American who says he crossed into North Korea denounces U.S. policies

[Lite Beer]

American who says he crossed into North Korea denounces U.S. policies
By Ralph Ellis and Will Ripley, CNN

(CNN) -- An American who said he crossed illegally into North Korea denounced the United States political and economic system Sunday morning at a press conference in that country.

The man said he was Arturo Pierre Martinez, 29, a U.S. citizen raised in El Paso, Texas.
Martinez's mother, Patricia Eugenia Martinez of El Paso, said their son was bipolar and earlier tried to enter North Korea by swimming across a river, only to be stopped and shipped back to the United States, where he was placed in a California psychiatric hospital.

"Then he got out," she said. "He is very smart and he got the court to let him out and instead of coming home to us he bought a ticket and left for China. He took out a payday loan online and left for China."

Read More: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/13/world/asia/amercan-north-korea/index.html

-- CNN 2014-12-14

[Digitalnomade]

I would do the same if I was living in Texas ! but I chose Thailand instead.

[Jingthing]

It's funny that N.K. is taking the words of this obviously severely mentally ill man seriously. I guess they have a lot of practice.

[slapout]

I would do the same if I was living in Texas ! but I chose Thailand instead.

I know places where if you repeat that old joke it had better be with a smile and a standing order for a round for the house.... pardner And some of those places are a long way from Texasss

[ukrules]

He probably didn't like the fact that they locked him up in a psychiatric hospital.

He'd better tow the party line in NK or he will be in big trouble

[Scott]

A troll post has been removed.

[Somtamnication]

Another nut case in a nut shell.

[ABCer]

Wouldn't it be safer to denounce these policies at home?

[Ulysses G.]

I wish more of these loons would defect to North Korea, instead of whinging on the Internet.

[Emster23]

Please please... once he realizes that worker's paradise isn't, PLEASE do not give him another tax payer funded ride home. Let him walk and think it over, if he ever gets out.

[micmichd]

Psychiatric hospital?

That's the modern way of treating political dissidents:

If you run out of arguments, you simply label them mentally insane.

Once stigmatized, nobody is going to listen to them anymore.

Well done, CIA & NSA.

[Friendly Stranger]

American who says he crossed into North Korea denounces U.S. policies

By Ralph Ellis and Will Ripley, CNN

(CNN) -- An American who said he crossed illegally into North Korea denounced the United States political and economic system Sunday morning at a press conference in that country.

The man said he was Arturo Pierre Martinez, 29, a U.S. citizen raised in El Paso, Texas.

Martinez's mother, Patricia Eugenia Martinez of El Paso, said their son was bipolar and earlier tried to enter North Korea by swimming across a river, only to be stopped and shipped back to the United States, where he was placed in a California psychiatric hospital.

"Then he got out," she said. "He is very smart and he got the court to let him out and instead of coming home to us he bought a ticket and left for China. He took out a payday loan online and left for China."

Read More: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/13/world/asia/amercan-north-korea/index.html

-- CNN 2014-12-14

Sounds pretty smart.

[klauskunkel]

"He is very smart

He is very smart future dog food

[SOTIRIOS]

......what better way to discredit someone than call them insane.....

[ggt]

Dang...does this guy qualify for the "Special Kind of Stupid"...Award...he gets my vote!

[micmichd]

Herr Kunkel,

I think you're German, and you're not allowed to dehumanize anyone.

Give this man a fair chance to state his point of view, you don't have to agree with him.

I think you are well-educated, so you should have learnt some ethics.

Treat others the way to would like to be treated by them.

[Norvid]

You do not need brain to go to N.K.; If you have one, you will never do it.

[micmichd]

You don't need brain to be recruited by the US Army.

All you need is a criminal record with some minor offenses, a desire for a better life, and a family so they can blackmail you. Preferably if you come from Mexico.

One day you might find out you were trapped: Whatever you do will be wrong. And then you might face a psychiatric issue, eg you will be labelled again (DSM-5)

This soldier might finally have had the choice between suicide and changing sides.

And you will not blame him for not committing suicide.

[slipperylobster]

I would do the same if I was living in Texas ! but I chose Thailand instead.

With a name like that, this would be his second river....

[cup-O-coffee]

If this article is in any way meant to mitigate, or distract away from criminal and negligent US policies, then it fails miserably.

[micmichd]

Sorry, it was nowhere stated that this man crossed into NK as a soldier.

I've got no idea which law allows to publish his name and other personal details that are commonly referred to as privacy.

Are we now facing a new stage of US hypocrisy?

[yankee99]

Damm i forgot to get my online payday loan before i fled to los.

[micmichd]

He probably didn't like the fact that they locked him up in a psychiatric hospital.

He'd better tow the party line in NK or he will be in big trouble

NK obviously sent him back, and he's in China now.

[cup-O-coffee]

I still do not understand the point (or logic) of covering what type of person says that he denounces US policies. What difference does it make who says it, and what that person does?

I see two stories; one about someone trying to get into NK in a strange way, and for reasons that no one (arguably) would personally desire, and two, said person has a negative opinion about US policies and economic system.

What exactly is the interest here?

As I stated in my prior post, it seems that the media is using a satirical method to downplay the truth of US policy and its economic system, and this really does more damage to the media's credibility than were they to present this string of events and the details in a more rationale light.

Moreover, I am not surprised that any Western citizen would be required by the NK authorities to say something like this, as a prerequisite to merely staying and/or avoiding the obvious.

So, in summary, this story reads to me that someone wants to live in NK, and he was told to say these things, and he did. Many people come to the USA to live, and they are told to say a lot of things, and they do.

This is really not a story to me then.

[hawker9000]

'Sounds like he was instinctively gravitating to his perfect environment. He & the dear leader should get on well.

[Jingthing]

He needs a structured environmental.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[micmichd]

He'll get one in China.

[vijer]

I'm sure he is going to love the policies of North Korea!

[micmichd]

Following the OP, he left for China.

Following CNN, it rather looks like he's in North Korea.

Does anyone know where he really is?

[connda]

Naa bura. Slow day in the International Newroom.