Comments by "Doncarlo" (@doujinflip) on "Mini Countries Abroad: How Embassies Work" video.

  1. Only the group assigned to work in another sovereignty as official representatives of Asgard.
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  2. The host country isn't allowed to enforce its laws upon diplomats or their official property, so in effect they're like miniature foreign countries for as long as they're welcome. Administratively the grounds are usually leased (not sold or ceded) on like 99-year terms.
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  3. Not just the host nation, but also "third country nationals" who happen to be local to the host nation and want to visit/move to their nation. Processing TCNs is fairly common in places with large expat populations like the Middle East.
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  4. Plenty of people would violate a US embassy, whether its a specifically anti-America mass mob or hooligans taking advantage of a nearby protest. The US remembers being overrun in previously "nice" places like Tehran or Cairo, plus all the other close calls as well as the numerous attacks on the facilities and its staff throughout the years, and realized that no place is truly guaranteed free from political instability and a collapse of effective local law enforcement. Defending against these incursions plays into the design of the compound, which since it can't physically move has to turtle up. As for the consular section/prison, having watched "Argo" I'd assume the US does take responsibility for everyone in the compound at the time of a lockdown to include visa applicants; a consular section would be on the ground floor (if not a separate annex) and would be one of the first places exposed to an overrun. A windowless waiting room might be an extra security consideration to ensure no "tourists" or "students" are taking notes of the security features from within the walls. Having been through other countries' visa and immigration lines, it doesn't sound all that different though. Getting permission to step foot on someone else's literal turf is never a bright and welcoming experience.
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  5. "Embassy" can also encompass the official property of that diplomatic mission, normally regarding worksites like the main grounds and separated annexes. "Chancery" refers specifically to the building housing the ambassador's office.
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  6. Don't be an embarrassment, know your world history and current events, adjust well to very foreign cultures, be ready to be completely uprooted from your home on less than a day's notice.
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  7. America's image became that it's a hard target not vulnerable to amateur transgressions
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  8. Visa application centers are just a function of the consulate, or sometimes a private contractor who coordinates work with that consulate. Either way the consulate/consular section itself makes the decision to approve or deny an application.
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  9. Wouldn't be surprised if the draft script mentioned something about how diplomats constantly fly around the world for work
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  10. It has not been recognized as a diplomatic mission by the Cosmos, so no at this time it is not an embassy.
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  11. A visa application center is just the primary foreigner intake section of the consulate, which is itself a subordinate section of the embassy
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  12. Could also be the HVAC system, backup generators, or even water treatment equipment. They're not uncommon things to put on the roof of a modern office building, and "security" also implies some level of self-sufficiency.
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  13. Hmm, never skipped the metal detector, but have fast-tracked through Immigration and blew by Customs with roller bags full of dirt cheap South African wines and beef. Not for sale in the host country though -- that would be smuggling -- but practically inhaled by coworkers at the next residential compound party.
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  14. Would you stay in the Bahamas if you needed open heart surgery? They'd more likely evacuate you back to the States, and that's probably where the 5% came from
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  15. Any major power in risky territory will look not much friendlier. Chinese, Russian, British, and Australian embassies also look fairly locked down in cities known for high crime rates or mass protests.
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  16. Check with your own Ministry of Foreign Affairs, see if they're hiring
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  17. Because most nations don't recognize Taiwan as the representative sovereign for all of "China". But it does have a completely separate immigration and customs regime, so it warrants a separate "trade office". Likewise "consulates" for Hong Kong and Macau usually report directly back to the sending nation, instead of being subordinate to their embassy in Beijing.
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  18. Probably for medical care you can't completely trust like the no-bonus places
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  19. No they're still under DoD, some extra bonus for embassy duty, but otherwise regular combat pay like their fellows out in the FOBs.
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  20. Yes it would still be US property as was agreed when the post was first established. So if the US and Iran normalize relations, the place would again serve as the embassy grounds (after rebuilding the facilities), like what happened in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City
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  21. Three streets surround the US Embassy in Canberra, I'm guessing your bus drove around almost the whole perimeter then. Google Maps says the nearby embassies for Belgium and France are almost as big, definitely larger than any of the High Commissions.
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  22. And it was clearly talking about "hardship" for the US Foreign Service, which funnily enough does not have embassies to itself inside the US.
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  23. More likely you'll be an part-time Honorary Consul, which isn't nearly as privileged as a full-timer (immunity only applies while actively handling official duty, and there's not usually much work to be done)
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  24.  @rivaldi3956  Not much you can do, unless you have the solution to stop all sudden violence and natural disasters in foreign lands. Easier to just have a go-bag ready if an evacuation gets called for.
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  25. A consulate is a subordinate part of its embassy. Their primary function is to provide consular services (visas, passports, government loans to citizens in need abroad, etc), as well as extend public outreach projects as directed by the embassy.
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  26. Probably too small to support a full-timer and all the logistics having one resident would entail. More likely served as needed by an embassy in a nearby country like Jamaica or Colombia.
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  27. Those also tend to be "political hires" chosen personally by the President, often as a 'reward' for their help in the election campaign. Political appointees are often outsiders with little or no prior experience in public service -- their main qualification being that they have an existing close relationship with the President.
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  28.  @hh8638  Small missions with minimal funding often have just a fenced off townhouse, with one side sealed off for ambassadorial work to the host nation government, and the other open to the public for consular services. This arrangement is common for African country missions to each other.
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