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I think it was wrong to strip-search and do cavity searches on the consular officer (in this case, a woman) "accused" of underpaying a maid. However,I'm not goi

by credo 13y ago

I think it was wrong to strip-search and do cavity searches on the consular officer (in this case, a woman) "accused" of underpaying a maid. However,I'm not going to focus on that and I'm not going to quibble with some of the exaggerations in this column. Overall, I agree that Ms Khobragade must be prosecuted and the evidence clearly suggests that she is guilty. However, I find it astonishing that so many people (most of them sharing my citizenship) can be so oblivious to some of the mind-boggling arrogant hypocrisy going around. Recently, there was a news report on "diplomatic immunity" for an "information management officer" in the US embassy in Kenya. This American man was speeding in his SUV. He crossed the middle-line and crashed into another vehicle killing one man and injuring many more. This wasn't just the garden-variety "hit and run" accident we see in America. This man didn't just flee the scene, he fled Kenya (with US government help) and the US government is asserting "diplomatic immunity". Can any critic of India seriously argue that it is OK for the US to assert diplomatic immunity and spirit this "information management officer" out of the country - even though he killed one innocent man (in this case, a father of three) with his reckless driving.

smegel 13y ago
Well he may well have been conducting official business when the crash occurred, meaning it would be quite justified to claim diplomatic immunity. Underpaying a worker in a domestic situation has nothing to do with official consular business. The US is taking a very strong stand that it will not tolerate abuse and exploitation in its borders, even under the guise or protection of diplomatic activity.
- kamakazizuru 13y ago
  right - then maybe the US should take a look at California where Mexican agricultural workers are severely underpaid. That's just one example. But then again - someone has to harvest those avocadoes right?
  - rhizome 13y ago
    To be sure, the people and companies who own those farms are some of the strongest opponents of immigration laws.
- oh_sigh 13y ago
  I suspect he had no official business crossing the line in the road. Using your logic, if you are tasked with delivering official documents from point A to point B, is it covered under diplomatic immunity to stop somewhere between A and B and murder someone?
genwin 13y ago
It's not straightforward hypocrisy when the legal system or jail system in the other country is substandard to the US's. That may be unlikely nowadays but it's something to consider.
- sanderjd 13y ago
  Maybe we should have a system in place to prosecute "immune" diplomats ourselves after they flee.
  - thinkpad20 13y ago
    There would be no feasible way to implement such a system, even if it were desirable to do so.
    - genwin 13y ago
      It's feasible. The US prosecutes Americans who molest children in Thailand.
    - sanderjd 13y ago
      I really wish your comment said "There would be no feasible way to implement such a system because <X>, and it probably wouldn't be desirable because <Y>." I said "maybe this would be good" in hopes that others would have interesting ideas about whether or not it would be.
allochthon 13y ago
Arguments concerning hypocrisy are interesting, but they are tangential as well. They point up the need for a change in a different context. One can both appreciate the hypocrisy of a related issue and still be a little flummoxed at the case at hand. The cavity search sounds to me like police overreach, and it's hard to imagine that it would have been needed. I wonder whether there would be case for pursuing charges of police misconduct, even if the practice turned out to be something that is routinely done in such situations.
- kazagistar 13y ago
  > pursuing charges of police misconduct When it comes to diplomats, we might "protect our own", but it is nothing compared to how cops in the USA act.
stevo111 13y ago
I'm a foreigner who worked in a summer camp in US. We've been told that this is a "culture exchange" program, as in we work some time and then we "exchange cultures". In reality we've been working in the kitchen 6am-9pm 7 days a week (no days off). We didn't get paid anything - as legally we were "exchange students". All we got was "pocket money" ~600$ for entire summer. If something didn't get served right - cooks would blame us, and we wouldn't even be able to fight back as our English was not good enough (besides - we had this weird notion of "morality" almost unheard of in US). There were no cultural programs either and everyone treated as as if were slaves (which we were essentially). We couldn't get away either - as we were in a foreign country and to get anywhere would require 30 min. drive. My point is -there is a lot of hypocrisy towards that Indian woman who only does what thousands of American businesses do every year.

by credo 13y ago

smegel 13y ago

Well he may well have been conducting official business when the crash occurred, meaning it would be quite justified to claim diplomatic immunity. Underpaying a worker in a domestic situation has nothing to do with official consular business. The US is taking a very strong stand that it will not tolerate abuse and exploitation in its borders, even under the guise or protection of diplomatic activity.

kamakazizuru 13y ago
right - then maybe the US should take a look at California where Mexican agricultural workers are severely underpaid. That's just one example. But then again - someone has to harvest those avocadoes right?
- rhizome 13y ago
  To be sure, the people and companies who own those farms are some of the strongest opponents of immigration laws.
oh_sigh 13y ago
I suspect he had no official business crossing the line in the road. Using your logic, if you are tasked with delivering official documents from point A to point B, is it covered under diplomatic immunity to stop somewhere between A and B and murder someone?

genwin 13y ago

It's not straightforward hypocrisy when the legal system or jail system in the other country is substandard to the US's. That may be unlikely nowadays but it's something to consider.

sanderjd 13y ago
Maybe we should have a system in place to prosecute "immune" diplomats ourselves after they flee.
- thinkpad20 13y ago
  There would be no feasible way to implement such a system, even if it were desirable to do so.
  - genwin 13y ago
    It's feasible. The US prosecutes Americans who molest children in Thailand.
  - sanderjd 13y ago
    I really wish your comment said "There would be no feasible way to implement such a system because <X>, and it probably wouldn't be desirable because <Y>." I said "maybe this would be good" in hopes that others would have interesting ideas about whether or not it would be.

allochthon 13y ago

Arguments concerning hypocrisy are interesting, but they are tangential as well. They point up the need for a change in a different context. One can both appreciate the hypocrisy of a related issue and still be a little flummoxed at the case at hand. The cavity search sounds to me like police overreach, and it's hard to imagine that it would have been needed. I wonder whether there would be case for pursuing charges of police misconduct, even if the practice turned out to be something that is routinely done in such situations.

kazagistar 13y ago
> pursuing charges of police misconduct When it comes to diplomats, we might "protect our own", but it is nothing compared to how cops in the USA act.

stevo111 13y ago

I'm a foreigner who worked in a summer camp in US. We've been told that this is a "culture exchange" program, as in we work some time and then we "exchange cultures". In reality we've been working in the kitchen 6am-9pm 7 days a week (no days off). We didn't get paid anything - as legally we were "exchange students". All we got was "pocket money" ~600$ for entire summer. If something didn't get served right - cooks would blame us, and we wouldn't even be able to fight back as our English was not good enough (besides - we had this weird notion of "morality" almost unheard of in US). There were no cultural programs either and everyone treated as as if were slaves (which we were essentially). We couldn't get away either - as we were in a foreign country and to get anywhere would require 30 min. drive. My point is -there is a lot of hypocrisy towards that Indian woman who only does what thousands of American businesses do every year.