No, I don't mean firefigthers, police officers and first responder types, I mean guys like this:

https://www.foxnews.com/world/...ed-iran-tehran-cases

It seems that all too frequently we hear stories of people like the above "graduate student," Xiyue Wang, or people like Otto Warmbier, who find themselves in hostile territory, suddenly arrested and taken hostage, and even (as in Warmbier's case) killed.

Maybe I'm naive, but unless these people aren't who they say they are, why would anyone put themselves in a position to be used as a tool by an unfriendly government? I mean, Iran? North Korea? Who in the right mind doesn't know these tyrannical, despotic regimes care nothing for human rights, and will use any perceived advantage they can to further their aims?

Now, I understand missionary zeal, although I don't always agree with it. But most of the reports we read are of "students" who for some reason, decided it was "cooler" to go to some s___hole country than to binge drink during Spring Break. OK, I'm being extreme, but honestly, I don't get it. 'Splain it me, please?

I don’t think one blanket answer is going to cover it.

Because there are a lot of stupid people in this world.

Many reasons. Missionaries for example have different reasons than thrill seekers like Evel Knivel. No one answer.

I think that there is some logic at work as to why those regimes arrest those individuals.
I don't agree with the mis-treatment of people, or the regimes themselves, but I do somewhat understand the logic. Tyrannies do not like mysteries.

From their perspective, the logic goes... "You knew our country arrests/disappears people like you. It makes no sense to be a tourist here. At first blush, you do not appear to be a drooling idiot. What does make sense to us is that you had some other motive to be here, one that would be worth the risk. You need to explain or get introduced to the men over there with the bludgeons. What might that motive be?"

Half the population has a below average IQ. Nuff said.

quote:

Originally posted by tsmccull:
Half the population has a below average IQ. Nuff said.

A "Bell Curve" has very long, slender tails. These people are from the low end tail.

flashguy

I don’t know what the answer is either. However from the outside looking in, it would appear ignorance or stupidity is at work.

I do think a larger percentage than is generally known may be folks that have been placed for intelligence gathering. There are clandestine operations even in the public sector regarding industrial espionage far more than most folks are aware of. Even in the commercial food industry that I was employed in. We had to be very wary of who had access to certain areas of the facility when product development was going on.
Regarding international politics, one incident I recall was Karen Colb who was one of the hostages taken in Iran or Iraq many years ago. She was supposedly a functionary for some "dance exchange group" that was over there during the upheavals. How lame of a cover did that appear to be? It may have been a real organization but the coincidence seemed a bit far out there...

You never know. Maybe he was serving the U.S. as a spy? Maybe he was naive. Who knows.

Mostly because their Spidey Sense is not working.

They are superior creatures with a greater faith in mankind than we mere mortals. And they're stupid.