Rakhmat for a Little Sensory Vacation

At first blush, a story that amuses on so many levels.

The government of Uzbekistan, as part of a general and ham-handed anti-smut policy, has banned fur-lined lingerie,

saying they want to protect citizens from "unbridled fantasies" caused by wearing the soft fabric.

Via Instapundit

Given what we know about the verbal mind and imagination, let the Furry Knickers Meme begin. Aaaaaaaaahhh....

And we don't begrudge PETA any satisfaction this brings, but do in passing note the company it keeps. It's not all "just for fun" when the governing wisdom of a society starts taking aim at thoughts instead of plentiful opportunities as incentives to good behavior, however good behavior is defined. Any puritan or utopian who thinks another's mind is his territory, is a tyrant. Only the sphere of control varies.

There could be commercial and political wheels within wheels here. The products seemed especially popular among workers heading for employment in frigid Russian wastes. And the manufacturers / distributors seem not only to have been making money, but waves.

Textile company Collapse, which has been making fur undies for both men and women, have protested the decision from the capital Tashkent.

In Uzbekistan, the current life expectancy for men is about 60 years, but about 75/1000 boy babies die. AIDS is negligible. The geography is landlocked, with a small Aral Sea shoreline, and less than 11% of the land is arable. The population is 88% Muslim, 9% Eastern Orthodox. Their dilemmas are not funny.

Russia conquered Uzbekistan in the late 19th century. Stiff resistance to the Red Army after World War I was eventually suppressed and a socialist republic set up in 1924. During the Soviet era, intensive production of "white gold" (cotton) and grain led to overuse of agrochemicals and the depletion of water supplies, which have left the land poisoned and the Aral Sea and certain rivers half dry. Independent since 1991, the country seeks to gradually lessen its dependence on agriculture while developing its mineral and petroleum reserves. Current concerns [from the point of view of the US] include terrorism by Islamic militants, economic stagnation, and the curtailment of human rights and democratization.

Ora pro nobis. All of "us."

Comments

[patry Francis]

I loved this story, Dilys. Thanks for the link.