US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale • Hacker News Board

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#61

Post by err4nt » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:46 PM UTC

bausson wrote: post #52

camus2 wrote: post #32

Not surprising, there is no free speech in France. Especially when it comes to crooked banks or politicians. France is a strange country that likes to give lessons about democracy to the rest of the world, but when you look at things closer, France is closer to a monarchy than a democracy. Everything is so centralised that information usually comes from an single source of truth, that journalist dont even bother ques…

>France is a strange country that likes to give lessons about democracy to the rest of the world Coming from an american (I guess), i find this hilarious. >France is closer to a monarchy than a democracy. I can get the comparison, current constitution was made to give important powers to the president (heavily influenced by Charles de Gaulle, which wasn't the best idea). American democracy funding looks very much lik…

I was trained in school by French teachers and they spoke of France as though it was the cradle of civilization. Not just democracy came from there, but culture itself!

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#62

Post by iSnow » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:48 PM UTC

salient wrote: post #53

Can I just say how much I hate that Google automatically turns blogspot.com into the TLD of your own country? Who the hell wants that?

Google does (or did?, I only use the browser search field) that to the search page URL as well.

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#63

Post by alan_cx » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:48 PM UTC

hobzy wrote: post #6

HeXetic wrote: post #3

I don't understand how this court system can be so silly as to fail to recognize that it has no jurisdiction over someone. Isn't the question of jurisdiction one of the first steps in any court case?

Erm, ask the US?

Yeah, was wondering that myself. Quite ironic that small fact being utterly missed in all this.

Also like the anti French language ignorance. The letter came in French and the recipient couldn't be arsed to spend a few mins on google translate, and some how we are supposed to have some sympathy. On top of that, he also says that he knew there was a legal thing happening, so subsequent letters in French should have got his attention.

And then he has the sheer cheek to talk about insane French law. Hello USA? The go to place for mad law?

This whole thing to me reeks of both ignorance and arrogance.

Not saying the scenario is great, but come on HN. Balance? Or are we still in Freedom Fries mode?

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#64

Post by Wouter33 » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:50 PM UTC

camus2 wrote: post #32

Not surprising, there is no free speech in France. Especially when it comes to crooked banks or politicians. France is a strange country that likes to give lessons about democracy to the rest of the world, but when you look at things closer, France is closer to a monarchy than a democracy. Everything is so centralised that information usually comes from an single source of truth, that journalist dont even bother ques…

> Especially when it comes to crooked banks or politicians. France is a strange country that likes to give lessons about democracy to the rest of the world, but when you look at things closer, France is closer to a monarchy than a democracy.

Because a monarchy is something like a dictatorship? Absolute monarchies _could_ have similarities with a dictatorship but these almost do not exist anymore. Please dive into some background information about, for example, a constitutional monarchy like we have in the Netherlands [1]. No way this resembles non-democracy.

[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#65

Post by joshdance » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:52 PM UTC

TallGuyShort wrote: post #5

gnu8 wrote: post #2

I hereby fine Société Générale 8,000 bitcoins for violating the American constitution (never mind jurisdiction since they don't care for it either), notice duly served by posting this comment in a public forum and witnessed by whoever happens to read this.

Hereby notarized by a third-party.

I second the motion and move that the penalty be assessed immediately.

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#66

Post by woah » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:53 PM UTC

err4nt wrote: post #61

bausson wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>France is a strange country that likes to give lessons about democracy to the rest of the world Coming from an american (I guess), i find this hilarious. >France is closer to a monarchy than a democracy. I can get the comparison, current constitution was made to give important powers to the president (heavily influenced by Charles de Gaulle, which wasn't the best idea). American democracy funding looks very much lik…

I was trained in school by French teachers and they spoke of France as though it was the cradle of civilization. Not just democracy came from there, but culture itself!

Well, I'll have to inform you that this was incorrect! I grew up in Vermont, and let me assure you, it is Quebec that is the cradle of civilization!

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#67

Post by darkarmani » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:53 PM UTC

Xylakant wrote: post #18

HeXetic wrote: post #3

I don't understand how this court system can be so silly as to fail to recognize that it has no jurisdiction over someone. Isn't the question of jurisdiction one of the first steps in any court case?

What do you mean by "no jurisdiction over someone?" If a crime was committed in france they can ask for extradition. That would probably not result in anything in this case, but as long as it's a crime by french law committed in france the case may as well be valid. So all the court will check whether a punishable crime was committed in france. They could collect the fine when the blogger enters france or maybe, depe…

> it's a crime by french law committed in france

Did you miss the part where it was an American blogger? It wasn't committed in france.

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#68

Post by bru » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:54 PM UTC

witek wrote: post #19

Hilarious. It baffles me how this country continues to operate given the massive public spending/benefits, delightful reforms (e.g. proposed 80% tax rate for high-earners) and pretty xenophobic view on immigration. ALL of my (highly-skilled) French friends do not plan to return in the foreseeable future.

I'm not surprised by such a comment, but finding it on HN saddens me.

xenophoby? Oh USA, building a wall to keep your neighbours out of your lawn, please tell me more!

Our economy? Of course American governement-sponsored 'liberalism' is a beacon for the free world, and dissidents are morons. Please have a look at this recent article by Paul Krugman: The Plot Against France[0].

Your high-skilled French friends? I have the luck to be put in that population. What I see around me is that we travel and work world-wide, until we start a family most of the time.

0: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/opinion/krugman-the-plot-a...

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#69

Post by darkarmani » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:56 PM UTC

alan_cx wrote: post #63

hobzy wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Erm, ask the US?

Yeah, was wondering that myself. Quite ironic that small fact being utterly missed in all this. Also like the anti French language ignorance. The letter came in French and the recipient couldn't be arsed to spend a few mins on google translate, and some how we are supposed to have some sympathy. On top of that, he also says that he knew there was a legal thing happening, so subsequent letters in French should have go…

> And then he has the sheer cheek to talk about insane French law. Hello USA? The go to place for mad law?

The US doesn't have insane libel law. Obviously France and the UK do. You can get sued for make factual statements and expect to lose in those countries. It doesn't get any crazier than that.

Re: US blogger fined 8,000 Euros by France for criticizing Société Générale

#70

Post by nknighthb » Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 4:57 PM UTC

alan_cx wrote: post #63

hobzy wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Erm, ask the US?

Yeah, was wondering that myself. Quite ironic that small fact being utterly missed in all this. Also like the anti French language ignorance. The letter came in French and the recipient couldn't be arsed to spend a few mins on google translate, and some how we are supposed to have some sympathy. On top of that, he also says that he knew there was a legal thing happening, so subsequent letters in French should have go…

Why would anyone, upon receiving a letter from a foreign country in a language they do not understand, spend any time at all trying to get it translated? I'd just toss it in the trash, since someone obviously screwed up and sent me a message intended for someone else.