Extraditing Polanski: What Ever Happened to Swiss Neutrality? – Le Figaro, France
Sep 29th, 2009 | 5 responses
Is the Polanski case an example of the Euro-American cultural divide striking again? Or is it about Switzerland, worried about its relations with the United States after the UBS debacle, trying to curry favor with Washington?
Whatever the cause, the controversy triggered by the arrest and possible extradition to the United States of famed film director and pedophile Roman Polanski is fierce.
For France’s Le Figaro, columnist Yves Threard captures French and Polish outrage by quoting French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterand, in part:
“To see him [Polanski] thrown to the lions like this over a long-passed saga that has no real meaning and to see him alone, imprisoned, while he was on his way to an event at which we were to pay him homage, that is to say, trapped, is absolutely appalling. We know the conditions under which it occurred, and just as there is a generous America that we love, there is also a certain America that frightens us, and it’s that America which has here shown us its face.”
Then, questioning Swiss motives, Threard writes:
“What will the Swiss, who are decidedly not the people they once were, do? Have they lost their neutrality? They are no longer a tax haven – they have already handed over the names of foreign taxpayers who had concealed money there. A long-standing extradition agreement exists between Switzerland and the United States, so Polanski could therefore be legally transferred across the Atlantic. Is Switzerland in a period during which is has to buy better treatment from America? This begs the question.”
By Yves Thréard
Translated By Lisa Cabral
September 27, 2009
France – Le Figaro – Original Article (French)
The arrest of Roman Polanski in Zurich for an old moral scandal in the United States has become a political-diplomatic matter. The indignation shown in Poland, the film director’s country of origin, and in France, his adopted country, is fierce.
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5 Responses to “Extraditing Polanski: What Ever Happened to Swiss Neutrality? – Le Figaro, France”
“To see him [Polanski] thrown to the lions like this over a long-passed saga that has no real meaning and to see him alone, imprisoned, while he was on his way to an event at which we were to pay him homage, that is to say, trapped, is absolutely appalling.”
That quote came from the French Cultural Minister?????
And he seems to think that just simply looking the other way in the case of child rape is NOT appalling? If I were Sarkosy, I think I'd fire my cultural minister.
Time does not erase a crime, moron. If justice prevailed, he would have been dead after he raped a 13 year old girl. Then we would have lost his “precious” contributions to “art”.
But don't worry, Mr. Mitterand; you can honor some other scumbag in place of Polanski.
How about Chavez? I'm sure his schedule's clear.
I've been trying to understand this point of view as well, and perhaps one of the key phrases is this: “for an old moral scandal”. That phrase makes me think the French think this is some case of Americans being prudes. An official has an affair and it's a huge moral outrage. That sort of thing. But this is not an “old moral scandal”. This is a man who pleaded guilty to drugging and sexually assaulting a 13 year old.
I wish I could have a real conversation with someone who holds this view so that I could understand it. I do not yet.
[...] Extraditing Polanski: What Ever Happened to Swiss Neutrality? – Le Figaro, France (themoderatevoice.com) [...]
I don't know what Swiss neutrality has to do with this? If the Swiss didn't arrest Polanski wouldn't they be doing what France wanted? How is that neutral?
Not choosing sides in a war is neutrality. In this case the Swiss had to choose between what one country wanted and what other countries would have wanted. Neutrality isn't an issue here- there are treaty obligations the Swiss should meet.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
What an ironic comment.
As I noted on another thread, the intriguing thing here is that it involves the Swiss. If they can be made to knuckle under to ObamaCo demands to reveal identities of those who evaded the IRS, then why wouldn't they also be expected finally to arrest and extradite a low-life rapist and fugitive like Polanski?
And if some whine about loss of neutrality — where were you during the much bigger neutrality-loss news?