plays antisemitism card.

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#235

Post by anal_reactor »

lm28469 wrote: post #227
ssijak wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your description does not sound like an amazing place that you said it is in the first sentence?

The vast majority of the world is amazing if you come with western money as a tourist, Cuba, Turkey, Kirghizistan, &c. you'll have a great time, most locals are great people but living there as an average citizen isn't that amazing in term of quality of life, access to necessities, infrastructure, ...

Nothing beats being rich in a poor country

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#236

Post by CPLX »

rvense wrote: post #16
kylehotchkiss wrote: post #8

I wanted to go once but heard that either the taliban or al queda were in the area, which is unideal as an American citizen. Is that not the case anymore?

There has been, as far as I know, one single case of tourists being attacked (and killed) by militant Islamists, which happened a few years ago. So statistically it's probably safer than a lot of places. There is significant resistance to the regime under the surface, but everything is still held together by an aging, kleptocratic authoritarian. So in some sense it's a volatile place, and the situation could obviousl…

> There has been, as far as I know, one single case of tourists being attacked (and killed) by militant Islamists

Reading this made me have to ponder the interesting fact that this is several thousand less than the number of people killed by militant Islamists in the city I live in (New York) since I moved here.

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#237

Post by generic92034 »

anal_reactor wrote: post #235
lm28469 wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The vast majority of the world is amazing if you come with western money as a tourist, Cuba, Turkey, Kirghizistan, &c. you'll have a great time, most locals are great people but living there as an average citizen isn't that amazing in term of quality of life, access to necessities, infrastructure, ...

Nothing beats being rich in a poor country

Being filthy rich in a rich country, perhaps? :)

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#238

Post by anal_reactor »

generic92034 wrote: post #237
anal_reactor wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing beats being rich in a poor country

Being filthy rich in a rich country, perhaps? :)

No because in a rich country you need to adhere to laws and regulations while in a poor country you can just pay bribes and do what you want

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#239

Post by coldtea »

blackhawkC17 wrote: post #233
coldtea wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But being warm and friendly doesn’t build a successful nation No, but kicking out the greedy WASPs and their lackeys and post-colonial infuence schemes does though - though seldom realized

> No, but kicking out the greedy WASPs and their lackeys and post-colonial infuence schemes does though - though seldom realized This is the same mentality that contributes to these countries remaining poor. Just kick out the “WASPs”…so that the local kleptocrats take over. The problem is corruption and lack of rule of law, not WASPs or whatever acronym can be used to blame foreigners instead of taking responsibility…

>This is the same mentality that contributes to these countries remaining poor. Just kick out the “WASPs”…so that the local kleptocrats take over.

The "local kleptocrats" are usually just lackeys of those WASPs, put in place, supported financially and diplomatically, with arms and so on (and by pressuring their opponents) to ensure the stealing continues. On their own, they're small time crooks, the real bulk of the countries riches still goes back to the post-colonial masters...

>The problem is corruption and lack of rule of law, not WASPs

Corruption and lack of rule of law is a feature, not a bug. A feature kept in place by those bugs, the WASPs, with the help of loyal local scum.

"But, but, but those WASPS kept the rule of law an order when they governed directly as colonial masters"

Yeah, when you rule a colony and live there as ruler, it tends to benefit you to keep the rule of law. You get to stroll safe, and besides all your own colonial stealing is done "by the book" and is a-ok since it's based on your laws.

It's when you leave the place (or get kicked out) that you opt for the "divide and conquer" and "get friendly local scum to power" approaches, and helping keep the country poor, corrupt, and at war, pays dividends...

And you have your establishment scholars point out how it's the local's bad culture and unfitness for rule of law that prevents them for flourishing.

It's the same kind of people who would have written that the locals are inferior races and need taming and someone to keep them in order, a century or so ago...

Re: Notes on Tajikistan

#240

Post by specproc »

I did some work in Tajikistan a while back. Really good fun with some great people.

It was also the most vertically integrated place I've ever encountered. I've worked in a lot of places outside of EU/US and it's the only one where I've felt you could stick most people on the country on an organigram.

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