2010 Kyrgyzstan riots (or Tulip Revolution 2:Electric Boogaloo)

[GMantis]

One of the 12 (perhaps 11) former Soviet Republics for which the collapse of the Soviet Union was a disaster.

[GMantis]

I had always thought this was one of the better off -stans, at least compared to its neighbors.

No, that's Kazakhstan.

[GMantis]

One of the 12 (perhaps 11) former Soviet Republics for which the collapse of the Soviet Union was a disaster.

So, your list is...Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and...  I only get 9.

You think that Georgia and Ukraine are better of?

[GMantis]

Yes.

This is too stupid, even for someone as ignorant about Eastern Europe as you.
Georgia, which is now split in three, has lived through 4 civil wars, with hundreds of thousands of internally displaced, with a dramatic collapse of living standards for most of the population - during Soviet times they had one of the highest living standards - is better of now?
And Ukraine, with an even more disastrous collapse, with a horrible demographic crisis and massive reduction of population? It should be noted again that during Soviet times they were generally better of than Russia, while now there is a significant emigration to Russia.
There is an amusing story on this subject: a Georgian observer, after the Ossetian war blamed the Russians for causing the collapse of the Soviet Union, where such a thing could never have happened.

[GMantis]

There have been vaguely voiced hints that the Russian government supported at least tacitly Bakiyev's overthrow. This report, however, if true, seems to cast doubt on this idea:
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/columns/1328/article/reports-say-ethnic-violence-rising-in-kyrgyzstan/403941.html
Of course, it might be just the post-overthrow anarchy.