Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Iranian Officials Asking Venezuela for Asylum in Case of Regime Change

iranintl.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 120 posts

Re: Iranian Officials Asking Venezuela for Asylum in Case of Regime Change

#41

Post by citilife »

EGreg wrote: post #13
greggarious wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someone told me in a bar on K Street the thing Vladimir Putin fears most is being hung from a gas station like Mussolinu, and I suspect that goes for all totalitarians. What scares me is I've met people like that at home in the USA. There is a quote by a KGB defector which I lost the cite for. "There is nowhere to defect to." They can live in luxury, but you cannot buy respect. Folks are allowed to show you, in small…

I think the only Russian leader who ever left and lived abroad was Gorbachev. Even Navalny came back to face the music, and he wasnt even president (yet?) I do not believe they are self serving at the expense of their country and will live in a bunker while their countrymen are bombed. They all thought and think they were doing the right thing for their country. Even Yeltsin, when he did in 1993 what essentially the…

> Even Navalny came back to face the music, and he wasnt even president (yet?)

The dude has a a net positivity of -30% rating ... and is a designated terrorist.

> According to polls conducted by the Levada Center in September 2020, 20% of Russians approve Navalny's activities, 50% disapprove, and 18% had never heard of him. Out of those who were able to recognize Navalny, 10% said that they have "respect" for him, 8% have sympathy and 15% "could not say anything bad" about him. 31% are "neutral" towards him, 14% "could not say anything good" about him and 10% dislike him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexei_Navalny

You could argue Russia is corrupt, but it equally seems likely the west is propping this guy up because he's an "asset". Navalny isn't anywhere close to electable. He's convicted of multiple crimes, in solitary for trying to start / organize a prisoners union (something the west also pushes back against) and isn't generally liked in Russia. Especially, when comparing to someone like Putin who has a +50% approval rating

https://www.statista.com/statistics/896181/putin-approval-ra...

Re: Iranian Officials Asking Venezuela for Asylum in Case of Regime Change

#42

Post by rich_sasha »

themitigating wrote: post #21
saint_fiasco wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The idea is that if the leader can live luxuriously in another country, they have an incentive to stop being a bad leader and retire in luxury already. If bad leaders got executed, then the incentive for bad leaders would be to stay in power no matter the cost. The reason dictatorships turn murderous when they lose popularity is that the dictator knows they will be killed if the opposition wins, so they have no choic…

But they don't tend to give up power that easily right? Also if there is some sort revolution how would they stay in power? Either the military supports them in which their potential fate doesn't matter or they have no way to protect themselves.

NK leaders probably know there is no way out, so also nothing to lose.

Iran, for example, is less bad I guess than North Korea.

Re: Iranian Officials Asking Venezuela for Asylum in Case of Regime Change

#43

Post by rasz »

keewee7 wrote: post #10
greggarious wrote: post #3

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

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.

Wagner just opened an office in Serbia.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/russian-mercenary-group-wagn...

Re: Iranian Officials Asking Venezuela for Asylum in Case of Regime Change

#45

Post by [deleted] »

m00dy wrote: post #25

Turkey is clearing 80k mines in east turkey on the Iranian border [0]. That's another vital sign. Because the last time, something similar happened on the Syrian border, and the civil war in Syria started. [0]: Joint project with EU, UNDP to clear 80,000 mines in eastern Turkey https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/eu-affairs/joint-project...

[deleted]

Re: Iranian Officials Asking Venezuela for Asylum in Case of Regime Change

#46

Post by citilife »

greggarious wrote: post #33
citilife wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Someone told me in a bar on K Street the thing Vladimir Putin fears most is being hung from a gas station like Mussolinu, and I suspect that goes for all totalitarians. Putin has openly said he despises what the west did to Gaddafi and believes thats what they want for him. He not only fears it, but but said he fears for his civilization (Russia). The west makes it pretty easy to be feareful - https://www.cbsnews.c…

>Putin asked what right the west had to assassinate Gaddafi without a trial and destroy all the countries infrastructure The purposeful destruction of infrastructure is an inexcusable war crime. But "the west" did not stick a sword up Gaddafi's butt -- that was his own people, enraged by the actions of a totalitarian. "The West" did not wander into Libya and and lynch a so called world leader who only wants norms fol…

> But "the west" did not stick a sword up Gaddafi's butt -- that was his own people, enraged by the actions of a totalitarian.

Sure, a nato air strike hit Gaddafi's vehicles and opposition was given the location to attack...

People on the ground definitely "finished the job", but it was the massive air campaign and provided intelligence, leadership and weaponry to opposition that ended up getting Gaddafi killed.

For the record, I'm not supporting anyone here. I'm pointing out the idea the Putin isn't scared of his people as much as NATO. Per his own words.

Putin is massively popular in Russia https://www.statista.com/statistics/896181/putin-approval-ra...

Doesn't mean the 15-20% who massively dislike him wouldn't hang him. It would just only happen if Nato or the west provided support to the opposition.

Re: Iranian Officials Asking Venezuela for Asylum in Case of Regime Change

#47

Post by greggarious »

themitigating wrote: post #36
greggarious wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someone told me in a bar on K Street the thing Vladimir Putin fears most is being hung from a gas station like Mussolinu, and I suspect that goes for all totalitarians. What scares me is I've met people like that at home in the USA. There is a quote by a KGB defector which I lost the cite for. "There is nowhere to defect to." They can live in luxury, but you cannot buy respect. Folks are allowed to show you, in small…

"They can live in luxury, but you cannot buy respect." If they were ok with being hated by the world and some large percentage of their population why would they care about being respected? I think this is huge divide between sociopaths and normal people. You think everyone cares about honor, respect, and the like but many people just want money and or power.

>I think this is huge divide between sociopaths and normal people. You think everyone cares about honor, respect, and the like but many people just want money and or power.

I know. I worked in DC :-)

Re: Iranian Officials Asking Venezuela for Asylum in Case of Regime Change

#49

Post by xtian »

greggarious wrote: post #33
citilife wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Someone told me in a bar on K Street the thing Vladimir Putin fears most is being hung from a gas station like Mussolinu, and I suspect that goes for all totalitarians. Putin has openly said he despises what the west did to Gaddafi and believes thats what they want for him. He not only fears it, but but said he fears for his civilization (Russia). The west makes it pretty easy to be feareful - https://www.cbsnews.c…

>Putin asked what right the west had to assassinate Gaddafi without a trial and destroy all the countries infrastructure The purposeful destruction of infrastructure is an inexcusable war crime. But "the west" did not stick a sword up Gaddafi's butt -- that was his own people, enraged by the actions of a totalitarian. "The West" did not wander into Libya and and lynch a so called world leader who only wants norms fol…

“We came, we saw, he died.” - Hillary Clinton

Re: Iranian Officials Asking Venezuela for Asylum in Case of Regime Change

#50

Post by firstSpeaker »

m00dy wrote: post #25

Turkey is clearing 80k mines in east turkey on the Iranian border [0]. That's another vital sign. Because the last time, something similar happened on the Syrian border, and the civil war in Syria started. [0]: Joint project with EU, UNDP to clear 80,000 mines in eastern Turkey https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/eu-affairs/joint-project...

Could you elaborate more on how is this related?
Post reply on HN