tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146055197575374392.post4688221564798569416..comments2007-09-04T14:35:14.674-05:00$ylonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14257930571473454411noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146055197575374392.post-54405044323055313212007-09-04T14:35:00.000-05:002007-09-04T14:35:00.000-05:00The Tajiks...Its really interesting because you actually posed an issue of which i have thought quite frequently when i was younger; i agree with you to a certain extent, but not completely; i think the reason of this problem lies in what the aftermath of the demise of the soviet union has caused.<BR/><BR/>In a political system such as the soviet union, where classes were abolished and no borderlines were drawn among the working class and the elite (which was absolutely an illusion, as it existed) questioning political and social issues were forbidden, and even when done - were done quite precariously and in inside highly secret milieux; in my opinion, this aspect of soviet life has been deeply interiorised in tajik culture where questioning just anything regarding politics has become extremely taboo. <BR/><BR/>Secondly, of all the central asian countries emerging after the disintegration of the soviet union, the only country to plunge into a civil war was Tajikistan - thus demonstrating the highly-revolutionary mentality of tajiks; all the pressure which had been building up during the 1980's and late soviet years suddenly had an opportunity to burst.<BR/><BR/>In this way, opposition groups which operated on a secret but unnegligible scale suddenly faced an enormous chance to redirect the power into their hands, thus inflicting a civil war. Many of these opposition guerilla groups completely unknown to the populace now had Moscow backed financial assistance, and Moscow did everything to keep TJ under it's sphere of influence.<BR/><BR/>Anyway - the atrocity of the civil war has left deep scars in people's memories and people have lost so many beloved ones that they now prefer to stay under an authoritarian regime rather than to revolt.<BR/><BR/>Also (as Elisabeth noted), the party in power is not ignorant and knows how to retard the emersion of a middle class which could actually provide the basis for such a revolt. And if you have observed, people in Tajikistan are either very poor or very rich (those who work in the government); this very clearly illustrates the agenda the party in power has in mind. As long as this middle class does not exist or does not constitute the majority of the population, there isn't much hope for the development of the country.Doroudnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146055197575374392.post-2735686813681431002007-07-14T05:46:00.000-05:002007-07-14T05:46:00.000-05:00Five years, including two in Afghanistan in which I returned frequently.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009756273213611251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146055197575374392.post-52977918880407905012007-07-11T17:58:00.000-05:002007-07-11T17:58:00.000-05:00It is always good to hear another side of the story. <BR/><BR/>How long have you been living in TJ?$ylonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14257930571473454411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6146055197575374392.post-34753241794738081262007-07-11T01:27:00.000-05:002007-07-11T01:27:00.000-05:00You are quite wrong about the people in Tajikistan.<BR/><BR/>1. First of all, the president is not clueless. He is a selfish bastard who is stealing the country's wealth and supressing growth in opposing regions to prevent the growth of a middle class so that he can stay in power and continue to steal on a grand scale. This is not stupidity, it is evil.<BR/><BR/>2. People don't believe what they see on television. The reason they don't revolt is twofold. First, they have seen war in their own country and in Afghanistan and know that no matter how bad it is, war is alwasy worse. Second, they know that Russia and America back Rahmon, and therefore, they have no chance of success.<BR/><BR/>3. Besides that, if you run for president honestly and without violence, and you have even a gazillionth of a percent of a chance of winning, the mafia that is presently in power will kill you.<BR/><BR/>Who on earth would want to run for president under these circumstances?<BR/><BR/>And yet you mention that all children want to be president because of respect for authority. This might be true- though I have not met any children that actually want to be president outside of Kulob, where it is actually possible- but adults do not want to be president for that reason.<BR/><BR/>They want to, at best, implement justice and return what has been stolen to the people, and at worst, steal it for their own people.<BR/><BR/>Some of the adults want to invade Uzbekistan to get back Samarqand and Bukhara and to stop the cultural genocide there, but that's unrealistic.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14009756273213611251noreply@blogger.com