5 ms·

Huh? Is... Venezuela... particularly Islamic? Maybe Kosovo would be a better cultural fit.

the_only_law 4y ago
If I was an Iranian trying to flee a regime change, I’d probably pick the western-hostile Venezuela over the NATO friendly Kosovo.
- greggarious 4y ago
  I'll have to read up, the few folks I met from there weren't rude to me. (I'm a big fan of personal diplomacy, in the sense I used to loudly joke I might one day become a test case for the Logan Act :-))
  - zoklet-enjoyer 4y ago
    I don't believe a thing you've said
    - greggarious 4y ago
      >I don't believe a thing you've said Have we met in real life? I have witnesses. Don't question my integrity. I'm not asking you for a letter of recommendation, your opinions are irrelevant.
mc32 4y ago
Venezuela gives more cover. Larger, gives less shits. There are African options too.
- greggarious 4y ago
  >African options Libya? Egypt? Be specific. Let's plan where they will go and prepare for their arrival.
  - alephnerd 4y ago
    Egypt has strong a military relationship with Saudi and the US so a no-go Libya's governments have strong military relationships with Turkey and/or the US+France so a no-go If they try to take asylum somewhere outside Iran it would probably be Malaysia (lots of the Iranian elite send their children to the British+Australian university campuses there plus it's basically First World) or Qatar (similar reason as Malaysia but also American universities)
    - mc32 4y ago
      I don't think Malaysia would -they're not quite aligned with Western nations, but also they don't like getting in trouble. But maybe Brunei or even Indonesia. Indonesia probably doesn't care as long as you stay out in some remote island to yourself.
      - alephnerd 4y ago
        The current Iranian government has strong relations with Malaysia - Iranian oil is often exported on tankers with Malaysian flags[0] and Malaysian politicians often lean pro-Iran[1][2] due to anti-imperialism, a Persiophilic form of Sunni Islam due to diffusion via South Asia, and business ties. Indonesia's elite tend to be much more West dependent than Malaysia (and anecdotally, USC is the main school Indonesian elites send their children to, compared to British and Singaporean unis for Bumiputra Malaysians) [0] - https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Iranian-oil-flowing-past-Malaysia-on-way-to-Asian-customers https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Ira... [1] - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-malaysia/muslims-should-unite-after-iran-commanders-killing-malaysian-pm-idUSKBN1Z60HX https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-malaysia/mu... [2] - https://rusi.org/publication/tension-asia-pacific-iranian-malaysian-relations-and-west https://rusi.org/publication/tension-asia-pacific-iranian-ma...
        mc32 4y ago
        Thanks, I was unaware of those ties. That makes sense. Culturally it's probably closer to Iran than Venezuela is, and they're probably inquiring within over there (just not reported). If I were a baddie, I sure would not put all my eggs in one basket. The one "advantage" Maduro has is he's a strongman's strongman and a socialist caudillow.
keewee7 4y ago
Kosovo-Albanians (and Ukrainians) are probably the most pro-American people in the world right now. Just because Kosovo is Muslim-majority does not mean they're friendly to the Iranian regime.
- greggarious 4y ago
  I'm sorry, I wasn't saying they wanted them. I was just saying it's weird to me if someone claims to want an Islamic Republic to move to a secular place rather than, say, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, or the UAE. Sorry -- I didn't mean to insult folks from Kosovo or Albania. (I'm not a nationalist, I just utilize the existing neoliberal laws and norms to move us to something more respectful of personal autonomy while respecting basic human rights, but I've noticed how lack of shared language can cause issues when everything else is put aside)
  - dotnet00 4y ago
    That sort of hypocrisy is pretty common for totalitarian regimes regardless of religious affiliation, the children of their high ranking leaders often spend most of their life enjoying the luxuries of liberal societies. That said, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are especially problematic for Iranian leaders because Iran's official sect of Islam is opposed to that of those countries.
    - greggarious 4y ago
      >That said, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are especially problematic for Iranian leaders because Iran's official sect of Islam is opposed to that of those countries. Ah yes, I keep forgetting about the whole Sunni/Shia (sp?) thing. (One of the many fun things I've mostly discussed verbally)
  - fcatalan 4y ago
    A secular place won't execute them on the spot, but their sworn enemies for 1500 years would most probably do.
  - reducesuffering 4y ago
Alir3z4 4y ago
LoL, I don't think Iranians officials want to apply asylum in there anywhere near Albania, the quota is already taken by Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) (hint: terrorists org/cult)
- greggarious 4y ago
  I know what Mojahedin-e-Khalq is. (I'm childfree in the "listens to a lot of crystal method" sense, but you run into all sorts.)

If I was an Iranian trying to flee a regime change, I’d probably pick the western-hostile Venezuela over the NATO friendly Kosovo.

greggarious 4y ago
I'll have to read up, the few folks I met from there weren't rude to me. (I'm a big fan of personal diplomacy, in the sense I used to loudly joke I might one day become a test case for the Logan Act :-))
- zoklet-enjoyer 4y ago
  I don't believe a thing you've said
  - greggarious 4y ago
    >I don't believe a thing you've said Have we met in real life? I have witnesses. Don't question my integrity. I'm not asking you for a letter of recommendation, your opinions are irrelevant.

mc32 4y ago

Venezuela gives more cover. Larger, gives less shits. There are African options too.

greggarious 4y ago
>African options Libya? Egypt? Be specific. Let's plan where they will go and prepare for their arrival.
- alephnerd 4y ago
  Egypt has strong a military relationship with Saudi and the US so a no-go Libya's governments have strong military relationships with Turkey and/or the US+France so a no-go If they try to take asylum somewhere outside Iran it would probably be Malaysia (lots of the Iranian elite send their children to the British+Australian university campuses there plus it's basically First World) or Qatar (similar reason as Malaysia but also American universities)
  - mc32 4y ago
    I don't think Malaysia would -they're not quite aligned with Western nations, but also they don't like getting in trouble. But maybe Brunei or even Indonesia. Indonesia probably doesn't care as long as you stay out in some remote island to yourself.
    - alephnerd 4y ago
      The current Iranian government has strong relations with Malaysia - Iranian oil is often exported on tankers with Malaysian flags[0] and Malaysian politicians often lean pro-Iran[1][2] due to anti-imperialism, a Persiophilic form of Sunni Islam due to diffusion via South Asia, and business ties. Indonesia's elite tend to be much more West dependent than Malaysia (and anecdotally, USC is the main school Indonesian elites send their children to, compared to British and Singaporean unis for Bumiputra Malaysians) [0] - https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Iranian-oil-flowing-past-Malaysia-on-way-to-Asian-customers https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Ira... [1] - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-malaysia/muslims-should-unite-after-iran-commanders-killing-malaysian-pm-idUSKBN1Z60HX https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-malaysia/mu... [2] - https://rusi.org/publication/tension-asia-pacific-iranian-malaysian-relations-and-west https://rusi.org/publication/tension-asia-pacific-iranian-ma...
      - mc32 4y ago
        Thanks, I was unaware of those ties. That makes sense. Culturally it's probably closer to Iran than Venezuela is, and they're probably inquiring within over there (just not reported). If I were a baddie, I sure would not put all my eggs in one basket. The one "advantage" Maduro has is he's a strongman's strongman and a socialist caudillow.

keewee7 4y ago

Kosovo-Albanians (and Ukrainians) are probably the most pro-American people in the world right now. Just because Kosovo is Muslim-majority does not mean they're friendly to the Iranian regime.

greggarious 4y ago
I'm sorry, I wasn't saying they wanted them. I was just saying it's weird to me if someone claims to want an Islamic Republic to move to a secular place rather than, say, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, or the UAE. Sorry -- I didn't mean to insult folks from Kosovo or Albania. (I'm not a nationalist, I just utilize the existing neoliberal laws and norms to move us to something more respectful of personal autonomy while respecting basic human rights, but I've noticed how lack of shared language can cause issues when everything else is put aside)
- dotnet00 4y ago
  That sort of hypocrisy is pretty common for totalitarian regimes regardless of religious affiliation, the children of their high ranking leaders often spend most of their life enjoying the luxuries of liberal societies. That said, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are especially problematic for Iranian leaders because Iran's official sect of Islam is opposed to that of those countries.
  - greggarious 4y ago
    >That said, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are especially problematic for Iranian leaders because Iran's official sect of Islam is opposed to that of those countries. Ah yes, I keep forgetting about the whole Sunni/Shia (sp?) thing. (One of the many fun things I've mostly discussed verbally)
- fcatalan 4y ago
  A secular place won't execute them on the spot, but their sworn enemies for 1500 years would most probably do.
- reducesuffering 4y ago

Alir3z4 4y ago

LoL, I don't think Iranians officials want to apply asylum in there anywhere near Albania, the quota is already taken by Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) (hint: terrorists org/cult)

greggarious 4y ago
I know what Mojahedin-e-Khalq is. (I'm childfree in the "listens to a lot of crystal method" sense, but you run into all sorts.)