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Dictator of the Year - Finalist

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3486776.stm

The goatee beard is currently in vogue in the capital, Ashgabat, and these will probably be the first to be shaved off.

Obviously not an Acid Jazz fan...... :lol:

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    wow...... seeing how bad the us elctorate is, he'll probably try upstage dubya
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    He's one of Dubyah's partners in crime along with Karimov, no surprise there (not when theyve got a rich source of natural gas to exploit).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Aha I'll change my perception, what a great guy and a loyal friend to the west, when are we going to war with him? ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As soon as he decides any of the following:

    1. To switch to the Euro ove the dollar for international gas purchases,

    2. Nationalises the gas industry and boots out US companies

    or 3.

    Gets overthrown by his own people in favour of someone else who promises to do either or both of the first two.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What's the point of being a dictator if you aren;ty going to make pointless, personal and daft laws to subject your people to?

    I fully suppoprt his ban on beards, btw- it's something they should do over here :lol:

    Oh, and LondonerChris, thanks for the quote;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I won't be going there for my holidays then...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You could send your kids to summer forced labour camp there! ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Now thats what I call pro-active

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3522855.stm

    Troops to replace Turkmen medics

    By Monica Whitlock
    BBC Central Asia correspondent



    Conscripts from the army will trade battle-dress for hospital wear
    President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan has ordered the dismissal of 15,000 medical workers.
    It is likely that at least some of the hospital work left behind would now be done by conscript soldiers.

    The Turkmen leader said the move would reduce state spending on healthcare and the workers will not be replaced.

    Cheaply-employed conscripts perform a number of jobs in Turkmenistan - from policing traffic on the streets to working in factories.

    However, it is not clear how much training the soldiers will receive before entering the health service.


    Cheap labour


    The cuts come in every department of the health service but some special groups are targeted - nurses, midwives, school health visitors and orderlies.

    This means that very many of those now redundant are women treating other women and children.

    President Niyazov says the cuts are part of a restructuring of the health service which is being privatised.

    Instead of free health care for all, Turkmens are now supposed to take out insurance to cover most health needs.

    It is true that the Turkmen health service is in very poor shape - but critics argue that the mass sacking was done without consultation or real planning.

    The army will likely be called in to fill some gaps, as has happened before.

    Two years ago, all the traffic policemen were sacked and now the streets are patrolled by army recruits.

    And a clothes factory in the ancient city of Merv is staffed by the military.

    President Niyazov, who recently banned men from keeping beards, apparently makes his decisions single-handedly.

    There is no real parliament or any political checks and balances.

    International bodies tend to have their movements restricted in Turkmenistan, while foreign governments tend not to raise their voices against the president's methods.


    And those 15,000 newly unemployed? guess you could send the lazy bums into the army



    :lol:
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