Too chicken for Laos
Last year, six foreigners died in Laos due to methanol-tainted drinks. Most of them were young women.
The knee-jerk reaction on right wing Twitter was along the lines of, “Hur dur, dumb girls watch Marvel movies and think they can travel solo to some Third World hellhole, good luck with that princess.”
Even for right wing Twitter, this is dumb.
I’ve written before about how modern young men have an irrational fear of travel – especially the losers who would have the least to lose should anything go wrong.
Great discussion on that article by the way, just re-read it, thanks to all commenters.
Anyway, Laos. One of the poorest countries in Asia. Surely the locals will kidnap you right outside the airport, carry you off hog-tied to a stick, and boil you in a pot, right?
Even Australia’s travel advice site, which appears to be run by an old lady frightened of her own shadow, marks most of Laos green – the lowest risk level:
Laos is one of the few Asian countries I haven’t been to. I have been to areas marked yellow and they were fine. Even red, if you know what you’re doing.
I know many people who have visited Laos and they all report that it’s a pretty chilled place. Very friendly, sweet, conservative people. Terrible government but if you’re a tourist that’s not your problem.
The only thing you need to be especially careful of there is what you drink. Fake or dodgy booze is a problem in many countries. Best to watch them open the bottle in front of you. Or just stay off the piss, if you can handle it.
These days, a tour if Laos may be less dangerous than spending time in a big Western city. The risk of getting mugged or otherwise attacked is probably lower.
There are more dangerous countries than Laos, and many of their worst sons now live down the road from you.
Given the dominance of very online young men in the movement, it’s not surprising that the right is filled with this peal-clutching about travel.
I know you’re jealous of how coddled girls are these days and want there to be cosmic justice, but the fact is that they travel to Laos and destinations like it in their millions and mostly come back unharmed. Even without rough-faced white men in uniform keeping the peace, a lot of places are quite safe.
Young men of a certain type love clinging to any travel disaster story, especially ones involving young western women, because they think it justifies their own cowardice and general inactivity. “See!?! This is why I stay safely in my basement like any sane person.”
Young right wing men who are too online can visit Laos if they want to. They could also visit many other places and do many other things. The reason they don’t isn’t danger. That’s an excuse. They do nothing because they are timid, incurious, depressed and demoralized.
I wonder if that will start to change now. There’s a certain memetic energy in the air.
Those bored western girls drinking in Lao pubs may finally get some company.