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I had expected this to be a story of pure fraud. Instead it was... something else entirely? I’m curious precisely which laws Goudreau violated. Article specifi

by strstr 6y ago

I had expected this to be a story of pure fraud. Instead it was... something else entirely? I’m curious precisely which laws Goudreau violated. Article specifically mentions arms trafficking, but that honestly seems like a far cry from the obvious conspiracies to murder/kidnap/etc. I’ve never really had to consider the question of “what American law are you violating if you are conspiring to overthrow someone else’s government on American soil?” If the US lacks an extradition treaty with the target, the target’s laws aren’t relevant in practice.

mnm1 6y ago
The guy's a fucking terrorist. Unless our government is actually involved. In which case, he's an American hero. No difference either way.
Nasrudith 6y ago
I think the method of overthrow matters quite a bit for it. If you organize say a general strike to overthrow Generalismo Franscisco Franco that would be far harder to make illegal than say by taking material steps in a haphazarr plan to try to make a nuclear bomb using large quantities of granite (for the trace ammounts of Uranium), flouride tooth paste and mouthwash to try to get the gas required, and blenders for the centrifuges. Irrelevant of if it said method would be as viable as trying to make explosives using heart pills which would basically call for a warehouse full of them to equal one half stick of dynamite.
molecule 6y ago
The Neutrality Act of 1794 makes it illegal for an American citizen to wage war against any country at peace with the United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrality_Act_of_1794 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrality_Act_of_1794 18 U.S. Code § 960.Expedition against friendly nation https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/960 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/960 Contemporary application: A Texas businessman convicted of plotting to violate the U.S. Neutrality Act in a failed 2014 bid to overthrow the government of Gambia and install himself as president of the tiny African nation was sentenced on Thursday to a year in prison. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-gambia-plot-idUSKCN0Y403Y https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-gambia-plot-idUSKCN0Y...

by strstr 6y ago

mnm1 6y ago

The guy's a fucking terrorist. Unless our government is actually involved. In which case, he's an American hero. No difference either way.

Nasrudith 6y ago

I think the method of overthrow matters quite a bit for it. If you organize say a general strike to overthrow Generalismo Franscisco Franco that would be far harder to make illegal than say by taking material steps in a haphazarr plan to try to make a nuclear bomb using large quantities of granite (for the trace ammounts of Uranium), flouride tooth paste and mouthwash to try to get the gas required, and blenders for the centrifuges. Irrelevant of if it said method would be as viable as trying to make explosives using heart pills which would basically call for a warehouse full of them to equal one half stick of dynamite.

molecule 6y ago

The Neutrality Act of 1794 makes it illegal for an American citizen to wage war against any country at peace with the United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrality_Act_of_1794 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrality_Act_of_1794 18 U.S. Code § 960.Expedition against friendly nation https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/960 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/960 Contemporary application: A Texas businessman convicted of plotting to violate the U.S. Neutrality Act in a failed 2014 bid to overthrow the government of Gambia and install himself as president of the tiny African nation was sentenced on Thursday to a year in prison. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-gambia-plot-idUSKCN0Y403Y https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-gambia-plot-idUSKCN0Y...