Minor Thoughts from me to you

Harrowing tale of near death in China

Harrowing tale of near death in China →

Progressives are always talking about the need for a good, benevolent government to take care of citizens and protect them. Well, before I give the government any more authority, I'd like to see if they're competent at providing a basic level of physical security.

Take the case of Warren Rothman, a San Francisco lawyer. Several years ago, he worked in Shanghai. There, he was given information about a large bribe that had recently been paid. Before he could report it, a Chinese legal aid tried to kill him. The legal aide conned the local American consulate into giving him the papers necessary to have Mr. Rothman involuntarily committed to mental institution. Once there, he tried to poison Mr. Rothman.

After Mr. Rothman escaped, he discovered the consulate's role in his kidnapping and near death.

So he contacted officials at the State Department Office of the Inspector General and told them of the distressing role the acting consul and other consulate officers had played in his own drama.

Well, late last month, the inspector general's office wrote back and told Rothman, "We have determined that the appropriate office to address your concerns is the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs" - the very State Department office where the diplomats in question worked.

How's that for good government?

This entry was tagged. Government