Oh, and Coldie, the Golden Earring debt won’t be expunged until every man, woman, and child in the Netherlands has been kicked squarely in the crotch. But we appreciate the sentiment.
(Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I do know that the unleashing of Celine Dion and Bryan Adams on the world puts me in line for approximately 2 cubic metres of ground glass pounded up my ass with rubber mallet. Fair’s fair.)
Why should anyone care if they dealt with South Africa during apartheid? Nobody seems to care that we’re trading with China right now, and China is surely as bad as (or probably far worse than) apartheid South Africa.
As far as I’m concerned, all these countries can run themselves however they want as long as they don’t screw with us. Why’s it our prerogative to meddle? If some countries want to run themselves in ways we find abhorrent here in the civilized world, and if some people wanna trade with 'em, it’s not any of our business.
I see Coldfire has apologized for protestantism in England. (About time somebody apologized for protestantism 
) Maybe the Church should sue the CoE to get back all the property it owned before Henry VIII’s hissy fit I think we can see where this sort of reasoning leads us, and it isn’t good.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by RexDart *
As far as I’m concerned, all these countries can run themselves however they want as long as they don’t screw with us. Why’s it our prerogative to meddle? If some countries want to run themselves in ways we find abhorrent here in the civilized world, and if some people wanna trade with 'em, it’s not any of our business.
[\QUOTE]
But Saddam uses chemical weapons on his own people.
:exits, with teary resolve:
:starts war:
Nobody cares? Uh…
China’s pretty damned bad, but they don’t register anywhere near as high on the Evil-o-Meter as Apartheid-era South Africa. WTF? Do you have any idea what sort of society apartheid laws created? Even the vaguest conception?
What country is Hausfeld from? Is he just a concerned citizen of the world?
You should paint that! On velvet!
This is being brought to the U.S. because the Alien Tort Claims Act makes such a suit possible. Not a peculiarity of Hausfeld, but rather a reflection of the philosophy of the United States.
The idealistic use to which ACTA has been bent in recent times is a fine example of U.S. courts “walking the walk” when it comes to the characterization of the USA as a champion of justice on the world stage.
I should very much like to see similar legislation pass in Canada-- it may be somewhat burdensome on the courts, but accountability is a good thing.
That’s “ATCA,” of course-- my fingers are used to typing ACTRA, I guess.
Thanks for the link, I appreciate the legwork. This is were its gets difficult for me to complain/debate about the issues, as I am a complete layman when it comes to legal matters.
I still appears to me that these companies were doing nothing illegal (perhaps immoral), and should not be held liable.
No worries, mate.
(I would be remiss if I failed to point out that I’m a complete layman myself, though-- my only “authority” is that I have the 'satiable curiousity of Kipling’s Elephant’s Child.)
Cheers!