How do you dupe someone into singing "throw the Jew down the well"? Lets be serious here, the rednecks knew fine well what they were singing and were happy to sing it. I've seen the clip and I can't see where the duping took place.

Sacha Baron Cohen's satire is not aimed at Kazahkstan but at the morons, bigots and xenophobes who hold Borat-like sterotypes (probably not only of Kazahks but of East European and former Soviet nations in general). He then lures them into revealing displays of their patronising ignorance. It's cruel, but just. And I love it.
Kazahks should be able to get a kick out it too, seeing a stereotype parodied and then used to draw out people whose responses reveal startling attitudes: rednecks don't get nearly enough opportunities to make complete jerks of themselves in front of global audiences... right on!

As an American who just celebrated his 9th year anniversary living in Kazakhstan, I have to say that
this article was one of the more intelligent that I have seen from western sources on this subject. I also agree wholeheartedly with the above comment.

The fact is, although some Kazakhstani's (meaning both the Kazakhs and many other nationalities that share this country) were offended at first, many of them think that Cohen is hilarious.

President Nazarbayev also has a brilliant PR sense, and I believe that he understands that there is no such thing as bad publicity. It would be the perfect time to start a Kz-related business in the west.

Joseph M. Urbanas
Director
Kazakhstan Newsline
598888
300-3794425
joseph@checkpoint.kz
www.newsline.kz

Is that his sister in the photo?