A state is a political association of people with effective sovereignty over a geographic area. A state succeeds when it maintains a monopoly on the legitimate use of Physical force within its borders. When the state has been rendered ineffective, the state becomes a failed state. The Crisis States Research Centre, gives a more broader view and includes the term inability to provide “development functions”.
A US based think Tank, the Fund for Peace and the magazine Foreign Policy, from the Washington Post, publish an annual index called the Failed States Index. This list is arrived on various parameters like:
a) Social Indicators
b) Economic Indicators
c) Political Indicators
The worst 20 states, in 2008 are:
1. Somalia--- 6. D R of Congo --11. Guinea-----16. Ethiopia
2. Sudan----- 7. Afghanistan---12. Bangladesh-17. Uganda
3. Zimbabwe- 8. Côte d'Ivoire- 13. Burma------18. Lebanon
4. Chad------ 9. Pakistan------14. Haiti--------19. Nigeria
5. Iraq------ 10. C A Republic-15. N Korea-----20. Sri Lanka
The complete list can be had at the following:
http://www.fundforpeace.org/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=292&Itemid=452
A prominent issue which comes out from the list in my view is the absence of leadership, or more appropriately failed leadership. This would be one of the reasons why a country like North Korea, in spite of having a strongman in the form of Kim Jong Il or Zimbabwe with Robert Mugabe are a failed state. Zimbabwe became a free nation in 1980. In its earlier version as Rhodesia, in 1979 the GDP per person was $ 1879 which today reads at $ 200 (two hundred) and the life expectancy has been reduced from 51 years to 44 years.
“To be a leader, you have to make people want to follow you, and nobody wants to follow someone who doesn't know where he is going.”
Joe Namath
A strong leadership is essential for the growth and development of nations. It is when the leadership abdicates their responsibility for their people and put their personal benefits before that of their citizens that we see a deterioration of the state. Such a situation is amply evident in North Korea, Zimbabwe, Burma, Sudan, Pakistan and even Bangladesh.
India and Pakistan both got Independence in Aug 1947 from the British. India has consistently improved on GDP, education and health parameters despite starting from a lower base, and Pakistan is fast heading towards being a failed state. The following are the details.
Paramteres -------Pak - 47--- India - 47----Pak -07---India - 07
Per Capita GDP--- $470--------$350-----------$2,600-------$2,600
GDP growth-------------------------------------5.30%--------9%
Literacy-----------17.90%------14%-----------49.90%--------61%
Life expectency---33 yrs-------28 yrs---------64 yr----------66.8 yr
One of the main reasons for the current situation is that Pakistan has been either ruled by a feudal oligarchy or the military. Both these players have not established institutions like an independent judiciary, or an election commission. Further expense has been disproportionate on the Defense services at the cost of health and education.
“A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.”
Ralph Nader
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I think it is no accident that states allowing their citizens to freely choose their leadership through fair elections do not often fail, because the citizenry has the right to peacefully remove poor leaders from power. It is also interesting to note that democracies virtually never wage war with one another. This cannot be said for military dictatorships, monarchies and interestingly enough, theocracies that claim to follow the will of a loving and benificent God.
Yes, it is due to poor leadership that states fail, because such leaders will often not leave after they have led their nations to ruin. They usually blame others and then oppress or silence those who call for their removal. Hugo Chavez is one such recent example.
Simply put, "leaders" of failed states usually care nothing for their people and are usually greedy sociopaths who feel ordained by God to "lead." Without naming them here, some such leaders exist in the world today who are clearly insane.
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