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Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americans?

Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americans?


  • Total voters
    27
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

Then I should have checked myself on that one.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

So it was stupid of Clinton to go help get the release of those journalists? Who would you rather have gone to negotiate for their release? Clinton or Obama? Sometimes it takes more than just an ambassador to accomplish things.

I didn't say it was stupid of Clinton to intercede. I implied it was over and above what the gov't should be expected to do. I think the women should feel extraordinarily lucky.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

I didn't say it was stupid of Clinton to intercede. I implied it was over and above what the gov't should be expected to do. I think the women should feel extraordinarily lucky.

But isn't that their job? To protect it's citizens from foreign malice? (guess malice will work...Not the word I was looking for I but I guess it will work...)
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

But isn't that their job? To protect it's citizens from foreign malice? (guess malice will work...Not the word I was looking for I but I guess it will work...)

The women were fool hearty and Clinton, as a former POTUS, has no obligation to help them. Think of the other silly Yanks who are being held in foreign jails. No one is helping them.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

The women were fool hearty and Clinton, as a former POTUS, has no obligation to help them. Think of the other silly Yanks who are being held in foreign jails. No one is helping them.

Those gals did nothing wrong. Others more than likely have. You break a law then you deserve no help. You don't then you deserve help.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

The women were fool hearty and Clinton, as a former POTUS, has no obligation to help them.

I think that's a remarkably cold attitude. Isn't protecting American citizens the one thing that liberals and conservatives can agree is an important function of our government?

bhkad said:
Think of the other silly Yanks who are being held in foreign jails. No one is helping them.

If they're convicted of real crimes, then probably not. But if they're arrested or convicted of stupid **** like this, you can bet that the State Department works overtime to secure their release.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

Those gals did nothing wrong. Others more than likely have. You break a law then you deserve no help. You don't then you deserve help.

Didn't they trespass into NorKo territory?
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

Didn't they trespass into NorKo territory?

It isn't clear if they actually did or not. The China-DPRK border area where they were arrested is not clearly marked. If they did, it was certainly not intentional. And given North Korea's habit of crossing its borders to abduct anyone who wanders too close, I certainly wouldn't put it past them to do it in this case.

Besides, what kind of illegal entry charge warrants 12 years of hard labor?
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

Besides, what kind of illegal entry charge warrants 12 years of hard labor?

If I remember correctly (and DON'T quote me on this) it had something to do with them being "spies".
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

If I remember correctly (and DON'T quote me on this) it had something to do with them being "spies".

Ya. North Korea claimed that they were spies for the American government, although they were only formally convicted of illegally crossing the border. In any case, it's ridiculous and the US government has a responsibility to protect its citizens.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

Yea they probably thought every country has border enforcement like we have,move on in get free health care,welfare,social security.

Now that their back, they'll probably try to sue the government for letting them think that all countries are like us on immigration control.

:rofl
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

What about them?

Only reason that hostilities have not resumed is N.Korea has not attacked us directly.

North Korea has attacked and killed US soldiers directly.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

Can they? Sure, why not. If it helps somebody I don't see why not. Is it a bit strange? Yes. Should the Sec of State go instead? Probably. But if the current secretary of state is not very good at the job, I suppose sending someone else to avoid disaster would be fine.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

Can they? Sure, why not. If it helps somebody I don't see why not. Is it a bit strange? Yes. Should the Sec of State go instead? Probably. But if the current secretary of state is not very good at the job, I suppose sending someone else to avoid disaster would be fine.

I think sending Hillary to North Korea would look too much like diplomatic recognition. Sending Bill allows the illusion that it was just a private trip.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

If it has the chance to be productive and gain the release of our citizens, absolutely.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

It isn't clear if they actually did or not.

Besides, what kind of illegal entry charge warrants 12 years of hard labor?

At least one of them admitted to US officals that she did in fact cross over illegally.

I agree the punishment was overly harsh but its not our place to judge what another country decides their laws and punishments should be.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

If it has the chance to be productive and gain the release of our citizens, absolutely.

Even when our citizens break their laws? What would you think if Mexico decided to come up and have all their citizens released from our prisons? Why all mexicans could then break our laws knowing nothing would be done to them.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

At least one of them admitted to US officals that she did in fact cross over illegally.

Keep in mind she's also been held hostage for the past five months and her captors may have fed her that information so that she actually believes it. Since the border isn't well-marked, I don't see how she could possibly know whether she crossed it or not.

Baralis said:
I agree the punishment was overly harsh but its not our place to judge what another country decides their laws and punishments should be.

I disagree. Our citizens were being held hostage by a crime family that happens to have millions of slaves at its disposal, which chooses to masquerade as a country. I reject the idea that North Korea is entitled to any sovereignty whatsoever, especially when it comes to American citizens.

At any rate, it was Kim Jong-il's decision to release the prisoners, so I don't see how we infringed upon his so-called sovereignty anyway.
 
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Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

We should only send Jesse Jackson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, or anyone else we'd rather not have come back.

A nation that holds our citizens hostage are engaging in an act of war, and what should be sent there is the United States Marine Corps, the Army, the Navy, and even the girls in the Air Force.

We should teach other countries that it's not a healthy habit to wage war on US citizens.
 
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Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

A nation that holds our citizens hostage are engaging in an act of war, and what should be sent there is the United States Marine Corps, the Army, the Navy, and even the girls in the Air Force.

And just exactly would that have accomplished?
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

At any rate, it was Kim Jong-il's decision to release the prisoners, so I don't see how we infringed upon his so-called sovereignty anyway.

I agree and this is why I had no problem with Clinton's actions. If we had tried to force them into it I would have had a much different view.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

I have no problem with former presidents doing anything, AS LONG AS it is at the request of the sitting president. period
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

If the man is someone as high-profile as Bill Clinton, absolutely.

Actually, if they'd grabbed Billy the Rapist, I'd have sent them a copy of O'Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief".
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

And just exactly would that have accomplished?

Craters are very impressive deterrents for the next would be hostage taker to gaze upon.
 
Re: Should former presidents travel to enemy countries to try to free captured Americ

Actually, if they'd grabbed Billy the Rapist, I'd have sent them a copy of O'Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief".

Do you ever do anything besides troll? Are you 14 years old?
 
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