Pakistan 'is a top failed state'

Pakistan and Afghanistan are among the world's top 10 most vulnerable states, according to a new study.
The report - compiled by the US Foreign Policy magazine and the US-based Fund for Peace think-tank - ranked 146 nations according to their viability.

Judged according to 12 criteria, including human flight and economic decline, states range from the most failed, Sudan, to the least, Norway.


The second annual "failed states index" was based on "tens of thousands of articles" from different sources gathered over several months in 2005 and reviewed by experts, its authors said.

SNIP

Unlike the rest of the top ten, of course, Pakistan has the bomb and missiles to deliver it. And supplies to sell to any wealthy terrorist organization. But, of course, it's also Smirky's bestest buddy in the whole wide world.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4964934.stm

http://www.fundforpeace.org/programs/fsi/fsindex2006.php?column=rank&#

127 Italy
128 USA
129 France
130 UK
131 Portugal
132 Chile
133 Singapore
134 Netherlands
135 Japan
136 Austria
137 Denmark
138 Belgium
139 Canada
140 Australia
141 New Zealand
142 Switzerland
143 Ireland
144 Finland
145 Sweden
146 Norway


ON edit: Note what dragged down the US' score

1 - Mounting Demographic Pressures
9 - Widespread Violation of Human Rights - You have to go up to Oman (117) to find another state with a higher ranking!!!

Interesting information, to say the least.

Each nation was given an overall score based on the 12 criteria:

* mounting demographic pressures

* massive movement of refugees and internally displaced peoples

* legacy of vengeance - seeking group grievance

* chronic and sustained human flight

* uneven economic development along group lines

* sharp and/or severe economic decline

* criminalization and delegitimization of the state

* progressive deterioration of public services

* widespread violation of human rights

* security apparatus as "state within a state"

* rise of factionalised elites

* intervention of other states or external actors

While we are certainly far from a 'failed state', each of those criteria has shown a decline under Bushco.

1) Demographic pressure -- the huge soon to retire boomer generation is going to stress the (so-called) healthcare system to the breaking point.
2) Internally displaced -- How many people are still displaced by Katrina? And couldn't 2 million homeless be counted as 'displaced persons'?
3) Legacy of vengeance -- "The South shall rise again."
4) Population flight -- We're OK on this one - still more people coming in than going out.
5) Uneven economics -- huge income and employment disparities based on race/ethnicity. CEOs making 400x their employees' average.
6) Economic decline -- a decade of stagnant wages, manufacturing base moved offshore, debt sold to China.
7) Public services -- unfunding of social service programs, privatizing government functions like prisons
8) Criminalization/deligitimizing of state -- presidential signing statements, Deibold
9) Human rights -- illegal wiretaps, Gitmo
10) State w/i a state -- Homeland Security, internal surveillance
11) Factionalized elites -- Republican billionaires club
12) International intervention -- Not yet.

Ten of twelve markers pushing us in that direction.

:wtf:

I would really like to know where we stood in 2000, back when we had a strong economy, there was no war, there was no question about the legitimacy of our elections...

In the first year it only did 75 countries, the US was not one of them.

Now in its second year, the annual Failed States Index (FSI) was first introduced in the July/August 2005 issue of Foreign Policy magazine. The second FSI was published in the May/June issue. Click here to go to Foreign Policy's website to view the articles. In 2005, we rated 75 countries, and in 2006, we expanded the Index to include 148 countries.

less regional differences, less stress on the country

Yes, that was way back in time but I remember a large groups of people there seemingly living in abject poverty. That year the so called Communists invaded the Island, there was massive unrest and us foreign Contractor puke families were sent home ... guess things have improved since then. Admittedly, I haven't kept up but I remember the orchids being absolutely gorgeous and fragrant growing "like weeds" in our compound. Yeah, I'm the ugly American for not keeping up. ;)

This list was compiled by "US Foreign Policy magazine", which is referenced in that BBC article. I mean, what is a "top failed state"? What were the cultural biases involved when it came to making that list? Isn't a "failed state" a matter of individual (or specific cultural and/or idealogical) perspective?

No, this is a simple enemy list. List of nations the west despises for one idealogical/political/economical reason or another.

FAILED STATES 2006 - TOP 10
1. Sudan (3)*
2. DR Congo (2)*
3. Ivory Coast (1)*
4. Iraq (4)*
5. Zimbabwe (15)*
6. Chad (7)*
(Tie) Somalia(5)*
8. Haiti (10)*
9. Pakistan (34)*
10 Afghanistan (11)*
* 2005 ranking

Most are politically non-functional (except perhaps Pakistan), economic basket cases. Five are predominantly Muslim, but five are not.

There is little security, virtually no legitimate economy, total disregard for civil rights, and in the most extreme cases, no functioning government.

The states on that top ten meet those definitions. It's shocking that we are providing military aid and support to Pakistan, and that a failed state of that magnitude has nuclear weapons, and we still cozy up to them.

WHERE'S FRANCE!!!! Where's GERMANY!!!!

Ooh La La, that should make the Freepers steam? :P