pecos

I don't know about 'people like me' - I only know me.
I am going to try to move to Iran because even with all the difficulties and restrictions and dangers it is home and the place where I belong.

I must say the bit about my mother 'weeping on television' brought a wry smile to my lips.
They may have trouble arranging that as she has been dead for thirty years.

Ethos83

You are a middle age broad who wants to move to Iran because you just know you 'belong?'

A woman wanting to move to a neo-fascist Islamic theocracy?

Well, I know who has the wry smile on his lips now.

pecos

This is obviously touching a nerve with you for some reason.

iseeyou

you really need courage to do that.

HumphreyC

The similarity lies in the fact that the governments of both countries are completely crazy (by all accounts Ahmadinejad is more 'with it' than the revolutionary guard at the moment which is a scary thought). For that reason (and that reason alone) it is fairly mad to consider moving there.

Ebay is a great invention, no doubt about that but it wasn't invented in Iran, it was by a Frenchman of Iranian descent (symptomatic of the Iranian 'brain drain). Alcohol is banned in Iran (ironic given Rhazes achievements). Persian culture has made some great contributions; some of the first wines, the invention of the lute, Zoroastrianism, Backgammon, tulips, the first windmills etc...etc... One thing I will dispute is that the Cyrus cylinder is the "the first declaration of human rights 2500 years ago". It most certainly isn't. This was some rubbish made up by the Shah of Iran as propaganda. It stuck and there is now a fake translation circulating on the internet. The claim is laughed at by most historians.

Iran isn't one of the worlds richest countries. Iran suffers from double-digit unemployment and inflation. In terms of GDP per capita it ranks 59th behind Belarus and Mauritius. This despite a fairly good nominal GDP based on oil wealth. This is because of statist policies, which create major distortions throughout the system and an inefficient public sector.

Maybe if the government changes; there was at least a hope of that at the last election. As it stands, don't hold your breath.

Barbitana

Well, every now and then I see people on the Internet posting stuff as "replies" without reading the original post. I believe your post is a perfect example of this group.

1- There is a place in a city called London in England in which you can touch the "Cyrus Cylander" - the British Museum is where this "myth(!)" is kept.
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore..._cylinder.aspx

How to get there?

British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG

You might wish to contact the following professors who in fact spent tens of years to translate the context.

Editions and translations

The latest edition of the Akkadian language text is:

* Hanspeter Schaudig, Die Inschriften Nabonids von Babylon und Kyros' des Großen, samt den in ihrem Umfeld entstandenen Tendenzschriften. Textausgabe und Grammatik. (2001 Münster, Ugarit-Verlag) (online with English translation based on Cogan 2003).

Older translations and transliterations:

* Rawlinson, H.C., & Th. G. Pinches, A Selection from the Miscellaneous Inscriptions of Assyria and Babylonia (1884, 1909 London: fragment A only)).
* Rogers, Robert William: Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament (1912), New York, Eaton & Mains (Online: fragment A only).
* Pritchard, James B. (ed.): Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (ANET) (1950, 1955, 1969). Translation by A. L. Oppenheim. (fragment A and B).
* P.-R. Berger, "Der Kyros-Zylinder mit dem Susatzfragment BIN II Nr.32 und die akkidischen Personennamen im Danielbuch" in: Zeitschrift für Assyriologie 65 (1975) 192-234
* Mordechai Cogan's translation, in W.H. Hallo and K.L. Younger, The Context of Scripture vol. II, Monumental Inscriptions from the Biblical World (2003, Leiden and Boston) (online with Schaudig's transliteration)
* Brosius, Maria (ed.): The Persian Empire from Cyrus II to Artaxerxes I (2000, London Association of Classical Teachers (LACT) 16, London.
* Irving Finkel's translation at the British Museum website.


2- Would you mind posting a single link demonstrating the fact that "Medical Alcohol" is banned in Iran? having said Iranian ppl drink as much as Irish guys (Had I said anything about drinking? or perhaps you drink ethanol?!)

3- The government of Iran is crap (and illegitimate after the election) but as long as you don't jump onto a boat crossing their borders they respect you much more than their own citizens. It's free to try, rent a yacht and cross the borders of any country that you think is very "cool"

4- Concerning the inventions you might wish to enrich your knowledge by watching the following clip or just studying thousands of books on the topic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ3uK-iGvEY

If you read the original post you'd see the poster never says "Ebay was founded in Iran" as you're trying to prove the opposite.

5- I dont think enjoying a country for the purpose of retirement has anything to do with existence of "brain drain". This demonstrates that the country is not able to provide enough resources to its "brains" (e.g. scientists). Of course if you wish to develop new ways to save power in Intel super chips you're better off staying in SJ, USA. But yeah the best graduate of the best US unis are still Iranian students. You might also wish to see this :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_American

6- As long as you know what GDP and resources are you're fine to understand this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._GDP_%28PPP%29

7- Did you know that the workers who built Persepolis were fully paid and insured ones? mate, we're talking about 2600 years ago where slavery for the purpose of building huge castles was a "common" practice in the world.

8- Do you know (in our western counties) when for the first time women enjoyed the same salaries and benefits as men? I'd say not even now

2600 years ago in Persia:
"Rates of pay are also surprising. Men were paid slightly more than women in unskilled jobs like manual labor. In skilled occupations, however, there was no difference in pay based on gender, and some female managers were paid more than the vast majority of male workers. Women also received paid maternity leave."
http://greathistory.com/ancient-pers...able-women.htm

9- They even had DHL

"The Persian system worked on stations (called Chapar-Khane), where the message carrier (called Chapar) would ride to the next post, whereupon he would swap his horse with a fresh one, for maximum performance and delivery speed. Herodotus described the system in this way: "It is said that as many days as there are in the whole journey, so many are the men and horses that stand along the road, each horse and man at the interval of a day’s journey; and these are stayed neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness from accomplishing their appointed course with all speed".[2]"

10- They also had the first intelligent services in the world:

"Established a network of spies he called the "Eyes and Ears of the King.""
http://www.crystalinks.com/persia.html

Finally, I wish I could live with Iranian people who stand up against a bunch of thugs to protect their votes and sacrifice their lives to defend their glorious past, stunning present and shining future.

HumphreyC

Nothing against Iranians. Just trying to be realistic as the OP is considering a move to Iran.

I didn't say the Cyrus Cylinder did not exist. I disputed the fact that it was some kind of charter of human rights, which it most certainly isn't. It's probably best described as a piece of imperial propaganda.

Full translation here:

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore...anslation.aspx

So I see

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/1740617.stm

Actually the Anglo-Iranians I know drink way more than the Irish

No argument there.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%27s_brain_drain

and:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/6240287.stm

"The main point for going out of Iran is we have no job security here and there is economic tension," says 32-year-old travel agent, Nazaneen.

The GDP puts it high up at number 17 in the world but you really need to go by GDP (adjusted for purchasing power parity). This measures how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country and its a better (although by no means comprehensive) guide to average income and living standards. It should be a rich country. It has the resources and a highly educated workforce but the government and state controls hold back the economy.

No arguments with the rest of it. Ancient Persia gets a thumbs up from me . Modern Persia, not so much, but only because of the government.