Desperado
03-23-2007, 03:33 AM
I thought it would be interesting to hear a foreigner's opinion about our region.
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"12. Do you think the average life in Central Asia today is better, or worse than it was in 1989? Why?
Better-ish. It’s really a mixed bag and depends on the country. There’s less security, and in much of the region, crumbling infrastructure is making life tougher. But there are some positives. Depending on where one happens to be, there are opportunities to make money going into business for oneself. Goods are more readily available.
I don’t know. I could make an enormous list of good and bad things about life now compared to life under the Soviet Union, and I don’t know how much it would really tell you. I met some people in Uzbekistan who were quite upset that the Soviet Union was gone because life was more stable and made more sense then. I met others, and this includes a man who was a physician under the Soviets and a kiosk operator now, who said that on balance they think things are better now. Some have won and some have lost. My feeling is that things are generally better now, but so much depends on the where you’re looking.
13. If you could advise Central Asian governments to do one thing, what would it be?
Give people the room and support to do business. The freedom to do business and make good use of land varies greatly across the region, but I don’t think that any of these countries will be truly successful until the average citizen has the ability to create wealth free from government interference."
FULL TEXT (http://www.siberianlight.net/2007/03/22/interview-nathan-hamm/)
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"12. Do you think the average life in Central Asia today is better, or worse than it was in 1989? Why?
Better-ish. It’s really a mixed bag and depends on the country. There’s less security, and in much of the region, crumbling infrastructure is making life tougher. But there are some positives. Depending on where one happens to be, there are opportunities to make money going into business for oneself. Goods are more readily available.
I don’t know. I could make an enormous list of good and bad things about life now compared to life under the Soviet Union, and I don’t know how much it would really tell you. I met some people in Uzbekistan who were quite upset that the Soviet Union was gone because life was more stable and made more sense then. I met others, and this includes a man who was a physician under the Soviets and a kiosk operator now, who said that on balance they think things are better now. Some have won and some have lost. My feeling is that things are generally better now, but so much depends on the where you’re looking.
13. If you could advise Central Asian governments to do one thing, what would it be?
Give people the room and support to do business. The freedom to do business and make good use of land varies greatly across the region, but I don’t think that any of these countries will be truly successful until the average citizen has the ability to create wealth free from government interference."
FULL TEXT (http://www.siberianlight.net/2007/03/22/interview-nathan-hamm/)