Wrong. If you aren't on CNN, they won't lift a finger to help you. About 12 years ago my life was in very real danger, my best friend at the time was the Brit

Wrong. If you aren't on CNN, they won't lift a finger to help you. About 12 years ago my life was in very real danger, my best friend at the time was the British embassador to the country I was in. He told me if I was a British citizen he could help me and told me to go to the Us Embassy, because that's what they are for. When I went I was interrogated by four guys with buzz cuts and shiny shoes who obviously had no clue about what was happening on the ground outside the embassy walls. I refused to talk until they told me what they could do to help. Finally a woman came in who appealed to my patriotic duty, and finally pushed a piece of paper across the table and told me to write down an address in the States where they could ship my body, saying "it is not the policy of the United States Government to help citizens abroad." I was floored, but finally declined her generous offer and took my chances. Luckily it only cost me a few broken ribs, though one of our offices was firebombed, another partner chopped up with a machette in another part of the country. If you're in trouble abroad, don't hold your breath. Hell, you can't even walk into embassies any longer for citizen services, you have to make an appointment for all citizen services and even then, they still make you wait for half an hour in an empty waiting room with bullet proof glass before they get around to seeing you.