tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601497927586241463.post1051197916976750331..comments2023-06-24T01:18:31.205-07:00Comments on A jaunt in the Kyrgyz Republic: A Moment of ReflectionEl profe britanicohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11844884958889325917noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3601497927586241463.post-84512405578381193502011-06-23T22:34:16.262-07:002011-06-23T22:34:16.262-07:00Thanks for your rant. Here is what I disagree with...Thanks for your rant. Here is what I disagree with ....<br /><br />Ressources: I guess Kirgistan is blessed. You mentioned the water and nature yourself. The reason why there isn't enough right now is the heavy import dependency of Kirgistan. With everything you import you export foreign currency. To refill that you have to export something and currently that is mainly natural resources, which again serves only a small elite. So what is also missing is local value chains. Ever tried to buy Kyrgyz shoes or pots etc. You'll walk your feet off on the bazar looking for stuff like that while you get flooded with chinese stuff that is often so low in quality that it could be produced here easily.<br /><br />Next problem: Missing cooperation. With the end of party dictated cooperation (aka. communism) people seem to have forgotten that cooperation (outside the family) is also possible on a voluntary basis. The whole thing has become a everyone for themselves game. Cooperation structures have to recover and I see them do that.<br /><br />Next problem: phlegm. People are blinded by the amount of problems and have stopped to see what they can easily change. Example: playgrounds are often covered with broken glass. There are close to none resources necessary the keep a playground clean. Money is not an issue there. Garbage collection in Bishkek works well, despite the horrible first impression many of the trash cans make. Just, no one keeps the playground clean and no one even has a bad conscience about dropping junk anywhere including playgrounds. This attitude is found on many corners of society. You yourself mentioned corruption as one of them.<br /><br />Richard<br /><a href="http://leben-in-kirgistan.de/" rel="nofollow">leben-in-kirgistan.de</a>Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17968830888789790457noreply@blogger.com