I can think of no other academic publication in this nation that takes such a critical view of the Colombian government. "The Colombian state is delegitimized by its historical indifference to outlying regions," according to the authors. Moreover, the authors warn that Colombia, "is largely ignored today, but before long the news from there is likely to be front page and very bad." In the final analysis authors Edgardo Buscaglia and William Ratliff claim that although many factors have contributed to the current crisis, "the primary ones are the failure of the Colombian government to meet the needs of its citizens." The absence of political inclusion and significant social and land reforms haunt Colombia...and must be corrected, according to the authors. This short 26 page essay is published by the prestigious "Hoover Institution on War, Revolution & Peace," at Stanford University and should be designated six stars.