It's coming from Thespos that does it...the Greek blood and all that.

Surprisingly enough when I lived in Vientiane, I saw very little signs of Communism apart from a few flags.

Everyone seemed more interested in making a quid.

Edit: That's Peoples Democratic Republic by the way.

And another thing.... I never heard anyone who lives there use the terms Laos or Laotian. The country's Lao, the people are Lao and the language is Lao.

I stand corrected. But then I am in Saigon (oops - Ho Chi Minh City) and know nothing about these socialist republics. Saigon is booming, and anticipating many more billions of dollars being invested over the next years.

Only fly in te ointment - those thickies up North have introduced a work-permit scheme to control the foreign workers here - and they have innumerable requirements that cannot be fulfilled at the moment, because the supply-line does not exist.

Politicians and bureaucrats are the two scourges of our life here - as everywhere.

Criminal or defamatory libel as an offence is a lot more common internationally than people realise. Many countries use it to curtail freedom of speech.

As do individuals, a friend was sued in the UK for libel over a few sentences written in her book commenting on the suers book basic premise. Wasn't a big thing in her book, but he took exception. It became an ordeal taking up a great deal of her time what with travel between the US and the UK, additional travel to the continent and the mideast, raising of several million dollars for her defense, and the trial. She gained a bit of momentary fame, and won her case, both in the court and the press.

It seems in the UK you have to prove your innocence, while in the US your guilt has to be proved

Criminal or defamatory libel as an offence is a lot more common internationally than people realise. Many countries use it to curtail freedom of speech.

As do individuals, a friend was sued in the UK for libel over a few sentences written in her book commenting on the suers book basic premise. Wasn't a big thing in her book, but he took exception. It became an ordeal taking up a great deal of her time what with travel between the US and the UK, additional travel to the continent and the mideast, raising of several million dollars for her defense, and the trial. She gained a bit of momentary fame, and won her case, both in the court and the press.

It seems in the UK you have to prove your innocence, while in the US your guilt has to be proved

Civil suits are not really different to criminal prosecutions.

In a civil suit the 'injured' party instigates the action and the libeller/slanderer/innocent victim has to defend - basically as a criminal would have to do against the CPS.

The finding of guilt or innocence rests with the defence as much as with the prosecution. Seldom does the jury fail to give a verdict - so a good defence attorney will get guilty men off, while a good prosecutor may send innocents to jail.

Both sets of lawyers make their money - all other parties have to pay - either in cash or in stress, or both.

Criminal or defamatory libel as an offence is a lot more common internationally than people realise. Many countries use it to curtail freedom of speech.

As do individuals, a friend was sued in the UK for libel over a few sentences written in her book commenting on the suers book basic premise. Wasn't a big thing in her book, but he took exception. It became an ordeal taking up a great deal of her time what with travel between the US and the UK, additional travel to the continent and the mideast, raising of several million dollars for her defense, and the trial. She gained a bit of momentary fame, and won her case, both in the court and the press.

It seems in the UK you have to prove your innocence, while in the US your guilt has to be proved

Civil suits are not really different to criminal prosecutions.

In a civil suit the 'injured' party instigates the action and the libeller/slanderer/innocent victim has to defend - basically as a criminal would have to do against the CPS.

The finding of guilt or innocence rests with the defence as much as with the prosecution. Seldom does the jury fail to give a verdict - so a good defence attorney will get guilty men off, while a good prosecutor may send innocents to jail.

Both sets of lawyers make their money - all other parties have to pay - either in cash or in stress, or both.

The trial went all the way through with the judge rendering a verdict. An account of the trial step by step was published under the title "History on Trial" by Dr. Debra Lipstadt, who was the defendant. Her suer was David Irving and the trial was about holocaust denial, of which Mr. Irving is at the forefront.

Then of course Dr Lipstadt was always going to win.

Holocaust denial is a crime in Germany, and frowned upon in the rest of the West. Of course no Western judge or jury would find for David Irving.