anonymous question

Saakashvili is not a libertarian, but he provided political cover for Bendukidze’s libertarian reforms, which is why he earned the respect of the entire global libertarian community.

He is a lawyer, like Putin, but treats current norms and procedures with much greater respect; therefore, he acknowledged his party’s defeat in fair parliamentary elections and stepped down peacefully. This was a risky move; specifically, he and his party colleagues were subsequently subjected to political persecution, and some even to criminal prosecution. Nevertheless, during his rule, public sentiment changed so significantly that now, in this parliamentary democracy, ministers resign under the pressure of public opinion, as in any decent European country. And this is the merit not of Bendukidze, but of Saakashvili himself.

It would be strange not to mention Saakashvili’s Ukrainian epic. He didn’t succeed there. But no one did. He was far from the only foreigner attracted by the prospects that opened up for the country after the Revolution of Dignity, and all of them, after some time, were pushed out of Ukraine, whether softly or harshly. So I would not hold this failure against him: Saakashvili is not a magician, but simply a clever market-oriented person who respects the rule of law, is skilled in both administration and street activism, but is not very adapted to weaving bureaucratic intrigues.

It would be great to invite him to speak at the Adam Smith Readings. While the venue was provided by HSE, such an opportunity did not exist, but now I have more room to maneuver.

For more room to maneuver, the girl could use some bitcoins: 1A7Wu2enQNRETLXDNpQEufcbJybtM1VHZ8