The great ASEAN Rorschach test

Why do serious scholars come to such different conclusions about the significance and effectiveness of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations? This article responds by a recent article by Richard Stubbs and argues that even some of the best ‘proponents’ of ASEAN see what they want to see in Southeast Asia’s heterogeneous politics and diplomacy, and understate the criticisms made by skeptics. Indeed, ASEAN provides an academic Rorschach test that often reveals as much about the analyst as it does about organization itself.