Free Cruise on the Orient Queen

The whiners will be Americans--not the smartest Americans, but Americans, nonetheless, who were unwise enough to pick this particular time to vacation in and around Beirut.

Out of all the possible destinations they could have chosen to chill out on their vaca, they woke up one morning and said to themselves, "Hmm, Lebanon! That's where I'd like to go this year." And so they went. Of course, while they were there, the terrorists group Hezbollah starts a war with Israel, Israel retaliates and all Hell breaks loose in southern Lebanon.

The US arranges to rescue the vacationers, but, before they were saved, several of these deep thinkers latch onto the media and complain to God and the world (make-up and halter tops fit for TV wowing at home) that they hadn't had a personal call yet from the American Embassy telling them what to do.

Perhaps the travel advisory danger notice the State Department updates regularly would have been a good thing to include on their "To Do" list before jetting off to Lebanon for sun and sand. (There's not enough sun and sand for them in the USA?)

And now, THIS is the day that you're going to hear further whining and complaining about rescuees not getting enough snack time on the rescue ship that couried them to safety in Cyprus.

The "cruise" was free! And they even get a loan for their flight home from the US government if they're a little short of cash. (They wanted it free too.) How does one get to have a sense of "entitlement" at this level?

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"Patriotism is not chic in the circles of those who assume the role of citizens of the world, whether they are discussing immigration or giving aid and comfort to the enemy in wartime." --Thomas Sowell