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This is why in the Iranian thread, I stated the US should have never even bothered with the Americans that were held there. All of the Americans arrested and held in Iran went to Iran on their own free will. The US coming in for the rescue just creates a moral hazard in that other people will travel to places like this, and expect the US to get them out when arrested.
It should be put out that if a US citizen voluntarily travels somewhere, the US gov is not going to make an effort if the person is arrested. Same with non-gov entities taking hostages; if a person travels to some known conflict zone in which the US gov officially warns about, and gets taken hostage, the US gov is not going to make an effort for release.
The US government can't/doesn't intervene if you get into trouble when you go to other countries (US friendly or not) and get into trouble. The onus is on you to read up on the other countries laws and customs.
Wow! Who knew that a mere college junior had the power to bring down the foundation of an entire country's single-minded unity?
He probably figured out how to disrupt the flow of Twinkies to the 'Dear Leader'!!!
And, yes, why do we allow any Americans to travel to NK? It is just a source of hostages for them to bargain with. And , I agree, the U.S. owes this kid nothing and he can find his own way home.
Oh, wait! We can swap the kid for John Kerry! Seems very fair!
I remember almost going there when I was 18...out of sheer curiosity of such an isolated country. I was literally at the site about to book with the tour company when I realized that my tourism there would only fund yet another chin for the Dear Leader. I didn't want my money to support a dictatorship. I went to Zimbabwe instead to volunteer to help nurse lion cubs back to health, which is something I'd much rather support.
Also, I like to integrate myself into the culture among the locals as much as possible. I made friends in Zimbabwe, a few of whom I still keep in touch with to this day. I'd probably be in a death camp had I tried that in "DPRK". Even the extended tours that claim you can meet the locals, I don't really count if it's only select individuals who are specifically appointed to give tourists a rehearsed 'eperience'. So what's really the point?
i wouldnt help the kid, he on his own, stupid enough to travel then he stupid enough to get thrown in jail, bub you on your own, and it should be the same for middle east too
There are consequences for every decision that YOU make.
If you are dumb enough to travel to a known dangerous and crazy country, it's on you. Not the tax payers. And, not on the baseball card trade circuit. (I'll give you 2 prisoners for 1 stupid kid)
He may be a dumb college kid who made a dumber decision to go to one of the worlds most closed places, but what happens next not the US's concern. Let his parents, his college and his Chinese tour company's help him get out of the hole that he knowingly dug!
Most countries in the world are not particularly dangerous. I'd rather travel to Southeast Asia than Alabama, Mississippi, or Lousyana.
I have a friend who posted pictures on FB of her recent trip to Egypt. Cities visited included Sharm El-Sheikh and Cairo. While she came back alive and well, I couldn't help but wonder WHY ??? At a time like this? Of all places one can go.
Traveling to Egypt (which I have been to) has absolutely no comparison to traveling to N. Korea at all! The US does not even have diplomatic relations with N. Korea. Cruise ships go to Egypt!
Sharm caters to western tourism.
There are a lot of stupid, "I can do anything I want" mentality people today who feel they can go anywhere they want. I say to those people, go where ever your like just don't expect to come back home alive.
The US should just tell the N Koreans that they can have him. You can't protect people from themselves. Let this fool be an example to other dopes that think they can go anywhere they want without repercussions. If that's the case, I should be allowed to go into the White house or area 51.
I lived in Europe a long time with my Dutch husband and you have to do as whatever country your are in does . Especially if they are known to be hostile you MUST understand you are on your own . I had a hard enough time with people hating Americans in Holland - the real out in the sticks dutch - not the ones you might interact with in Amsterdam and it was tough and I had to educate some who were willing and able to listen that I was not arrogant, not all of us weigh 500 lbs and eat all 3 meals at McDonalds ( they are obsessed with thinking we all eat every meal there ) and me originating from Texas some even thought I or my friends/family had participated in executions as employment . North Korea IS NOT going to listen to ANYTHING .
I have also found it safer for me not to go to Turkey when my husbands extended family goes .
WOULD NEVER go to N Korea and am sorry I can see at my age, I will never go to Baghdad beyond the fighting and the Taliban etc .. I would have loved to have taken home some of the fabrics and art , seen decor/ designs of some of the homes and the food . That place wont be back to normal for a very long time if ever. I'd been fascinated by it since I was very young IDK why .
Hoping to go to Cuba and India before its over . My folks honeymooned in Cuba in '55.
There are a lot of stupid, "I can do anything I want" mentality people today who feel they can go anywhere they want. I say to those people, go where ever your like just don't expect to come back home alive.
The US should just tell the N Koreans that they can have him. You can't protect people from themselves. Let this fool be an example to other dopes that think they can go anywhere they want without repercussions. If that's the case, I should be allowed to go into the White house or area 51.
There is also a "do gooder, I can change the world" mentality among young people, like this college kid, that age. Thinking you can go there and see it and come back and try to convince people here why we need to step in and help them, and why the people of NK need to be freed. Like "I can go there and maybe make a difference."
Sometimes people are just so naive. Of course, I don't know what this guy was thinking and I don't know if he's like the people I'm describing, but they're out there, and they would do something incredibly stupid like go to North Korea because they think they can somehow make a difference.
I think we all know that the way people live there is awful. I honestly often try to think of ways someone, some country, some anything out there can free them without causing a lot of damage (NK intrigues me so I watch a lot of documentaries on it). Like "The Interview" style or something. But unfortunately, without starting some type of war, freeing these people from this dictatorship is unlikely and probably none of our business anyway. Not to mention, so many of them are brainwashed into hating the US so any help we offer, or South Korea or anyone else deemed an enemy, may fall on deaf ears anyway. It would be hard to free them from the thoughts they've been indoctrinated into for generations now. It would take so much work (and money/resources) to get that country and those people up and running in a way most of the West would deem ideal. We, the US, personally don't have that money, anyway.
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But unfortunately, without starting some type of war, freeing these people from this dictatorship is unlikely and probably none of our business anyway. Not to mention, so many of them are brainwashed into hating the US so any help we offer, or South Korea or anyone else deemed an enemy, may fall on deaf ears anyway. It would be hard to free them from the thoughts they've been indoctrinated into for generations now. It would take so much work (and money/resources) to get that country and those people up and running in a way most of the West would deem ideal. We, the US, personally don't have that money, anyway.
