General Discussion

cab67

(3,775 posts)

59. Your second point is very much spot-on.

Tue Jun 20, 2017, 02:40 PM

Jun 2017

I teach at a university and have encountered far more than my share of students who think the world will change if only people from other countries encounter us. So they sign up for "service vacations" where they'll help dig a hole they can pretend will one day be a well, or help build a shelter the next big wind storm will knock over, or engage in activities intended to show people already inundated with American culture (movies and TV) what we're really like.

My work has taken me to some sketchy parts of the world (e.g. Venezuela), but I've been careful to work with local colleagues who know exactly where to go, where to NOT go, and what to expect. And both their advice and my experience tell me not to expect people to change their minds about the United States just because they meet one more or less reasonable and polite US citizen.

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On Traveling to North Korea. [View all] MineralMan Jun 2017 OP

Sad that this is not blindingly obvious Takket Jun 2017 #1

Yes, sad, indeed. I can think of no reason for any US Citizen MineralMan Jun 2017 #4

to visit relatives? I know some people who visited last year along with their family member who Sunlei Jun 2017 #124

I liken it to "kamikaze sushi." BobTheSubgenius Jun 2017 #125

I agree completely. Mr. Shraby will say, what was that person doing there anyway? Don't they realize shraby Jun 2017 #2

In retaliation, and for safety, the US should ban travel to North Korea, at least for now. Alice11111 Jun 2017 #113

A travel ban that makes sense, maddiemom Jun 2017 #134

About a dozen people die visiting the Grand Canyon each year jberryhill Jun 2017 #3

People die for all sorts of reasons. Mostly MineralMan Jun 2017 #7

There are "no good reasons" for a lot of things jberryhill Jun 2017 #12

Indeed. Bungee jumping is on my list of things MineralMan Jun 2017 #15

Or meth, or opioids - both of which are considerably more popular jberryhill Jun 2017 #17

You trying to say we're all going to die or something? Corvo Bianco Jun 2017 #70

People do all kinds of risky things. It's not a big deal jberryhill Jun 2017 #72

I say live and let live... defacto7 Jun 2017 #107

Does the US pay my traffic tickets abroad? jberryhill Jun 2017 #108

you missed the point. nt defacto7 Jun 2017 #109

I think the reason people are upset is that they see an articulate father grieving over his lost son karynnj Jun 2017 #139

Thanks, very good points. Understandable the families pain & them wanting ANY Admin. to do more. Sunlei Jun 2017 #156

The right wing is absolutely hypocritical about it karynnj Jun 2017 #157

The New York Philharmonic played in DPRK some years back.. pangaia Jun 2017 #35

I went a dozen years ago rpannier Jun 2017 #106

Your argument is inane. These are not comparable experiences. Alice11111 Jun 2017 #114

At the hands of the government? George II Jun 2017 #126

Lastly listen to the State Dept. when they post an explicit warning. Historic NY Jun 2017 #5

Yes. The US Government does not have a responsibility to MineralMan Jun 2017 #20

No but the US government shouldn't block the world from reading their newspapers, communicating Sunlei Jun 2017 #127

google gives me press tv (Iran) - same with Syria and Russia. karynnj Jun 2017 #143

https://news.google.com/ Sunlei Jun 2017 #150

I think we might be opposites - I had never gone to news.google, until you mentioned it karynnj Jun 2017 #153

State dept strongly discourages travel to NK lunasun Jun 2017 #144

This is still around: Glimmer of Hope Jun 2017 #6

Yes, well, that's a UK travel company. MineralMan Jun 2017 #9

I don't think NK considers British citizens to be as useful as hostages. nt tblue37 Jun 2017 #23

The UK maintains diplomatic relations with NK and has an embassy in Pyongyang (n/t) Spider Jerusalem Jun 2017 #69

Some things in life just aren't worth doing. Bucket lists are overrated. Just ask some who nikibatts Jun 2017 #8

Especially bucket lists loaded with dangerous things. MineralMan Jun 2017 #13

I WOULD think South Korea is much better. Better yet... yuiyoshida Jun 2017 #10

Yes. South Korea would be an interesting MineralMan Jun 2017 #11

You will have to try the local foods ...hahaha!! yuiyoshida Jun 2017 #14

Not a live one, thanks. I have eaten raw octopus, though. MineralMan Jun 2017 #16

I just love me some ScienceBunny videos yuiyoshida Jun 2017 #19

I love calamari, but I won't eat it any more because of the evidence of intelligence in tblue37 Jun 2017 #22

So only eat the dumb ones jberryhill Jun 2017 #93

Are you channneling Trump on this??? TNNurse Jun 2017 #119

. jberryhill Jun 2017 #136

I'm with you, tblue37 Hekate Jun 2017 #96

Same for me! I'm a SCUBA diver, and they are really cool, even affectionate creatures. Alice11111 Jun 2017 #112

Why are Japan and ROK only 'relatively' safe destinations? pangaia Jun 2017 #37

Well if North Korea starts bombing them they are not yuiyoshida Jun 2017 #101

Ah ha, I understand. pangaia Jun 2017 #102

mochiron yuiyoshida Jun 2017 #103

Wakarimasen. ? pangaia Jun 2017 #104

Taiwan? Hong Kong? mwooldri Jun 2017 #131

Under sane DPRK leadership Korea would be one country. pangaia Jun 2017 #146

South Korea is awesome roscoeroscoe Jun 2017 #111

Going to japan in October and South Korea in late July... pangaia Jun 2017 #36

South Korea and Japan are modern &civilized allies.The is no comparison to the brutal dictatorship, Alice11111 Jun 2017 #115

Japan, China on my must go to places. mwooldri Jun 2017 #135

Whatever you do, do not let your kids climb over the railing at Niagara Falls. longship Jun 2017 #18

Christian fundamentalist missionaries, don't go there thinking you tblue37 Jun 2017 #21

Yes. That's one of the worst reasons to go there. MineralMan Jun 2017 #24

Yeah, we had a guy in upstate NY who crossed from PA waving a bible... pangaia Jun 2017 #39

You are totally correct - no reason to go to North Korea. 3catwoman3 Jun 2017 #25

Pretty awful of your XO! There are many countries that don't find things like that funny or cute! Madam45for2923 Jun 2017 #121

Otto did a dumb thing stealing the poster Motley13 Jun 2017 #26

Apparently, some woman in the US asked him to grab a souvenir MineralMan Jun 2017 #28

"Beauty and the Beast" where the request for a rose leads to trouble karynnj Jun 2017 #145

How does North Korea arrest people 'getting close' if they are still in South Korea? pangaia Jun 2017 #41

I wondered that as well. I'm guessing they really mean the DMZ. Coventina Jun 2017 #45

Heck, they used to kidnap Japanese citizens in Japan dalton99a Jun 2017 #61

I've considered traveling to North Korea. brooklynite Jun 2017 #27

OK. It was just a suggestion. MineralMan Jun 2017 #30

You won't get "the real picture" going to NK. nycbos Jun 2017 #32

I agree, to a point... brooklynite Jun 2017 #33

I wold skip going to a place .. jb5150 Jun 2017 #55

I'd love to go to Seoul BainsBane Jun 2017 #29

Oh, I DO recommend Seoul... pangaia Jun 2017 #43

and shop for K-beauty! BainsBane Jun 2017 #49

LOL :)))))))))))))))))) pangaia Jun 2017 #77

Or stop in for a haircut at the shop with two barber poles jberryhill Jun 2017 #85

Now that's not nice.... pangaia Jun 2017 #88

I kept forgetting which gu my dong was in jberryhill Jun 2017 #89

I surrender....I'm going to a baseball game.. pangaia Jun 2017 #90

Oh I like japan's airport, mini-rooms with beds and showers you can rent for a few hour and rest in Madam45for2923 Jun 2017 #122

To repeat what other have said. It is sad that this kind of obvious thing needs to be said. nycbos Jun 2017 #31

That pretty much answers my earlier statement/question. Hekate Jun 2017 #98

I'm with ya.... Adrahil Jun 2017 #34

I feel sympathy for his family but they don't seem to think he did anything wrong.... LisaM Jun 2017 #62

Well said. NT Adrahil Jun 2017 #64

He probably signed a release Mariana Jun 2017 #138

I know a few people (mostly Chinese) who have been there Sen. Walter Sobchak Jun 2017 #38

IMO, North Korean travel should be illegal. Oneironaut Jun 2017 #40

Oh, I wouldn't go that far, actually. MineralMan Jun 2017 #42

The problem is, each American captured is a purposeful spit in our face. Oneironaut Jun 2017 #44

Well, travel to Cuba was a crime for a long time. SpankMe Jun 2017 #48

You could go to Cuba under certain circumstances jberryhill Jun 2017 #74

Cuba was never a problem, especially in the last 15 years. Alice11111 Jun 2017 #116

There has been renewed discussion of a total ban BannonsLiver Jun 2017 #151

My husband and I have traveled to repressive countries. Coventina Jun 2017 #46

While I've never been to Singapore, friends have spiderpig Jun 2017 #66

Singapore is easily the least interesting Asian destination jberryhill Jun 2017 #73

Ugh. Yeah, I think I'll pass, thanks. Or, at least, never check my luggage. Coventina Jun 2017 #83

Innocents Abroad spiderpig Jun 2017 #86

How are we outraged about travel to NK, when US citizens are murdered HipChick Jun 2017 #47

A valid point, of course. MineralMan Jun 2017 #50

Understood, but US credibility is pretty much shot... HipChick Jun 2017 #52

Yes, but that isn't really related to my thread about not MineralMan Jun 2017 #56

Because it's impractical to wait... SpankMe Jun 2017 #51

Good Point.. HipChick Jun 2017 #53

I, for one, cab67 Jun 2017 #57

Maybe because we can hold more than one thought in our heads at a time? Hekate Jun 2017 #99

Other countries have made that point too IronLionZion Jun 2017 #160

Travel sanctions Airotciv60 Jun 2017 #54

Well, a lot of people would like to go to Cuba. MineralMan Jun 2017 #60

I was in Cuba and East Germany in the 1980s DFW Jun 2017 #110

Justified how? jberryhill Jun 2017 #75

K&R stonecutter357 Jun 2017 #58

Your second point is very much spot-on. cab67 Jun 2017 #59

Yes. There's quite an industry built around that kind of tourism, too. MineralMan Jun 2017 #63

My dad served in the Marines and was in SK during the war. mountain grammy Jun 2017 #65

I'm sorry he didn't get a chance to return. MineralMan Jun 2017 #67

don't. spanone Jun 2017 #68

At this point we need a ban on travel to North Korea. Apparently, it's necessary to save people Vinca Jun 2017 #71

Why? jberryhill Jun 2017 #76

well, perhaps because a death in NK, such as this kid, could spark an international incident/war spanone Jun 2017 #78

And that can't happen elsewhere? jberryhill Jun 2017 #79

sure can. spanone Jun 2017 #91

So it's a longer list than North Korea jberryhill Jun 2017 #92

Don't even get me started on bungee jumpers. LOL. Vinca Jun 2017 #97

No. Just no. mwooldri Jun 2017 #133

You realize that anyone intelligent enough to get to this thread is not taking a trip to NK lol grantcart Jun 2017 #80

I should think so. However, one can never tell. MineralMan Jun 2017 #81

I've actually been to North Korea (technically) MrScorpio Jun 2017 #82

Calling the travel company Young Pioneers is kind of a tip-off for anyone with a memory... Hekate Jun 2017 #84

What about Syria? jberryhill Jun 2017 #87

Why the contrarian stance? I don't get what you're driving at. Hekate Jun 2017 #95

American hostages have been used in all sorts of places jberryhill Jun 2017 #100

What do you think the penalty should be? Mariana Jun 2017 #137

Currently the penalty seems to be imprisonment, a show trial, and death, amirite? Hekate Jun 2017 #147

No, you're not right. Mariana Jun 2017 #162

Couldn't agree more!! Pisces Jun 2017 #94

Agree. Also you can Vicariously travel treestar Jun 2017 #105

No shit nt lillypaddle Jun 2017 #117

Mineral Man and anyone else- Remember Kenneth Bae AND Matthew Todd Miller? Lady_Chat Jun 2017 #118

"Warmbier's family doesnot want an autopsy performed,..." mahatmakanejeeves Jun 2017 #142

Thanks for responding Lady_Chat Jun 2017 #163

Kim Young Un kills his own family members! Humans are just not appreciated in NK! Madam45for2923 Jun 2017 #120

personally I think China, SK & USA should open the borders and help NK people escape Sunlei Jun 2017 #123

South Korea gives instant citizenship and tons of financial support to any North Korean who manages Coventina Jun 2017 #149

not enough help, tear down the border and drop thousands of cell phones across the lands. Sunlei Jun 2017 #152

And, the instant that happened, North Korea would nuke South Korea. Coventina Jun 2017 #155

Try Syria instead, it's lovely this time of year IronLionZion Jun 2017 #128

I dunno I've been in China. Link?They are not hawking trips to NK on the street corners . lunasun Jun 2017 #148

I've been to China and the propaganda is completely loony IronLionZion Jun 2017 #159

Message auto-removed Name removed Jun 2017 #129

Often, you just have to go to some country MineralMan Jun 2017 #130

Message auto-removed Name removed Jun 2017 #132

I hear that Louise Mensch tweeted that North Korea might be dangerous Orrex Jun 2017 #140

Brilliant! If only people had listened to her, eh? MineralMan Jun 2017 #141

Not going there Proud Liberal Dem Jun 2017 #154

China's OK. Lots of tourism there, and it's very safe. MineralMan Jun 2017 #158

I understand your points, but I've been to mainland China and 1989 USSR steve2470 Jun 2017 #161