Move over, other former Soviet republics: For the Wall Street Journal, there can be only one, the reform-minded Republic of Turkmenistan.
After President for Life Saparmyrat Niyazov died in 2006, Turkmenistan faced the end of what blogger Paul Karl Lukacs calls "one man's autocratic--and deeply weird--rule," but also the hope of becoming more open to the West. But while the new, suspiciously elected president Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedow has given high culture the green light, opened up government posts to people who don't share his ethnic background and yanked Niyazov's book from the school curriculum, many citizens feel the change isn't happening fast enough.
We'd love to see Turkmenistan at a time like this, where the country is changing so quickly that a year's difference in trips could make a huge difference. But celebrating the country after its deeply wacky dictator has kicked the bucket? It's just too easy. Travel vets will scoff at you like you're a "Borat" fan who never watched "Da Ali G Show."
Related Stories:
· Turkmen Dictator Is Gone, but He's Still in the Process of Being Forgotten [WSJ]
· Life Under The Turkmenbashi's Thumb [Knife Tricks]
· Turkmenistan Plans To Move Dead-President Tower [Jaunted]
· Turkmenistan coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: vankasteren]]]>