For the record, none of my Pakistani and Indian colleagues (all with family/wives/kids/siblings/parents/friends back home) are particularly worried about war breaking out. They’re concerned about the people of Kashmir of course, but nowhere near panicking.
I cannot quite see what either country has to gain by starting nuclear war, in terms of the long-term, universal international condemnation it would wreak on both (quite apart from the horrific, permanent damage to their own populations and infrastructures). Which is why I tend to think - and greatly hope - that much of this is just a lot of posturing, pride and hot air.
If I had established a life in Pakistan or India, I probably wouldn’t be leaving yet.
Also, if I am every in Florida during a hurricane, I am going to do my damnedest to be somewhere I can see it. I don’t demand late evacuation or anything. A small risk of death is worth seeing great things sometimes.
The Valley Girl story I read was in Readers Digest and it was some years back and I do not even recall what nation she was in, only that it was warring and the Americans had been told to evacuate weeks before, but she stayed on. It was like it was all a lark to her and in the end, several people had to risk their lives for her in order to get her across the border to safety. It was in the middle east because they traveled across the desert. Sorry that I do not recall the name of the story.
You mean people with American citizenship who have “homes”, as the OP said, in India? Remember, he compared it to people taping up their windows and riding out the storm when a hurricane hits. If they have “homes” in India, maybe they actually, you know, consider it their home now, not just somewhere they’re visiting. Maybe they’ve got family in India and would rather stay with their family during a crisis instead of bailing out and leaving the rest of the family to soak it up.
What if Russia went nuts and started threatening to nuke Arizona into a glass parking lot - would the OP pack up and leave his home and family to get out of the danger zone? Would he have taken a vacation in Brazil during the Cuban missile crisis?
Cite? While there may be calls from ‘back home’ to rescue someone who’s a US citizen and stuck in a war zone, I’m not aware that the people who stay typically start whining. I’m certain there have been isolated incidents, but I don’t think it’s as common of a mindset as you claim. Especially since a couple of dead voters in a foreign country don’t push politicians to ‘do something’, but a push from the home front will.
“A small risk of death is worth seeing great things sometimes.”
Especially during hurricane Opal. Heheheh…
People DID panic in the Panhandle when they realized that it wasn’t the cat 2 that they were used to. Heeheheheh…
I was among the families that chose to stay and “wait it out”. After all, it’s not like we were right next to the Gulf of Mexico. But, it was still scary…
As for India/Pakistan, I can only hope that nothing happens…
Cite?!?! Read your history books! In every military action, there were Americans in the beleaguered land who were told to get the hell out and many stayed for whatever reason and had to be evacuated after the fighting started. I gave you an example of WW2 in Japan just at the start of the war with the US.
In every conflict in every nation in the last 40 years, there have been Americans in those lands and most, in the end, scurried out just before the opposition shoved them in jails or prisoner of war camps or killed them and cried for the US to save their butts at the last second. Americans seem to think that they are impervious to conflict when it comes to foreign nations, which is why quite a few have become very dead. They even made a movie about one guys son who was killed in a guerilla conflict in Africa or South America because he did not leave when told to go, having friends there. He was supposed to be neutral and years later they found his body buried in a stone wall where he was dumped after being murdered.
Americans were in China at the beginning of the Korean Conflict and had to get out before the Red Army took them and some waited until the soldiers were at their doors before fleeing. Americans were living in Vietnam as the Vietcong swept over the lands and took their homes right out from under them after giving clear warning that they were in jeopardy.
The only place that I can think of where Americans left well before the conflict got too bad was in Nazi Germany at the beginning of WW2.
Just to clarify, there were virtually zero Americans living in China after 1949. They left long before the outbreak of the Korean war. The few who stayed after 1949 were in very special situations, and the vast majority stayed out of choice. Usually they were dedicated communists like Hinton, who wrote Fan Shen and other books detailing his experience.
I’m an American that lives abroad. Frankly, IMHO, the US State Department is a lot more worried about covering their collective ass than trying to protect American citizens. Now, I don’t blame them either. Certainly, if things go bad, there will be cries for support or why they didn’t do something earlier. However, the situations like June 4 and Hainan Plane Incident in China were not times that required the wholesale repatriation of American citizens. I was here, got the warnings, and felt they were blown out of proportion.
[hijack] On this very same subject, I cannot recommend highly enough The Man Who Stayed Behind by Sidney Rittenberg. Utterly fascinating book.[/hijack]
All right, jackasses, let me cover my ass here. Some’a you seem to think I meant the whole fuckin’ country. Jesus.
I WAS referring to the 60k+ foreign nationals staying in the country, and let’s face it, not ALL of them are leaving, despite good Goddamn warnings to do so. Realistically, these are people who can and do leave for other reasons. They just happen to feel like testing the water on this whole nuclear war issue, which I find obtuse and not a little fucking whacko.
Hey, flame away, fuckos. I like a little heat. But let’s clarify a few things first before you start busting on me.
So in conclusion: NO, not all billion of them. YES, all 60k+ people that should know better than to camp out in a war-torn country for little or no good reason. I mean, staying in your homeland is one thing, but this smacks of suicide.
Say there Chastain86, where exactly in your OP does it say anything at all about foreign nationals? Hmmm? I checked twice and still don’t see it.
Perhaps us “fuckos” wouldn’t need to “flame away” if you would make yourself clear in the first place, nitwit. A lot of flaming wouldn’t happen if people would say what they fucking mean. Are we supposed to have a clear view of what is going on in your head? No fucking thanks.
And I repeat, just where are they going to go? 60,000 people is quite a few to just up and move. Where are they going to move to?
Whatta maroon.
Listen, pal, the fact of the matter is this: If you want to stay in a country that even the UNITED STATES thinks is a little too hot to handle, that’s of course your business. But the fact of the matter is, nuclear holocaust is no laughing matter, and some people are just too stupid for their own good to know when a serious threat is a serious threat.
As far as me not specifying the foreign nationals versus the indigenous peoples of India and Pakistan…well, forgive me for assuming people would KNOW that I wasn’t suggesting the entire country pack up and move to Norway. Isn’t this supposed to be a board of semi-geniuses? I’m not suggesting you read my mind, but Tapdancing Christ, let’s give the people that post here a LITTLE credit for understanding that that’s not possible. Jesus, will, could you be a little more condescending, you self-important prick?
Regardless of what cite or quote you give me, I just can’t understand people not clearing the fuck out of a potentially messy situation. The whole goddamn region wasn’t roses and cotton candy prior to 9/11 and it certainly hasn’t gotten much better of late–if you’re not forced to be there, or have some sort of familial or regional attachment to the place, why not leave?
The original article I read referred to people lounging around their homes, not a care in the world. Obtuse thinking.
Uh huh, you watch a little CNN and read USA Today, and somehow you’re a fucking expert on the possibility of nuclear war between India and Pakistan? Maybe you should start advising Dubya since he needs the help with international relations.
For what little it is worth, I thought it was pretty obvious that he was referring to Americans (and other nationalities) living in those countries, not the local folk.
I have friends working in Pakistan at the moment. They were flown home pretty damn quick when the war in Afghanistan was going on (even though they’re about as far away from the Afghan border as it’s possible to get). But they’re not going anywhere at the moment.
Why?
Well, I’m fairly confident in assuming that (a) they’re not idiots and (b) neither is the organization they work for. And that, being where the action is, they would have a better idea than someone over the other side of the world of what’s a dangerous situation and what’s the normal sabre-rattling between India and Pakistan (which goes on all the time, except that we just don’t hear about it)
Just thought I’d bump this. India announced that they will allow Pakistan commercial flights over Indian territory for the first time since January. Tensions appear to be cooling.
Could have taken Chastain86’s advice and blown off the job/career, probably spent at least $10,000 just flying the family home, hotels and then now that things are cooling, back to India. That would have really been smart, huh?
