Enron claims another life

[neonlyte]

London banker found dead in park. He was witness in the ongoing Enron trials, police report his death as 'unexplained'.

 

[rgraham666]

I have an alibi.

 

[3113]

Which Story are we writing?

Okay. Vote time. Which story would you rather write:

The Enron Curse Supernatural theory book (conspiracy overtones accepted, but the culprits have to Devil worshipers or demons disguised as people).

Or

The Enron Code Conspiracy theory book, of course.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

Okay. Vote time. Which story would you rather write:
The Enron Curse Supernatural theory book (conspiracy overtones accepted, but the culprits have to Devil worshipers or demons disguised as people).

Or

The Enron Code Conspiracy theory book, of course.

the former

although I'm more likely inclined to believe the latter...

 

[oggbashan]

NatWest Three

The NatWest Three, referred to in the BBC News report at the start of this thread is causing real damage to US/UK governmental relations.

The votes in the House of Lords and House of Commons are a condemnation of the US for using a treaty on extradition designed to combat terrorism, a treaty has NOT been ratified in the US, to extend US legal reach to anyone who even sends a email to someone in the US.

The NatWest Three have not been prosecuted here, are unlikely to be prosecuted here because they do not seem to have broken any UK laws, have not been disciplined by their employers, BUT will be extradited tomorrow to the US without any examination in the UK about the strength or weakness of any case against them.

Once in the US they, as foreigners, do not have the same rights as US citizens. They are unlikely to be given bail, cannot plea bargain as most of the main players in the ENRON case have done, and will probably be sent straight to a US jail to await trial sometime next year.

What happens to their careers, their families? They could be convicted in the US for a crime that is NOT a crime in the UK, for actions they took legally in the UK.

The whole affair stinks of double standards. The UK has been unable for years to extradite convicted IRA killers and still cannot. The US can extradite anyone just because it says it wants them and does not have to offer any proof.

Og

 

[Guest]

 

[neonlyte]

I find that utterly terrifying, Og. Bad enough we're imprisoning our theoretical enemies, now we're doing it to our allies? If I could afford to dump everything, I would move to Canada right now.

Btw, can you explain how ending a session early works as a protest? I am probably missing something about how the British government works.

It is essentially a non-binding vote of protest. By tradition, if the government loses a vote in the parliament it resigns and an election is called. The government can lose this vote without needing to resign - it is the strongest 'insignificant' form of protest possible.

The case of these three takes me back to legal/ethical thread. Og is quite rightly arguing the legal position - the ethical position is a whole lot more complicated... however, these people acted within a system of law that is ethically flawed, they exploited a position legally as many have done before. Their misfortune is that Enron collapsed - otherwise they would have been home and dry. I'm unsure who is taking the action against them in the USA, if it is the regulatory authorities it smacks of the very worse kind of hypocrisy.

 

[TheEarl]

Btw, can you explain how ending a session early works as a protest? I am probably missing something about how the British government works.

It's a symbolic protest. It doesn't achieve anything but a registering of displeasure, AFAIK.

I'm not 100% sure where I stand on the Natwest Three. On the one hand, their actions were certainly exceedingly dodgy and borderline illegal and simple ethics ought to have them punished for what they did. On the other, it's not a crime in this country. When they took those actions, they did so in the knowledge that it was legal. Laws are not retrospective and shouldn't be. Plus, there is more than a small element of the USA taking the piss with this 'reciprocal' treaty.

The Earl

 

[TheEarl]

I'm unsure who is taking the action against them in the USA, if it is the regulatory authorities it smacks of the very worse kind of hypocrisy.

If I'm not mistaken, it is the FBI.

The Earl

 

[3113]

Plus, there is more than a small element of the USA taking the piss with this 'reciprocal' treaty.

Hey, we only piss on countries we like

(On behalf of my country, I apologize. I wish I could say we'll clean up the mess we're making, but I sincerely doubt it....)

 

[Liar]

I have an alibi.

I don't. Dang!

 

[rgraham666]

I don't. Dang!

Should have thought ahead.

 

[R. Richard]

I have an alibi.

That's nothing! My lawyer will fly in from NYC with two (2) eyewitnesses.