See No Evil: Ariel Cohen’s “Heritage” revisited
The West’s interest in Kazakhstan is usually slaked in three ways. First are the sporadic news stories, depicting it as a wicked mixture of oil, autocracy and corruption. Second one is made of picturesque and obviously expensive ads supplements to the leading American newspapers, paid by the Kazakh taxpayers. Reality is totally different there – democracy, growth and prosperity. The third source is represented by publications of the think-tanks and individual researchers. They rarely reach wider audience, but it’s even worse when some of they do.
Ariel Cohen, a well-known expert in Eurasian politics, frequently publishes his opinion articles in the top U.S. newspapers, denouncing autocratic rollback in Russia and Central Asian “Stans”, except Kazakhstan. This country is a Dr. Cohen’s favorite. Speaking about it, he omits critical evaluation of the facts, highlighting only positive things – even if negativity seriously tips the scale – and later broadcasts his vision on behalf of the Heritage Foundation.
There are several things that can be easily traced from one his publication to another – not even much paraphrased: oil-driven economic boom (not a word about threats of “Dutch Disease” and widening wealth gap), 3,000 students being sent abroad each year (whereas domestic universities are looted by corruption and brain-drain) and interethnic tolerance (although failures in ensuring social justice and rule of law already cause ethnic clashes in this historically tolerant society).
Yes, Kazakhstan sent soldiers to Iraq when President Bush needed allies. But Astana remains under severe influence of Kremlin. It is a core member of the anti-U.S. Shanghai Cooperation Organization and wants to diminish the OSCE’s human dimension. Yes, Kazakhstan will have lots of oil soon. But politically it prefers to export it through Russia. The recent constitutional amendments raised many eyebrows, but Dr. Cohen is very positive about them, explaining his optimism in sweet harmony with the Kazakh propaganda.
He says that political murders last year were investigated by FBI. In reality, FBI officers’ held only polygraph examination; these reports were classified by the Kazakh authorities and never used in highly controversial trials. Dr. Cohen gives really insightful comments concerning other countries, but for some reason Kazakhstan is an exception, when the facts can be redressed as assumptions, hopes can be presented as prospects, and external glitter of the growing consumption culture can be pictured as socio-economic prosperity.
Comparisons drawn by Dr. Cohen are also rather unparallel. It is hard to perceive how educated, sophisticated, stable and secular Kazakhstan could be compared to Egypt and Palestine. Another type of “scarecrows” is represented by Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan – but Kazakhs have never been so paternalist and Oriental, leaning more to the West, with 15 per cent of its territory lying in Europe. It experienced enthusiastic rise of civicism and participatory democracy since mid-1980s until autocratic restoration in 1995.
Some of the Dr. Cohen’s arguments resemble conjurations: “Kazakhstan is our friend. It has lots of oil and no war. But it’s Asian and nomadic, and democracy is so far away”… Polls show that Kazakhs see themselves as part of Europe, not of Asia; and they are not nomads for nearly a century. Is it safe for America to have such a friend? Isn’t it clear that inevitable destabilization of a personality-based system will pose a threat to the whole region? Wouldn’t it be better for your oil giants if Kazakhstan had sacred laws and predictable politics?
No matter what are Dr. Cohen’s motives for such a superficial analysis, the major problem is far beyond him and comes up to the filthy issue of America’s “double standards”. Why Washington has few friends in the region? Why people here get disillusioned about U.S., human rights and democracy? How will they feel about the fallen regime’s best friend if a colored revolution (or, rather, a putsch) occurs here? America faces harsh competition in Central Asia with Russia and China, and almost the only things that can make an advantage for the United States are values, strong adherence to them and their firm protection.
on October 10th, 2007 at 6:42 am
You’ve made some important points here, Adam. Doubly so because of Cohen’s persistent presence (like a nagging cough) on discussions regarding Central Asia and other regions. Not only was he at the Eurasian Media Forum this year, but he was given spots on more panels than any other participant, I think.
I have a format related question, though: What’s with the “Opinion and Editorial” banner? It’s cussed ugly and, I think, pretty redundant on a weblog, which is almost by definition all opinion and editorial, well-informed and well-sourced though the content may be.
So it’s thumbs-up on the post, thumbs-down on the banner.
on October 10th, 2007 at 6:53 am
Frederick,
Thanks a lot for your respond!
As for the banner, it popped up automatically.
I’m sure your evaluation will reach our IT person.
on October 10th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Great post Adam.
As for the banner: Umm, I actually like it (probably because I designed it ;) ). Let’s see what we can do to beautify this.
on October 11th, 2007 at 10:10 am
Oops! I sure didn’t mean to offend, Ben (not that I sense offense in your comment). In any case, for me I guess the graphical issue is secondary to the genre issue (for lack of a better term at the moment). In other words, isn’t pretty much everything on the weblog “opinion and editorial” of one sort or another?
on October 19th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IH28Ae01.html
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/malay_terror/cover.html
http://ghostline.wordpress.com/2007/08/23/umno-fascism-a-checklist/
SHAME
“The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don’t do any thing about it.” –Albert Einstein-
One of the modus operandi of all arm suppliers and dealers in the world arms market is to give “commission” or “corruption” indirectly to the decision makers.
Payment of corruption money are done very professionally so that it does not incriminate the arms supplier, These arm suppliers will pay any amount of commission demanded as long as they are not implicated as some of them are PLC.
In this case, it will not be uncommon for, Altantuya Shaariibuu to be a nominee conduit for receiving the large amount of commission for arms deals. Her name could be used as a nominee but the funds (money laundered in Singapore and Hong Kong) received actually goes to the sexist(MISAGYNIST/WOMAN HATER) Abdul Razak Baginda/NAJIB TUN RAZAK the UMNO(NATZIS/RACISTS) pukita cronies who share in the loot. Mongolian nominees are preferred by Russian suppliers as most Mongolians speak Russian.
This Altantuya Shaariibuu relationship with Abdul Razak Baginda was obviously more than “lover” and it is crystal clear she know more than she should.
So, her explosives disintegration with C4 type episode with directives from the top. NAJIB TUN RAZAK, Rosmah, Khairy & Scomi who are involved in arms deals are clearly involved.
Who are the UMNO (XENOPHOBIC/ANTI-SEMITIC) minister who
are going to France, Spain, Italy, Russia & South Africa to buy arms recently?
Who are the other UMNO (MASTERS of DEATH) pukitra ministers beside Najib Tun Razak, who have visited Ulaan Baatar in the last three years??? The long and endless list of Malaysia’s international laws and human-rights violations can no longer be ignored!!!
This is a international security crisis that will be lethal to human rights world peace and safety.
The International community must demand a multi-national investigation on to the ASSASSINATION of Translator/Interpreter & Business women Altantuya Shaariibuu along with the Malaysia’s illegal arms trade! Mongolia must break all diplomatic relations with Malaysia and state this case to the INTERNATIONAL COURT of JUSTICE alert and demand the United Nations Security Council to take action and that The United States’ State Deportment to also take action for this is a Human’s rights violation and a security issue that affects the United States directly. Malaysians must demand answers to what these anti-Democratic UMNO(NATZI PARTY) pukitra Islamist FASCIST(With connections to HAMAS, Hizballah, AL-QAIDA and IRAN) are doing in the name of protecting the so called “Malay Race” ,”Islamic religion” and the “Nation” !
Why the U.T.K(THE “SS” MASTERS of DEATH/TERRORISTS),(NATZI)Army, who authorized SUPPLIERS of the malleable explosive believed to be “C4″ (Composition 4). Bear in mind that Abdul Razak Baginda is a BROKER INTERMEDIARY/PROXY for those(ASSASSINS/EXECUTIONERS) HIDDEN TOP GUNS of the DEFENSE FORCE with the SUPPLIER (Specifically, the Malaysian Armed Forces). Therefore, it is a standard nature of forwarding of samples of their product in this case to be tested. Personally, I think these people, Baginda and his family, including the two police officers, are the most disgusting people on the globe as same as those terrorists who killed thousands of people on September 11, 2001 by using civilian airplane as missiles.
Who authorizes those people to use airplane as missiles? Who authorizes those people to use military explosives to kill an innocent woman?
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.” –Edmund Burke-
“NO JUSTICE NO PEACE!”
“NO GETTING OVER IT!!”
“JUSTICE FOR ALTANTUYA SHAARIIBUU!!!”
http://usinfo.state.gov/
http://www.icj-cij.org/
http://www.state.gov/
http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/