Tuesday 26 May 2009

Agreeing with Alex

No one will be more surprised about my agreeing with him than the former Foreign Minister, but writing in yesterdays Tiser he berates the press, for its incessant whining on behalf of idiots who flaunt the laws of foreign countries and then expect to be bailed out by our Government.
The latest example of a woman who spent days in a Thai jail because she allegedly tried to pocket a "beer mat" (or had it put in her bag!!) is the case in point.
Downer notes that: "After about 10 minutes as foreign minister I was a little surprised to learn I was "responsible" for miscreant Australians who got into trouble in foreign countries."  
And  his heart went out to the current minister over the case in point.
He notes, and I can but agree with him, that we need to take responsibility for ourselves if and when we travel overseas.
There is a worse side to all this. The way the press beats up the legal system of Asian countries as if all are by definition corrupt and well.....just wrong!
Despite the fact that a crime for which a person may well have been jailed in Australia had allegedly taken place...stealing and/or abusing and/or attacking the constabulary; some how we are to believe that because it happens to an Australian in Thailand it is wrong.
There is more than just a little anti-Asian prejudice here!
No, I agree with me old mate Alex.....(I am trying not to gag)...we need to be some what more responsible if we are to be taken seriously as travellers overseas.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I rarely feel any sympathy for an aussie locked up overseas because all to often it turns out to be from their own stupidity. I can't believe people complained about the evacuation from Lebanon, I all too well know people will complain about anything but They felt seasick on the ferry and that was our fault begs disbelief considering WAR had just broken out.

Stephan Clark said...

Yes, I think the Lebanon case is a more significant one as AD points out.I personally would just have been glad to be out of there.