Iran is a much more ‘traditional’ clerical-fascist regime. In fact, they hate leftists with a passion that makes the tankies who bootlick them look downright deranged. Or self-destructive.
Syria,
Syria, luckily, has been freed from the Assadist boot at this point! If the new government remains reasonably democratic (not guaranteed, but I’m keeping cautiously optimistic) and they can stave off Israel trying to destabilize them for fucking funsies, they may have a future ahead of them.
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Africa.
Afghanistan is downright feudal, honestly, in its power structures, while Pakistan is a military junta and effectively always has been. We (the US) unfortunately, had a… nonzero role in that in the way we empowered the Pakistani ISI and allowed it to play a ‘spookocracy’ role, like the intelligence services in Putin’s Russia.
Africa’s ML period is largely over, honestly. When the Soviets fell, most interest in ML projects in the continent fell as well. Africa remains divided and troubled, but largely not by ML-style systems.
The Iran–China 25-year Cooperation Program or Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between I.R. Iran, P.R. China, was signed in 2021. The two countries and their respective predecessors have the longest diplomatic relationship in human history, AFAIK. Iran funded and armed Hamas in Palestine, and China funded and armed Iran.
Syria under Assad was also allied to the Russian and Chinese circle of influence.
Afghanistan… you’re right that they have no true allies at this point, but given how the proxy wars have played out thus far I find it hard to believe they’re not somehow tied into it all. Just a conspiracy theory at this point.
African nations are allying economically and militarily with China as we speak, the most recent one was the Chinese Launchpad being built in Egypt and they’re talking about expanding that program to many other nations in Africa.
Wasn’t talking about allies, but the domestic systems they operate under. Realpolitik means that the two don’t always end up the same - the US has backed dictatorships, democracies, and even the occasional socialist regime, after all. China, likewise, will do the same - back any system as long as they benefit from it. They may generally prefer countries to adopt their system, but their hegemony is not married to that preference.
It also may seem minor, but different authoritarian systems are shit in different ways. ML systems share a great many features - largely due to being imposed wholesale by the Soviets - and their progress (or lack thereof) is like clockwork. Other authoritarian regimes wax and wane in very different ways.
The two countries and their respective predecessors have the longest diplomatic relationship in human history,
Iran is a much more ‘traditional’ clerical-fascist regime. In fact, they hate leftists with a passion that makes the tankies who bootlick them look downright deranged. Or self-destructive.
Syria, luckily, has been freed from the Assadist boot at this point! If the new government remains reasonably democratic (not guaranteed, but I’m keeping cautiously optimistic) and they can stave off Israel trying to destabilize them for fucking funsies, they may have a future ahead of them.
Afghanistan is downright feudal, honestly, in its power structures, while Pakistan is a military junta and effectively always has been. We (the US) unfortunately, had a… nonzero role in that in the way we empowered the Pakistani ISI and allowed it to play a ‘spookocracy’ role, like the intelligence services in Putin’s Russia.
Africa’s ML period is largely over, honestly. When the Soviets fell, most interest in ML projects in the continent fell as well. Africa remains divided and troubled, but largely not by ML-style systems.
The Iran–China 25-year Cooperation Program or Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between I.R. Iran, P.R. China, was signed in 2021. The two countries and their respective predecessors have the longest diplomatic relationship in human history, AFAIK. Iran funded and armed Hamas in Palestine, and China funded and armed Iran.
Syria under Assad was also allied to the Russian and Chinese circle of influence.
Afghanistan… you’re right that they have no true allies at this point, but given how the proxy wars have played out thus far I find it hard to believe they’re not somehow tied into it all. Just a conspiracy theory at this point.
African nations are allying economically and militarily with China as we speak, the most recent one was the Chinese Launchpad being built in Egypt and they’re talking about expanding that program to many other nations in Africa.
Wasn’t talking about allies, but the domestic systems they operate under. Realpolitik means that the two don’t always end up the same - the US has backed dictatorships, democracies, and even the occasional socialist regime, after all. China, likewise, will do the same - back any system as long as they benefit from it. They may generally prefer countries to adopt their system, but their hegemony is not married to that preference.
It also may seem minor, but different authoritarian systems are shit in different ways. ML systems share a great many features - largely due to being imposed wholesale by the Soviets - and their progress (or lack thereof) is like clockwork. Other authoritarian regimes wax and wane in very different ways.
I would cast doubts on that.
None of the communisms are actual communisms, I just lump the authoritarians who ally with them under the umbrella.