FBI Wrongdoing

Kunta Says:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/07/26/wrongful.convictions.ap/index.html

OK, Vizzle I know where you are going to go with this one. It will sound something like this:

“IT’S A WINDFALL!!!! TOUGH LUCK!!! TOO BAD SO SAD!!!!WHY SHOULD THIS GUY GET ALL THIS MONEY????

 Allow me to retort; the FBI comitted all kinds of crimes to frame these people. Are you really telling me that the government should get off scot-free? They spent 33 years in prison. I have two questions I want an answer to

1) Explain why the government shouldn’t be liable.

2) What should be done instead of money damages?

July 10, 2007

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070710/ap_on_re_as/china_tainted_products;_ylt=AtURBFttW_VLoGLmaMkU.f3MWM0F

 China knows how to deal with this.  USA does not.  In China you get executed for accepting bribes to release unsafe medicine to the masses.  In the USA you get a puny fine that results in a loss of about .00001% of the profits you made by accepting the bribes.  However, the saving grace for the USA is that if you were poor and did this then you would probably get some jail time.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070710/ap_on_bi_ge/sprint_nextel_terminated_customers;_ylt=AqNt3af.FHlJCtoiyGib5yrMWM0F

Well Jeez, if I had to call customer service and speak to some guy in India who doesn’t speak English, chances are I’d have to call back a lot too.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/07/10/reluctant.juror.ap/index.html

What people do to get out of Jury Duty and yet Vizzle has yet to be even selected to appear and I am ready to go!

Time for the “Working Class Party”

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/29/schneider.angry.voters/index.html

The Republicans are bumbling fools promoting pork, making their decisions based solely on how much the lobbyists pay them all the while protecting the rich.  The Democrats are equally ineffective - they backdown at the slightest mention of conflict – what happened to the timeline to withdraw from Iraq?  Together they form an mass of people who cannot get anything done.  Immigration, National Health Care,  Oil Prices, all things every American has an interest in solving yet the combined will of Congress has been able to do nothing.  Perhaps it’s time for us common folk (who aren’t rich and can’t afford to finance their very own candidate or who can’t afford to have lots of lobbying going on) to start to elect officials who will get the job done.  The Republicans don’t seem like the right choice.  The Democrats don’t seem like the right choice.  What choice is left?  The “Working Class Party” is imminent…..

 http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-parties-prepare-for-the-2009-european-elections/

Look whats happening in Europe.  I’m not 100% on the details, but I believe this movement started because ordinary citizens were sick of losing all their rights to an overzealous Music Industry and a government that was more than willing to accept their money to do their bidding.

Free Speech & Expensive Pants

Kunta says:

The “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” case shows how willing Americans are to give up their rights because of fear. For years we have been told how dangerous drugs were and how every child was a crack addict in the making, how heroin was on every street corner and how pot would ruin your life.

We’re at war, right? The war on drugs. It’s a dangerous enemy that wants to destroy our way of life….or was that the war on terror? Ya know, it’s so hard to keep them separated.

Same story different enemy.

Expensive pants: Don’t understand Vizzle’s bile over this one. I told him from day one this case would be dismissed. It was. People are stupid and think stupid things. The system is designed to weed out real disputes from silly ones.

No one can “file a frivolous lawsuit.” A lawsuit doesn’t become frivolous until it’s dismissed with prejudice. This case was.

Our system allows for everyone to have their day in court. No matter how silly or insignificant the case, it’s important that everyone feels that the court has heard their dispute and rendered a transparent judgement.

The overarching theme here is this; large media companies push “frivolous lawsuit” stories to make pro-corporate legislation seem more palatable. That’s the bottom line. That’s why the news is filled with spilled coffee and expensive pants.

Vizzle:

I dislike the pants suit (no pun intended) because of the fact that was even allowed to go to trial.  Defendants in frivolous lawsuits should have some remedy for their wasted time, having their court costs and fees paid for is not enuff.  Consider if I call the police and claim someone assaulted me and they get arrested.  Once the facts are discovered I could be sued for making a false police report.  In the same regard, if you sue me for some unreasonable amount of money or for some unreasonable damage, and the case is dismissed and you have to pay legal fees, I should be able to recover monies from you.

 Is it really in the courts best interests to even hear such nonsense cases?  As a taxpayer paying for the courts I would say no.  Wouldn’t that money be better spent on feeding the hungry or perhaps providing medical care to those who cannot afford it?  Oh yeah I forgot, everyone should have the right to sue.

June 26, 2007

 Vizzle

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/06/25/free.speech/index.html

At one time in this country it was illegal for women to vote.  Alcohol was illegal.  It was illegal for slaves to have rights.  Lots of things were illegal that are now legal.  Just think if the government shut down all speech related to these items like they have for students advocating drugs.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/06/25/trouser.trial/index.html

 There goes my chance of making $54 Million over a pair of pants.  This guy was an idiot and should be an embarrasment to the Judicial Branch of government, that a Judge could bring about such a moronic lawsuit.

Response to Vizzle: Blackwater

Kunta: 

I agree that working in a war zone has additional risks as opposed to working in an office building. I’m also sure these guys signed a mountain of paperwork to absolve Blackwater. However, I have several points that need to be considered.

First; certain risks were accepted. I agree, but certain risks were not. These guys didn’t sign up to go to a war zone armed with nothing but a slingshot. They expected to be armed with military-grade weapons. If they show up in Iraq expecting military-grade weapons, and Blackwater, for reasons of cost has decided to arm them with slingshots, that’s not a reasonable risk. They didn’t sign up for that. I don’t know the facts of this case, so I can’t really comment on that, but suffice to say there is the possibility that liability should exist.

Second; this is an “end justifies the means” argument, but these private contracting companies need to be subject to some kind of oversight. As such, they are not subject to Iraqi law. They are not part of the uniformed chain of command, and who the hell knows if any US law applies. The possibility of abuse is too huge to ignore. The pentagon could use these companies to run illegal missions, torture detainees, kill civilians, basically anything. If it takes these four families to get some oversight, I’m all in favor of it.

Blackwater Liability

KUNTA:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-06-10-fallujah-deaths_N.htm?csp=34

Consider the above. These families are claiming they are owed compensation for the deaths of civilian contractors in Iraq. Civilian contractors are in a legal gray area. They aren’t part of the unified chain of command, they aren’t on US soil, but they are employed by US companies.

Question: what if any liability should be assessed?