"I won't go there" - political reasons
May 11th, 2007, 11:31 AM
#21
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yes, there certainly are places I won't go for political reasons because I don't approve of their country's govt. in various ways, having to do with human rights, religious, etc. reasons. I won't spend tourism dollars in a country doing things I deplore. If you don't take any stand on that, you aren't sending any message, as little as it may seem. It's the same reason people boycott companies.
I won't go to countries who treat women very poorly for one thing, and there are a very long list of those. I wouldn't go to Saudi Arabia, for example. I won't go to Turkey for political reasons as I don't approve of their govt's treatment of journalists, women and lots of other things. There are others, also, of course. I generally don't support any religious state, because I don't believe in that and think they are almost always abusive and discrimintory, but I don't automatically rule a country out because it is a religious state -- although there aren't any right now where I would go in that category.
If I were a diplomat, jounalist, NGO or aid worker or something like that, I would go to some of these places in those roles, but I won't go as a tourist because I don't want to support their govt's policies and I think that is the message it sends.
There isn't any country in Europe I would put on my list for those reasons, and it isn't really due to danger, it's just for principle. It isn't really a big problem for me, as I have so many places to visit that I haven't been able to yet, that it doesn't really limit me.
I won't go to countries who treat women very poorly for one thing, and there are a very long list of those. I wouldn't go to Saudi Arabia, for example. I won't go to Turkey for political reasons as I don't approve of their govt's treatment of journalists, women and lots of other things. There are others, also, of course. I generally don't support any religious state, because I don't believe in that and think they are almost always abusive and discrimintory, but I don't automatically rule a country out because it is a religious state -- although there aren't any right now where I would go in that category.
If I were a diplomat, jounalist, NGO or aid worker or something like that, I would go to some of these places in those roles, but I won't go as a tourist because I don't want to support their govt's policies and I think that is the message it sends.
There isn't any country in Europe I would put on my list for those reasons, and it isn't really due to danger, it's just for principle. It isn't really a big problem for me, as I have so many places to visit that I haven't been able to yet, that it doesn't really limit me.
May 11th, 2007, 11:38 AM
#23
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Wouldn't there be an argument though, if we "don't want our tourist dollars to go into that country's hands" because we don't like their stands on, say, civil rights. Are we denying the simple folks there a better chance? The servers, the cooks, the tour guides, the drivers, etc. etc. etc.?
May 11th, 2007, 11:40 AM
#24
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"I generally don't support any religious state, because I don't believe in that and think they are almost always abusive and discrimintory, but I don't automatically rule a country out because it is a religious state -- although there aren't any right now where I would go in that category."
So you won't be going to Texas either?
(a Texan who couldn't resist.
)
So you won't be going to Texas either?
(a Texan who couldn't resist.
)
May 11th, 2007, 11:46 AM
#26
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Equally good, wombat! (grin) No, I confess, although I've been to Saudi Arabia, I remember having a gun pointed at me as I walked off the aircraft, it was not time for me to come off the airplane, you see-and of course, the women ride in the back of the trucks with the goats---noooo, not my thing....
But the fat white people on air mattresses, maybe I'm drinking too much champagne at the moment, but that is making my stomach cramp with laughter! I don't remember Haiti that way, somehow!
But the fat white people on air mattresses, maybe I'm drinking too much champagne at the moment, but that is making my stomach cramp with laughter! I don't remember Haiti that way, somehow!
May 11th, 2007, 11:54 AM
#27
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Here's a comic blast from the past ladies and gentlemen:
http://tinyurl.com/37pnr7
Oh if we only knew then what we know now.
http://tinyurl.com/37pnr7
Oh if we only knew then what we know now.
May 11th, 2007, 12:06 PM
#29
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SO won't go to China because of their human rights violations. I suspect other countries would be on that list as well, but China's the one we talked about recently. Fortunately, we can't afford to go to China anyway so our ethics and our bank account see eye-to-eye.
I think you could probably find a political reason for not visiting just about anywhere. We're a fairly mild-mannered country, but if you had a political stance against gay marriage you wouldn't come to Canada.
I hope you realize that's tongue in cheek. Of course there are countries who treat their people deplorably. While I'd like to think that my tourist dollar is getting into the hands of the people, I don't actually think that happens. I think it mostly gets siphoned off to big tourist business enterprises or evil despots.
I think you could probably find a political reason for not visiting just about anywhere. We're a fairly mild-mannered country, but if you had a political stance against gay marriage you wouldn't come to Canada.
I hope you realize that's tongue in cheek. Of course there are countries who treat their people deplorably. While I'd like to think that my tourist dollar is getting into the hands of the people, I don't actually think that happens. I think it mostly gets siphoned off to big tourist business enterprises or evil despots.
May 11th, 2007, 12:07 PM
#30
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Opps. If you go to http://tinyurl.com/37pnr7
go to post 251
go to post 251
May 11th, 2007, 12:11 PM
#31
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PS-I'm drinking champagne early, because Monica Goodling is going to testify about what she knows of our lovely Department of Justice! Girlspy is on the move-sto aspettando!
Now, back to the subject at hand...hdm, about China, you can get some really inexpensive trips to China on Gate1 travel, and I highly recommend you do so, because Beijing is about one of my favorite cities in teh world-crazy, sexy, sophisticated, cool!
Now, back to the subject at hand...hdm, about China, you can get some really inexpensive trips to China on Gate1 travel, and I highly recommend you do so, because Beijing is about one of my favorite cities in teh world-crazy, sexy, sophisticated, cool!
May 11th, 2007, 12:12 PM
#32
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May 11th, 2007, 12:18 PM
#33
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Who is really making money off the tourists in these countries? The government, not the working folk.
Heard there may be a boycott of China's Olympics (some calling it the "Genocide Olympics"
because of China's dealings in Darfur.
Had a student who was from Zimbabwe; she practically was in tears telling everyone in the class not to visit her country ("It's a terrible place."
Her father is a chieftain who is very sick and needs to travel to get the medical care he needs. The gov. has refused to allow him to travel. THe student now has to go back to Zimbabwe to try to plead his case and hopes she gets out alive. Would you really want to support a gov. like that?
Heard there may be a boycott of China's Olympics (some calling it the "Genocide Olympics"
because of China's dealings in Darfur.Had a student who was from Zimbabwe; she practically was in tears telling everyone in the class not to visit her country ("It's a terrible place."
Her father is a chieftain who is very sick and needs to travel to get the medical care he needs. The gov. has refused to allow him to travel. THe student now has to go back to Zimbabwe to try to plead his case and hopes she gets out alive. Would you really want to support a gov. like that?
May 11th, 2007, 12:25 PM
#35
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The only place I have ever visited where I was picked up by the plainclothes police, roughed up, held against my will and questioned in a windowless room, after five hours turned loose without any explanation was...Switzerland.
Seems another American serviceman in uniform (from a different branch of the service) had gone AWOL and been in a fight. My bad luck to be picked up by the goons, pushed around, and held. Then thrown out onto the street without so much as a "so sorry."
Seems another American serviceman in uniform (from a different branch of the service) had gone AWOL and been in a fight. My bad luck to be picked up by the goons, pushed around, and held. Then thrown out onto the street without so much as a "so sorry."
