August 8, 2002

9:36 AM

As President-for-Life, you have schools, cities, airports and even a meteor named after you. What is left?
Saparmurat Niyazov, President of Turkmenistan, intends to rename the calendar. January for himself and April may be reserved for his mother.

Crazy guy.
posted by i_cola (13 comments total)

Why he might not be annoying:
He swears that he'll step down in 2010.
His father was killed in World War II.
The rest of his family was killed in a 1948 Earthquake, meaning he had to grow up in a orphanage.
He's popular in Turkmenistan.
He's made sure that the Turkmen flag is the best flag with a rug on it.
He helped build more streets and towns so he could name them after himself.
He gives his countrymen free gas and power.
How many men get the chance to have giant statues of themselves made?

If the worst he's done is name a bunch of stuff after himself, I say more power to him! Although his "great book" is a little nutty.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:40 AM on August 8, 2002

How do we know he's popular in Turkmenistan? (Did his papers say so?)
posted by small_ruminant at 9:52 AM on August 8, 2002

I hear that crassula essence will cure your Caesar complex.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 9:53 AM on August 8, 2002

He's no angel...
posted by i_cola at 9:54 AM on August 8, 2002

He's no angel...

Neither are the other ex-Communist party heads turned 'patriotic heroes' in the region. Though Turkmen Bashi does do natty gold-plated three-piece-suited revolving statues of himself on top of arches. You have to suspect that the US would actually like one of his ilk in Iraq.
posted by riviera at 10:07 AM on August 8, 2002

In other news, American oligarchs also name things after themselves. (worst case example: Senator Robert C. Byrd --NY Times link)
posted by found missing at 10:47 AM on August 8, 2002

or Ronald Reagan for that matter...
posted by mhaw at 11:14 AM on August 8, 2002

Just in case anyone else was intrigued by "He's made sure that the Turkmen flag is the best flag with a rug on it" - it's true.
posted by gleuschk at 11:25 AM on August 8, 2002

From riviera's link:

"Here we are, slightly beyond the end of the world, we look around and see Stalin in Las Vegas,"

Classic.
posted by thewittyname at 11:50 AM on August 8, 2002

I'm sure freeing the people of some country nobody's heard of with no oil
Turkmenistan is on the top of Duh-bya's list...
posted by zekinskia at 1:24 PM on August 8, 2002

Nah, the Bush doesn't like muching rug (flags) - he's gay!
posted by DenOfSizer at 1:32 PM on August 8, 2002

I'm sure freeing the people of some country nobody's heard of with no oil Turkmenistan is on the top of Duh-bya's list...

Were you implying that Turkmenistan has no oil? Oh, but it has, though it's gas that's the thing there.
posted by riviera at 3:55 PM on August 8, 2002

You have to suspect that the US would actually like one of his ilk in Iraq.

Coming soon, the best flag with cheeseburgers on it.
posted by y2karl at 7:00 AM on August 9, 2002