To refresh your memory: the government decided that the Gibson Guitar company was in violation of Indian law (which, thanks to something called the Lacey Act, meant that they had the right to butt in), so they went and raided Gibson’s factory and confiscated a half-million dollars’ worth of raw materials. Happened back in August 2011, and guess what? The feds still haven’t pressed charges!
But have the feds returned the stuff that they took? Doesn’t look that way; also, don’t be absurd.
Reason TV did a video up on this story:
Bonus points for watching Environmental Investigation Agency flack Andrea Johnson gamely try to explain why the feds can multiply raid a company for supposed violations of federal law and confiscate assets… while not actually making any legal charges. For the record: when a private entity does that sort of thing, the technical term for the procedure is banditry (strictly speaking, it’s only piracy if it’s done on a vehicle of some sort). Also, for the record: given that the last time Andrea Johnson was used as a spokeswoman for the EIA she ended up accusing Gibson of conspiracy to violate international trade law (an accusation that she later had to hastily retract), you may want to find a more coherent public face for your organization.
Particularly since Senator Rand Paul – who has taken an interest in this case* – will probably not be in the minority party in the Senate starting next January…
Moe Lane (crosspost)
*Senator Paul has introduced the FOCUS Act, which will essentially end this abuse of the Lacey Act by removing all references to foreign law from the original act, as well as change the penalties assessed for legitimate violations of it from felonies to civil actions. How far this will get in a Democratic-controlled Senate is open for speculation, and is also an excellent reason for people concerned about government vendettas against businesses to go out and vote this November.
Moe Lane
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
Jeff Emanuel
FOCUS doesn't go far enough
ThePoliticalHat Thursday, February 23rd at 9:08PM EDT (link)It should be required that if charges are not filed in a reasonable amount of time, then all confiscated materials should be promptly returned and compensation provided for the disruption.
What I want to know is
cymbaline Friday, February 24th at 3:43AM EDT (link)Why aren’t other guitar companies that use the same wood not being prosecuted? What specifically did Gibson do that Fender, Martin, Taylor, Carvin et al didn’t do? Or is it just politics, because Gibson is a big Republican donor?
You have answered your own question
Lammo (Diary) Friday, February 24th at 12:22PM EDT (link)The only additional fact is that Gibson is a non-union shop in a right to work state. Gibson has also in the past donated to Demoncrats but mostly to Republicans. I have a feeling that may stay in the past.
Don’t be so open minded that your brains fall out. (John Corapi, The Black Sheep Dog)
Gibson
greyeagle Thursday, February 23rd at 9:48PM EDT (link)Government agents raided Gibson again in 2010. The other company is a huge Dem supporter and uses the same wood. They have not been raided. The President of Gibson was on Glen Beck (I think) last year and told about the incidents in great detail. Said that taking the raw product twice would just about put them out of business. Rand Paul is like a bulldog. If he is interested, he will give the EIA fits. I hope he does. This should be an illegal event against American companies.
As an American, A former Professional Musician, and,
myron_j_poltroonian Friday, February 24th at 2:10AM EDT (link)as a former Professional Musical Instrument Repairman for an accredited entity in San Francisco, let me say right from the outset that this is way beyond “A Bridge Too Far”, it reeks of “Nazism”. Why? Because the term “Crony Capitalism” is far too meek to define what is going on in my country. I happen to know quite a lot about the (so-called)”Exotic Woods” in question here. While I could bore you with explanations of the various woods in question and the willing use of them by various and sundry famous “Green”Artists and reasons why Gibson is being singled out, while Martin & Co. is not, let me put it in a more widely understood analogy: GM, Chrysler and Ford all use the same material in the manufacture of their vehicles, but one of the three (Ford) does not contribute to the political coffers of the current regime. Guess which one will be subject to governmental scrutiny? (Ah Hah! Trick question. We already know the answer.) doubt me? Look at the pattern (and don’t try and obfuscate the truth with “Well, ‘They’ did it” references), they won’t “Fly”.
On a "semi-related" topic
doncorleone Friday, February 24th at 4:00PM EDT (link)Cerebus group, a soros company, has been buying up gun and ammo manufacturing companies, remington, marlin, d.p.m.s., bushmaster, to name a few of the dozen recently purchased, any ideas? I haved a few, I know the minds of redstate would have some insight and more.