# Breaking: Former Japanese PM Abe assassination attempt (2022-07-07) Update: Abe has died (2022-07-08)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-former-japanese-pm-abe-assassination-attempt-2022-07-07-update-abe-has-died-2022-07-08/967596>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Tags:** breaking-news\
**Created:** [July 8, 2022, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-former-japanese-pm-abe-assassination-attempt-2022-07-07-update-abe-has-died-2022-07-08/967596 "2022-07-08T03:10:50Z")\
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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2022, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-former-japanese-pm-abe-assassination-attempt-2022-07-07-update-abe-has-died-2022-07-08/967596/70 "2022-07-09T02:59:46Z")

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We had a thread on this topic some years ago. This post by @Martini_Enfield has stayed with me:

> [@Why do American Presidents get so many assassination attempts compared to other world leaders?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-presidents-get-so-many-assassination-attempts-compared-to-other-world-leaders/777092/47):
>
> > [@Why do American Presidents get so many assassination attempts compared to other world leaders?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-presidents-get-so-many-assassination-attempts-compared-to-other-world-leaders/777092/43):
> >
> > How is Angela Merkel walking down the street LESS accessible than the POTUS?
> 
> When Angela Merkel was in Brisbane for G20 about two years ago, she famously went to a local bar for drinks. As in, wandered into a bar like a normal person and had a drink, like a normal person, with the other normal people one might find in Brisbane bar. Not as a publicity stunt or anything, but because she wanted to have a drink.
> 
> Obviously she had a minder or two discreetly with her, but the fundamental point was the chancellor of a major first world country could quite safely have a drink in a pub in another major first world country on a whim because she felt like it.

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