There are a couple people here that I hate, IM isn't one of them by any means. I neither love nor hate him. As a fellow Big Soccer poster, I would hope for his sake that he would carefully count his blessings and not make any long-term decisions based on current passions. I would say the same thing to you. I wouldn't presume to truly know what's in anyone's best interest (I'll be happy enough if I get mine right), but most of us here have it pretty well in America. In general I think some people here should lighten up a bit. Whether IM or, say, Mel Brennan. Maybe me too, but I can comfortably wear a bunch of hats.
Good advice to yourself. Didn't you just give out a couple of neg reps to people? You surely wear many hats.
The most important reason behind my decision to move is not political, although the latter is a factor that helped in me making my decision. You mentioned something about me finding a good "Iranian American wife" or something. Been there, done that. I had a rather stormy relationship that had more break ups and make ups over 10 years than I could ever count. It included even divorce and repeated reconciliations and separations. At the end, by the time it died out completely last year, it had left me emotionally drained. Whereas in the earlier periods, that relationship led me to start and break off a dozen other relationships in between my make ups and break ups, ultimately I found my refuge in the internet and writing. That habit, however, is quite costly if you have your own practice! Indeed, as it grew into an addiction of sorts, it became also one of the many problems in my relationship. Somehow, I feel the easiest way to get out of this addiction, as well as escape the consequences of a very long and ultimately very costly relationship, is to find a different escape. A new scenary sounds good to me. My father lives in Iran, although he had lived in the US for many years. I have numerous other relatives in Iran, including a few who moved there doing well in the US and are quite happy in Iran. I also know a lot more who travel to Iran regularly. One of them went to Iran very skeptical, only to return with videos of every minute he was there and thinking seriously of moving there as well. Basically, all of them believe I should move to Iran, with the only issue not being so much Iran but whether the US is going to attack Iran? Personally, I don't want to live in the US if that happens anyway. Indeed, I would not feel any safer here than in Iran. I am not talking about physically, but I certainly don't want to feel I am part of a "suspect class". Secular Iranians, by an large, and with some notable exceptions, were not all that affected by 9/11 in that regard. But a war between Iran and the US will certainly change even that part of the equation. Especially since I don't expect either a short or a painless war, for either side, if it comes to war.
I don't think so(the highlighted part), majority of iranians look like spanish, greeks or italians, it is hard to distinguish you iranians from south western european unless you wear those religious clothes. It is the Chinese, Korean or Asian looking people that always got "suspected" in western countries but not iranians.
Contradicts my personal experience during the hostage crisis... an Iranian born friend of mine (Vietnam vet, 15+ years citizenship) worked in one of the ski areas with my significant other, and several times I took them to work and went to pick them up at days' end. We would meet in the local honky tonk (because it was convenient,) and several times "love it or leave it" types accosted me demanding to know "Is that guy Iranian?" Something gives it away... (I was inspired by some angel to look the first fellow in the eye and respond witheringly "He's Persian, buddy," and it worked like a charm-- the guy actually gulped and said "Oh-- I guess that's okay," and walked away, and it used it every time... I did think it was curious that, although they were clearly contemplating violence or at least confrontation, they all felt a need to confirm their suspicions, and they all thought I would tell them the truth. Which of course I did, but... )