UVA Student Released from North Korea; Has Been in a Coma for a Year?

[Anonymous]

I don't get all of the mean bitches on this thread. I hope your kids do something stupid and then see how you are treated. Meanies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have nothing but sympathy and prayers for Otto and his family. It was dumb to go to NK, but not anything deserving of what they've been through.

That said.... I do not understand why Americans are allowed to go there. We aren't allowed to go to Cuba, where by all accounts tourists will be treated just fine. Why doesn't the US place an embargo on NK just the same and just avoid the terrible (but predictable) outcomes like this.

Americans did travel to Cuba through other countries. They didn't stamp the passports so it would not be evident when you returned. And you can travel to NK. Or Syria. Or the ghetto. Or anywhere. If you have enough free will, you can get anywhere. Just know what you may get into before you go and expect the worst rather than complain afterwards it was more than you expected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get all of the mean bitches on this thread. I hope your kids do something stupid and then see how you are treated. Meanies.

There are levels of stupidity. Most kids don't get themselves sent to hard labor in a communist country. I'd actually say every kid between 1 and 25 in the US except for 1 did not do this. It's a level of stupidity that people don't obtain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get all of the mean bitches on this thread. I hope your kids do something stupid and then see how you are treated. Meanies.

You only get sympathy from conservatives if you go into Mexico armed to the teeth.

[Anonymous]

Otto is kind of a pretentious name.

[Anonymous]

Dumbass. He didn't name himself and if you knew anything about Cincy, which you obviously don't, it has a large German population. The level of stupidity on this thread is amazing.

Anonymous wrote:Otto is kind of a pretentious name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get all of the mean bitches on this thread. I hope your kids do something stupid and then see how you are treated. Meanies.

Meanies???

There is doing something stupid (sending a topless picture to a boy or smoking pot) and then there is going to North Korea on vacation. Whole different category. And it's not like you can kinda accidentally wander into North Korea and not know what you are getting into. It is actually a tough place to visit. This kid did the equivalent of traveling to Iraq in 2003 and then acting shocked that he got hit by a roadside bomb. Or yes, deciding to go hiking in Iran. Not every place in the world is safe, just because you are an American. And if you travel to a totalitarian regime that does not have diplomatic relations with the US and does not believe in due process, you can't expect that your Constitutional rights as an American will be respected. In America, you play by our rules. In North Korea, you play be theirs. And Nort Korea's rules are harsh, and arbitrary and unfair. Which is why you don't go there.

What happened to this kid is not a big surprise. It was entirely predictable. Anyone could have seen it coming. How? The Department of State said in bold letters that this exact thing was not just possible, but likely.

This whole affluenza defense just needs to stop. No one's kids are protected when they do things they are clearly told are dangerous. I don't have a lot of patience for kids who drive under the influence, for people who play Russian Roulette and lose, or for North Korean "tourists". I just hope no one else gets hurt because of their bad judgment.

[Anonymous]

You sound stupid pp. I bet your kids are losers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get all of the mean bitches on this thread. I hope your kids do something stupid and then see how you are treated. Meanies.

Meanies???

There is doing something stupid (sending a topless picture to a boy or smoking pot) and then there is going to North Korea on vacation. Whole different category. And it's not like you can kinda accidentally wander into North Korea and not know what you are getting into. It is actually a tough place to visit. This kid did the equivalent of traveling to Iraq in 2003 and then acting shocked that he got hit by a roadside bomb. Or yes, deciding to go hiking in Iran. Not every place in the world is safe, just because you are an American. And if you travel to a totalitarian regime that does not have diplomatic relations with the US and does not believe in due process, you can't expect that your Constitutional rights as an American will be respected. In America, you play by our rules. In North Korea, you play be theirs. And Nort Korea's rules are harsh, and arbitrary and unfair. Which is why you don't go there.

What happened to this kid is not a big surprise. It was entirely predictable. Anyone could have seen it coming. How? The Department of State said in bold letters that this exact thing was not just possible, but likely.

This whole affluenza defense just needs to stop. No one's kids are protected when they do things they are clearly told are dangerous. I don't have a lot of patience for kids who drive under the influence, for people who play Russian Roulette and lose, or for North Korean "tourists". I just hope no one else gets hurt because of their bad judgment.

Well said. I still don't get why anyone would want to visit that country. However, my heart still goes out to his family and I hope that no permanent damage has been done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have nothing but sympathy and prayers for Otto and his family. It was dumb to go to NK, but not anything deserving of what they've been through.

That said.... I do not understand why Americans are allowed to go there. We aren't allowed to go to Cuba, where by all accounts tourists will be treated just fine. Why doesn't the US place an embargo on NK just the same and just avoid the terrible (but predictable) outcomes like this.

Please tell me you are this divorced from reality. The US has a trade embargo. The US doesn't have diplomatic relations with the DPRK. You can't waltz over to its embassy in DC. Rather, you can only get a tourist visa when in China. Our government doesn't forcibly restrain its citizens from visiting and putting themselves at risk of arrest or even kidnapping and secret detention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have nothing but sympathy and prayers for Otto and his family. It was dumb to go to NK, but not anything deserving of what they've been through.

That said.... I do not understand why Americans are allowed to go there. We aren't allowed to go to Cuba, where by all accounts tourists will be treated just fine. Why doesn't the US place an embargo on NK just the same and just avoid the terrible (but predictable) outcomes like this.

Please tell me you are this divorced from reality. The US has a trade embargo. The US doesn't have diplomatic relations with the DPRK. You can't waltz over to its embassy in DC. Rather, you can only get a tourist visa when in China. Our government doesn't forcibly restrain its citizens from visiting and putting themselves at risk of arrest or even kidnapping and secret detention.

Surely you are not this divorced from reality.

Yes, it is complicated for Americans to go to NK. But it is NOT ILLEGAL.
Yes, pre-Obama changes Americans could skirt the law and get into Cuba (who would kindly not stamp their passport), but it WAS ILLEGAL (and still us under some circumstances)

The state dept has issued a very strongly worded Travel Warning to US Citizens against traveling to North Korea.
This is the statement about Cuba: Travel to Cuba for tourist activities remains prohibited by statute.

Different, see?

Given the gravity of what could happen to tourists in NK and the atrocities that we know about by their government, it seems that travel to NK for tourist activities should also be prohibited by statute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess he is arriving home today. What a bizarre twist. I hope he will be okay; living in a coma in North Korea for a year does not sound good.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/university-of-virginia-student-otto-warmbier-in-a-coma-released-from-north-korea/2017/06/13/febba10a-503d-11e7-91eb-9611861a988f_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_nkorea-1015am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.3946bf217f44

whats the problem? Government run, Single Payer healthcare at its finest!

[Anonymous]

^ Somehow I don't think this whole episode has much to do with single payer healthcare. More like no healthcare.

[Anonymous]

More like we was severely beaten, Suffered a traumatic Brain injury and they have been covering it up for that last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have nothing but sympathy and prayers for Otto and his family. It was dumb to go to NK, but not anything deserving of what they've been through.

That said.... I do not understand why Americans are allowed to go there. We aren't allowed to go to Cuba, where by all accounts tourists will be treated just fine. Why doesn't the US place an embargo on NK just the same and just avoid the terrible (but predictable) outcomes like this.

Please tell me you are this divorced from reality. The US has a trade embargo. The US doesn't have diplomatic relations with the DPRK. You can't waltz over to its embassy in DC. Rather, you can only get a tourist visa when in China. Our government doesn't forcibly restrain its citizens from visiting and putting themselves at risk of arrest or even kidnapping and secret detention.

Surely you are not this divorced from reality.

Yes, it is complicated for Americans to go to NK. But it is NOT ILLEGAL.
Yes, pre-Obama changes Americans could skirt the law and get into Cuba (who would kindly not stamp their passport), but it WAS ILLEGAL (and still us under some circumstances)

The state dept has issued a very strongly worded Travel Warning to US Citizens against traveling to North Korea.
This is the statement about Cuba: Travel to Cuba for tourist activities remains prohibited by statute.

Different, see?

Given the gravity of what could happen to tourists in NK and the atrocities that we know about by their government, it seems that travel to NK for tourist activities should also be prohibited by statute.

It was never illegal for US citizens to visit Cuba. However, it was illegal to spend money there while visiting without obtaining approval from Treasury/OFAC. The same holds true today, but US citizens can more easily qualify for a license.