Libya

[pachapapa]

[quote user="woolybanana"]The function of the consular service is to help their own nationals in time of need. No harm in that.[/quote]

As a principle...laudable. The stark reality is that they are dysfunctional.

In 1982 a young lad from oxford-shire got the last commercial flight out of the Malvinas to Buenos Aires; the dysfunctionaries were unable to get him out to Montevideo; via contact at the American Embassy he pitched up St Salvador de Jujuy with a penguin tee shirt. Three days later, after making arrangements, he was put on a train to La Paz together with a minder to ease him across the Argentine Bolivian border.

[NickP]

[quote user="andyh4"][quote user="NickP"]Andyh4 wrote: 

As for those cleverer than thou folk who have said that "they knew the risks and should not have gone to Lybia" - well I hope I never see a post from you about how you have been badly affected by some change in legislation or exchange rate move that leaves you worse off in France than before.  Hindisght is a wonderful thing - and mine is better than most.

Got up in a bad mood this morning then Andy? what the hell has the exchange rate got to do with Libya?

 

[/quote]

 

Perfectly good mood Paul.  What has the exchange rate to do with it?

Well George I still think your in a bad mood, best wishes  Nick

Well when someone says "I am struggling to survive because the exchage rate has just dropped the value of the pound by 33%".

I will be able to say, " But there was always an exchange rate, it is constantly moving and sometimes a lot.  You knew the risks when you came to France.

Like they new the risks when they went to Libya"

 

As it happens I have friends in the oil industry who work as independents (so no big oil companies to back them up).  The nature of their job is that they are in places that are not high on the popular tourist destinations and frequently have health warnings and or headline grabbing incidents. 

I did this all my working life, but assessed the risks and took those I thought I could mange without involving Margaret Thatcher. Even as an independent you are still employed by somebody! You don't just fly out to Libya or wherever and then go and offer your services to  no one! 

As Wooly said earlier, these are people with skills trying to do the best for their families, and to be honest if there was oil to be had in Sussex or Charente, I think they would probably choose to work there and be with their families every night, rather than having to work 3 on 3 off in some less than safe part of the world.  I know my friends are not doing it because of some tax advantage.

Everybody has skills that they use to do the best for their family, these people are no different because they choose to work in some far flung land. You say your friends are not doing it for some tax advantage, if you say so, I believe you [:D] 

[/quote]

[PaulT]

On a different track I have been looking at the BBC News website for the past two days and they have a part that is providing information as it happens.

There are some brave people rising up.

On the other hand Gaddafi is putting out propaganda about crowds chanting they love him. Are they fed false information or can they just not see when the games is up?