Born_To_Lose
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Most people have seen the movie "Midnight Express" and its deplorable conditions and the amount of corruption that was taking place. While working for the U.S. Government, I am ashamed to say that part of my job was to pay off certain NGO's and to aid our fellow countrymen and ladies that were being held in foreign prisons to be treated better than most other prisoners and that fact was unbeknownst to several Americans because it was never aired or broadcasted.
StarSong, I know you are a pretty intelligent person and can understand that I had to do what I had to do under orders. I was able to convince myself that I was doing the right thing because our fellow Americans were being treated more fairly and better than those in prison from other countries as long as I handed out cash to the prison guards. Instead of eating rice with maggots in it, they were eating small pieces of real meat that gave them protein and a chance at living another day.
I am not b.s.ing anyone. I saw 4 Iranians being held hostage for selling cigarettes on the black market, which is a very minor offense, but the Turks made a big deal out of it and the guards wanted $50 a day so they could be allowed to eat. I was never in favor of the Iranians, but to watch someone starve is just plain evil and I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Sometimes, I would load up on candy bars and throw them to the prisoners. They would almost kill each other for a 3 Musketeer or a Mr. Good Bar. It was ridiculous at times. I passed a prison guard who stuck his bayonet in my face and demanded I give him my bottle of Coke I was drinking from. Those idiot NGO's would look at us and laugh.
