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A failed state?

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third eye

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Another ' failed state' article..the last paras are relevant.

A failed state? | Opinion | DAWN.COM

EVER since 2005, when an American think tank Fund for Peace and the magazine Foreign Policy, began publishing the annual ‘Failed States Index’, the question of whether or not Pakistan is a failed state has often been asked with gleeful expectation or sympathetic apprehension, provoking an angry denial.

But, as we shall see, the glee, the apprehension and the anger could be held back for another day, that is, until it is understood what the index is all about. To begin from the beginning, since the introduction by the World Bank of the development index and ranking to indicate where a country stood on the scoreboard of economic development, there has been a proliferation of indices to satisfy the appetite of the curious for all sorts of statistical packages and rankings. One such statistical game is the ‘Failed States Index’.

The index has 177 states arranged in order of the degree of failure judged on the basis of 12 indicators, each assessed on a scale of one to 10. The maximum possible score is 120, indicating total failure in respect of all the indicators, while the minimum score would be zero, indicating no failure at all in respect of any of the 12 indicators. In the list for 2011, Somalia with a score of 113.4 is at the top as the most failed state, while Finland with a score of 19.7 is the least failed state, better than, for example, the US with a score of 34.8.

The index appears quite credible so long as one is talking about countries like Somalia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan or Iraq, that are among the top 10, but the moment we shift the focus to countries like France, Germany, Japan or the US, the whole exercise becomes rather dubious. Germany, for example, with a score of 33.9 out of 120, would be a failed state to the extent of 28.25 per cent. This doesn’t make much sense if ‘failed state’ means a state that has failed or is likely to fail to preserve, defend, or justify its separate existence, as the title of the Index would suggest and as was the case with the former USSR and Yugoslavia.

The index would make sense if it is seen as scorecard of the degree of failure by 177 states to respond to such challenges to governance as demographic pressure, group grievance, uneven development, human rights and economic decline included as indicators on the Index.

The whole idea of ‘failed states’ is, therefore, a bit misleading because the authors of the Index have succumbed to the temptation of choosing a sensationalised and attention-grabbing title that has caused much apprehension, acrimony and uncertainty in a large part of the world. The correct title would have been ‘Failed Governance Index’ rather than ‘Failed States Index’. Pakistan with a score of 102.3 out of 120 would, then, indicate failure of governance to the extent of 85 per cent.
Under the given state of governance, we can hardly dispute that.

So, whatever the think tanks and magazines may say or imply, Pakistan is not going to disappear or fade out of sight. It is strong enough not to be trifled with by external or internal forces of disruption. Even Somalia, the most failed of the failed states is still there, and not even its pirates can be trifled with. But that’s no reason for us to call it a day and go to sleep. Let me offer another list of indicators to show how formidable the challenges have become during the last two decades. Here is a brief overview.

— The physical lifelines of our land, the vast network of irrigation, power, rail and road are becoming more and more dysfunctional at an alarming rate. We don’t seem to be able to stop the decay of what we have or replace what we have lost.

— The pillars of administrative structure of the districts, the policies, the judiciary and the civil bureaucracy are in a mess due to corruption, inefficiency and politicisation. They can neither protect the innocent nor punish the guilty.

— The foundation of a modern welfare state, schools, colleges and hospitals, are in a state of neglect, starved of resources, and manned by frustrated, underpaid and incompetent staff. They can neither teach the young, nor cure the sick.

— The ethnic, sectarian and linguistic constituents of society are at loggerheads with each other, like hostile tribes barricaded within their little fiefdoms. They can neither create a rainbow of colours, nor a mosaic of harmony out of this diversity.


To sum up: Pakistan is surely not a failed state, but it certainly is a state of failed governance where good hardly ever happens, and evil doesn’t cease to happen. As if paralysed by some unknown disease we behave, as the late US diplomat George Kennan said in another context, “helplessly, almost involuntarily, like victims of some sort of hypnosis, like men in a dream, like lemmings heading for the sea”.[/B]

The writer is a retired civil servant.
 
considering what happening today in Pakistan , in my opinion ,the perception of the world is that Pakistan is a failed state . but then those parameters were set by someone who probably never left his desk to see what right in London, wont be, in say Mumbai or Karachi .
 
Third EYE, despite knowing failed states articles are banned on PDF you deliberately chose to post the news?
 
considering what happening today in Pakistan , in my opinion ,the perception of the world is that Pakistan is a failed state . but then those parameters were set by someone who probably never left his desk to see what right in London, wont be, in say Mumbai or Karachi .

a failed state could be Somalia.


Pakistan is 7th nuclear power of world,

Pakistan has 27th biggest economy.

We Have ARMY,

We got Pakistani loving people so it can never be a failed state.

it doesnt mean that if you go on a war and you will be called failed state, that is just stupid.


if wars mean being failed state, then india has been a failed state 3 times with Pakistan.



and that article is from usa, so i can tell you now that usa is a failed state. because they are not able to pay their loan, they cant even beat few thousand so called taliban.

---------- Post added at 11:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 AM ----------

considering what happening today in Pakistan , in my opinion ,the perception of the world is that Pakistan is a failed state . but then those parameters were set by someone who probably never left his desk to see what right in London, wont be, in say Mumbai or Karachi .


http://www.defence.pk/forums/economy-development/104923-15-facts-about-failed-state-pakistan.html



read that and dont be stupid.
 
Firstly threads like this are banned. Secondly i think brother respect4respect has clearly stated my sentiments. I think the problem is Indians get a buzz by saying we are a failed state. Go and sort your own issues guys and stop getting a buzz at making daft statements about us..
 
To sum up: Pakistan is surely not a failed state, but it certainly is a state of failed governance where good hardly ever happens, and evil doesn’t cease to happen. As if paralysed by some unknown disease we behave, as the late US diplomat George Kennan said in another context, “helplessly, almost involuntarily, like victims of some sort of hypnosis, like men in a dream,like lemmings heading for the sea”.

Is this not the exact definition of a failed state ? :confused:
 
I think Pakistan is not a failed state, but a weak state with strong society where civil society fills the huge gaps left by the weak and often ineffective state. This started with the creation of Pakistan when Pakistani state was broke, and it was bailed out by the Habibs who provided Rs. 80 million loan, more than half of the nation's first budget of Rs. 150 million. And today, it is the Edhi Foundation and other similar charities which are present in all parts of the country where state is absent, including the remotest corners of dusty little towns where an Edhi center can be found with a telephone in a concrete shack and an ambulance waiting to respond in emergencies.

In major emergencies such as the Swat takeover by the Taliban in 2009, and the floods of 2010, when the politicians and the civil administrations abandon the people, it is the Pakistani military which bails out the state by provide rescue and relief, followed by the civil society orgs like Edhi Foundation to help the victims.

Haq's Musings: Pakistan Independence Day 2011 at PACC San Jose, CA.
 
I feel sad for pakistan-- from a promising state it turned into a failed one.
Yeah and India despite being a mighty successful state can't take back her territories from that failed state, not to mention can't do squat about terrorist camps in the neighbouring failed state which endanger Indian interests. I wonder whose position is more embarrassing.
 
OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!! We have been declared a failed state by an "article". What are we gonna do now? we are Doomed! :confused:

Not just this article but several survey from reputed organisation every year list Pakistan on failed state..just to let you know:)
 
who cares What US have to said about other countries, Afghanistan is not a failed state because its kicking US Army A**.
Pakistan is not a failed state yet, it Army is still strong, just need a better and more smarter government and it will be a better country.
 
Yeah and India despite being a mighty successful state can't take back her territories from that failed state, not to mention can't do squat about terrorist camps in the neighbouring failed state which endanger Indian interests. I wonder whose position is more embarrassing.

sorry to say but...A country who receives aids from a country who has killed thousands of innocent people of Pakistan and still killing I consider them failed. I also feel ashamed about the facts.
 
"Pakistan is surely not a failed state,"

are you blind or you just dont want to read that part.

he is saying like = I am not blind but just the eyesight in my two eyes is no more.....he says pakistan is not a failed state and proceeds to give the exact definition of a failed state after a "but"....thats why i asked..
 
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