World politics

Or Tashkent driver, Alisher, drove us from the airport upon our arrival, stopping for much appreciated bottles of water on the way. He drove us on our formal tour today. And he drove us to the airport tonight. He was very helpful and his English was excellent. He explained to us tonight the meaning of the stork as a symbol to Uzbeks (wealth and luck), comparing it to our meaning for a stork (delivering babies). He explained this to us on the drive to the airport, further explaining that he couldn’t tell us earlier, on the tour, when I had asked the tour guide the question, because at that time he wasn’t a tour guide, “only a driver”.

On our drive to the airport tonight he talked about how he had a satellite for watching television in his home. He said he watched our president speak to congress and promise jobs for all, quality education for all and health care for all. Then he said he turned away from the television for a minute and when he returned, someone else was talking and saying that the president shouldn’t promise anything he couldn’t deliver. He was a little confused over the purpose of this. Lloyd explained that there are two main parties in our democratic system and that the opposing party to the president’s party gave another view point. Alisher got it right away, understanding that this was a representative of the other party giving the party’s opinion.

Let me say that I can’t stand watching the state of the union address or the rebuttal. This has been the case for most of my adult life, regardless of which party is in power. I won’t expound my reasons. I will make this open plea to all politicians. Please be sincere. There are earnest people, in corners of the world and whose lives you can probably not even imagine, earnestly hanging on your every word and trying to gain understanding. Please, make our system look good. Please set a good example.