GINA COBB

Absolut Crazy

By DemocracyRules

h/t Michele Malkin

How to irritate 300,000,000 Americans by redrawing their borders for them:

Michele Malkin challenged them, so Absolut, originally based in Sweden, said this:

"The In An Absolut World advertising campaign invites consumers to visualize a world that appeals to them — one they feel may be more idealized... As such, the campaign will elicit varying opinions and points of view... As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market..."  Paula Eriksson, VP Corporate Communications, V&S Absolut Spirits

Well, Ms Eriksson thank you for being so generous in accepting all points of view.  Sweden was not so accepting and happy about borders about 100 years ago.  More than 99.9% of Norwegians voted to separate from Sweden and formed their own country. 

In WWII, Sweden became a little too "accepting" about Norwegian borders.  Sweden claimed "neutrality" in the war, but they let German troop trains pass through their country to attack Norway, which was an Allied country.  The Allies, including Canadians, fought and died to defend Norway, but the Nazi onslaught was overwhelming. 

Norway was occupied through the rest of the war, and it was from Norway that the Nazi's sourced some of their nuclear materials. So no Ms Eriksson, when the Swedes say "trust us, we meant well", umm no, to me, that would not be enough.  There is no substitute for spine...
Pro Patria

Two Years Agp Today on GINA COBB: Unintentionally Funny News Item (Iran)

Originally published on March 14, 2006:  Unintentionally Funny News Item (Iran)

Europe's Iranian Problem

By DemocracyRules
Olivier Guitta Claims that Europe has become more determined about Iran.  He says the European Union has gone further than the two UN Security Council resolutions against Iran actually require.  He also thinks Sarkozy is getting tough, which does seem to be true. A French proposal is circulating to sanction Iran at the EU level as well as the UN.  Angela Merkel of Germany seems interested in the idea. Ahmadinejad is not liking these develpments, which is a good sign.   

Monkey Law

A legal long shot went down in flames this week when an Austrian court dismissed a case seeking to declare a chimpanzee a "person":

VIENNA, Austria - He's now got a human name — Matthew Hiasl Pan — but he's having trouble getting his day in court. Animal rights activists campaigning to get Pan, a 26-year-old chimpanzee, legally declared a person vowed Thursday to take their challenge to Austria's Supreme Court after a lower court threw out their latest appeal.

A provincial judge in the city of Wiener Neustadt dismissed the case earlier this week, ruling that the Vienna-based Association Against Animal Factories had no legal standing to argue on the chimp's behalf.

The association, which worries the shelter caring for the chimp might close, has been pressing to get Pan declared a "person" so a guardian can be appointed to look out for his interests and provide him with a home.

Group president Martin Balluch insists that Pan is "a being with interests" and accuses the Austrian judicial system of monkeying around.

"It is astounding how all the courts try to evade the question of personhood of a chimp as much as they can," Balluch said.

I do think the world is a better place when animals are treated with decency, but pretending that they are human and trying to make them plaintiffs is just silly.   Head down this path and and soon you'll be on the receiving end of a war crimes lawsuit brought by the ants in your kitchen.