|
Recently it was reported in The Los Angeles Times newspaper that the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan, now supposedly an independent nation, continues to be run by a Communist dictator. The people of Uzbekistan are being terribly repressed. The LA Times reports that the government of this landlocked, Central Asian country "has emerged as one of the most authoritarian and brutal on Earth."
In Uzbekistan, it is against the law to criticize the government. To say even a negative word about the country’s president, Islam Karimov, leads to swift arrest and imprisonment. The official criminal charge is "Offending the Honor and Dignity of the President."
United States Secretary of State Madelyn Albright is now warning the government of Uzbekistan it must stop its "Indiscriminate censorship and repression."
Aren’t we lucky we don’t live in Uzbekistan? Here in the U.S.A., speaking out against the government or offending the dignity of President Bill Clinton leads only to Big Brother harassment, a repressive IRS tax audit, government censorship, and possible seizure of property and assets.
|
