Kazakhstan got on the specially designated countries list in USA. Politics. Tengrinews.kz
What is your opinion? especially interesting to hear opinion of people from US.
Kazakhstan got on the specially designated countries list in USA. Politics. Tengrinews.kz
What is your opinion? especially interesting to hear opinion of people from US.
American here - Anything I've ever learned about Kazakhstan, I learned from watching the movie "Borat". It's a fact that there are people that want to fly planes into American buildings and kill as many Americans as possible. If some of them happen to come from Kazakhstan then any beefed up security measures are welcome by me.
Scott
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Originally Posted by DrZero
I'm from Kazakhstan. And when I was in USA. Americans often asked me where am I from then when they heard answer they usually said "Oh, like Borat?" I thought that time "stupid Americans(not all Americans are stupid I have friends from US they are most interesting people), don't they really understand this question make me angry?" Borat is the most stupid movie. Everything in this movie is lie. Kazakh people don't even look like a Borat's nationality. Kazakh people don't have a name Borat!
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, territories of West cost of Gaza, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunis, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen are in this list I don't think these countries have a good opinion about America. Most of them are peaceful countries. I think it's not a plus for America. I'm totally agree, each country should protect itself but without any lists. If country beefs up security measures It's for all countries. The government of USA makes people from other countries angry for America. I don't think it's good.
LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by DrZero
Let's wait for Hanna. I think you're in her "most trusted friends" list already.
Do you really think that Americans took that movie serious? I didn't - it was very funny.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrZero
You should listen "Задорнов" then u will understand me.Quote:
Originally Posted by fortheether
I think the film Borat is totally ridiculous. The whole concept assumes that the viewer doesn't know where Kazakhstan is, and knows nothing at all about it. If you know anything about it, it is obvious that the whole film is totally ridiculous.
I can imagine this is really irritating for you! Particularly since it shows such a bad image of Kazakhstan (in reality it was filmed in a gypsy village in Romania!!!) I think it is very rude to make fun of a country in that way.
Tell them that Kazakhstan is the place that American space flights are usuallyt launched from! Show them some pictures of "Astana". I saw a Youtube clip of it and it looks very cool - better than lots of cities in the US.
On the news story that you are referring to:
I thought Kazakhstan was friendly with the USA? Aren't there lots of American companies in Kazakhstan, you are selling oil and gas to Western companies etc.... ? USA usually put those countries on their "terror lists" that won't do business with it in the way that the USA wants... Maybe Kazakhstan has done something that upset the USA lately? Can you think of anything?
Saudia Arabia should DEFINITELY be on that list for example. But it is not there. Most of the 9-11 bombers were from there. But Saudis is not on the list because it does business with the USA in the way that the USA wants, and it allows US military bases on its territory. However, it is also the biggest sponsor of Islamic terrorism, and terrorists are Saudi citizens. So if there was any real logic to their list, then Saudi should be on it.
I know lots of European people who actually say that they don't want to go to America anymore because the border treatment is so offputting. They take peoples finger prints and ask their views on politics etc. I would like to go to the USA sometime soon, but I am not sure I am willing to accept that type of treatment either.
If you are upset about this just stay away from the USA and American products etc. There are other English speaking countries and other nice places to go to.
I don't think that anyone here believes that Kazakhstanis are likely to be terrorist!
They seem great - guide books speak about how hospitable and friendly Kazakhstanis are, and how tolerant they are to all groups of people within their country. I think it seems like a really nice country.
Well, I can see where you're coming from, and my other Kazhak friends feel the same way.. The movie hurt *their* feelingsQuote:
Originally Posted by DrZero
Who cares if it didn't hurt *our* (USA) feelings? We're not from Kazhakstan, so why does it matter how *we* feel? If it makes Kazhkak people feel bad, then there's "where the shoe pinches."
Sascha Baron Cohen doesn't represent us, or our thoughts or opinions. He's just a dude willing to do a lot to make people laugh. And that's not always a good thing. Anybody remember Andy Kaufman?
Anyway, I thought Cohen looked Turkish as "Borat." Don't get why they chose Kazhak..
As far as the list: It's kind of a necessary evil. Of course things could be run differently.. Government is similar to money - things could be run differently, money could be spent differently... but it's always the same TYPE of person who controls both. And they tend to fall into the behavior patterns of whoever came before them.
Our legal policy is meant to be "Innocent until proven guilty." So.. If our local police sheriff singled out 300 names in the state, of people who he thought should be on his 'watch list' and then followed them around all day, we'd be highly offended. It would be a breach of privacy rights.
But the other side of the coin is: That does happen, anyway, despite its illegality. It happens in my hometown all the time - illegal wiretapping, surveillance, search and seizure.. I'm thinking the same thing goes on in the govenment - bending the rules and breaking the morals. They SHOULDN'T be making such lists. But they do anyway.
If it helps, American people don't like this one bit, I think. That's what it seems like to me.
Kazhaks are some of the nicest people I have ever met.
Yeah, that's right - I used to think he looked Turkish too. I got really surprised when I saw the film and heard him talking about Kazakhstan. I think that Borat is a Turkish name but I have never met anyone called that.
Sacha Baron Cohen is Jewish, that's why he looks vaguely Middle Eastern and a bit like a Turk with make-up on.
In case people don't know - Sacha Baron-Cohen is BRITISH and not American. So it's not an American film actually. He went to Oxford University and is well educated, well spoken and intelligent. I think this and the fact that he is British makes it even worse. Everyone knows that Americans are rubbish at geography. But British people simply have no excuse! I think the film is tasteless and insulting towards Kazakhstan. Likewise the film the Baron-Cohen did in America afterwards, can't remember the name and it was so terrible that I didn't even finish watching it. There is plenty of things to critisize America for, but ridiculing the culture of American people in America is just rude.
A quick quote I pulled from Wikipedia about Cohen.. Not that it answers any questions, but this is his defense of the whole thing:
Baron Cohen has had some trouble because of racist or prejudiced comments his characters have made (see Da Ali G Show). HBO spokesman Quentin Schaffer has replied to criticism concerning Baron Cohen's characters: 'Through his alter-egos, he delivers an obvious satire that exposes people's ignorance and prejudice in much the same way All in the Family did years ago.'[26] Regarding his portrayal as the anti-Semitic Borat, Baron Cohen says the segments are a "dramatic demonstration of how racism feeds on dumb conformity, as much as rabid bigotry", rather than a display of racism by Baron Cohen himself.[27] "Borat essentially works as a tool. By himself being anti-Semitic, he lets people lower their guard and expose their own prejudice", Baron Cohen explains.[9] Addressing the same topic in an NPR interview with Robert Siegel, Baron Cohen says "...and I think that's quite an interesting thing with Borat, which is people really let down their guard with him because they're in a room with somebody who seems to have these outrageous opinions. They sometimes feel much more relaxed about letting their own outrageous, politically incorrect, prejudiced opinions come out."[28]
Baron Cohen, the grandson of a Holocaust survivor, says he also wishes in particular to expose the role of indifference in that genocide. "When I was in university, there was this major historian of the Third Reich, Ian Kershaw, who said, 'The path to Auschwitz was paved with indifference.' I know it's not very funny being a comedian talking about the Holocaust, but it's an interesting idea that not everyone in Germany had to be a raving anti-Semite. They just had to be apathetic."[9] Regarding the enthusiastic response to his song, "Throw The Jew Down The Well", he says, "Did it reveal that they were anti-Semitic? Perhaps. But maybe it just revealed that they were indifferent to anti-Semitism."[9
Hanna, kidkboom thank you for understanding.
We really sell oil and gas to Western companies. Maybe you are right and USA wants to do business that way they want.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanna
Thank you for your opinions.Quote:
Originally Posted by kidkboom
This year Kazakhstan signed a customs union agreement with Russia and Belarus. So now we have no customs border control between our countries and rules and fees for importing and exporting goods (and oil) became equal for all three countries. The USSR is back on track! :yahoo:Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanna
It's hard to imagine what Kazakhstan in particular could have done to get on this list.
I mean thereare PLENTY of moslem terrorist-wannabes in the United Kingdom for example.
Immigrants from moslem countries. There are at least 3-4 million moslems in the UK, not an insignificant proportion of the population. Some of these are extremists. I doubt there are any more extremists in Kazakhstan, it has a much smaller population, and as I understand it, most people there are not religious at all.
It is really strange, must be some other reason for it, something that Kazakhstan has said or done... or hasn't done that the USA is unhappy about.
As for a comeback of the USSR (obviously in a new guise, new name)---- seems smart from my perspective. Most of the ex USSR countries can't join the EU, but they speak Russian and have a common history, infrastructure and lots of other things in common. Why not? Perhaps a bit less Russian domination and more democracy than last time would be appreciated by the others. If this happens, I just wish they could come to a visa-free agreement with the EU though.
Note that Thailand and the Philippines are also on the list.
Why? I would assume it's because both of these countries have their own little Chechnyas -- i.e., Muslim-dominated provinces that are "hot-spots" for radical Islamic separatists who like to blow things up. So it's not a judgment on the two countries, or even a judgment on Thai and Filipino Muslims in general. It recognizes, however, that both of these countries have regions that might be exporting mujahideen.
Oh, also: this "Specially Designated Countries" list does NOT mean that any citizen of Kazakhstan who wants to visit the US will automatically be subjected to an extra background check.
It means that if you're a non-citizen who is ARRESTED FOR COMMITTING A CRIME while in the US, and you happen to be from one of the countries on the list, then the Immigration office is required to do this extra background check to determine whether you have a known history of involvement with terrorist organizations.
You are right. We have a lot of Russian people who have a slav religion. Besides, many of Kazakhs don't even go to mosque. I have a lot of friends whos religion is islam. But they are people like me or anybody, they aren't dangerous. They are not extremists.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanna
@ Throbert McGee
Yeah but there is real terrorism in the Phillipines. They have both a moslem extremist movement and a maoist communist liberation guerilla. It's actually a bit dangerous there.
I don't know why Thailand is on the list though. As far as I know, it's a completely buddhist country. I think there have been some rather violent anti-government protests with a a bit of violence for a while. Maybe that is the reason... I don't think there is even a moslem minority there.
Kazakhstan on the other hand, is a completely peaceful country. I THINK!!!
Slav religion? Do they pray Perun or what?:mosking:Quote:
Originally Posted by DrZero
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/1948/43937456.jpg