Certain states are designated by Off on a Tangent as “enemy nations” or “unfriendly nations.” I will generally avoid linking to companies or media outlets based in these states, and I regard pronouncements and official statements from their governments with suspicion.
“Enemy nations” include:
- State Sponsors of Terrorism and State Sponsors of Wrongful Detention designated by the U.S. Department of State
- States controlled by, or closely associated with, Foreign Terrorist Organizations designated by the U.S. Department of State, or where such organizations are recognized or supported by their government
- Comprehensively Sanctioned Jurisdictions designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury
“Unfriendly nations” include:
- Foreign Adversaries designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce
- States where Foreign Terrorist Organizations designated by the U.S. Department of State operate with the tacit approval of the government
- States holding U.S. hostages or wrongful detainees according to the Foley Foundation
- States that are unfree, defined as:
- ranking 5.00 or lower in the latest Human Freedom Index (HFI) by the CATO and Fraser Institutes, or
- ranking 10/100 or lower in the latest Freedom in the World (FIW) report by Freedom House
Off on a Tangent considers the world as it is, which is not always the way it ought to be. All de facto sovereign states are treated equally without regard for international recognition, legal or moral legitimacy, or de jure claims by other states. I also reserve the right to deviate from the above definitions—either in favor of a state or against it—in accordance with my own analysis.
Enemy Nations
For moral, legal, and security reasons, I will actively avoid promoting or interacting with “enemy nations” and will not use products or services that originate from them.
- Afghanistan
- State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention
- Controlled by the Taliban, which is closely associated with the Haqqani Network, a Foreign Terrorist Organization
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Belarus
- Comprehensively Sanctioned Jurisdiction
- Unfree state (FIW)
- Cuba
- State Sponsor of Terrorism
- Comprehensively Sanctioned Jurisdiction
- Foreign Adversary
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Unfree state (FIW)
- Gaza (Hamas) (de facto state)
- Controlled by Hamas, a Foreign Terrorist Organization
- Unfree state (FIW)
- Iran
- State Sponsor of Terrorism
- State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention
- Comprehensively Sanctioned Jurisdiction
- Foreign Adversary
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Lebanon
- Recognizes Hezbollah, a Foreign Terrorist Organization, as a political party and permits it to hold seats in the national legislature
- North Korea
- State Sponsor of Terrorism
- Comprehensively Sanctioned Jurisdiction
- Foreign Adversary
- Unfree state (FIW)
- Pakistan
- Government support for Foreign Terrorist Organizations including Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, and The Resistance Front; tacit acceptance of others including al-Qaeda and its affiliates
- Palestine (West Bank) (de facto state)
- Controlled by Fatah, which is closely associated with the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, a Foreign Terrorist Organization
- Russia
- Comprehensively Sanctioned Jurisdiction
- Foreign Adversary
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Unfree state (HFI)
- Syria
- State Sponsor of Terrorism
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Ukraine/Russia Disputed Territories (Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk)
- Comprehensively Sanctioned Jurisdiction
- Unfree state (FIW)
Unfriendly Nations
I will generally avoid promoting or interacting with “unfriendly nations” and will prefer to avoid products or services that originate from them.
If I must use products and services originating from these nations because there are no alternatives available at a reasonable price, I prefer those offered for sale through, and under the supervision of, businesses elsewhere. For example, if all affordable laptops are made in China, I prefer one made in China on behalf of a business in a friendly nation (like Apple [U.S.], Samsung [South Korea], or Asus [Taiwan]) over those made on behalf of Chinese domestic businesses (like Huawei or Lenovo).
- Algeria
- Unfree state (HFI)
- Azerbaijan
- Unfree state (FIW)
- Burundi
- Unfree state (HFI)
- Cambodia
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Central African Republic
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Chad
- Unfree state (HFI)
- China
- Foreign Adversary
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW) (except Hong Kong)
- Egypt
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Unfree state (HFI)
- Eritrea
- Unfree state (FIW)
- Ethiopia
- Unfree state (HFI)
- Equatorial Guinea
- Unfree state (FIW)
- Hong Kong – see China
- Iraq
- Unfree state (HFI)
- Libya
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Macau – see China
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Nicaragua
- Unfree state (HFI)
- Saudi Arabia
- Tacit support for al-Qaeda, a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and its affiliates
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Somalia
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Sudan
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Tajikistan
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
- Türkiye (Turkey)
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- United Arab Emirates
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Venezuela
- Unfree state (HFI)
- Western Sahara (de facto state)
- Unfree state (FIW)
- Yemen
- Holds U.S. hostage(s) or wrongful detainee(s)
- Unfree state (HFI & FIW)
Adopted June 15, 2026