Comments on: What Russia Could Learn from Kazakhstan http://registan.net/index.php/2008/04/06/what-russia-could-learn-from-kazakhstan/ Central Asia News -- All Central Asia, All The Time Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:53:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sage http://registan.net/index.php/2008/04/06/what-russia-could-learn-from-kazakhstan/comment-page-1/#comment-376783 Sage Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:08:56 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/04/06/what-russia-could-learn-from-kazakhstan/#comment-376783 Josh, you mention that there are "better models" for Russia to turn to for inspiration on reform. I'm interested to know which models in particular you think might be best? It's a tough question, I know, but please don't misunderstand--I'm not being pugnacious. I'm genuinely unsure where Russian elites, if they were so inclined, would turn to find some meaningfully helpful model for the kind of reform you have in mind, so if you have some thoughts I'd be really interested to see you expand on the point, though positive examples are harder to come by than negative ones to be sure. Josh, you mention that there are “better models” for Russia to turn to for inspiration on reform. I’m interested to know which models in particular you think might be best? It’s a tough question, I know, but please don’t misunderstand–I’m not being pugnacious. I’m genuinely unsure where Russian elites, if they were so inclined, would turn to find some meaningfully helpful model for the kind of reform you have in mind, so if you have some thoughts I’d be really interested to see you expand on the point, though positive examples are harder to come by than negative ones to be sure.

]]> By: KZBlog http://registan.net/index.php/2008/04/06/what-russia-could-learn-from-kazakhstan/comment-page-1/#comment-376782 KZBlog Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:06:02 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/04/06/what-russia-could-learn-from-kazakhstan/#comment-376782 I wouldn't claim that reforms in Kazakhstan have been effective except in so far as they have enriched and empowered the powers that be (of course that may well have been the sole intention so in that case they are quite effective). Anecdotal evidence also suggests that the standard of living in Kazakhstan is not very good if you cut out Almaty and Astana. And even regional towns like Ekaterinberg have a variety of consumer companies working in them (like IKEA which is just coming to KZ now). Internet development is much better and more sophisticated in Russia than KZ. The entertainment industry is much more developed. Overall Russia has a lot more resources than Kazakhstan it would appear. That and Russia will NEVER admit to being worse off than another Soviet republic. Never. I wouldn’t claim that reforms in Kazakhstan have been effective except in so far as they have enriched and empowered the powers that be (of course that may well have been the sole intention so in that case they are quite effective). Anecdotal evidence also suggests that the standard of living in Kazakhstan is not very good if you cut out Almaty and Astana. And even regional towns like Ekaterinberg have a variety of consumer companies working in them (like IKEA which is just coming to KZ now). Internet development is much better and more sophisticated in Russia than KZ. The entertainment industry is much more developed. Overall Russia has a lot more resources than Kazakhstan it would appear.

That and Russia will NEVER admit to being worse off than another Soviet republic. Never.

]]> By: Michael Hancock http://registan.net/index.php/2008/04/06/what-russia-could-learn-from-kazakhstan/comment-page-1/#comment-376743 Michael Hancock Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:39:04 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2008/04/06/what-russia-could-learn-from-kazakhstan/#comment-376743 I read the same article at Siberian Light - it's my Google Reader list, and I was impressed by it. Glad to see you referencing it here, Josh. You're absolutely right that Kazakhstan appears to be a model country really only when you hold it up against its cousins to the south. However, if Russia isn't careful, who knows but that it might end up dealing with Kazakhstan more and more as an equal. The economic might of Russia is certain, but what isn't certain is why that doesn't translate to better living conditions for the millions of Russians trapped outside the mafia-controlled oligarchic circles. Kazakhstan is similarly an oligarchy, perhaps - but it's living standards are not noticeably lower than Russia's, especially when you discount St. Petersburg and Moscow, themselves only 1% of the Russian population. And that's assuming that population figures in Russia aren't still being doctored by the government as they were all during Soviet Times [check <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE7DB123AF93AA25752C0A96F948260" rel="nofollow">this out</a>]. Why hide a low population, high death rate, low birth rate, and low literacy rate? Well, if you could, wouldn't you? I read the same article at Siberian Light – it’s my Google Reader list, and I was impressed by it. Glad to see you referencing it here, Josh. You’re absolutely right that Kazakhstan appears to be a model country really only when you hold it up against its cousins to the south. However, if Russia isn’t careful, who knows but that it might end up dealing with Kazakhstan more and more as an equal. The economic might of Russia is certain, but what isn’t certain is why that doesn’t translate to better living conditions for the millions of Russians trapped outside the mafia-controlled oligarchic circles. Kazakhstan is similarly an oligarchy, perhaps – but it’s living standards are not noticeably lower than Russia’s, especially when you discount St. Petersburg and Moscow, themselves only 1% of the Russian population. And that’s assuming that population figures in Russia aren’t still being doctored by the government as they were all during Soviet Times [check this out]. Why hide a low population, high death rate, low birth rate, and low literacy rate? Well, if you could, wouldn’t you?

]]>