Boudou On Trial; Argentina Wins

[EdRooney]

As the media coverage for Boudou-gate kicks into high gear, I had this passing thought: Could you imagine an alternate universe where this other Vice President would be put on trial (for much more blatantly heinous crimes):

At least this once, regardless of how the trial turns out, Argentina has shown itself to be more civilised than certain countries to its north, with a glimmer of hope that the rule of law should apply to all.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

As the media coverage for Boudou-gate kicks into high gear, I had this passing thought: Could you imagine an alternate universe where this other Vice President would be put on trial (for much more blatantly heinous crimes):

At least this once, regardless of how the trial turns out, Argentina has shown itself to be more civilised than certain countries to its north, with a glimmer of hope that the rule of law should apply to all.

This guy belongs in prison in Tikrit for life - which would probably be a very short sentence in his case.

 

[PhilipDT]

At least this once, regardless of how the trial turns out, Argentina has shown itself to be more civilised than certain countries to its north, with a glimmer of hope that the rule of law should apply to all.

 

[EdRooney]

If Boudou is convicted he is facing jail time. Clinton was found guilty of tampering with a grand jury (not to mention his other assorted crimes against humanity). His punishment is that he now goes around making speeches for $700,000 a pop. Only time will tell if Boudou is found guilty and if a guilty charge would lead to jail time, but Clinton is a perfect example of just how Too Big To Jail the powerful are in the US.

 

[PhilipDT]

Clinton was found guilty of tampering with a grand jury .

No he wasn't.

 

[EdRooney]

OK more precisely, he was impeached by the US house of representatives for obstruction of justice and perjury to a grand jury.

 

[PhilipDT]

OK more precisely, he was impeached by the US house of representatives for obstruction of justice and perjury to a grand jury.

Exactly. If he had been convicted his punishment would not have been to "[go] around making speeches for $700,000 a pop.", he would have been removed from office, and possibly have been banned from holding future office or had his fairly comfortable pension revoked.

But he was acquitted.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Exactly. If he had been convicted his punishment would not have been to "[go] around making speeches for $700,000 a pop.", he would have been removed from office, and possibly have been banned from holding future office or had his fairly comfortable pension revoked.

But he was acquitted.

Clinton was acquitted over an indiscretion that ballooned in a partisan political circus.

 

[EdRooney]

Again a perfect example of just how broken the US justice system is in favour of the powerful. Clinton gets charged in a political (not penal) forum, gets convicted, and then his conviction gets vetoed by a lower (as in less democratic) body. Another parallel would be Ford pardoning Nixon. Do you really think someone "stopped and frisked" on the streets of The Bronx gets the same treatment?

Boudou at least has been brought up on criminal charges and is being tried in a criminal court, with the possibility of prison time. If he is convicted and then pardoned by the senate or the executive, I will be the first one on the street protesting. But at least for now, Argentina is doing something which is increasingly unthinkable in the US.

 

[Joe]

The war crimes of US and European politicians should not not result in prison time - it should result in hanging.