Comments on: Turnout in Iran’s election

By: Art Deco

Art Deco — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 11:37:19 +0000

It really is a tragedy what the rulers have done to that country.
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The period running from 1979 to 1989 was perfectly grisly and Iran continues to squander resources and good will on revanchist projects. As far as abuse of the populace goes, one could say it’s not an outlier among the 30-odd countries in the Near East, North Africa, and Central Asia. (Neither was the Shah).
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Iran is not an impoverished wreck on the order of Afghanistan or Tajikistan.
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The real income levels (GDP per capita, PPP) are on the order of an advanced economy a century ago, about 20% those of the United States.
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What fragmentary data on income distribution there is indicates their skew is similar to that of an occidental country, with the most affluent decile receiving shy of 30% of the personal income flow.
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The share of their merchandise export revenue accounted for by fuel and minerals varies from year to year but averages about 65%; they produce other things. Fuel and mineral exports account for about 12% of their nominal GDP in a typical year. Their natural resource bonanza is most important, but they produce a great deal else there.
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About 15% of the population over the age of 15 is illiterate and that’s concentrated among the older age brackets; among those in the 15-25 age bracket, illiteracy has fallen to 2%.
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They have adequate life expectancy at birth (about 76 years). Their total fertility rate is regrettably below replacement level at 1.8 children per woman per lifetime.
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What data is available on violent crime in Iran indicates they have a homicide rate of about 2.4 per 100,000. (For a west European country, about 1/2 that would be normal).
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The country would benefit from running the machine out of town on a rail and would benefit from incremental policy changes. They have a great many assets to live an agreeable life right now.

By: Barry Meislin

Barry Meislin — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 07:50:14 +0000

I suspect, though I could be wrong, that a significant percentage of the Iranian population in California (as well as the NYC Metropolitan area) are Iranian Jews.

By: Cornhead

Cornhead — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 20:22:47 +0000

My new daughter-in-law’s parents live in Tehran.

It really is a tragedy what the rulers have done to that country.

My son informs me that 1m Iranians live in SoCal.

By: Art Deco

Art Deco — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:58:52 +0000

and identifies as a non-American secretl
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His identifications I’d wager resemble that of every other deputy dean of students. The trouble with Obama is that, in a certain subculture, he’s perfectly normal. Well, now he’s the deputy dean of students sitting on $50 million.

By: Michael K

Michael K — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:45:43 +0000

I agree that Obama prefers our enemies, especially Muslims, and identifies as a non-American secretly. He would be more dangerous if he were not so lazy. I sure would like to know who was behind him as he gained power and status.

By: Miguel cervantes

Miguel cervantes — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 13:57:18 +0000

Yes from a columbia sundial piece obama thought the nuclear freeze was not disadventageous enough for us when he visited pakistan he was with the opponents of zia, in retrospect that wasnt a smart alliance

By: Art Deco

Art Deco — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 11:21:01 +0000

I do think he retains fond memories of the moderate Islam of his Indonesian childhood. == There was at one time on Youtube a video of him on a visit to Indonesia attempting to offer 40 seconds' worth of remarks in the Malay trader's dialect they use as a lingua franca over there. Jimmy Carter's Spanish was much better than that. == I don't think the place made much of an impression on him. His sister had a longer residence there and has a set of siblings there she does not share with BO. Keep in mind, though, his sister has made her life in Honolulu and married an ethnic Chinese who grew up in Canada. == Note that Obama came of age around the time of the Iranian hostage crisis. Stanley Kurtz has made the case that Obama's actual political home is the segment of the portside which sides reflexively with the country's enemies. Look at back issues of The Village Voice, The Nation, Mother Jones, In These Times, NACLA Report on the Americas, and, if you want the highbrow version, The New York Review of Books. Old Anthony Lewis columns are instructive as well.

By: Stewart

Stewart — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 10:51:26 +0000

There is only one Islam. When you understand this you go up a Level! Obama brought 70000 Muslims to Michigan to form a nest to demographically take over the USA. He is a Muslim.

By: JohnTyler

JohnTyler — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 10:12:26 +0000

Yep, Barry Meislin @ 3:22 AM is correct !!!
Joke Bidet needs to give a few more billion $$$$ to Iran and that for sure will allow the citizens of Iran to select a govt. they actually desire.

Appeasement of dictators has always been shown to be effective; I think it’s called the Neville Chamberlain strategy which produced “peace in our time.”

By: Barry Meislin

Barry Meislin — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 07:22:48 +0000

Hey, maybe if “Biden” injects another several tens of billions of dollars into the Iranian “economy”, the Mullets will be even more popular…
Hundreds of billions?

(Ya never know till ya try…)