thursday, may 13,2004
the university daily kansan 5A
opinion
Kyrgyz version of Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton has not run for the presidency. No one knows whether he has any intention to do it or not. He does not play saxophone or even speak English. I am sure that Bill does not even care that his namesake is famous.
Now he is five years old and lives in in a small village in Kyrgyzstan.
I remember the cold winter day when this famous baby was born in Ysykkol region of Kyrgyz Republic. His father gave him the name of then American President Bill Clinton. All the Kyrgyz newspapers, even popular Russian Public TV reported that news.
Then some journalists reported a rumor that Clinton's visit to Kyrgyzstan was a reality. If I am not mistaken, in those days he was preparing to visit a number of Asian countries. For some reason I, like a lot of other Kyrgyzstan people, believed that he would come to my homeland as well. Clinton was popular in my state. And I was his admirer.
The father of Bill Clinton, an ordinary humble and self-effacing village resident, spoke on TV holding his newborn baby. He invited the "real" Bill Clinton to see his baby namesake and to be the honorable and distinguished guest in Kyrgyz.
I saw him on TV for the first time when I was a junior in high school. He was giving a speech and a commentator said that he was the Arkansas governor who was going to rival George Bush in the 1992 presidential election.
You may not believe me, but I at once understood that he would be the next leader of the United States.
Clinton looked energetic, self-confident and friendly. As Kyrgyz people say I saw "a star on his face." That was my first impression of him. I am still wondering what he was speaking about. I did not speak English yet; nevertheless, I comprehended that he was a good orator.
GUEST COMMENTARY
Nur Kadyrbekov opinion@hansan.com
It is unusual to be impressed by someone without understanding even a single word in his speech.
his speech.
I was right; Clinton's bid for the White House was successful. Time showed that America's choice was successful as well. President Clinton had a lot of remarkable actions during his presidency. Under his leadership, the American economy reached its most stable and strong condition in the last several decades.
decades.
In 1999 I was surprised when an Osh State University economic professor told me that the last American budget had a surplus. Until then, I didn't even suspect that the American budget had been in a deficit.
For me, the United States has always been the country that never had problems with money. I was wrong — every state has its own issues and problems and America is no exception.
However, the strength of American economy is an important factor in stability of less powerful economies like Kyrgyzstan's. Especially in the time of globalization, this factor is getting more and more relevant.
getting more President Clinton's last budget was more than $200 billion in surplus versus the almost $300 billion deficit budget he inherited in 1992. This shows that his economical policy was tremendously productive.
as treтийно пресво as Clinton's foreign policy was also success
ful. His most important achievement came in the summer of 1994 when Jordan's King Hussein and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin signed the Israel-Jordan peace agreement.
Another important item in his international affairs activity was his vigorous support of democracy in the states of the former communist block. Clinton's administration supported all democratic undertakings in Kyrgyzstan, my Central Asian former Soviet Republic.
Republic. The United States has a big role in developing and strengthening the civil society in this country. A number of American-based international organizations began their activity during Clinton's presidency. One of these is the National Democratic Institution For International Affairs where I worked before I came to the United States.
The American University in Kyrgyzstan, the first and only higher education institution in the Central Asia, functions according to the American model and was founded in Clinton's second term. It enjoys an excellent reputation, both regionally and internationally, for academic excellence. Former first lady Hillary R. Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of State Madelyn Albright visited the University.
versity. I expected a trip by Mr. Clinton as well, especially after his baby namesake was born. Unfortunately, it did not happen and I was disappointed.
There is Kyrgyz saying "Kancha but, oshoncho kut," which means "The more feet enter your house, the more happiness and wealth enter together." So even though Clinton is not president anymore, Kyrgyzsian people like him as a person. I hope that one day he will come to see Kyrgyz and the Kyrgyz Bill Clinton. He will always be one of the most respected guests for my compatriots.
Kadyrbekov, visiting scholar from Kyrgyzstan.
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