Quote:
The Bush administration and Big Business haven't sued Michael Moore for a couple reasons.
First, for a company to successfully prosecute a libel case, they have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the comments made influenced their customers and resulted in lost business. This isn't easy, and many businesses don't take the time to prosecute anyone who says anything about them.
Coke sucks. The Coca Cola company kills baby seals! There. Now is Coca Cola going to be pounding down my door? I doubt it.
Second, for a 'public figure' the burden of proof is actually much worse than it is for regular people. Like any politician for example. If I were to sue you for libel, all I would have to prove is that the others who experienced the comments would have a lowered opinion of me because of those comments.
For a public figure, it is necessary to prove malicious intent. Much more difficult to prove, because it requires knowledge of the intent behind the comments. Lying about somone to dash their reelection hopes isn't libel.
I'm just curious now, but what's the big deal about the prisoner abuse? The army found out about it in January and has been handling it internally. Now some pictures come out and we want Rumsfeld to step down? Why, because people who indirectly work for him commited war crimes?
I'd be willing to bet many of these people demanding the impeachment/stepping down are going to be voting for a confessed war criminal themselves in November...
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That's what one of my lawyer-friends had to say in the aspect of libel and lawsuits. I don't have a working knowledge of it so that's just a quote from him on another forum on the subject.