The Happy Dictator: Inside One Of The World's Most Secretive Countries | Absolute Documentaries

Comments · 833

• DA

  @danalopresto3139 · 3 years ago

  Having served at the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat for two years, I can say that Turkmenistan is equal parts hilarious, depressing, terrifying and bewildering. No other place like it in the world, but amongst the governmental insanity, I met some of the kindest and most generous people I have ever known.

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• AV

  @avaevathornton9851 · 3 years ago (edited)

  Update: Turkmenbashi died, as mentioned in the end note, in 2006 and his dentist (Turkmenistan, amiright) Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow (Edit: Yeah, it looks a bit intimidating, but just think "Ger-ban-gooly Birdy-Muhammad-ov") took over the presidency, running Turkmenistan in much the same fashion as his predecessor. In March 2022, GB stepped down, giving the presidency to his son Serdar Berdimuhamedow. I've been trying to find news about how Serdar's administration is going, but there does seem to be very little information about it in the international press.

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• PA

  @paulvato · 3 years ago

  Before he passed he should have changed the name of his embassies to Turkmen Embashi.

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• CL

  @clottadams5028 · 2 years ago

  I'm going to order the book. Free natural gas, free electricity, free water, cheap gasoline, and the government won't send you to a pointless war? Sounds like a retirement utopia.

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• AL

  @alanfenick1103 · 2 years ago

  Now this is how documentaries should be done from opening to closing it’s fun, informative, respective and wanting more!

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• JA

  @jamesdean1143 · 2 years ago

  Saparmurat Niyazov died in December 2006, so this video is almost 20 years old.<br>Despite all his billions, Niyazov died of a heart attack, aged only 66.

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• QU

  @QuiuviryCarvajal · 2 years ago

  That fact that they have pictures of their dictator even in the hotels is insane

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• JA

  @jaytc3218 · 2 years ago

  &quot;Honey, you&apos;re gonna love this. I&apos;ve booked us two tickets to Turkmenistan.&quot;<br><br>The next day, my wife filed for divorce.

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• PR

  @PRHWoolly80 · 2 years ago

  Why was there such a delay in filming this excellent documentary to releasing it on YouTube? The dictator died way back in 2006. Would be brilliant to somehow go back and bring us an account as to what it&apos;s like in 2024

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• MY

  @MyHolidayArchive · 3 years ago (edited)

  This documentary of Turkmenbashi certainly seems to paint him in a more positive light than I was expecting, but that’s probably because tourists are treated more leniently than the locals due to tourists being really wealthy. Also being there for just a few days is a bit different to being there all your life. I can imagine it being a pretty grim country to live in, unless you’re wealthy and live near the capital.

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• SA

  @sammyrnaj · 3 years ago

  Honestly! This was the most original documentary I&apos;ve ever watched. Better than the best comedy. Keep it up lads! Make us another one.

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• JO

  @Joshie_Cascara_Coffee · 2 years ago

  Hearing his people on his performance,,, that’s a good enough to leave them alone and &nbsp;not to judge their way of good governance.

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