I refer to the killing of Korean hostages by the Taliban in Afghanistan. This may sound callous but I seem to have great difficulty in trying to muster up some sympathy for these hostages.

Surely, they must know that going into a place like Afghanistan at a time like this is dangerous, to say the least. Every time some do-gooder gets kidnapped and held as a hostage, I can't help but ask, 'Why must they go there, in the first place?'

Are the Koreans or the other do-gooders under the impression that they are welcome? Such naivet is stupid at best and reckless at worst. I get the same feeling every time I see people perform highly dangerous stunts on television. When they succeed, they brag that they are 'pushing the envelope' (or whatever that clich is supposed to mean).

When they get hurt, I can't seem to find any sympathy for these thrill seekers or 'adrenalin junkies' as they are popularly known these days. If you must go into dangerous war-torn areas, you have to accept that something nasty may happen.

When that happens, the rest of the world should just shrug their shoulders in a philosophical manner and say, 'Oh well'.