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Originally posted by GT-40DOC:
If this young man has lost significant brain tissue, as stated, then his prognosis is quite grim.

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Originally posted by sigfreund:
My point wasn’t about what the US should have done or what the foolish victim of a despotic regime should have done. If someone I loved was being held incommunicado and being abused and probably tortured, I’d sacrifice a kitten to Kim Il Sung to get them back, and that’s what the advice about the ribbons was about. Would the Koreans know if the ribbons were being displayed? If they attracted enough attention they would. In fact, if The New York Times thought it would sell some extra papers, they’d probably run it on the front page (if they could somehow use the story to the embarrassment of the current Administration).

And my example of burning the Qur’an was to make my point about the dangers of annoying people who have a reputation of despotic ruthlessness and no respect for human life who nevertheless have the life of someone we love in their blood-drenched hands: The principle is exactly the same. It’s their perceptions of the matter that count, not the perceptions of the civilized world, no matter how much we might wish it were otherwise.

The victim in this case was indeed reportedly caught with a propaganda poster, and if the North Koreans were willing to arrest, abuse, and torture an American who was there on an approved tour for such a trivial offense, does anyone really believe that they might not act even more savagely and irrationally if they were annoyed by what the parents were doing? Whether they would is obviously unknown (unless the parents ignored the advice), but what sensible parent would ignore it—and why? To say, “I’m not afraid of you; do your worst to my son”?

I have no idea how the man’s release was obtained, and assuming it was due to some new pressure that was applied by the current Administration is very satisfying, but only an assumption. The regime hasn’t thus far demonstrated much concern about our big sticks over much more important matters. For all we know they may have simply come to the realization that the issue was a loss in the propaganda wars and that they should drop it.

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Originally posted by architect:

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Originally posted by GT-40DOC:
If this young man has lost significant brain tissue, as stated, then his prognosis is quite grim.

Yes, he might become a Democrat!

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Originally posted by Alpine79830:
Thank you Sir, but what did the current administration do different to get this dumb shit back? My thoughts are leadership, your's?