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No, but it IS American-centric to expect to not be subject to such human rights abuses when one travels to a country KNOWN to be guilty of such.
Um no, not American-centric but pretty much International-centric to not expect a long prison sentence for a college kid stealing a poster. This is wrong no matter what the country is. The punishment does not even begin to remotely fit the crime.
Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said that the punishment of “15 years’ hard labor for a college-style prank is outrageous and shocking.”
Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, a Republican candidate for president, said in a statement on his website that Mr. Warmbier’s detention “was completely unjustified and the sentence North Korea imposed on him is an affront to concepts of justice.”
The sentence was the latest in a series of penalties that the government has meted out to a small number of American tourists, missionaries and journalists in recent years for what have been deemed antistate crimes, including accusations of illegal entry and leaving a Bible behind in a hotel.
But even by North Korea’s standards, the punishment for Mr. Warmbier appeared to be extreme for an act that might amount to a harmless misdemeanor elsewhere. The Obama administration, along with Mr. Warmbier’s other American supporters and rights activists, denounced the sentence.
The U.S. State Department fired back Wednesday, saying the punishment doesn't fit the alleged crime.
The sentence against University of Virginia student Otto Frederick Warmbier is "unduly harsh," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, calling for his release.
If he looked like he could be Obama's son there might be something done about this. But no, they will let him rot.
Maybe Trump will do something.
Probably because the North Koreans almost certainly want to make a diplomatic deal. Probably foreign aid for another year.
Trump is willing to make a mess to get what he wants. For instance, he could threaten to have North Korea expelled from the United Nations. The North Koreans do not want that, especially since South Korea would still be a member (thereby granting South Korea more legitimacy). But if the United Nations balks about expelling North Korea - the USA could threaten to leave the United Nations itself and start its own United Nations. But this time it would be a United Nations where only Democracies are allowed to join.
That is the value of a candidate like Trump (or Bernie Sanders). They are willing to go against the status quo and that gives them a lot of negotiating power.
Their country, their laws. The man went into their country and knowingly broke their laws. Now he is serving his sentence, according to their laws.
A foreign visitor comes to our country (legally) and breaks our laws. Exactly the same would happen, they would be tried and punished according to our laws.
Why is this considered either political or controversial? Only thing "controversial" is the stupidity of the young man...and perhaps the failure in parenting.
Um no, not American-centric but pretty much International-centric to not expect a long prison sentence for a college kid stealing a poster. This is wrong no matter what the country is. The punishment does not even begin to remotely fit the crime. .
In another country stealing will get your hands chopped off.
And it's all above board and legal in that country.
While I agree that what he did was incredibly stupid- how would you like to be sentenced for your most stupid acts?
People are sentenced every day for their stupid acts.
Break into the home of a well armed person. Your sentence might be getting shot.
Drive drunk and your sentence might be a fatal accident.
Go to a hostile country and you might not like what happens. I love to travel and experience other cultures. We can learn much from developing nations. 1 thing I always do is look up the watch outs before I go. I love Singapore. Cleanest city/ state that I have ever been to. They are a marvel of recycling. Don't litter there, not even by accident. They have many laws that are strange to us..
Someone spoke of Thailand. I have been there. Don't bash the king. Don't know why you would want to, he is loved by the people and from what I can tell is a pretty good guy. Also don't step on money if you drop it. They look at that like stepping on the King's face.
Don't like these laws? Then don't go to these places.
This young man went to a nation that is openly hostile towards Americans. Not a trip for even a seasoned traveler. His actions, poor decision making and ignorance are what got him into trouble. I grow weary of our government bending over backwards trying to save people who visit hostile nations.
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