The nastiness of the American justice system

Christopher Tappin leaves London for an uncertain future

The United States prides itself on being a free democracy. That misnomer has long been peddled on the good folk of America who, quite often, blindly follow all the stuff about God favouring them over other people. If God indeed did pick out America for special treatment, He left out the titbits. Now don't get me wrong, Americans are genuine people with tremendous hearts for the stranger. I can honestly say that I've been treated better in America by warm and welcoming people (some I never knew before I met them) than by my fellow countrymen. Britain can be a bit hard going at times. No, my beef is about the black and white approach to justice and democracy. I somehow think that it is all a Jekyll and Hyde thing. How many "true movies" have been made about injustices yet when the tales of woe have ended in unreadable credits, the viewers just repair to another room and forget all about it. Or that's the way it seems.

Right from the beginning, the Founding Fathers set up a democracy that would enable them to dictate to the system. Even today, democracy is tied up with cash and favours. Free speech is one thing, but democracy is quite another. Free speech just causes politicians to flinch if they don't like what's being said. But democracy causes them problems. A ballot box needs watching. Can anybody tell me the difference between Dubya Bush manipulating the Florida poll or Putin manipulating the Moscow poll? Maybe scale. Putin does it openly and it is more widespread.

Justice in the United States is not about innocence or guilt. It is about being in a big business. A big buck industry. Christopher Tappin is now in that industry. His presumed innocence is being shone on 23 hours a day by bright lights. He's in an orange jumpsuit and when he appears in court, as he did yesterday, he is shackled. The humiliation is complete. The terror that the plea bargainers want to instill is up and running. Innocent until proved guilty? Not any more. This is business, folks. Tappin is being told he might get 35 years. So he's expected to be into the plea bargain stuff before he's even blinked. 98% of accused get a plea bargain offer. That more or less puts paid to presumed innocence in America. Do Americans care? No is the answer. Actually, the US media cares little so the people get to hear virtually nothing. It's not a state secret or anything, but it might as well be.

Why does the system want to humiliate people? Is this edifying to the justice system. Does it enter the hearts of those praying in church on Sundays? Not only that, those in the system can be cruel as well. Prosecutor Greg McDonald, in the Tappin case, sounds a typically cruel person by his own words. Hope he treats his dog well. He said in court about Tappin being a flight risk and his wife being ill, "If she passes there is no incentive for him to return to the UK. Then it's no holds barred, he can get another passport and be gone. A mile from this court he's free in Mexico. All he needs to do is liquidate that $1.5 million home in the UK and he's off and running." What, with a walking cane and deaf in one ear. Come off it Mr.McDonald!

No, the whole Tappin case must be held in open court with decency and civility. Has Texas descended into a hateful, vengeful place where prisons are run by gangs of criminals and businessmen (sometimes intertwined) and the justice system by self-serving lawyers and dealmakers? It has in many parts and it should be changed so that presumed innocence can triumph once again over the dark forces of those who would seek to undermine that vital principle. Prosecutors should present evidence in open court for a judge and jury to hear. It is not the business of a prosecutor to decide guilt or innocence in a free and democratic country.

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Innocent until proved guilty?

What's in a name? What's in a word, in fact? Words. Humpty Dumpty, as I've said before, made them mean what he wanted them to mean. In the world of business, names mean a lot. But do words mean as much as names, or less?

A mother of two, Dawn Reid, is facing a ‘David and Goliath’ battle with an international drinks company over the name she has given to her vitamin capsules for children. Innocent Drinks objects to her selling a food supplement called Innocent Vitamins, and has asked her to cease trading under that name. But the small-business owner insists the drinks market and the vitamin are totally separate and accused the British-based firm of over-reacting.

This is Dawn's company logo:

All green and very innocent looking. Seems to me it's all about vitamins. Innocent Drinks' logo looks very different. Not only that, but their smoothies tend to sell in stores around the milk section and not in the pharmacy.


Innocent Drinks say people have been calling them up asking whether these are their vitamins. Is that because these callers are genuinely confused, or are they thinking vitamins don't go with smoothies. Would people get confused? Even if they were, they can now know with complete clarity that these two innocents have never had any relationship whatsoever!

The Innocent Drinks "brand" appears very different. But this may not be as innocent as we are led to believe. After all, there are plenty of businesses trading with similar names to other businesses.

Can Continental Airlines be confused with Continental Tyres?


Or can EasyJet be confused with EasySpace?



I don't think the public is that dim. And even if they don't know, would it really bother them? Mostly business is about "brands going forward" to use the jargon. If a brand has a similar name, but is in a dissimilar market place, does the customer care? EasyJet flies people to places and EasySpace gets them on the web. Easy really. Or am I just too innocent?

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365443/Innocent-Drinks-set-inot-battle-Dawn-Reid-Innocent-Vitamins.html#ixzz1GQmlwGYg

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Pearl & Dean sold for £1

Now here's an irony. All those times sitting in cinemas like the Regal and the Hippodrome watching Pearl and Dean commercials, waiting for the chance to see cowboys in colour, and they are themselves sold now for just a pound! Bargain for someone. It appears that quite a few companies are now being sold for a pound. My twitching antennae are telling me that that's not all there is to it, that the world of business is more about deals than about common sense these days. According to the BBC Pearl and Dean have been for sale for nearly four years. What was the original asking price, I wonder? And if businesses can be sold for a pound does that encourage those with time on their hands rather than those with deep pockets?

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Krafty move gives Cadbury's a Quaker's quake!

Kraft Foods is eyeing up Cadbury's. They want to take over the iconic British brand. Of course, Cadbury's has not been averse to taking over foreign firms so this is just a bit of business bravado in return. Would I be bothered by it all? Maybe.

Would Kraft Foods know what makes the British palate tick? They'd have to stick with the rather sickly sweet Creme Eggs. Even a nervous shock to the back of the brain from a damaged molar will not put the average Brit off such confectionery. So the message here is "Don't muck about with the recipe!". They would also need to have an idea about the Bourneville Village Trust. Although not a Cadbury company organisation, it has a great historic link with the company. The word ethos comes to mind. Also the attraction of Cadbury World is seen as a hotspot on the visitor trail. Another matter to consider?

Kraft say they will secure jobs and enhance the brands but that was said about HP Sauce and that's no longer in Brum! A Creme Egg can be made in Bangladesh as much as it can be in Bourneville. Possibly Kraft would give Americans a big chance to savour all the Cadbury brands but in my experience only ex-pats and those with an ecclectic tongue have taken to Cadbury's overseas.

If Kraft ever did take Cadbury's over, we should be mindful as to their promise keeping abilities. Cadbury's have just said that the offer undervalues the company. They didn't say it was a preposterous idea to think that a British company could be taken over. In the world of big business sentiment has little place or value.

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