OT: Journalists released from NK prison...who cares???

[Pontius Pirate]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_nkorea_journalists_held

Personally, I had zero empathy for these two. From all accounts, they attempted to enter North Korea illegally to do some journalism for a not-so-official news outlet.

Hello?! We have relatively hostile relations with NK. What do you think was going to happen?

It's the same thing with those 3 "hikers" from Berkeley who just got arrested trying to enter Iran through Pakistan. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN?!?

[Popps]

Yea, ummm.... 12 years in a labor camp for crossing the border illegally?

Give me a ****ing break. **** NK. I'm glad these women are home safe and sound. We don't know the full story, but even if they were attempting to report on a corrupt regime, they're still Americans and shouldn't have been used as political pawns.

Maybe we should worry more about NK starving their own people to death.

[~Crash~]

I bet MR Clinton is still washing his hands.

[thumpc]

N Korea put a scare in 'em for a few months. Then Bubba and Kim Jong be Illin' shared a few hoes and Henessey...

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by Popps

Yea, ummm.... 12 years in a labor camp for crossing the border illegally?

Give me a ****ing break. **** NK. I'm glad these women are home safe and sound. We don't know the full story, but even if they were attempting to report on a corrupt regime, they're still Americans and shouldn't have been used as political pawns.

Maybe we should worry more about NK starving their own people to death.

+1

Check out the difference between NK and SK in the dark. It's amusing and sad all at the same time.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita.../dprk-dark.htm

[SouthStndJunkie]

Billy probably worked this out to his betterment in the form of a threesome on the plane ride back.

[Killericon]

Originally Posted by Pontius Pirate

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_nkorea_journalists_held

Personally, I had zero empathy for these two. From all accounts, they attempted to enter North Korea illegally to do some journalism for a not-so-official news outlet.

Hello?! We have relatively hostile relations with NK. What do you think was going to happen?

It's the same thing with those 3 "hikers" from Berkeley who just got arrested trying to enter Iran through Pakistan. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN?!?

First things first; A "not-so-official news outlet"? What the hell is an "official news outlet"?!?

Second, they were doing a story on human trafficking. There's a reason our relations with North Korea are hostile. That story is going to lead Journalists into dangerous places. Either the story is ignored andr Journalists don't try to go into dangerous places, or they do. I think I know what I want Journalists to do.

[Pontius Pirate]

Originally Posted by Popps

Yea, ummm.... 12 years in a labor camp for crossing the border illegally?

Give me a ****ing break. **** NK. I'm glad these women are home safe and sound. We don't know the full story, but even if they were attempting to report on a corrupt regime, they're still Americans and shouldn't have been used as political pawns.

Maybe we should worry more about NK starving their own people to death.

Exactly - **** NK. Meaning, leave them the **** alone and let them implode internally like we did with the USSR. The last thing we need is to have U.S. citizens trying to infiltrate their country. It emboldens their stance that the U.S. is trying to meddle with their affairs, thus helping the crazy NK leaders to present us as corrupters...and then present us as puppies with tails between legs asking for these idiots release.

If some reporters tried to get into Sudan illegally, or any other country that openly hates us, I'd say the same thing.

Now, if they had legit reporter credentials and permission from the NK - and they were doing nothing wrong - then I'd soften my view.

Otherwise, let them do the time as per local custom. The price you pay for being an idiot in a foreign land

[Popps]

Originally Posted by Pontius Pirate

Otherwise, let them do the time as per local custom. The price you pay for being an idiot in a foreign land

Yea, and the price they would have paid for detaining these women any longer forced them to come to their senses.

I don't disagree with you in principle, but saying we should stay out of their yard is almost validating their existence. Those people live in poverty and terror. Props to any journalists brave enough to try to uncover the details for the world to consume.

[CoopDawg]

Thank God they are safe. They are American citizens and I for one am proud that our country managed to release them.

[Pontius Pirate]

Originally Posted by Killericon

First things first; A "not-so-official news outlet"? What the hell is an "official news outlet"?!?

Second, they were doing a story on human trafficking. There's a reason our relations with North Korea are hostile. That story is going to lead Journalists into dangerous places. Either the story is ignored andr Journalists don't try to go into dangerous places, or they do. I think I know what I want Journalists to do.

I would say if they had credentials and their outfit (Current TV) is an accredited news source, then it's "official"

But if you're just some blogger who wants to enter a country illegally, you are pretty much forfeiting all protections afforded to you by your host country (IMHO).

Also, by all accounts, both of them were warned numerous times by NK authorities to not enter the country (i.e. they had been warned before actually being arrested).

[gunns]

Originally Posted by Pontius Pirate

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_nkorea_journalists_held

Personally, I had zero empathy for these two. From all accounts, they attempted to enter North Korea illegally to do some journalism for a not-so-official news outlet.

Hello?! We have relatively hostile relations with NK. What do you think was going to happen?

It's the same thing with those 3 "hikers" from Berkeley who just got arrested trying to enter Iran through Pakistan. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN?!?

As a mother, I cared.

[lizzard123]

+1 for caring unconditionally about fellow Americans.

[manchambo]

First, I don't really understand not caring when American citizens are mistreated by a brutal dictatorship. And while they certainly should have known that what they were doing was dangerous, they deserve some admiration for having the guts to try to change the world by letting people know what goes on there. And, in any case, I don't see how anyone could have foreseen that an illegal border crossing would lead to 12 years hard labor.

Second, and slightly OT, was anyone else as blown away by me at the weirdness of the photo of Clinton and Kim Jong Il? He is such a strange looking little man he almost looks like an alien. And then you have that weird raging sea backdrop. Honestly the picture looks like it should be captioned "Bill Clinton meets with Martian visitors."

Every so often I am reminded of the vastness in the divide between our culture and most basic ways of thinking and those of people in some other parts of the world. I found the picture (in the context of the whole situation) to illustrate that pretty sharply. And it makes me wonder whether you can ever come to some understanding with that regime.

[Rock Chalk]

I get what Pontius is saying and, to some extent agree.

Look, if you leave America and you break the laws of the country you are visiting, you should suffer those penalties, period. Whether they are just or not. Thats the risk you take when you leave America.

You dont like it, dont leave America. I wont. I dont trust any other country out there including western european countries.

On the flip side, I am certainly glad they made it home safe.

[elsid13]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

I get what Pontius is saying and, to some extent agree.

Look, if you leave America and you break the laws of the country you are visiting, you should suffer those penalties, period. Whether they are just or not. Thats the risk you take when you leave America.

You dont like it, dont leave America. I wont. I dont trust any other country out there including western european countries.

On the flip side, I am certainly glad they made it home safe.

The story was they were in China and NK border guards actually crossed the border to arrest them. They were reporting on sex slave traffic out of NK. Besides who cares if they broke any of that little bastard's laws. ****er should be string up and anal prob with a broken glass covered spike.

[Hogan11]

Originally Posted by CoopDawg

Thank God they are safe. They are American citizens and I for one am proud that our country managed to release them.

Agreed....It's not the act that some are up in arms about, it's because it was Bill Clinton who got them out and that makes it unacceptable. Clinton could save the Earth from mass destruction and still some would biatch about it. That's just the way of the west.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by manchambo

First, I don't really understand not caring when American citizens are mistreated by a brutal dictatorship. And while they certainly should have known that what they were doing was dangerous, they deserve some admiration for having the guts to try to change the world by letting people know what goes on there. And, in any case, I don't see how anyone could have foreseen that an illegal border crossing would lead to 12 years hard labor.

Second, and slightly OT, was anyone else as blown away by me at the weirdness of the photo of Clinton and Kim Jong Il? He is such a strange looking little man he almost looks like an alien. And then you have that weird raging sea backdrop. Honestly the picture looks like it should be captioned "Bill Clinton meets with Martian visitors."

Every so often I am reminded of the vastness in the divide between our culture and most basic ways of thinking and those of people in some other parts of the world. I found the picture (in the context of the whole situation) to illustrate that pretty sharply. And it makes me wonder whether you can ever come to some understanding with that regime.

Considering they teach kids that Kim Jong doesn't defecate I'd say no, we will never understand them as long as the communist dictatorship survives.

Iran is one thing, but IMO they are normal enough to be left alone unless they build a nuke. But this guy, this country, they are friggin crazy. The worlds goal should be an overthrow of the N Korean regime. Whatever we have to do to get Russia and CHina to help we should IMO. Short of giving up our security etc etc.

But hell no we cant let that freak of a country get there hands on a nuke they can put on a long range missile. He has to be stopped.

[Taco John]

I always have empathy for people taken hostage.

[Paladin]

Well, bang on it all you want, but that regime has agreed to let the DoD teams search for more POW and MIA remains. I hope my dad is one of them they find in this next search.

Did you know that Kim listens to 60's R&R music? Did you know he studied American Culture? He had the hots for Elizabeth taylor, and he liked Rambo..... I am not suporting him in any way, but I do think there is a certain amount of logic behind some of his nutty behavior.

But it does seem to me that there are screws loose in some members of all cultures, and we see our share around here, some of whom are bedwetters..........

[Rock Chalk]

Originally Posted by elsid13

The story was they were in China and NK border guards actually crossed the border to arrest them. They were reporting on sex slave traffic out of NK. Besides who cares if they broke any of that little bastard's laws. ****er should be string up and anal prob with a broken glass covered spike.

Well they were in China and NK crossed the Chinese boarder and arrested Americans and China allowed that?

Bull****.

And it really doesn't matter if we agree with the regime in power or not. Kim John Il is a crazy SOB that has no right to be in power but he is. And unless we intend on deposing him he sets the laws of that country and you better ****ing follow them.

So, what if some I dont know, French douchebag came over here and did things illegal, we shouldnt arrest him/her because they didnt agree with our regime?

ITs a retarded assertion.

Im glad the journalists got home safe, I really am, but I also have no sympathy for them for being arrested. They took a chance and got caught, tough break for them but they broke a law (again its not a just law by American standards) in another country and deserve to pay the penalty.

If we do not allow other countries to punish criminals from America on their soil (and they were criminals by the very definition of the word) how can we punish foreign criminals on our own soil?

[elsid13]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

Well they were in China and NK crossed the Chinese boarder and arrested Americans and China allowed that?

Bull****.

And it really doesn't matter if we agree with the regime in power or not. Kim John Il is a crazy SOB that has no right to be in power but he is. And unless we intend on deposing him he sets the laws of that country and you better ****ing follow them.

So, what if some I dont know, French douchebag came over here and did things illegal, we shouldnt arrest him/her because they didnt agree with our regime?

ITs a retarded assertion.

Im glad the journalists got home safe, I really am, but I also have no sympathy for them for being arrested. They took a chance and got caught, tough break for them but they broke a law (again its not a just law by American standards) in another country and deserve to pay the penalty.

If we do not allow other countries to punish criminals from America on their soil (and they were criminals by the very definition of the word) how can we punish foreign criminals on our own soil?

The Chinese officials did nothing because that is one of the most corrupt area in the world. How do you think those women and boys are transported in brothels?

And there major difference in our Western legal system and NK Stalin's dictatorship. It why we fought the cold war, and are chasing Al-Querida down. To say that their law and we need to respect it means you legitimatize that regime.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by Hogan11

Agreed....It's not the act that some are up in arms about, it's because it was Bill Clinton who got them out and that makes it unacceptable. Clinton could save the Earth from mass destruction and still some would biatch about it. That's just the way of the west.

Pretty much ......... Phony assed bed wetters

[Spider]

Originally Posted by Rock Chalk

Well they were in China and NK crossed the Chinese boarder and arrested Americans and China allowed that?

Bull****.

What in the hell are you babbling about **** like this goes on on our border with Mexico all the time , only they smuggle young girls in to be prostitutes here ...
Ponch's Hi/Lo outside of Edinburgh texas for example .....

[Florida_Bronco]

Originally Posted by Spider

Pretty much ......... Phony assed bed wetters

I was sitting with a hardcore Republican when the news broke. The very first thing he brought up was that Clinton did it for the glory. I reminded him that two fellow Americans were just saved from a rather horrible fate and asked him why he felt that the motives of the man largely responsible for it were really that important.

He never answered.