NationStates Jolt Archive

If you had to move to one of these three cities, and live there with an average wage as an average person, where would you go?

Remember that you don't get to stay home, and I didn't add an "Other" option, because I want to have a serious result: Where do you think the people have it worst and best?

So here are the options:
Baghdad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baghdad) is the capital of Iraq, and a city of almost 6 million. It gets very hot in Summer, and almost freezes in Winter.
Problem is of course that it virtually is a war zone. Your health and your property are in danger, to get anything done you have to bribe plenty of "police" people and hope you don't get involved with more seedy elements. If you do, you may even get picked up by Iraqi Security Forces or the US Army and sit in prison for a while (if the Brits don't bust you out...). Electricity and water supply may be tricky in some parts.
On the other hand you get to vote, although it seems your politicians are fairly incapable...

Pyongyang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyong_Yang) is the capital of North Korea, its official population remains undisclosed (it's somewhere around 3 million). During the night there is no electricity (partly because you're at war and partly because there's not enough to go around...). It's also pretty cold most of the time, but on the other hand the city now has broadband access - you just don't have a PC.
Don't act up or you'll be picked up and you'll never come back. Maybe you have relatives in the South, but you ain't gonna meet them.
That being said, everyone in the DPRK is required to become a black belt in Taek Won Do, you're probably trained in close-range anti-armour combat and you get to see your leader on TV 24-7...

Tehran (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran) is the capital of Iran, and houses about 14 million. Since the Islamic Revolution that overthrew an elitist government things have become more easy-going, but you still should watch your tongue. You better be quite informed about the Koran, and the various interpretations provided by the Supreme Council. And Allah help you if you happen to be gay.
Nonetheless, if you don't start being rebellious, life isn't all that bad. There's good education institutions, there is some crime, drugs and inflation but the new President vowed to do something about it. And the Police drives Mercedes.

My choice (as probably obvious after my description) is Tehran. I'm not particularly religious, but you don't have to be as long as you don't do anything un-religious.

easy question. tehran hands down.

baghdad is out because its in the middle of a war. maybe once the war is over in 10 or 15 years it will be a great place to live, but not today

pyongyang is too damned poor. im just not interested in eating bugs to survive


tehran is at peace and is reasonably properous. the people are friendly and as long as i wear the veil, ill be OK.

Pyongyang is beautiful in the winter..
http://www.piks.or.tv/index/pyongyang_winter.jpg

Iranian Women Seeking Change (http://www.internews.org/visavis/BTVPagesTXT/WomenSeekChange.html)

I encourage everyone to post some sort of reasoning for your choice. I'd like to see why those that chose Bagdhad thought it was a better place to live than the others. :)

Tehran, but I highly doubt they'll be friendly towards an American. Baghdad is my second choice simply because I'll be fine if I just keep my head down.

Pjongjang is a bureaucracy center. Its central areas are exclusively for Party officials. Obviously, if I were a part of a ruling party and got the perks, I wouldn't object, no matter if you had to pose as a communist. Furthermore, the discipline is high and the Korean people are generally of high ideals and morals.

This cannot be said about Teheran or Bagdad, where you'd have to be a crazy Islamist to be a part of the ruling coalition, and even so, you'd have to be constantly alert for crime and civil disturbance. Arabs and Iranians behave more like a mob than the (hypermilitaristic) Koreans.

Easily Tehran. All 3 have suppression of political freedoms, but Tehran is also stable and very advanced technologically, and has a very good education system. It's 'liveable' in.

It's a no brainer for me.

Tehran, but I highly doubt they'll be friendly towards an American. Baghdad is my second choice simply because I'll be fine if I just keep my head down.
ive heard in several reports that young people in iran really like america and americans. (the older iranians not so much) so if you keep quiet youll be fine and no stray car bombs to do you in.

...This cannot be said about Teheran or Bagdad, where you'd have to be a crazy Islamist to be a part of the ruling coalition, and even so, you'd have to be constantly alert for crime and civil disturbance. Arabs and Iranians behave more like a mob than the (hypermilitaristic) Koreans.
I don't know if I agree with your thinking there...

Tehran is the only option which isnt a profoundly dangerous hellhole.

This cannot be said about Teheran or Bagdad, where you'd have to be a crazy Islamist to be a part of the ruling coalition, and even so, you'd have to be constantly alert for crime and civil disturbance. Arabs and Iranians behave more like a mob than the (hypermilitaristic) Koreans.


Indeed, the dangerous elements in NK arent 'mobs,' they are stalinist, checkist secret police.

In other words, they are a thousand times more dangerous and terrifying.

I'm going with Tehran.
1. Baghdad is currently a war zone, and not terribly safe.
2. Pyongyang is Party Central for Kim Jong-Il's personality cult, and, from what I've heard, sounds disturbingly Orwellian. (The architecture is also not very inspired from what I've heard.)
3. Tehran, despite the prejudices some Westerners (Americans in particular) may have, is, from most accounts, a pretty modern, secular, and relaxed city. Americans, from what I hear, are welcomed, unless they act like dolts. Lots of people around the world disagree strongly with American foreign policy, but regard Americans as generally-decent folks. (Unless said Americans start acting like dolts.)

Having said all that, Pyongyang's last on my list of places to go. (Except perhaps McMurdo Station on Antarctica.) North Korea still considers itself at war with South Korea, and has lavished exorbitant sums of money on its military while the civilian infrastructure has crumbled. Combine that with a Stalinist regime (including a secret police), and it all adds up to a not very nice place to visit, much less live in.

I would rather be dead.

I would rather be dead.
You'd rather die than live in Tehran? How come?
Or in Baghdad, where the worst thing that could happen to you is to..well, die?

You'd rather die than live in Tehran? How come?
Or in Baghdad, where the worst thing that could happen to you is to..well, die?
Well, I would probably get killed in either, by the state or by a bomb. Take your pick.

Well, I would probably get killed in either, by the state or by a bomb. Take your pick.
Why would you get killed by the state in Tehran? There's 14 million people there that seem to be still alive last time I checked.

Why would you get killed by the state in Tehran? There's 14 million people there that seem to be still alive last time I checked.
Tehran - Gay, transgendered, killed.
Baghdad - killed by bomb
Pyonyang - dissenter, disappears in the night

That's what would happen each.

Tehran - Gay, transgendered, killed.
Touché

Baghdad, sure it's in a war zone, but the Government is changing. the whole country is changing and to be apart of that...

it's watching and taking part in the re-birth of a nation and I'll be apart of that, making a difference. either as a shop owner or part of the security forces. (not terrorist tho.)

I may be cut down by a car bomb, or even shot by someone. but until then, and even after that, I would stand proud for being apart of that change.

...either as a shop owner or part of the security forces. (not terrorist tho.)...
Although you run the risk of having to close your shop because of the violence, and then your family is in trouble...

Tehran - Gay, transgendered, killed.


I thought I read somewhere that transgendered people actually didn't have it that bad in Tehran. That some guy had convinced the government that it was permissible and they had issued an edict that it was allowed. But I can't remember the source.

Tehran - Gay, transgendered, killed.


Actually it's Gay, Transgendered and acted on it = killed. So to be gay or transgendered and not to get an execution, no nookie for you in Iran.

Which country has better food? :confused:

tehran is at peace and is reasonably properous. the people are friendly and as long as i wear the veil, ill be OK.
As long as you wear a veil, don't express any of your opinions, and avoid being raped and then killed by the state for your immorality, than yes you'll be fine.

Which country has better food? :confused:
Well, I guess if you can get any, Korean food isn't too bad.
That being said, I like Middle Eastern Cooking, so based on that I'd still prefer either Iraq or Iran.

As long as you wear a veil, don't express any of your opinions, and avoid being raped and then killed by the state for your immorality, than yes you'll be fine.
That's a bit unfair, isn't it? The last time I heard that story it was in Pakistan...

That's a bit unfair, isn't it? The last time I heard that story it was in Pakistan...
The most recently publicized case that I know of went like this. 13 year-old girl is impregnated by her brother, probably raped. Courts get into it, decree that the brother gets X number of lashes, I think 75 but not sure. The girl is sentenced to death after the birth of the baby. Luckily there was enough international outcry by certain groups on the issue and her sentence was reduced to "only" 150 lashes. Iran, such a fun country living under the Mad MullahsTM.

Pyonyang, I would pretend to worship Kim and get a good position :D
Then when Kim has his back turned *backstab backstab*
Heck yeah I now own a country full of fanatics, not only that but I can make up a story about how Kim died protecting the country and his last words were that I continue his legacy. Ta da I now have my own personal cult :D

Iran, such a fun country living under the Mad MullahsTM.
Not saying that.

Question is: Is it better to live in the place closest we've ever come to "1984", or in a war zone where you can't be sure of your safety and chances are higher for you to get killed than in either of the others?

Pyongyang because it would be the last to be attacked by the US, and is better protected than the other two cities.

Certainly the cold dark nights would be tolerable with my Asian honey :)

I am a socialist at heart and have no desire to learn the Koran.

The other two cities are over populated and Baghdad has too many bombs going off, and too many trigger happy GIs running around.

bump

Baghdad.

Your livelihood is most dependant on yourself here, whereas Tehran and Pyongyang, the government is more important than you in your fate.

Terhan,

they've got their own form of 'democracy' evolving.
they've got their religious leaders that could check an election,
we've got supreme court justices.


and their not at war (Iraq) or starving (N. Korea).



2nd choice would probably be NKorea,
because, in case you weren't paying attention in the 90s,
N & S were on their way to making peace all on their own,
increased trade, trips for family members, etc...
But then M Albright flew over there as if in panic mode
"what you can't make peace, not without us at least"

Any Korean peace & reunification must be a Korean one.
The US should get the heck out of Korea (and all other 130 other
countries we have over 700 admitted bases in)

Pyongyong is a ghost city. Me don't like dear leader giving nuke capable missiles to Pakistan either.

Bagdhad - currently the scariest place in earth where you don't know how you will get killed, by Shia militia or Sunni jihadis or by trigger happy Americans as collateral damage.

Teheran - Nice city. Pretend to be Shia (that's what everyone is doing there) and everything would be fine. Besides Iranian girls are hot. :D

Pyongyong is a ghost city. Me don't like dear leader giving nuke capable missiles to Pakistan either.



I thought it was the other way around?

http://bushwatch.org/kahn.htm

Kahn-Gate Headlines
Dr. A. Q. Khan, the father of the Muslim Nuke Bomb

I thought it was the other way around?

http://bushwatch.org/kahn.htm

Kahn-Gate Headlines
Dr. A. Q. Khan, the father of the Muslim Nuke Bomb

You misunderstood.

Pakistan proliferated nukes in exchange for missiles (No-Dong, rechristened as Ghauri by Pakis) from N.K.

I referred it as nuke-capable missiles since the nukes and the missiles were originally from China anyway and were capable of being mated. So neither Pakistan nor N.K had to actually test their wares, but still had credible deterrance.

Teheran. You are actually allowed to practice religions other than Islam there. I could always pretend to be Christian if I wanted to avoid having to study the Koran.

Sure, it's not the best place in the world to live, but the best out of the choices.

Tehran. Baghdad is a war city, and Pyongyang... even the Soviets considered North Korea batty.

You misunderstood.


Yes I did.

nuke CAPABLE MISSILES


thanx for correcting me.

Regarding Baghdad, sure that security and economy are in a transitional state now, but before the fall of the Hussein regime, Iraq was the center of learning in the middle east. People from all over the region ( with the exception of Israel, of course) attended Iraq's very prestigious universities. Iraqis are a well versed people living at the center of the cradle of civilization.
So, if you are a history buff, you'll do well to live there.

I'm pretty sure that once the US/UK are out and the politicans can do what they like, Iraq will start to be a much stabler and prosperous nation. Rather like Iran, without a Guradian Council, and uncensored internet.

Teheran, with little hesitation. Pyongyang would come second. Baghdad I wouldn't even want to visit right now, let alone live there.

Having said that, all three countries have an ancient and fascinating culture. If they had different governments (or, in Iraq's case, no violence), they'd all be interesting places to spend several weeks in.

I would hate to live in any:
Baghdad - I might be killed by a bomb
Pyongyang - I might be arrested and killed for being an anti-stalinist
Tehran - I might be arrested and killed for being a communist

Although you run the risk of having to close your shop because of the violence, and then your family is in trouble...if that's the case, I will then join the security forces.

after all, doing something is better than whining about it. If need be, I'll probably be shot, killed, and beheaded for trying to organize my neighbors to make it an unsafe haven for Terrorists.

Tehran, hands down - Iranian culture is fascinating, and if you don't want to be poor and threatened by insurgent attacks or communism, it's great to live there. A bit on the big side, but, meh, I like big cities.

I choose Tehran :)

North Korea is controlled by a wierdo and their economy is so frickin low! :eek:
Baghdad has too many explosions :D