Just a theory...

Let me use the term "center and periphery" not as political theory to explain "first-world" and "third-world" country relations (too old school), but to reflect the growing divide I've observed over the past year occuring in Uzbekistan and my own theory as to how it may be used here as a policial strategy...

Nathan at Registan.net touched upon this and he is correct.  The major urban areas seem to be growing at a rapid pace.  I have seen more BMW's and designer clothing stores popping up in Tashkent than I can remember a year ago.  We even found a store that sells Salomon skis and boots!  I mean, people do ski here of course, but not in Salomon gear at the average income level of $30 a month.  Someone is buying this stuff but I can guess that it is not the average cotton picker picking and planting cotton year-round for government export revenue coffers while they get paid in bags of flour.

As long as the major urban "centers" are kept rich and happy, the poor in the "periphery" are kept hand-to-mouth such that their main concerns are economic in nature.  This prevents any major political ideals from materializing to a point significant enough to forge a unified revolution.  Everyone is too busy competing with each other selling at the bazaars, applying for jobs, and looking for handouts.   Riots in the Ferghana Valley last year were due to changes in tax laws for selling imported goods and the clearing out of informal traders in the bazaars, nothing that signifies that they were looking for any kind political change.

I have maintained since travelling through Africa that our seemingly inviolable ideals are a privilege of the rich.  People at the impoverished level and even most of those in the lower-middle class value economic opportunity and peace in their daily lives.  Democracy, human rights, equal opportunity, ecology, etc., are too intangible as an antidote to their daily hardship.

I'll finish here before this turns into a dissertation.  And oh yeah, Uzbekistan also does not appear to have strong popular leaders as the opposition, so as another theory goes, "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know."

Apologies for the pessimism.  I wish I had better news...irises are starting to bloom?

Comments

[adrianne]

This is definately the case! I have tried to explain to fellow college students that their self-righteousness is great in america but abroad- it really doesn't apply. Of course, they studied abroad in Paris and I studied in Russia. I really really like reading your blog---
Do you mind if I link your site to my PC (hopeful) site?
adrianne

""have maintained since travelling through Africa that our seemingly inviolable ideals are a privilege of the rich. People at the impoverished level and even most of those in the lower-middle class value economic opportunity and peace in their daily lives. Democracy, human rights, equal opportunity, ecology, etc., are too intangible as an antidote to their daily hardship.""

[Andrew]

There seems to be very little point in living if you can't buy yourself a pair of Salomon Pocket Rockets.

[Nathan]

You can probably blame me for such pleasant comments from know-nothing know-it-alls. I seem to be attracting many of them lately. I'm quite cruel to them, so they go elsewhere to comment.

I have to say that one of the signs of growth in the urban centers I've noticed is you guys talking about your cell phones. Those were like magical objects when I was there. My coffee grinder was living it up just a few short years ago!

If you want what might be an even bleaker picture, read this excerpt of Martha Brill Olcott's CSCE testimony from yesterday. In sum, "The situation's bad and no one has a clue how to make it better, especially the people who claim it's their job." Laurence says he'll have what was actually said (stuff from beyond the transcripts) soon.

But, yes, let's try to be upbeat. Check out what Oscar de la Renta wants you to wear this fall. Ikat all around! The girls at work thought that it was very odd that I was talking de la Renta's fall collection until I let them in on why :)