Iraq Now Ranked Second Among World’s Failed States
WASHINGTON - Iraq has emerged as the world’s second most unstable country, behind Sudan, more than four years after President George W. Bush ordered the U.S. invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, according to a survey released on Monday.
The 2007 Failed States Index, produced by Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace, said Iraq suffered a third straight year of deterioration in 2006 with diminished results across a range of social, economic, political and military indicators. Iraq ranked fourth last year. 
Afghanistan, another war-torn country where U.S. and NATO forces are battling a Taliban insurgency nearly six years after a U.S.-led invasion, was in eighth place.
“Iraq and Afghanistan, the two main fronts in the global war on terror, both suffered over the past year,” a report that accompanied the figures said.
“Their experiences show that billions of dollars in development and security aid may be futile unless accompanied by a functioning government, trustworthy leaders, and realistic plans to keep the peace and develop the economy.”
The index said Sudan, the world’s worst failed state, appears to be dragging down its neighbors Central African Republic and Chad, with violence in the Darfur region responsible for at least 200,000 deaths and the displacement of 2 million to 3 million.
The authors of the index said one of the leading benchmarks for failed state status is the loss of physical control of territory or a monopoly on the legitimate use of force.
Other attributes include the erosion of legitimate authority, an inability to provide reasonable public services and the inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community.
Foreign Policy magazine is published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington-based think tank. The Fund for Peace is an independent research group devoted to preventing and resolving conflicts.
© Reuters 2007.
We’re Number one!
Mission Accomplished??????
This Failed States Index might catch the grossest injustices of a nation, but looking at how highly they rate Japan for human rights, it is obvious something is wrong in their methodology.
http://www.fundforpeace.org/programs/fsi/fsindex2006.php
Japan has an untouchable class, the Burakumin, just as India. And they are one of the worst offenders in human trafficking, according to the US State Department. Plus they do not even offer work visas for blue collar workers, yet rely upon them to build their cars and ships.
And these human rights problems exists in large part because of the Democractic Party’s support of the fascist segment of Japanese politics with the “reverse course” policy since the 1950s.
I agree JP. The USA is #1!
Ours is the king of horror - both in terms of our exports in real life and via terrible horror movies!
Hmm, lets see… an eroding, broke middle class, 50 million without health insurance, 12 million kids in poverty, history’s biggest debt, a super-rich class that owns/controls 90% of the country’s wealth, infant mortality rate below Cuba, nearly every body of water too deadly to drink or swim, a meaningless Constitution and Bill of Rights, more inmates than any industrialized country, scores of secret torture prisons…
Clearly, America is determined to capture the failed state crown as soon as possible.
Japan has the second largest economy in the world, hardly comparable to iraq. Their idea: you have to break an egg to make an omelette.
Jobson, I just read about the “reverse course” policy instituted in 1947 that terminated democratization in Japan. That is a nasty little bit of history (as well as the US-supported slaughter of 30,000-40,000 people during the peasant revolt on Cheju Island (Korea) in 1945) that most people do not know.
Mmmm, just noticed. Palestine is not even in the “failed state” list.
Re Palestine. You have to be recognized as a state before you can be called “failed.”
Touche, zoya.
There seems to be two US forces operating in Iraq. One wants to tear it up, the other is mostly powerless to stop it from being torn up. When we can get rid of Cheney and friends will have made a bit of progress. But the other side is just as dangerous because they don’t want to tear down the machine the made the war in the first place.
Steve Francis
The american people who showed no respect for true democracy elected an idiot to the White House. A man who has failed all of his life, who has bankrupted his own companies, who has destroyed our own economy to put American oil interest above all Americans, who is not fit to mow my grass, does not have to dignity to resign for gross incompetence. What did this nation expect from this idiot. Why would anyone elect a man who life is classified to public office anyway? Was this nation expecting that a third time at failure was going to be good number for Bush. What we have is the second coming of Richard Nixion who is punishing America for making him resign. Bush is a curse in the making! He has done more harm in the short time he been has president that it will take a generation to recover from his constant mistakes. The sad thing about this nightmare is the worst is yet to come!
I would appreciate a further explanation of the contributions of Jobson and Shane. As a former resident of Japan I fail to see what you apparently see. Therefore, my obviously pea-size brain needs the benefit of your knowledge. Would you please be so considerate as to educate me.
Domo arigato gozaimasu.
Logic of the economic blackhole: Look at the costs involved in GETTING Iraq (in blood and treasure, US and Iraqi) to qualify for this position of failed status! Talk about a recipe for disaster. This alone, as a feat of gross negligence and breathtaking horror should be ENOUGH to stop the neo-cons from TOUCHING another nation. The entire world should stand up to these “forces of darkness” disguised as “human” beings cum leaders and just say NO! Whatever they touch unleashes terror, destruction, depravity, poverty and the long reflex of vengeance. THIS is where the US treasury has dumped the fruit of the sweat of its citizens.
Good thing we stayed out of Darfur…
And we are surprised??? Maybe if we go after Iran, we will become #1. Too bad the MSM is not reporting this.
And yet as others have pointed out, the last scenario the military industrial complex wants would have been an immediate and decisive victory. Keep in mind that this is an industry which requires a “sustainable” and protracted war, decades — whole generations — if possible.
What the article didn’t mention is that the United States probably ranks third in the 2007 Failed States Index. If one of the criteria (as noted in the article) for a failed state status is “a monopoly on the legitimate use of force,” that George Bush’s foreign policy right there. There’s also “the erosion of legitimate authority,” which applies to us since W’s only authority seems to be created by how media outlets spin the garbage that falls out of his mouth. Another criterion is “an inability to provide reasonable public services”; I’m sure Michael Moore’s upcoming film “Sicko” will say enough about that. Lastly, the article mentioned “the inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community.” If that’s not us, what is?
actually claudius I first saw this story on MSM. When I see stories like this I say to myself “is this something the white House and right wing media can spin?” The way this one will go is that the administration will ignore it and it will go away. If that doesnt happen they will criticize and demean the source until the U.S.public wont pay any attention to the message thats assuming they pay attention to anything that isnt entertaining.
How about getting the eight fired prosecutors to investigate and bring criminal charges against our war criminals. The prosecutors seemed to be a competent bunch to me.
Re: the US as a failed state. I talk with young people and they do not realize how low the US has fallen. Their idea of normal has very low expectations. This is no accident, but we need to somehow educate - inform them that they deserve a lot better for what they are producing.
I spent years arguing that we need publicly financed elections in order to change the direction of our country. We do but it will be a hot day at the North Pole before we get that out of our Legislature.
So we must do it ourselves. I am including the following for people to take action. Share with everyone you know, and tell them to share with everyone they know. The first is a letter to the editor (249 words) that my local paper printed, the second is an information sheet that can be emailed. Sorry for the duplication and the resultant lengthiness of this post, but they have two different functions.
BECOME CITIZEN LEGISLATORS
Wake up America, we are being manipulated! When I saw the recent plunge in gas prices I was angry. The last plunge in case you forgot was just before the 2006 election, after which the prices soared again.
Our country has been taken over by the corporations. Congress and the Supreme Court vote for the corporations over the citizens, the Executive branch is run by an oil cartel, our free press has become a corporate mouthpiece.
We are paying more in taxes and we are getting back nada. Our food is unsafe, our schools are drowning in red ink, the infrastructure is crumbling, college is becoming a privilege of the rich, healthcare costs are becoming ruinous, and the value of our homes is shrinking.
This is America? The world’s wealthiest country is becoming a debtor nation. So we vote for change and what happens? Nothing changes. We have two political parties bought by the same corporations. But the framers of our Constitution foresaw this possibility. In the event that the Legislature became unresponsive to the public, they provided for citizens to pass a Constitutional amendment bypassing the Legislature to write and vote on laws nationwide.
All we have to do is collect 50 million signatures nationwide and that amendment will become the law of the land. Yes, it’s a big mountain to climb, but we can do it. Go to www.nationalinitiative.us to read and vote. All you need is to be a registered voter. Then tell everyone you know.
The following is an expanded information sheet that can be emailed or handed out. It is up to us to get this word out. This initiative was developed by Mike Gravel, you can go to his website for more information.
WAKE UP AMERICA,WE ARE BEING MANIPULATED
When I saw the recent plunge in gas prices I was angry. The oil industry busy dodging a Congressional investigation - again. The last plunge in case you forgot was just before the 2006 election, then the high prices came roaring back In 2000, gas was $1.46/gallon.
Our country has been taken over by the corporations. Congress and the Supreme Court vote for the corporations over the citizens, the Executive branch is run by an oil cartel, and our fourth estate free press has become a corporate and government mouthpiece.
We are paying more in taxes and we are getting back nada. Our food is unsafe, our schools are drowning in red ink, the infrastructure is crumbling, college is becoming a privilege of the rich, healthcare costs are becoming ruinous, living wage jobs and pensions are vanishing, and the value of our homes is shrinking..
This is America? The world’s wealthiest country is becoming a debtor nation; mostly to China – watch out. So we vote for change and what happens? Nothing changes. We have two political parties bought by the same corporations. But the framers of our Constitution foresaw and feared this possibility. In the event that the Legislature became unresponsive to the public, they provided for citizens to pass a Constitutional amendment bypassing the Legislature to write and vote on laws nationwide: to be citizen legislators.
We can pass laws increasing the minimum wage to a living wage (which we once had), publicly financed election campaigns, universal single payer health care, fully funded schools through college (which we once had), we can cancel our membership in NAFTA and bring back our jobs, and return the fairness doctrine to the airwaves we own and start hearing opposing points of view. We can even require the corporations to pay taxes.
All we have to do is collect 50 million signatures nationwide and that amendment will become the law of the land. Yes, it’s a big mountain to climb, but we can do it. Go to www.nationalinitiative.us to read and vote. All you need is to be a registered voter.
THEN TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW
Jobson can’t think of any arguments that can hold water so he is throwing a red herring in the vain hope that it will obscure the real issues of who is responsible for this failed state without mercy.
The bastards for Bush are making tons of money off of Iraq. As far as they’re concerned, the invasion/occupation is a magnificent success. It’s good to see that a relatively huge percentage of the world population recognizes that the tragic situation in Iraq can rightly be blamed on the incompentence of those in the White House and on Capital hill. The top politicians of both parties who have supported the invasion/occupation have really screwed things up for everyone.
——–
BTW Matthood - Bush was NOT elected. In the first case, Gore got more votes, the vote tabulators (Diebold, etc) lied about the results, and ultimately he was appointed by the bastards of our so called “supreme court”. Bush lost the second “election” too, but that’s not what the Bush backers who were in charge of tabulating the votes reported. Bush is just an “acting president”. He’s never been and will never be, a real president. Same goes for Mr. Cheney, who seems to be the source of far more villainy than the naive and sheltered G.W.Bush.
i’m an atheist but i view bush as the anti-christ
Although I disagree with the parameters and so called benchmarks that decide such an honor I would like to point out the silver lining behind the cloud that is George Bush. Finally, lord finally, there is something quantifiable, at least in vague non-quantifiable terms, at which our pRESIDENT isn’t the absolute worst in the entire world at! The first US President with a master’s degree managed to create a democracy that isn’t the worst in the whole damned world and at the cost of a mere few hundred billion dollars. Oh, and those lives lost, ruined, dislocated, maimed and tortured, if you wanna split hairs. Further, it has been reported recently that with the largest, most high tech military ever assembled, at a cost of more than every other combined military the world has ever known, the man has actually secured 40% of Baghdad. That’s forty percent of an entire city folks! What a brilliant man! As for the parameters, quoted from the above article…
“Other attributes include the erosion of legitimate authority, an inability to provide reasonable public services and the inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international community”…
Think US elections, New Orleans, NATO, Anti-Proliferation, Anti-Ballistic Missiles and the Geneva Convention and you have a strong argument for the US to move into one of the top spots.
Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…
Kinda makes one “proud” to be an American, doesn’t it?
The scariest part of this thread, ignoring the horrible parts of the facts, is a comment that those of us over 50 should tremble at from kathyodat:
Re: the US as a failed state. I talk with young people and they do not realize how low the US has fallen. Their idea of normal has very low expectations. This is no accident, but we need to somehow educate - inform them that they deserve a lot better for what they are producing.
We over 50 Boomers DO know how great this country is, we we DO know what it means to strive and succeed. We and the Greatest Generation who fought and died for this ideal, and worked with, and taught us to make the USA the greatest place on earth, are today crying that we failed. If kathyodat’s summation is correct, we over 50’s succeeded only in our time…we have failed the future.
While all the obscene expenses of people, money, morality, status, of pursuing this pRESIDENT’s #%&kup is the most, well words fail me…the absolute fallout, a generation after us that has set the standard so low, in a world where other countries (see: China, India, Japan et.al.) are raising their standards of education, will doom the US the stockpile of filed superpowers. Can anyone say The British Empire, the French, the Ottoman Empire, the USSR, and let’s not forget the Glory that was Rome.
We should not and can not accept the low bar, we need a 1962-63 education revolution. (most Youngun’s may not know what that is, but if you’re here on CD.org, you do).
We indeed will reap what we sow, and the seedlings we are working with now (except for the 10% of the privileged class) will be a horrible crop, long after I have shed this mortal coil and shuffled away. I can’t help the world, but at least I helped my kids. Shame, shame on all of us.
Our military idustrial complex has the best of both worlds. First they will clean up on contracts during the distruction of Iraq.
After we bring Iraq to its knees, this same group will then then hoist the American flag even higher, put on their happy faces and procede to clean up during the “reconstrution” of Iraq. Our military idustrial complex has never had it so good!
Kathydot: Good points (and strategy) thanks for sharing it.
Leeexport: Perhaps the profits for the military industrial complex mean they “have it so good,” but the military itself is filled with broken men (and women), shadoes of their former selves. Sure, in the same way corporations off-shore labor for cheaper costs, mercenary armies are now being cultivated to do likewise. (Blackwater hardly minimizes costs, but eventually they will seek the mercenary force from the same nations they impoverish, sending farmer’s off their lands thanks to idiot international trade “laws,” etc.)
Ultimately it comes to this, “What profiteth a nation to gain the world and lose its soul.”
Hello all. This is directed to all whom state that the youth of our nation is lost/ill-informed:
I am 21 years old and have just received a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences/Spanish. I read daily/hourly about horrendous events happening around the world. My insides scream for change, my actions hopefully replicate such sentiments, but I ultimately feel that I am powerless. It seems, to me at least, that my generation is strongly divided into three camps: a tremendously small minority of action-takers, a slightly larger group of the stationary intellect, and an overwhelmingly sized group of the oblivious.
The problem: I am aware that change almost always comes from the youth of a (they are *usually* the first to recognize and act). However, my generation *as a whole* does not seem aware. Therefore, considering my age, my ultimate question posed to the aforementioned is this: What suggestions do you have for a recent college graduate that desires to prevent our most wonderful world from collapsing? How might I reach my peers and appropriately demonstrate the damage caused by negligent/oblivious actions?
erikdhoward, your plight is characteristic of all generations. Perhaps we oldsters are more active because we have more time (no careers to advance or kids to raise), and because we’ve been around long enough to see down the road. The Vietnam War draft brought many young people into activism who might have otherwise just wanted to have fun instead of watching their friends die (in those days, most of the wounded didn’t make it back). And today’s invasion and occupation of Iraq has brought many of us out of the woodwork.
Keep informing yourself, keep talking to people. I have a friend who was uninformed and uninterested, but I never shut up and now she’s ready to sign petitions, she’s registered to vote, her views have changed, she wants to be informed, and she’s 63 years old, so there’s always hope. Everyone we reach starts a ripple effect. Inform yourself about the national initiative and persuade people to sign it and pass the word on. It will be up to us to take back our country, no one is going to give it back to us.
And I want to welcome you to the small number who care and pay attention. It’s wonderful to meet a young person who is an idealist. An old activist said we must keep jumping up and down in front of the closed door, because sooner or later it will open and if no one is there, it will close again. And importantly, when someone gets tired and drops the banner, someone else must be there to pick it up and keep going.
My friends were very upset with me for not voting for Gore or Kerry, and I told them we need idealists as well as pragmatists in order to know where we need to go. It can be thankless, and we don’t always get to see the results of what we do, but that doesn’t make what we do any less important.
It wasn’t a failed state, untill the Bush crime family made it so. If Saddam was such a bad leader, how come the people did not turn against him? haveing so meny guns to kill our troops,you think Bush lied again.