The press in Ulaanbaatar is depressing. Once a mighty empire, the land of Genghis Khaan has become a wasteland in all senses of the word.
The country is literally standing on a gold mine but the government’s mismanagement to put it kindly or corruption to put it bluntly has rendered the prospects of striking it rich a foolish endeavor for those who were naive enough to believe it is possible.
The mood on the ground is captured by gazing at the sky. Depending on the vantage point, the impression of Mongolia will vary. Looking off into the horizon, the sky is clear, blue, and endless. Panning in, the film from the smog of burning raw coal and tires is stifling.
The self-inflicted problems of a land that otherwise would be prosperous is baffling. A democratic government, limitless reserves, and a proud history are not enough to inspire hope. Years come and go but change does not. With no unifying leader to muster the nomadic mindset of its people, Mongolia remains stuck in the shadow of its former self. Though everyone believes that a return to greatness is inevitable, no one has laid out an orderly way as to how this will be achieved.
The way forward is to embrace the ideology of what made the country great in the past appreciating that complacency and bureaucracy were not the battle cry for the Khans of the past.
