Dangerous World

I agree with the feelings and perspective OP. It makes sense that with difficult times, crime and tensions will increase in most poor countries and the poor in any country. Being an avid watcher of LINK TV (independent viewer supported channel), there are many reports and documentaries on the growing problems and tensions in many countries. India is one that comes to mind, More than ever it is important to do close research on a chosen travel destination and to be cautious.

Baja California is a case in point. Gangs have taken over there killing off many of the local police and posing as the police to pull over vehicles/tourists for robbery. Armed holdups in campgrounds in the middle of the day. The feds had to be called in. I met a gringo on my last trip to Guatemala who has lived on Baja for 10 years and says it's completely crazy there now.

Fresco has it right. It is astonishing to me how many Canadians go to Mexico and stay drunk and/or drugged for their entire stay and yet, when some of them are injured or killed, it is trumpted in the media as Mexico's fault. When Julius Nyerere was Pres of Tanzania, he tried to limit tourism because his poorest people would constantly see tourists well-dressed with expensive cameras etc., and feel so much poorer - and that also would lead to a certain amount of crime. That is inevitable, and with a worldwide financial meltdown looming (Thanks in part to Wall St. -as always - , and Republicans -as usual -electing their darling Geo. Bush), we are in for much more poverty and crime everywhere

I think this is a good point: the USA is a very dangerous place. I wouldn't go out on the street at night in any US city. I don't know about Europe but I suspect it is similar. Life is dangerous, I suppose. I prefer to minimize the danger but I'm not ready for the rocking chair or TV.

USA is a very dangerous place. I wouldn't go out on the street at night in any US city. I don't know about Europe but I suspect it is similar.

It's not, and very far from it.
I spend most of my time in Stockholm, Sweden and in Gdansk, Poland. I go out any time, day or night, without even thinking about any danger.

Do you think this is true of France, Russia, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain - - at least in the big cities?

Yes, I'm sure it is. I haven't been to Russia for ten years, so I don't know what the situation is like in Moscow or St Petersburg today. But, I've been recently to France (Marseille), Italy (south), UK (around London and in Cornwal), and Spain (Barcelona). I walked at night in all of those places.
But, if you live in the USA (I don't know where), I can understand your point. My last trip was to Luisiana, four years ago. I was sitting in a bar, talking to a few locals. When I said I was going to take a walk to my motel, just 300 m away, they thought I was crazy. The guy next to me gave me a lift in his truck. I didn't know what was safer, as I saw him having at least six bottles of bud.

The USA is probably the most dangerous country in the world - - guns, aggressive people, social unrest, crime. What about Bangkok, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Phnom Penh? Been to all them recently and didn't have any problems but that proves nothing. Moscow looked menacing but we spent 2 weeks there waiting for visa. China seems pretty pacific unless one talks politics.

I don't know what to say about the USA. You're probably right.
After having posted my #15 I went for a bicycle ride, one hour, and just returned now (it's half past midnight). I thought about it and came to these conclusions.
I've been to the USA about ten times, through a period of 20 years. It's a great country. I've also visted more than 60 other countries.
I tried to count the situations during my travels and in about 30 years, when I felt unsafe, intimidated or very uncomfortable. They were very few, even though I always travelled individually, in big cities and off the beaten path. I could count four: NYC (twice), Toledo Ohio, Houma Louisiana. All the four in the same country.

I forgot to mention other aspects of "American culture" that leads me to make the statement about US being most dangerous country: high levels of mental disorder, high level of drug/alcohol abuse, class antagonism, gang warfare, cultural debasement, economic hardship, political insanity, social disenfranchment and alienation. You might want to follow a similar thread ("Dangerous World") over on "experimental travel" - - starting to turn a little ugly over there which I think reinforces my last point.

{quote:title=kosoral wrote:}Baja California is a case in point. Gangs have taken over there killing off many of the local police and posing as the police to pull over vehicles/tourists for robbery. Armed holdups in campgrounds in the middle of the day. The feds had to be called in. I met a gringo on my last trip to Guatemala who has lived on Baja for 10 years and says it's completely crazy there now. {quote}

I get so annoyed by incendiary statements like this. We traveled through Baja and then mainland Mexico, camping all the way Feb to May 2007 - that is just a little over a year ago. Have conditions changed that much in that time? We were NEVER bothered or robbed or asked for a bribe - although the police/military have checkpoints every couple hundred km. They are looking for guns and drugs, were always friendly and hospitable to us.

We stayed in campgrounds or on the beach - no holdups in 4 months and being there later in the season we were often the ONLY ones in the campground. No problems. I don't say things don't happen occasionally but they do everywhere.