Rank and File's Income Correlates to Viability of Democracy?

This was in response to a piece written by Laina Farhat-Holzman about the invasion of Georgia by the USSR. I was wondering if democracy could take root in Georgia -- especially in the invaded states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Link to this piece by Laina Farhat-Holzman

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Laina:

A year or three ago, I saw mention of a study that suggested that the rank and file's income level correlates very well with a country's ability to sustain a democracy. If a country's people are impoverished, high-minded notions of democracy are not sustainable (so the study suggests). Iraq's rank and file income level at the time of the study was easily below the cutoff that would support a democracy, thus trying to start a democracy in Iraq was quite possibly like trying to plant orchids in the Antarctic.

So, what are the income levels ofSouth Ossetia and Abkhazia?

This is an an open question I am asking myself and sharing with you. I am not now taking the time to research the answer; I'm just throwing out the question to myself (and, obviously, to you). If one asks the questions, one has more answers "finding" him.

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Laina's reply:

I think the possibility of sustaining democracy depends upon a literacy rate (among both men and women) of over 50% and a number of institutions that provide transparency and separation of powers. Also--experience from grass-roots level up with decisionmaking.

Iraq was borderline on the literacy issue--but close. The other institutions they did not really have enough of.

South Ossetia has a reputation of being a thuggish place, but Abkazia is not. There was a good piece on today's Leher's News Hour on Abkazia, and I was impressed.

Laina
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