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US bars friends over Twitter joke

thesun.co.uk

41–50 of 232 posts

Re: US bars friends over Twitter joke

#41
post #31

As said Richelieu, who knew his police business: “Avec deux lignes d’écriture d’un homme, on peut faire le procès du plus innocent“. Unfortunately, this wasn't representative of a time of utmost personal freedom...

Can you please translate?

Re: US bars friends over Twitter joke

#42
post #14

Shenanigans. 1) Where did they get the pictured Homeland Security report if HS "declined to comment"? If accurate, it looks like the sort of communication that an agency that refused to comment on an story would not be too quick to divulge. There is no mention of a FOI application, which I'm not even sure two foreigners are entitled to. 2) The two posing clowns are just that kind you would expect to be the butt of jo…

His Twitter account updates are protected http://twitter.com/leighbryan

Re: US bars friends over Twitter joke

#43
post #14

Shenanigans. 1) Where did they get the pictured Homeland Security report if HS "declined to comment"? If accurate, it looks like the sort of communication that an agency that refused to comment on an story would not be too quick to divulge. There is no mention of a FOI application, which I'm not even sure two foreigners are entitled to. 2) The two posing clowns are just that kind you would expect to be the butt of jo…

> Where did they get the pictured Homeland Security report if HS "declined to comment"?

Good point. Though fabricating imagery like that is so much par for the course for Sun that it doesn't tell much about the truthfulness of the rest of the story.

Similarly, that photo isn't necessarily them either.

And perhaps neither their names ...

You know maybe you're right :-)

As a story though, it's completely plausible. In most countries customs you can get in serious trouble for joking about bombs. Adjust that for America's larger-than-life paranoia culture and tweeting about "destroying America" (not even a real threat) is a perfectly logical thing for them to get all worked up about.

I think it's important to respect people's cultural norms, even if we do not understand them. Just like you wouldn't order a glass of milk during an Italian business lunch.

(They get seriously offended if you do that and no I don't know why)

Re: US bars friends over Twitter joke

#45

I am not really familiar with the Sun, but people here on HN seem to dismiss the story as a hoax because it's featured on the this website/newspaper. Can anyone please clarify what's its reputation and why should it be mistrusted? Thanks.

Mainly for things like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster#The_Sun_n...

Re: US bars friends over Twitter joke

#46
post #39

There's a better version of the story on the Daily Mail web site that has a picture of the documents given to these folks when they were barred: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093796/British-tour...

Only The Sun could make an article in the Daily Mail appear good by comparison. Amazing quote from the girl in this piece though: "We just wanted to have a good time on holiday. That was all Leigh meant in his tweet. He would not hurt anyone. He is gay.' Wondering if I can use that as evidence that I wouldn't hurt anything if I ever have any problems with the TSA..

This sort of story would only ever appear in The Sun or The Daily Mail. Higher brow intelectual newspapers wouldn't touch it because it wouldn't fit with their agenda or readership and would also be seen to be very unpolitically correct.

Re: US bars friends over Twitter joke

#47
post #42
post #14

Shenanigans. 1) Where did they get the pictured Homeland Security report if HS "declined to comment"? If accurate, it looks like the sort of communication that an agency that refused to comment on an story would not be too quick to divulge. There is no mention of a FOI application, which I'm not even sure two foreigners are entitled to. 2) The two posing clowns are just that kind you would expect to be the butt of jo…

His Twitter account updates are protected http://twitter.com/leighbryan

NOW they are...

Re: US bars friends over Twitter joke

#48
post #4

Have no more fear, your country is safe from all terrorists who tweet about their plans. Truthfully, I wouldn't have expected this from America, they're the kind of jokes I could imagine myself making on Twitter, but will be careful not to before future trips there.. This is pretty much what I think of when going to China, and what makes me specially careful not to say anything the Chinese could take as a threat. Heh…

US is done as the "land of the free". It's still very hard for many people to believe it, but it's true. I mean it's 47th place in the world for freedom of press now - 47th! That's far from the beacon of freedom US used to be. Whenever I see the heavily armed and militarized police in US and how they react to protesters, it's like I'm watching news about Russia or something.

When _was_ it the land of the free? The period between giving black people the vote and the PATRIOT act? Even then, it was hardly number one.

Re: US bars friends over Twitter joke

#50
post #31

As said Richelieu, who knew his police business: “Avec deux lignes d’écriture d’un homme, on peut faire le procès du plus innocent“. Unfortunately, this wasn't representative of a time of utmost personal freedom...

Can you please translate?

Not the exact wording, but something along the lines of "Give me two lines of text from an innocent man, and I can get him convicted."
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