A penetrating look into the unrecognized and unregulated links between autocratic regimes in Central Asia and centers of power and wealth throughout the West Weak, corrupt, and politically unstable, ...the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are dismissed as isolated and irrelevant to the outside world. But are they? This hard-hitting book argues that Central Asia is in reality a globalization leader with extensive involvement in economics, politics and security dynamics beyond its borders. Yet Central Asia's international activities are mostly hidden from view, with disturbing implications for world security. Based on years of research and involvement in the region, Alexander Cooley and John Heathershaw reveal how business networks, elite bank accounts, overseas courts, third-party brokers, and Western lawyers connect Central Asia's supposedly isolated leaders with global power centers. The authors also uncover widespread Western participation in money laundering, bribery, foreign lobbying by autocratic governments, and the exploiting of legal loopholes within Central Asia. Riveting and important, this book exposes the global connections of a troubled region that must no longer be ignored.
Metaphor of 'pyramid' has been widely used in the top down approaches to development. Organizations and societies have been structured around the idea of pyramid. In fact, study of history shows that ...one type of pyramid has been replaced by another type of pyramid. In many countries, 'Feudal pyramid' was replaced by, 'Socialist pyramid'/'Communist pyramid' and during recent years it has been replaced by 'Market pyramid'. During the era of 'socialist pyramid', reaching out to the bottom of pyramid was the key note of a responsive State. During the era of the 'market pyramid' we hear a similar echo in the form of 'Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid' (Prahalad, 2005). However, for holistic development and holistic globalization, we need to take a new perspective and balance various 'pyramids' and be ready to rotate the pyramid at times by inverting the same. For this we need to understand the dynamics of underlying forces that shape our existence in the contemporary context.
