16 year old visits Iraq alone for personal interest...what!?

[InTheOnlineAsbestosSuit]

So a 16 year old young gentleman took $1,800 cash and hopped a flight to Iraq to, basically, see what things are like over there.

Link to the news artical:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060102/ap_on_re_us/iraq_american_teen

I've just got one thing to say: balls. That guy's got balls. I've done my fare share of daring/stupid things in my time, but I've never flown into the middle of a war zone to chill out for almost a month just for the hell of it. This kid just got 5 million coolness points as far as I'm concerned.

Coments/discussion?

 

[quietfanatic]

It wasn't 'just for the hell of it', as you know, but it still suggests this boy should get 5 million retard points. It is lucky that he wasn't kidnapped or killed. He couldn't even speak Arabic.

ABC News[/url]]Unable to speak Arabic, the danger dawned on Farris when a crowd gathered as he tried to use a phrase book to order food in a shop.

Being age 16 is no excuse for such behaviour.

"I do want to tell you how flattered I am. The media has been very, very kind to me," the teenager told The Associated Press by phone from his father's car.

They don't need to and can't roast him, as it is not politically correct to attack the mentally defective.

This does remind me of another story. If I remember correctly, one of my Dad's classmates from boarding school hated the British Public School system so much that he ran off, stole a yacht and sailed back home solo. I don't know what happened when his parents saw him again. Is that brave? I think so. And not as stupid.

 

[Duckman]

I seriously don't think that the media should be condoning and expressing this the way it is. I mean, this just gives more idiots the bright idea to go overseas and give themselves a huge chance of getting killed, or kidnapped...

Anyways, this guy does have some balls, I'll give him that...

And its also good that the guy learnt something from his experience, rather than a one off trip to a random country just to see 'how people live' in a war torn place, even though he could not speak any Arabic...

 

[Ratty Sr.]

Re: 16 year old visits Iraq alone for personal interest...wh

I've just got one thing to say: balls. That guy's got balls. I've done my fare share of daring/stupid things in my time, but I've never flown into the middle of a war zone to chill out for almost a month just for the hell of it. This kid just got 5 million coolness points as far as I'm concerned.

Warzone? I thought the war in Iraq ended two years ago. Har har.

But seriously, what's the big deal? Alright, so the kid went to Iraq for no reason at all. Great. Millions of kids - many of them a lot younger than him - stay in *much* worse spots every day of their lives (and no, the war in Iraq isn't particularly bloody or particularly violent when compared to some of the wars that happened in the past 15 years). Oh, right, but he is an *American* kid, so the fact that he barely sampled what millions of kids go through every day makes him cool/daring/brave and worthy of extensive media coverage.

 

[Dapper Dan Man]

Re: 16 year old visits Iraq alone for personal interest...wh

I've just got one thing to say: balls. That guy's got balls. I've done my fare share of daring/stupid things in my time, but I've never flown into the middle of a war zone to chill out for almost a month just for the hell of it. This kid just got 5 million coolness points as far as I'm concerned.

Warzone? I thought the war in Iraq ended two years ago. Har har.

But seriously, what's the big deal? Alright, so the kid went to Iraq for no reason at all. Great. Millions of kids - many of them a lot younger than him - stay in *much* worse spots every day of their lives (and no, the war in Iraq isn't particularly bloody or particularly violent when compared to some of the wars that happened in the past 15 years). Oh, right, but he is an *American* kid, so the fact that he barely sampled what millions of kids go through every day makes him cool/daring/brave and worthy of extensive media coverage.

No one cares about Croats, Ratty. You don't want the attention of the American media...they might have you pose with Sally Struthers or something.

 

[InTheOnlineAsbestosSuit]

.They don't need to and can't roast him, as it is not politically correct to attack the mentally defective.

I disagree: Bill O'Riely will rip the shit out of him. Besides, they can't roast him yet, but only because the story just broke, so inorder to make it look like they have actually researched it, they have to wait a day or two. The opinion writers and talk show hosts will have their chance soon enough I think.

Oh, right, but he is an *American* kid, so the fact that he barely sampled what millions of kids go through every day makes him cool/daring/brave and worthy of extensive media coverage.

Exactly: this kid is American. And he doesn't even speak Arabic. He sicks out like a kitten in a fishtank when he drops himself into the middle of an arabic nation, especially when it's a nation the population of which dispises everything American. If he knew that ahead of time (which I'm sure he did if he's a student of journalism), he would have to be pretty ballsy to do what he did.

Besides, obviously, America is the best nation in the world, America is at the center of the universe, all things should be done to serve America's best intersts, and Americans are the chosen people to unite the world under a common ruler, a common religion, a common race, etc.

 

[Duckman]

Besides, obviously, America is the best nation in the world, America is at the center of the universe, all things should be done to serve America's best intersts, and Americans are the chosen people to unite the world under a common ruler, a common religion, a common race, etc.

Hahahaha!!! You make me laugh...but that was a joke right??

Oh, right, but he is an *American* kid, so the fact that he barely sampled what millions of kids go through every day makes him cool/daring/brave and worthy of extensive media coverage.

Exactly what I think Ratty, just because he lives in a country that is somewhat stable, and visits a warzone, he is deemed ballsy and brave...WTF?

 

[frissy]

Civilization found America. America might be a superpower now (one of many), but it was NOTHING when Europe ruled the world. When others were sailing around the world America was chasing buffalos in godpieces. Still do.
________
List Of Ford Transmissions

 

[[Rusty Chopper]]

Besides, obviously, America is the best nation in the world, America is at the center of the universe, all things should be done to serve America's best intersts, and Americans are the chosen people to unite the world under a common ruler, a common religion, a common race, etc.

You've got balls to say that! (:

but it was NOTHING when Europe ruled the world

The key word here is "was". Today Europe does not rule the world anymore, nor do rooskies.
Erica does.

On the topic, the guy seems to be crazy, at least too extreme-loving. He can be shot any moment now. And nobody will find out where/why. Hope he can take care of himself. Anyways, I wish him good luck. May he survive!

 

[InTheOnlineAsbestosSuit]

Hahahaha!!! You make me laugh...but that was a joke right??

Yeah, just to clarify, it was indeed sarcasm. Although plenty of cowboy assholes in my country honestly believe that shit. Allow me to point out this newly created t-shirt, sold on Conservative websites:

http://www.thoseshirts.com/images/square-large-coulter.jpg

The people who wear this shirt are -usually- not joking. Meaning: this country is getting really scary. Though most people don't take Coulter seriously, but it's still scary that people say things like this and don't atleast get roasted in the news.

]The key word here is "was". Today Europe does not rule the world anymore, nor do rooskies.
Erica does.

Many of the more educated folks around here think of America as the new Rome, and that the fall of this new Rome starts with George W. Bush's reign of terror. Food for thought.

 

[Duckman]

Well America being the top economic and military powerhouse at the moment, is all just a phase...Give it 50 years or so, or whenever the oil runs out, then a populous country like China will take over, based on their current economic growth and development statistics...

And yes it is scary that many people believe that America is the best nation in the world, for when they realise its not, their world will come crashing down.

 

[[Rusty Chopper]]

Give it 50 years or so, or whenever the oil runs out, then a populous country like China will take over

No, thanks a bunch, better America than China.
Go-o-o-d bleeess Ame-e-ericaa-a-a!!

And yes it is scary that many people believe that America is the best nation in the world, for when they realise its not, their world will come crashing down.

I humbly deem the soviet people to have been the best nation (multi-nation, in fact) in the world. Is that scary?

Many of the more educated folks around here think of America as the new Rome

Exactly. Just look at the Capitolium. (Beautiful piece of architecture, BTW.)

and that the fall of this new Rome starts with George W. Bush's reign of terror

I hope not. Who else will protect us from China? The EU? Russia?
Not bloody likely.

 

[Duckman]

No, thanks a bunch, better America than China.
Go-o-o-d bleeess Ame-e-ericaa-a-a!!

I'd rather America too, to an extent, but with their current economic growth, far surpassing America's, they should soon be a top power, contesting America's...But we will have to see I guess...

I humbly deem the soviet people to have been the best nation (multi-nation, in fact) in the world. Is that scary?

Yes. Yes it is.

Many of the more educated folks around here think of America as the new Rome, and that the fall of this new Rome starts with George W. Bush's reign of terror. Food for thought.

I seriously don't think that anyone should be comparing a modern day power to an ancient civilization. Simply due to the fact that the Romans brought so many new concepts into play, so many that they are so integrated into our society that we don't even know...

 

[Ratty Sr.]

Bush - Commodus of the American Empire.

 

[mortiz]

Bush is just about as ignorant as the Roman Emperors were 2000 years ago; despite the fact that today we have a much more open global society.

 

[InTheOnlineAsbestosSuit]

And yes it is scary that many people believe that America is the best nation in the world, for when they realise its not, their world will come crashing down.

Just to clarify: I wasn't speaking about America's nationalism per say when I sited the Ann Culter t-shirt as being scary: I was talking about how America is evolving into an imperialist government that uses extreemist views of religion and a warped view of democracy to rationalise it's economic and cultural imperialism. That is the bit that scares me. Think the Crusades all over again, but with guns and nuclear weapons and sicker people behind them.

As Rusty Chopper points out, it's perfectly normal to be proud of one's home nation. I was very proud to be an American during the Clinton Presidency, and I didn't even agree with HIS political views more than about half way. But when that pride turns into obsessive prejudice, thats when people like Hitler can take advantage of the situation.

I seriously don't think that anyone should be comparing a modern day power to an ancient civilization. Simply due to the fact that the Romans brought so many new concepts into play, so many that they are so integrated into our society that we don't even know...

I compare them in the sence that both became military superpowers and then fell/might fall because of couruption and greed. I agree that it would seem as though America could never reach the level of enlightenment and influence on future generations that Rome has. We've had our moments, of course, but not enough to be remembered a thousand years after we're all dead and gone.

Bush is just about as ignorant as the Roman Emperors were 2000 years ago; despite the fact that today we have a much more open global society

Probably because he never studied history . If he had, he would have not made all the same critical economic mistakes that were made by George (Bush) the First, Ronald "charismatic but knows nothing about economics" Ragan before him, and even as far back as Lindon Johnson and his mishaps in Viet-Nam.

 

[[Rusty Chopper]]

Bush is just about as ignorant as the Roman Emperors were 2000 years ago; despite the fact that today we have a much more open global society.

If you gave a Roman Emperor the US military machine...

 

[Duckman]

]

Bush is just about as ignorant as the Roman Emperors were 2000 years ago; despite the fact that today we have a much more open global society.

If you gave a Roman Emperor the US military machine...

Then we'd all be fucked...

 

[InTheOnlineAsbestosSuit]

]

Bush is just about as ignorant as the Roman Emperors were 2000 years ago; despite the fact that today we have a much more open global society.

If you gave a Roman Emperor the US military machine...

Then we'd all be fucked...

Heh, exactly my point.

 

[quietfanatic]

This article makes interesting reading, because it suggests to me that the entire exercise was aimed at his getting attention or some other negative and possibly more sinister reason. To be 'brave', I believe that you should be aware of the relative danger, ignoring it because of a worthy cause, which makes his email very suspicious if he is supposedly a clever intellectual. His father actually helped him get into Iraq as well, so their story seems very unconvincing to me. Then again, it could be that everyone close to him was as retarded as we would be lead to believe. Has the American media covered the story in any more detail than before?

Many of the more educated folks around here think of America as the new Rome, and that the fall of this new Rome starts with George W. Bush's reign of terror. Food for thought.

Do you mean some lefties in America or here at NMA? In my experience, most Americans really hate the comparison of America's Rome to Britain's Ancient Greece. Some intellectuals joke that whereas previous empires became civilised powers that eventually became decadent and declined, America is the first to proceed directly to the decadence stage, without the progression through civilization first.