The situation in Kyrghizia might be ameliorated if the republic's most
famous son, Salizhan Sharipov
(http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/sharipov.html), now in space
aboard the International Space Station (he is a Russian citizen and a
cosmonaut), made some pacifying, unifying remarks.

Hmm, there was a spokesperson from OSCE making a similar suggestion
(asking for pacifying, unifying remarks, and for the protestors to
calm down and stop burning things).

It isn't clear to me whether that is what the situation needs, or
whether a bit of hell is in need of raising.

Here's a story about machine politics:
http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive..._335_2_eng.txt

Here's a longer but old story with many issues:
http://www.washington-report.org/bac...98/9801045.htm