Job Discussion Forums

[Hamish]

I just got this email from my government.


Warden Message from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing
May 21, 2003


At the direction of the Department of State we are disseminating the following information to U.S. citizens overseas.

On May 20, Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge announced that the Homeland Security Council raised the homeland security threat level from Yellow (Elevated) to Orange (High). Further information about the announcement may be obtained at the DHS Internet website at www.dhs.gov or www.ready.gov.

The Department of State continues to monitor security conditions overseas and, as always, will promptly disseminate information affecting the safety of Americans abroad through its consular information program. These documents are available on the Department's Internet website at www.travel.state.gov.

Regards,

[Hamish]

[Roger]

At least in Baoding and surrounding areas down to Hainan Island, this terrorist threat can not be serous as we are being protected from Scud missiles by our trusted and most effective counter-weapon, Sars,m and the waves it is creating!

[Ferne]

Hi Hamish,

I am still receiving the consulate emails although I am back home for now. I can say I often got pissed at receiving numerous emails like that a day warning me of terrorist threats and all the possible evils in this world when I was dealing with something way more basic: surviving daily life in China! These warnings are not country-specific, and as such no help at all. I don't know if you ever received the one at the beginning of the war in Iraq advising all Americans abroad to "keep a low profile", "avoid large masses of people", "be alert" and "avoid demonstrations". Just imagine!!
I honestly tried to follow through on this good advice...but dang, I just couldn't keep a low profile, they still recognized me as a lao-wai even though I was wearing a scarf over my head, and it was so hard finding a local demonstration to attend anyway!

[Bertrand]

Hardly surprising that Yanks are under threat. Although most, if not ALL Yanks that I have met could not be any nicer, none of their previous governments had a foreign policy, unfortunately, that was honourable. I suggest you read Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman and Deterring Democracy by Chomsky, and perhaps even 9/11 by Chomsky. Then you will see WHY the vast majority of the world'd populace detest and despise the US.

[Kurochan]

Did you get that message from the American embassy saying "Stay away from Ritian Park," because of some demonstration that was going to happen there? The message made it sound like some sort of really dangerous situation, but it was actually a protest of foreigners expressing their anti-war feelings! Their tactic was like, "Let's make people scared to go to the area, or they might see the protest and join it." Really shoddy.

[Seth]

Unfortunately Americans are traditionally ignorant of world opinion. Most have no idea of the extent of anti-Americanism out there. And if people aren't anti-American, they at least don't buy into the 'America the liberator' stuff. Now that I'm back on the homefront things seem to be more polarized. My family, who are very nonpolitical and somewhat conservative, scorn Bush every time they see him on TV. It surprized me a little. On the other hand, I've noticed that the media has shifted slightly to the right. MSNBC has some new guy named Scarborough who's a total O'Reilly wannabe. He was encouraging viewers to harrass MCI because their spokesman Samuel Jackson said some things that he didn't like. A lot of talking heads come out to talk about 'patriotic times' and bash France.

Yesterday I saw a sticker on an SUV that had an American flag and the phrase 'We won' next to it. Yeah, be proud, we kicked the crap out of a small 3rd world country. It's that kind of attitude that drives me crazy.