The Warrior State Pakistan in the Contemporary World by T. V. Paul 9780190231446

Seemingly from its birth, Pakistan has teetered on the brink of becoming a failed state.Today, it ranks 133rd out of 148 countries in global competitiveness.Its economy is as dysfunctional as its political system is corrupt; both rely heavily on international aid for their existence.Taliban forces occupy 30 percent of the country. It possesses over a hundred nuclear weapons that could easily fall into terrorists' hands.Why, in an era when countries across the developing world are experiencing impressive economic growth and building democratic institutions, has Pakistan been such a conspicuous failure?In The Warrior State, noted international relations and South Asia scholar T.V.Paul untangles this fascinating riddle. Paul argues that the "geostrategic curse"--akin to the "resource curse" that plagues oil-rich autocracies--is at the root of Pakistan's unique inability to progress.Since its founding in 1947, Pakistan has been at the center of major geopolitical struggles: the US-Soviet r