Via Reuters — CNN now sued for $1.3 billion – $1 per person in China:
[…] a suit against CNN in New York over remarks they say insulted the Chinese people and are seeking $1.3 billion in compensation — $1 per person in China […]
The suit brought because of comments by Jack Cafferty:
They’re basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they’ve been for the last 50 years.
What’s interesting about that quote from my perspective is, foremost, the notion that you could sue for $1 for every person in the country when even the most egregious, blanketed statement is undoubtedly wholly accurate in some minority of the cases.
That is, there is no way that all of the Chinese people aren’t “goons,” etc. And there’s no case that you could convince a jury a goon can be insulted for being what he/she is.
Of course, there’s other problems with the suit. Some of Cafferty’s remarks at the time were true. Most were not directed at the Chinese people themselves, but the government and businessmen. But even excepting that, and the above point about the existence of some goons in China, and supposing that judgment was made against CNN, you’re looking at the notion that every person in China would actually get their $1.
The actual costs of distributing that money would be enormous. Would prisoners (political or otherwise) get their dollar too? It’s just a downright absurd, preposterous lawsuit. Especially taking into account what should offend the plaintiffs and the majority of the Chinese people is their government’s behavior toward human rights, especially vis-a-vis Tibet, Syria, et al.
Just as we in the United States should be insulted by our government’s behavior with regard to Iraq and the mishandling of the war on terrorism, the complete lack of respect for the law shown by our President, and so on.
If anything this lawsuit will serve to bring more attention to China’s need for reform. As will, hopefully, the silly multi-billion dollar sporting event involving the circles and the fire stick.