US Legal Imperialism
US legal Imperialism is a worry to all free citizens of the world, especially online citizens.
The arrest of a David Carruthers, of the British listed company, BetOnSports, as his plane touched down in Dallas on the way to Antigua, is just the latest episode in the absurd and scary campaign by the US legal system to subject the world to its tyrannical legal system. The idea that this company is “racketeering” like a clan of Mafiosi is plainly ridiculous. the online gaming company is based completely outside the USA, but American citizens have been placing bets with it. Now the site is down due to an “restraining order” placed by an American court on an oversees company.
The World Trade Organisation has ruled in favour of the tiny specs of land called Antigua and Barbuda, saying that the US anti-gaming laws are a form of protectionism, but the US just ignores the ruling.
It seems that America’s response to globalisation is to say that it’s fine, so long as everyone plays by America’s rules. Its Guantanamo style legal system, in which suspects are chained and put into orange boiler suits, and then told that if they don’t turn state evidence and accuse their friends and colleagues of terrible crimes, they themselves will spend 90 years in jail, might well be fine for the Wild West, or Stalinist Russia, but it’s not what those of us in the Free World expect. It’s hardly surprising that 90% of those accused of Federal offences plead guilty. What’s worse, prosecutors are elected, and are often budding politicians. They tap into any wave of public feeling that’s going, and dish out their Judge Dread justice accordingly. When the stock markets going up, bankers and business people are heroes. When it crashes, they are criminals.
It’s odd that America, with its incredibly harsh penalties for financial misdemeanor, has so many huge financial scandals. The explanation lies in the fact that it’s a country of “laws” rather than principals. Laws have loopholes. Expensive lawyers will always find them. Principles, such as “utmost good faith” and “substance over form ” are much more impregnable against hair splitting lawyers.
I’ve always considered myself rather pro-American, as I admire their enterprise and creativity. The irony is, that just as we have an American client, my anti-US (system) feelings are in the ascendancy.
