Uzbekistan is attempting to reform their government and its laws on individual freedoms. Under the new president the government has seemed to make huge leaps forward. However, recently eight facebook bloggers were detained after criticizing a new law that bans hijabs with school uniforms. I find it interesting because Uzbekistan is not a country that wants to reform because they think it is the best thing for them. They are a country in which their economy is struggling and they need outside investment and trade to grow. Therefore they must look to countries like the United State and European countries for that. However investors are not looking to invest in an authoritarian country they are looking for countries with little restrictions and huge potential to grow. Uzbekistan understands this and is making an attempt to make themselves more appealing to investors. The closer they get to a free democracy the more appealing they will become. This is happening in the Saudi Arabia as well. The world has historically relied on the middle east for oil but as the world shifts to other sources of power Saudi Arabia is watching their relevance decline. They are attempting to reform as well to attract outside investment. Countries have to do what they can to keep their economies afloat even if it means giving up their traditional beliefs or government systems. I personally believe that personal freedoms are the most important thing a country can promise its people, and if a country has to be pressured into expanding those freedoms by outside sources then so be it. A population that has the freedom to criticize its government creates a cycle of change and improvement. The article mentions that the Uzbekistan president uses facebook and sometimes uses it to directly speak to his people. That is quite similar to what president Trump is doing in our country. I think social media is a powerful tool for world leaders today. They are able to precisely communicate with their people in an instant. Just like the press should be able to say what they want I think it is powerful to have a leader who can say what he wants without media or other sources twisting words.
