British forced-marriage extraction team

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2006-01-03 05:56pm

Nice! I suspect any Swedish diplomat with enough spine to try something simillar would be sacked on the spot for displaying cultural intollerance. Rescue operations in shitholes where every bastard and his uncle have a Kalashnikov under their pillows are not easy.

Edward Yee · Post by **Edward Yee** » 2006-01-03 06:02pm

Somewhere out there, at least two of my RP characters do these "extractions"...

CJvR, you're in Sweden? Sucks to hear re: that hypothetical diplomat, if that's true.

wilfulton · Post by **wilfulton** » 2006-01-03 09:42pm

CJvR wrote:Nice! I suspect any Swedish diplomat with enough spine to try something simillar would be sacked on the spot for displaying cultural intollerance. Rescue operations in shitholes where every bastard and his uncle have a Kalashnikov under their pillows are not easy.

Fortunately, in such places their marksmanship tends to be abysmal, they would be doing well to hit the ground. Of course that doesn't mean get careless-I had one close encounter where I actually heard a bullet going overhead.

And yes, most certainly good on Britain's part for looking after its own. That is, after all what you pay taxes to the govt for.

And another good reason to avoid vacationing in some of these countries.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2006-01-03 09:44pm

I've often heard it said that a british passport is the best thing in the world to have when out and about. HMG takes the blurb at the start really fucking seriously.

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2006-01-03 10:49pm

Keevan_Colton wrote:I've often heard it said that a british passport is the best thing in the world to have when out and about. HMG takes the blurb at the start really fucking seriously.

Do enlighten us yanks. What does it say?

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2006-01-03 10:55pm

Zed Snardbody wrote:
Keevan_Colton wrote:I've often heard it said that a british passport is the best thing in the world to have when out and about. HMG takes the blurb at the start really fucking seriously.
Do enlighten us yanks. What does it say?

Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hinderance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be neccesary.

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2006-01-03 11:07pm

Very nice.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2006-01-03 11:10pm

Zed Snardbody wrote:Very nice.

I rather like the implied, "or else" that the "and requires" adds to it.

Edward Yee · Post by **Edward Yee** » 2006-01-03 11:28pm

Her Majesty's Government looking out for its citizens FOR THE WIN!

I wonder what the US does to anything approaching this end...

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2006-01-03 11:30pm

Too bad our State Department doesn't have the balls to do something like this

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2006-01-03 11:31pm

Illuminatus Primus wrote:What the fuck are you good for?

Humor. And Fulfilling the USDA's daily Aussie Contact Quotient on SDN.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2006-01-03 11:49pm

Keevan_Colton wrote:I've often heard it said that a british passport is the best thing in the world to have when out and about. HMG takes the blurb at the start really fucking seriously.

It's helped me once or twice.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2006-01-04 12:03am

MKSheppard wrote:Too bad our State Department doesn't have the balls to do something like this

When my uncle was working on the F-16 for General Dynamics back in the 1980s, his boss used to tell him and the others in his work group that if they ever got in trouble overseas, do not go to the US Embassy for help because they would do nothing. Instead they were told to try their luck with the British Embassy.

Edward Yee · Post by **Edward Yee** » 2006-01-04 05:26am

Elfdart wrote:do not go to the US Embassy for help because they would do nothing.

Why was that?

salm · Post by **salm** » 2006-01-04 07:51am

Keevan_Colton wrote:
Zed Snardbody wrote:Very nice.
I rather like the implied, "or else" that the "and requires" adds to it.

I´m quite sure that my American passport says something quite similar. I´ll look it up at home.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2006-01-04 08:04am

Jadeite wrote:I've never been a believer in the idea of "every culture is equal".

I'm a believer in the idea of "every culture is equal but some are more equal than others"

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2006-01-04 08:08am

MKSheppard wrote:Too bad our State Department doesn't have the balls to do something like this

They have nothing on the Australian government's assistant to it's people overseas. Unless you get handed a QC (which means having lots of publicity, and knowing which palms to greeze), you might as well not bother asking for any type of assistance from the Australian government

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-01-04 08:58am

MKSheppard wrote:Too bad our State Department doesn't have the balls to do something like this

This situation seems mainly a UK issue and since most of the problems with US citizens have been in Iraq, a place that is hellish at the best of times, I doubt the State Dept. has had chance to do anything. I'm pretty sure public pressure would get them into action if, say, some family was abducted abroad and the local gov't needed assistance.

Molyneux · Post by **Molyneux** » 2006-01-04 09:10am

Good on the Brits for this; after reading about those poor men in the mine, this actually brightened my morning a bit.

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2006-01-04 11:43am

Edward Yee wrote:
Elfdart wrote:do not go to the US Embassy for help because they would do nothing.
Why was that?

The US embasy is about bloody useless to your average american. It exists to facilitate the communication between governments and business not to see to the needs of its citizens who were foolish enough to leave the saftey of the boarder behind them.

tharkûn · Post by **tharkûn** » 2006-01-04 11:56am

Or am I merely being too paranoid around our resident right-wing-whack-a-loon?

No, it is all part of my grand plot to overthrow Mike and begin a reign of terror on the board. After having cowed all dissenters and brainwashing poor helpless pawns like yourself, I shall martial the might of SDN to take over first the internet and then the world.

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2006-01-04 12:01pm

tharkûn wrote:
Or am I merely being too paranoid around our resident right-wing-whack-a-loon?
No, it is all part of my grand plot to overthrow Mike and begin a reign of terror on the board. After having cowed all dissenters and brainwashing poor helpless pawns like yourself, I shall martial the might of SDN to take over first the internet and then the world.

Wait a minute...thats a bit redundant. You'd be further ahead to kill Mike, assume his identity and make use of his reign of terror and cowing.

Julhelm · Post by **Julhelm** » 2006-01-04 12:13pm

I applaud the brits on this one. If only more western governments would back up their "womens rights" smoothtalk like this.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-01-04 01:29pm

salm wrote:
Keevan_Colton wrote:
Zed Snardbody wrote:Very nice.
I rather like the implied, "or else" that the "and requires" adds to it.
I´m quite sure that my American passport says something quite similar. I´ll look it up at home.

The Secretary of State of the United States of America hereby requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the United States named herein to pass without delay or hindrance and in case of need to give all lawful aid and protection.

I think the Brits have the better one. The US one is kinda ... wimpy.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2006-01-04 01:31pm

It's pretty much the same but without the little "and requires" bit which I like so much.