Which Hellhole Should I Volunteer For?

[Spiffor]

Kosovo or Saudi Arabia.

Failing that, French Subsaharian Africa. There are some stable countries there, where safety is not as critical an issue as in other hellholes. And if you're lucky enough to be sent to Bamako, it's a pretty safe city still.

You need to enjoy medication however, with your daily anti-malaria pill.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Kosovo is perhaps safe (I have no idea), but it's a hole with nothing to see or do. It's also not that close to Greece, Italy, or, say, Croatia. Roads are ****ty and it's a long drive to any of the nice locations in the neighbourhood so you're not likely to go around much if you have to drive yourself.

Learning Albanian is pretty useless too. It's a dead end language with no close relatives, sounds awful to the ear, is difficult to learn and as such probably won't be useful to your career at all.

This perfectly sums up all my fears about a tour there. Balancing them is my strong interest in the Balkans and the fact that a Kosovo tour would give me entree into State's coveted European bureau. But I'm not sure that's enough.

[quote]I would consider Iraq or Afghanistan, if there was a career boost attached. I'm guessing that hazard duty would be looked upon favorably, no matter the ultimate outcome in either place or the changing political winds.

Of course, your wife is a special consideration. But I bet she knew what she was getting into when she married a diplomat, if she's not a diplomat herself.

You're right, Iraq's the fast track to promotion. But if there's anything I've learned at my brief time at State, it's that putting career ahead of family is always the wrong decision -- and State is littered with the casualties of such decisions. It's hard to imagine the circumstances in which an unaccompanied (i.e., no spouse) post would be acceptable.

Failing that, French Subsaharian Africa. There are some stable countries there, where safety is not as critical an issue as in other hellholes. And if you're lucky enough to be sent to Bamako, it's a pretty safe city still.

These tend not to be the critical-to-fill places, though. Think Abidjan or Brazzaville.

[DinoDoc]

What post is your wife pushing for?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Haiti. But she's flexible. Saharan Africa's also of interest.

[Elok]

I talked to Mom, and she says you'd be perfectly safe in Haiti provided you stay out of the rough parts. If you decide to go there, ask me and I'll ask her about them, I guess. Though the rough parts may be obvious, for all I know.

She also said you'd likely get put up in one of the old luxury hotels dating back to when Haiti wasn't a resource-depleted purgatory. They aren't Hiltons or anything, but power and running water, etc., would be assured. Your main worries would be boredom and trying to get work done in what's probably the most corrupt administration in the Western Hemisphere. And the anti-malaria meds give you some craaaazy dreams, I hear.

Oh, and Mom told me to tell you about St. Joseph's, the orphanage where she stays for $35 a night, two very good meals included. I told her you probably wouldn't be interested, but there, I passed the message on.

[DanS]

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
You're right, Iraq's the fast track to promotion. But if there's anything I've learned at my brief time at State, it's that putting career ahead of family is always the wrong decision -- and State is littered with the casualties of such decisions. It's hard to imagine the circumstances in which an unaccompanied (i.e., no spouse) post would be acceptable.

I agree that it's not worth a marriage.

[SlowwHand]

Haiti, again.

[Barnabas]

Somewhere were you will not be kidnapped, that would be my priority

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Haiti, again.

Another reason to choose Haiti is that you'll be able to step off the plane, look around, and then suddenly scream at the top of your lungs: "Haiti?!? I didn't say I wanted to go to Haiti! I said I wanted to go to Tahiti!! It's all a mistake--a big horrible, horrible mistake!!"

[SlowwHand]

Hold on. We're not talking about Tahiti?

[Merkin Muffley]

Would sub-saharan Africa include Kenya or Tanzania? They're not so bad. Aren't Ghana and Cote d'Ivorie fairly safe too?

Are Bosnia or FYROM considered "hot spots"?

[SlowwHand]

[Merkin Muffley]

Originally posted by Pekka
Oerdin, tell me something... if a country is poor, say 3rd world rate. Why is it, that they can't shoot straight? Also, is there a connection with them being poor and not able to fight very well?

I mean, to aim and have the skill of proper shooting shouldn't have much to do with money. Before you try to suggest that they have mostly AKs, well, AKs are pretty accurate, you just need to know how to shoot, so I won't accept that as an answer.

Why can't poor people shoot? I'd think they'd be good at it, since it's like a power tool for them, so yeah, I'll be the best at this thing, maybe it gets me somewhere, thsi whole shooting accurately to kill thing.

Also, it seems to me that most of these poor places have 'armies' and even small groups, who just can't be organized enough to get in a line to get food even. It's like they all suffer from ADHD and strong sense of the illogical behaviour when it comes to fighting.

Also, what is the tendency to shoot crazy? I'm yet to see controlled single shots, or short bursts, from any of these soldiers and or rebels who can't afford a uniform.

It's malnutrition. Lack of vitamin A damages the vision, while lack of the B vitamins and protein damages the brain and nerves. Dehydration impairs balance. Acute hunger drives them mad and deprives them of their senses.
There, happy? Yes the starving natives are at a distinct disadvantage when fighting the abundantly nourished white man. Fortunately there is no just God.


................................................or is there?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Merkin Muffley
Would sub-saharan Africa include Kenya or Tanzania? They're not so bad. Aren't Ghana and Cote d'Ivorie fairly safe too?

Are Bosnia or FYROM considered "hot spots"?

No, those places seem okay. The biggies are Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Rwanda, the Central African Republic, and The Gambia.

In the Balkans, only Kosovo is considered critical-to-fill.

It occurs to me that I left off Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, but Mrs. Firefly would leave me before going there for two years, so it's not really in the running.

[DinoDoc]

Seriously, is this even a question at this point? Just let the wife pick one.