How does this happen? Why on earth did this guy have to be in N. Korea?

[Anonymous]

I am tired of this. There is no economics project that requires anyone to be in N. Korea.
The same goes for the ones who just had to go hiking on the Syria Iran border, and Mr Weinstein in Pakistan, Alan Gross in Cuba.
WHAT are these fools thinking.
I know that everyone wants to do something crazy to discuss at parties and distinguish themselves, but please.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/uva-student-held-in-north-korea-confesses-to-severe-crimes/2016/02/29/b561da4b-4dbd-4819-94da-9907fcc472a2_story.html?hpid=hp_local-news_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

[Anonymous]

Agree. I get frustrated at the amount of time, expense, and diplomatic capital that we will have to spend to get this guy out of North Korea.
As a US citizen, I appreciate the protection my country provides for me even when I am traveling overseas, but at some point, I feel that a person that willingly travels to a place like North Korea is abdicating that protection.

[Anonymous]

His parents probably told him "you can do ANYTHING!" when he was a kid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:His parents probably told him "you can do ANYTHING!" when he was a kid

He probably enjoyed al the attention he got when he told everyone he was going to NK

[Anonymous]

Actually, the US needs to shut down the tour company, although the DPRK probably already has. They also shouldn't allow anyone under the age of 25 travel there without their parents.

We went to DPRK and we had to attend a mandatory pre-meeting to tell us what we had to do there and to scare us into behaving, i.e. understanding the severity of it. You forfeit your passport upon entering. When we went Americans could only visit during the Mass Games, but I think they've since opened it up. Restricting that again might be in everyone's best interests.

[Anonymous]

And yet you expect a Delta Force extraction for Americans jailed for bringing guns into Mexico.

[Anonymous]

I worry more about the grey zones. My godmother travels regularly to Afghanistan to visit the mountain village she is helping support. She and other charitable foreigners are closely monitored by the government because they always fear spies. They are also at risk of being assaulted by robbers and/or murdered by militants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I worry more about the grey zones. My godmother travels regularly to Afghanistan to visit the mountain village she is helping support. She and other charitable foreigners are closely monitored by the government because they always fear spies. They are also at risk of being assaulted by robbers and/or murdered by militants.

OK, but I don't want my tax $ going to get her out of Af if things sour. OK?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree. I get frustrated at the amount of time, expense, and diplomatic capital that we will have to spend to get this guy out of North Korea.
As a US citizen, I appreciate the protection my country provides for me even when I am traveling overseas, but at some point, I feel that a person that willingly travels to a place like North Korea is abdicating that protection.

This is exactly right. Many Americans don't realize the extent our government goes to bat for you when you do something stupid overseas. But this person deserves to stew a little bit and think about his actions and what they will cost the US to get him out.

[Anonymous]

Remember those hikers on the Iranian border. I had a friend whose son was putting his life in danger looking for them. They knew better but were reckless.

However, I have kids--and kids do stupid things. If it were my kid...........
I would hope that my kids would be smarter than this, though.

Remember when Al Gore took Bill to NKorea for those jounalists? That wasn't so great, either.

What is our government going to have to give up to get this kid back?

[Anonymous]

He is a UVa kid so... Enough said.

[Anonymous]

The lawyers in these countries have a field day with the aeronauts' money. They zillow your home and ask for exactly that in legal fees, then they bribe a few people and often that is enough to get your kid out. God forbid the bribes don't work, you are out of a home and your kid is still in a jail overseas.

[Anonymous]

I have no patience for this sort of thing. When you go to another country, you follow their rules. End of story. Does not matter if you think they are stupid, wrong, a joke, or that you are somehow special because you have a US passport. You follow the rules. In North Korea, that means not putting a toe out of line, bowing to statues, pretending you believe their lies, and doing exactly what your guide tells you and nothing else. It is not a secret what will happen if you don't. Don't like it or don't want to? Stay home. I'm sure the charges here were ridiculously trumped up, but this kid probably did do something to provoke them, like try to steal a souvenir, because he's an idiot. Now we have to waste resources and political capital trying to get this moron out of the mess he put himself in.

It is quite possible to visit North Korea, see their tourist traps, and leave again without winding up in a gulag. Plenty of people do it. I don't think going there as Joe Tourist is stupid as long as you behave and know what you're getting into and what could go wrong. But seeing if you can be the "brave" idiot to sneak in a Bible or borrow a propaganda poster or spit on a Kim Il Sung statue? Stay home and grow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no patience for this sort of thing. When you go to another country, you follow their rules. End of story. Does not matter if you think they are stupid, wrong, a joke, or that you are somehow special because you have a US passport. You follow the rules. In North Korea, that means not putting a toe out of line, bowing to statues, pretending you believe their lies, and doing exactly what your guide tells you and nothing else. It is not a secret what will happen if you don't. Don't like it or don't want to? Stay home. I'm sure the charges here were ridiculously trumped up, but this kid probably did do something to provoke them, like try to steal a souvenir, because he's an idiot. Now we have to waste resources and political capital trying to get this moron out of the mess he put himself in.

It is quite possible to visit North Korea, see their tourist traps, and leave again without winding up in a gulag. Plenty of people do it. I don't think going there as Joe Tourist is stupid as long as you behave and know what you're getting into and what could go wrong. But seeing if you can be the "brave" idiot to sneak in a Bible or borrow a propaganda poster or spit on a Kim Il Sung statue? Stay home and grow up.

This blows my mind. I had no idea that anyone was going to North Korea at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I worry more about the grey zones. My godmother travels regularly to Afghanistan to visit the mountain village she is helping support. She and other charitable foreigners are closely monitored by the government because they always fear spies. They are also at risk of being assaulted by robbers and/or murdered by militants.

And right here? This is the issue. Plenty of poor needy folk right there in the US.

Liberal schools are so busy telling kids that we conservatives are paranoid racists, and yet...