Tajikistan: Is Global Integration Possible?
One of the most interesting phenomena in Tajikistan the general public’s perception of the world. The sad fact is that we have been cut from the rest of the world for more than 70 years and now that we have the freedom to go on and explore, we find ourselves in the mental prison of the past.
We set low professional and personal goals, we have insurmountable mental barriers (induced by our oppressive culture and the ex-Russian rule) to go out and achieve more, we have come to a point where we no longer challenge ourselves and all that makes it hard to find our place in the world.
Since its independence Tajikistan made certain strides towards global integration. It is a member of numerous international organizations and is in the process of joining WTO soon. However, I don’t believe the country has made a good use of these seemingly important political affiliations. Despite the fact that we are represented internationally we still fall significantly behind in terms of global integration.
One of the ways to assess my words is to google Tajikistan. The search yields lot of politically loaded articles along with some travel recommendations, but apart from that we are not known for anything else. It is quite ironic for a nation which “produced” some of the greatest minds of their time.
Where are these minds now? Why is our nation which is free to pursue every opportunity to reach its full potential is not moving a finger? Quite frankly, at this point, I am having doubts that we even have those fingers.
The more I think of it the more I am convinced that we are where we are because we fail to think of ourselves as a sovereign nation and as long as the situation stays the same, we won’t make any progress.
on February 7th, 2008 at 2:27 am
Enough of our glorious yesterday and more on our miserable today. The more we pinpoint our problems the better. Don’t be shy of telling the bitter truth of the contemporary Tajikistan and fill in the world’s ears with stories of its present pathetic existence. We have fooled ourselves around for ages with those beautiful lullibies and the government is trying to drag it on for another century. The truth is that we are losing whatever we had. Now get up and try to save the carpet at least.
on February 7th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
We need a cold-headed and pragmatic approach to our problems… The leaders need to think of all these problems as puzzles they were chosen to solve. Then, and only then, we might have some kind of future.
on February 21st, 2008 at 9:00 am
What is going on today, must not go on tomorrow, and this is only possible with education…So long as our youth is illiterate, nothing will change, and we will undergo the Middle Ages in the 21’st century. Those who have the power for international integration are just enjoying themselves too much to even look up the meaning of this phrase in the dictionary…
on February 22nd, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Joining Tajikistan to WTO will be one of a big mistake in Tajik history. As I know, one of them Mexico, what is going on in Mexico now? It is the result of WTO. If Tajikistan joins to the WTO, their will be a big competition between foreign and Tajik firms and all tajik firms will fail. All International capital will enter to our lovely Tajikistan and they will take everything which we have. They will pollute our environment and they will leave on time when people start to suffer from environmental damage.
There is only one thing to educate people and to make our own economic world.
on February 24th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Chucho,
You are raising a good point here. The economic freedom has a flip side as you pointed out, but nothing and nobody prohibits the government to set environmental/economic standards to avoid the disasters you describe.
The question is do we have wise enough people to see the problem before it becomes too late. We often praise ourselves for being the progressive nation of our time in Central Asia, but we can’t seem to break through the mold today (i.e. think outside the box) when it comes to solving our own most mundane problems (water, the airline, etc.) It is indeed a shame.
on March 11th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Tajik Boy
Yes Indeed, your opinions somehow could be right but the thing is we do not have any comparative advantage, yes we have some goods but they don’t have any capacity in the world market. So what we gonna trade with them, oh well, it will be good enough for our population because of good and cheap quality of goods will come in but what about our small and big enterprices. We will send a tones of our cotton, weat and other primary goods which does not have any capacity. We are poor country because we are landlocked country and we do not have a lot of choice for trading.
Ok, i have a great respect for your opinions but you have to think aslo cretically. I think, i am not sure about it yet, i am still thinking about to find our comparative advantage first through education or to improve our tourism instead of cotton fields. We have a lot of good places and good mountains, so i mean it gonna be hard for us but if we find our comparative advantage in Central Asia, other things will just come to our Economy.
I would like to know your opinions about to find our comparative advantage and to take monopolistic power in Central Asia.
on March 22nd, 2008 at 6:14 pm
“Tajikistan: Is Global Integration Possible?”
Of course it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t2djYIEnXY&feature=related
Dedicated to my favorite virtual sparring partner Tajikbacha.
on March 26th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
hi.I so glad to hear about rising OUR Beautiful Tajikistan To the summit of Blossom. It makes me happy because we have to join our powers toward perfection of all particles of It. Please, do not misuse ur knowledges. Its enough salinity we have to fetch sweet future to our land.
The convoy of hope is endless and for that reason everything is possible Global Integration, pollitical perfection,economical rise,technological improvement and etc………..
on March 28th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Ohlala, we’re getting esoteric.
lol
on April 1st, 2008 at 3:58 am
I dissent with the idea of government that joining the WTO is a panacea from all your problems. One thing they do not understand that having joined this Institution we must give up your national priorities like supporting poor people and eleminating poverty. Being aware of requirements and tarifs for trade Tajikistan will have to increase the payment for gas, electricity, water and some other facilities that will become a burden for people. Thus, the poverty will incredibly thrive. I hope the wisdom will come from God to those low educated people that first they must work to evolve national economy and then to think about WTO. Apart of it, a simple example is China where economy flourished first, then it decided to join just the WTO in 2001.
on April 4th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
If fighting poverty is a national priority then, given our lack of progress therein, we are pretty much doomed. I think we need to invest into education and invest heavily. That may be the only way out.
I am not sure that tariffs would skyrocket that badly. Kygyzstan has already joined WTO and with per capita GDP slightly above that of Tajikistan, it can boast with higher economic growth rates.
I understand there will always be those who would want to “protect” national “producers”. Progress takes certain risks… The fact is we have nothing (pretty much) to lose here… we are at rock bottom economically so the only way is up.