I have little sympathy for the guy. This much is true. I really don't.

The guy went to a foreign country known for its harsh hand at criminal justice and he showed his ass. That's his fault. Nobody else's. Does he "deserve" 15 years hard labor? Like I said, no.

Was he an idiot who has created an international diplomatic mess? Yup!

he deserves punishment, not 15 years, but theft of any kind, no matter how cute and jovial the circumstances may be perceived by the perpetrator, is still theft.

He acted without any thought as to the consequences. This is his fault. Nobody else's.

I agree with GR. I see the guy as the same as those idiots who go sailing near the Somali coast and then get captured by pirates. I just don't get it. :dead:

I agree, as I said, I completely misunderstood that one line.
Haven't slept in a while, sorry. :doh:

:salute:
all good my man

Didn't he try to steal a Government banner hanging somewhere he wasn't supposed to be? I thought I'd heard it was in a government building.

I have no sympathy for him at all. You don't try and steal something... anything.... in a foreign country that hates the US of A. Especially N. Korea where our government says NOT to go. Maybe 15 years is too harsh but he still deserves punishment. It could have been far worse. Like relative and Generals in front of a firing squad for doing far less than he did. Seeing where he's stuck for a long while I'd say he's very lucky to be alive..... if he survives their hard labor.

I bet that when he gets out he won't be going back to that church, or "that someone's house".

The good news is that he probably won't serve more than a few years. The bad news is that our government will have to go over and save his sorry butt and you can just bet this will effect some of the negotiations that are ongoing.

I wonder if there will come a point when our government decides to make an example?

I truly do not understand why any American would want to visit NK. :nope:

I don't think they like us much.

not only that platapus but the meat it has provided for their propaganda machine. You know that Kim Jong Un is probably watching replay after replay of this crying, pitiful American man boy and televising that footage over and over again likely citing that this is how all Americans are.

For some of the candidate in the American Presidential election this could perhaps not have come more perfect
(not the word I had in mind, but I forgot it)

Maybe we will See some of the candidate do a "Jesse" and get him free and thereby earn some extra votes

Markus

Just like those idiots who were hiking and got lost in Iran.

People need to understand how their actions can adversely affect their country.

It is not just about them. :nope:

I think he would prefer a firing squad... North Korean prisons can be summed up with three words.

Rape is legal.

Unfortunately in the society we've created nearly all their experiences from cradle to that point says it really is about them. Shielded from danger, from failure, from every adversity or disadvantage, the precious little snowflakes aren't given enough reason to know better until they become "adults" and find out that doesn't work in the real world.

I call them "The Blue Ribbon Generation" - no matter their efforts they always get the blue ribbon

I remember when i was 8 or 9 years old we had a field day track meet... you raced. you got first, second, third, fourth and fifth place ribbons. after fifth you got sweaty or winded... but thats it.

now they all are winners and are all special just for showing up and whining about the heat

REALLY NICE play on words! :up: :know:

I agree, (honestly anyone who raises their child like that should be locked up) but I'm not sure how it applies here.

I mean, I don't really see anything special snowflake about him. Special snowflakes just whine about minor things that don't hurt them. To use a few examples I've had to experience, "I don't watch Star Wars, stop talking about it", "stop being gay, that's weird" (that particular gem came from a guy who wouldn't stop whining about everything, especially his parents, so in his case I don't blame them at all) "if you believe in God, we can't be friends anymore," that sort of minor stuff. Gets on my nerves.

Yeah, the guy's crying, but if you were told that you'd been sentenced to 15 years in a jail where the guards are allowed to rape you, just for committing a minor crime (actually, I wouldn't be surprised if he's innocent and the NK authorities framed him because he's American), wouldn't you be just a bit under the weather?

As for visiting North Korea, pretty stupid thing to do, but I'm reserving judgement until I know why he visited. If he wanted to see just how bad things really were, or if the Museum of the Construction of the Museum of the Construction of the Museum of Culture actually exists, that's understandable (but a pretty stupid way to go about it). If he visited because he thought North Korea sounded like a great place, then I think he needs another education :doh:

And a slap or ten.

Yes, North Korea has a museum about the building of another museum, which was itself about the construction of a third museum. In unrelated news, people have very little to eat in North Korea. I wonder why?

Out house
 

You do not go drop bombs in the outhouse on a hot summer day no matter how bad u have to go when it is full of hornet nests..Learned that lesson in 1969 at my great grandmas house when I was four years old and I was warned ahead of time..Better to go in the woods or the bucket..That was a very simple but real life lesson..:/\\!!

Ouch, how bad were the stings?

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam...-story-top.jpg
Look at his face, then look at his belly. Baking enough cake to keep this guy fed for 15 years is hard labour if I have ever seen it.

I certainly don't want our society to become a collective, but a little collectivism is a good thing. I am both an individual and part of my society. Each one of those has privileges and responsibilities.

Many people like to focus on the privileges, but the responsibilities are also important. Like many things in life, there is a compromise between "I" and "we" in life.


Yeah, you are right. I remember when The Frau's kid moved out (the first time) she had a closet full of these huge bowling trophies. They were massive in size and quantity. She bowled on the team for less than two years. And you know what, she did not really care about the trophies. Into the recycling they went.

I look at my library and I have one trophy. Just one, a small wooden one. But it was when I came in second place at the LA Scholastic Chess Open about a hundred years ago. But I treasure that trophy.

1. I truly earned it.
2. In my generation (aka old guy) we did not get trophies so it was truly something special.

Platapus well said
 

Platapus said
"I certainly don't want our society to become a collective, but a little collectivism is a good thing. I am both an individual and part of my society. Each one of those has privileges and responsibilities"

Tim says
Just as our founders intended..People forget we all our individuals with the same rights to protect our person from the oppression of others but we also have a responsibility to the common good so we may protect those rights and privileges for the future generations to enjoy. It is this almost perfect balance between the common good and Individualism that separates our great Constitution from all others in history.It is our responsibility to maintain this balance the best we can.

peace :know: