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Originally Posted by Namath12
Do we know that he actually stole a poster? I know they said he did and they beat him until he also said he did but that doesn't mean he did when it's NK we're talking about
Apparently all he did was take poster if off the wall, the abandoned it when he realized it was too big to take.
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Originally Posted by TheHip41
That’s why you don’t go to NK.
Sure it sucks he died. But it’s his own fault.
Kidnapped and killed by a brutal dictator. Color me shocked.
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I want to be able to want criminals held accountable but also be aware/point out that the victims own actions contributed to their predicament. To me that's not "victim blaming", that's common sense.
Yeah that's super obvious now. But at the time the worst thing that I had heard of was some missionary who deliberately left behind a bible in a bathroom stall. Others were stuff like Lisa Ling's sister walking across a frozen river from China definitely up to some kind of journalism or smuggling in/out stuff.
So I don't think anyone thought a punishment for taking a poster off the wall could possibly be this severe - until it happened. I think he got unlucky that a) NK was looking for a bargaining chip at the time and b) apparently these posters are some super-sacred thing in NK protected by severe penalties.
Also there are a lot of countries with scary state department warnings, where Americans can't always go directly - like Cuba, Tibet, Iran, half of Africa. But you get close and someone is offering an organized tour that seems safe enough. If you read the state department warnings about everywhere I went on my Mexico-Central America trip you'd be pretty sure something equally bad is going to happen. But then you get there and it's no big deal. I can see how someone might not take them as seriously. Obviously all that changed with Warmbler.
I thought about going to NK for a while - just for the experience. Mainly my phobia about awkward situations with my handlers kept me out - not fear of getting in trouble. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be stupid enough to get drunk and take a poster off the wall.
But could 22-year-old suzzer conceivably do something that stupid? Yup. Think how cool that would look on your wall and the endless times you could tell the story to amazed guests. Come on suzzer don't be a pussy, what's the worst that could happen? Actually no, playing this out in my mind I really don't think I could be that dumb even drunk, and even 22. I would assume they might hold me for a few weeks which would absolutely suck = not worth it. But I have sympathy nonetheless as it's still a close call for 22-year-old drunk suzzer.
Well then again 33-year-old drunk suzzer walked both ways across the Mexican border with a baggy of blow in his pocket. So yeah - I'd be capable.
Last edited by suzzer99; 03-01-2019 at 02:46 PM.