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"get on the radar of Turkmenbashi and see what falls on your lap next time he goes to exercise his golden systems of elimination in his golden commode." (Bias

"get on the radar of Turkmenbashi and see what falls on your lap next time he goes to exercise his golden systems of elimination in his golden commode." (Bias disclaimer - speaking as a native Turkmen.) Wait, wait.. Do you have any specific example of Turkmenistan investing huge amount of money in foreign business just for bragging rights? I'd like to hear one. In Turkmenistan, money coming from gas export is totally under control of the government and it is being spent wisely, inside the country as much as possible. And there's no single person who can waste millions of gas money on personal entertainment.

abalashov 17y ago
No, I was not literally insinuating a Turkmen connection. It's not even the same country. :-) The purpose for the mention of Niyazov was a rhetorical and a metaphorical one.
- YuriNiyazov 17y ago
  As an actual Niyazov (no relation), I appreciate this.
berntb 17y ago
>>money coming from gas export is totally under control of the government and it is being spent wisely, inside the country as much as possible. And there's no single person who can waste millions of gas money on personal entertainment. That comment made me Google. Turkmenistan makes e.g. Iran and Egypt look democratic. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Turkmenistan#Political_freedom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Turkmenistan#Po... >>Any opposition to the government is considered treason and punishable by life imprisonment. From http://www.hrw.org/en/by-issue/essential-background/219 http://www.hrw.org/en/by-issue/essential-background/219 >>Turkmenistan remains one of the most repressive and authoritarian countries in the world The "joke" here is: I wonder what would happen the poster if he wrote anything different?
- abalashov 17y ago
  Yep, that was among the first things that occurred to me when I read his reply; nobody in the former USSR, most certainly not Central Asia, let alone Turkmenistan, earnestly describes their government's spending as "wise." But on the off-chance that the guy is an actual Turkmen in Turkmenistan, I figured it would be impolite to take up the issue here.
  - atamyrat 17y ago
    Well, Turkmenistan is black box when looked from outside, I wouldn't jump to conclusions based on couple minutes of Google search :-) Our government is paranoid about money leaving the country. And I think, rightly so. We spend quite a lot inside on infrastructure, build some shiny new schools/hospitals/residence buildings, invest on some factories, etc. It may not be "wisest" way possible, but I wouldn't call that stupid either. At least, better than distributing the wealth among "family" like in Russia 90s. My original point was "No, you can't make millions by getting on radar here in Turkmenistan. It is not as easy as you think."
    - abalashov 17y ago
      Understood. No disagreement there. :-) I actually assumed you were something of a "patriot"; people here expect me to avenge insults to Russia with blood all the time for some reason. And certainly, a policy to contain the kind of international laundering^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hcapital flight that characterised Russia in the 90s is wiser than the absence of one.
    - berntb 17y ago
      >>I wouldn't jump to conclusions based on couple minutes of Google search :-) True, HRW and Wikipedia are just Western conspiracies -- just ask any dictator! :-)
      - abalashov 17y ago
        I think the parent's point was that blanket statements of this sort gloss over all sorts of significant nuances that render the issue in non-B&W terms, especially as it relates to his specific experience of that country's political environment.

abalashov 17y ago

No, I was not literally insinuating a Turkmen connection. It's not even the same country. :-) The purpose for the mention of Niyazov was a rhetorical and a metaphorical one.

YuriNiyazov 17y ago
As an actual Niyazov (no relation), I appreciate this.

berntb 17y ago

>>money coming from gas export is totally under control of the government and it is being spent wisely, inside the country as much as possible. And there's no single person who can waste millions of gas money on personal entertainment. That comment made me Google. Turkmenistan makes e.g. Iran and Egypt look democratic. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Turkmenistan#Political_freedom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Turkmenistan#Po... >>Any opposition to the government is considered treason and punishable by life imprisonment. From http://www.hrw.org/en/by-issue/essential-background/219 http://www.hrw.org/en/by-issue/essential-background/219 >>Turkmenistan remains one of the most repressive and authoritarian countries in the world The "joke" here is: I wonder what would happen the poster if he wrote anything different?

abalashov 17y ago
Yep, that was among the first things that occurred to me when I read his reply; nobody in the former USSR, most certainly not Central Asia, let alone Turkmenistan, earnestly describes their government's spending as "wise." But on the off-chance that the guy is an actual Turkmen in Turkmenistan, I figured it would be impolite to take up the issue here.
- atamyrat 17y ago
  Well, Turkmenistan is black box when looked from outside, I wouldn't jump to conclusions based on couple minutes of Google search :-) Our government is paranoid about money leaving the country. And I think, rightly so. We spend quite a lot inside on infrastructure, build some shiny new schools/hospitals/residence buildings, invest on some factories, etc. It may not be "wisest" way possible, but I wouldn't call that stupid either. At least, better than distributing the wealth among "family" like in Russia 90s. My original point was "No, you can't make millions by getting on radar here in Turkmenistan. It is not as easy as you think."
  - abalashov 17y ago
    Understood. No disagreement there. :-) I actually assumed you were something of a "patriot"; people here expect me to avenge insults to Russia with blood all the time for some reason. And certainly, a policy to contain the kind of international laundering^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hcapital flight that characterised Russia in the 90s is wiser than the absence of one.
  - berntb 17y ago
    >>I wouldn't jump to conclusions based on couple minutes of Google search :-) True, HRW and Wikipedia are just Western conspiracies -- just ask any dictator! :-)
    - abalashov 17y ago
      I think the parent's point was that blanket statements of this sort gloss over all sorts of significant nuances that render the issue in non-B&W terms, especially as it relates to his specific experience of that country's political environment.