I love learning, there's so much I don't know:
"He's not only a brutal dictator, but a dictator who runs his country like it's his own private Disney World. That country, Turkmenistan, is a former Soviet republic sitting strategically between Iran and Afghanistan. And the man who runs it is Saparmurat Niyazov.
He’s known by his citizens, and by decree, as "Serdar Turkmenbashi" - which means "Great Leader of all Turkmen." Correspondent Bob Simon reports.
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If you think Saddam Hussein was fond of himself, just visit Turkmenbashi's country. There's a poster or a statue of him in nearly every public space.
When Soviet rule collapsed in 1991, Turkmenistan was left on its own, with no real government, and no national identity. Turkmenbashi filled that void. He built a nation and a culture based on him.
The golden likeness of the former communist party boss-turned-dictator is in the center of the capitol, always rotating to face the sun. His picture is on the airplane that brings you to the main port town called Turkmenbashi. It watches over workers in the field, over children in school, over drivers on the road. He's also on the money, and he's even on the national vodka.
His face is everywhere, and you can’t walk a block without seeing either a statue or photo of him.
“If I was a worker and my president gave me all the things they have here in Turkmenistan, I would not only paint his picture, I would have his picture on my shoulder, or on my clothing,” says Turkmenbashi. “I'm personally against seeing my pictures and statues in the streets - but it's what the people want.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/31/60minutes/main590913.shtml
"He's not only a brutal dictator, but a dictator who runs his country like it's his own private Disney World. That country, Turkmenistan, is a former Soviet republic sitting strategically between Iran and Afghanistan. And the man who runs it is Saparmurat Niyazov.
He’s known by his citizens, and by decree, as "Serdar Turkmenbashi" - which means "Great Leader of all Turkmen." Correspondent Bob Simon reports.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you think Saddam Hussein was fond of himself, just visit Turkmenbashi's country. There's a poster or a statue of him in nearly every public space.
When Soviet rule collapsed in 1991, Turkmenistan was left on its own, with no real government, and no national identity. Turkmenbashi filled that void. He built a nation and a culture based on him.
The golden likeness of the former communist party boss-turned-dictator is in the center of the capitol, always rotating to face the sun. His picture is on the airplane that brings you to the main port town called Turkmenbashi. It watches over workers in the field, over children in school, over drivers on the road. He's also on the money, and he's even on the national vodka.
His face is everywhere, and you can’t walk a block without seeing either a statue or photo of him.
“If I was a worker and my president gave me all the things they have here in Turkmenistan, I would not only paint his picture, I would have his picture on my shoulder, or on my clothing,” says Turkmenbashi. “I'm personally against seeing my pictures and statues in the streets - but it's what the people want.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/12/31/60minutes/main590913.shtml
