h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Grrrrrrr!

Never - never did I in my wildest imagination think I'd have to abide by US laws as long as I didn't set my foot on US territory.

Well, guess what? I was wrong! *fumes*

http://www.thelocal.se/5990/20070104/

This makes me almost feel happy about the fact that HHC has put up Scandic for sale.

*feels a strong urge to spit on the floor but clenches fists and starts kicking the wall instead*

That is really Titania!

I work for a US-owned company and there are lots of laws that we have to comply with that are US laws - but that seems to be pushing things to their limit!

That's crazy. We know that American owned sweat shops in third world nations don't comply with US laws. The gubment has this thing about Cuba. They need to get over it.

That's one that'd keep the lawyers happy if they really wanted to...

Yeah, DO or someone should have a look at that...

Can't be right to claim that US law should *dictate discrimination in Sweden like that!

hey thats a great paper tinker! and remember just take no notice of authority, what they don't know they can't litagate on...........

"The United States previously claimed that the law also applied to non-American companies,"

Traveller in Time with sympathy
"Better make 'them' believe you obey, next step is an invasion "

What *really* infuriates me is that Scandic has (or used to have, I don't know any more ) quite a good reputation, and now US laws are dragging the company name in the mud.

It was the first big Scandinavian chain of hotels to start working seriously, in big scale, with environmental issues (all Swedish hotels have been Svanen certified http://www.svanen.nu/Eng/default.asp and the Danish, Finnish and Norwegian hotels are well on the way), a Krav certified breakfast buffee http://www.krav.se/english.asp , main sponsor for Cancerfonden http://www.cancerfonden.se/templates/Page____183.aspx last year, and so on, and so on.

A company I was proud to work for.

Have you any idea how much media coverage this incident with the Cuban trade delegation has caused? How much negative PR it has generated? Or how strongly opposed not only the Scandinavian countries, but the whole if EU is to this stupid Helms-Burton act?

Bah! *foams*

From what I've read - about 10 minutes after the US brought in that law the rest of the world brought out laws to counter it (EU, Mexico, Canada, UK, etc.) You're in the unfortunate position of being employed by Americans though - although if the company physically running the hotels is registered in the EU and you are not direct employees of an American company then theoretically the law doesn't apply

That's very annoying indeed.
I don't like USAs attempt to rule the world in general but if it happens in my small corners then it freaks me out. And there isn't much to do about it.

nope. the US claims the right to kidnap people in your country and bring them to trial in their own. but they will not extradite their citizens to your courts.

they even put people in prisons on cuba without trial, claiming that if they are "illegal combattants" they have no right whatsoever. in the civilized world everybody is either a criminal or a prisoner of war - and not guilty until proven otherwise.

it is a blessing that at least some US citizens see how crazy this all is. iraq is the vietnam of the 21st century. i will never understand why the US went there - the only place in the middle east that didn't send terrorists to US and europe. well, they do now...

>>it is a blessing that at least some US citizens see how crazy this all is.

Actually, practically 80% of US citizens see how crazy this all is. As certain televised speeches made last night demonstrate, however, the current administration is not interested in what the majority thinks.

I know Lil, I know...

The news even made it into the Washington Post. They even write about how it has affected business for Scandic:

"The country's most powerful labor union, the 830,000-member Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, demanded that the government take steps to bar Scandic and other companies that take similar actions from doing business in Norway."

"The 300,000-member Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees said it would boycott all Scandic hotels in Norway."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/05/AR2007010502411.html

good. let's lay an embargo on everything american

(except maybe for listening to grateful dead and having pancakes for breakfast)

Well, as sorry I feel for those of my friends that are American, I still couldn't help laughing at this:

"George W. Bush is visiting a primary school and he visits one of the classes. They are in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asks the President if he would like to lead the discussion of the word "tragedy."

So the illustrious leader asks the class for an example of a tragedy. One little boy stands up and offers: "If my best friend who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a runaway tractor comes along and knocks him dead, that would be a tragedy."

"No," says President Bush, "that would be an accident."

A little girl raises her hand: "If a school bus carrying 50 children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy."

"I'm afraid not," explains the exalted leader. "That's what we would call a great loss."

The room goes silent. No other children volunteer. President Bush searches the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?"

Finally at the back of the room, little Peter raises his hand. In a quiet voice he says: "If Air Force One carrying you was struck by a missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy."

"Fantastic!" exclaims President Bush, "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"

"Well," says the boy, "because it sure as hell wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either."

Funny.

I suppose there is one good thing about Dubya.....he's usually good for a laugh.