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i remember a story from ca 1992 when a young 16 year old boy from the US went to Singapore and got caught spraying graffiti over a public building.

Singapore has very strict laws in place, that when the boy was caught he was set to be punished with 6 lashes, or something similar. There was an international outcry from the US that the boy did not deserve such punishment.

However, he WAS in a country which has its own law. I can't remember whether the US managed to intervene or not...

But my point is...to what extent should the old adage "When in Rome do as the Romans do" be adhered to?

Should culture as opposed to legal differences be governed by the "When in Rome..." adage? Can you therefore, draw a straight line between cultural tolerance and legal obligation, when migrating or visiting a different country? What should be the course of action when a cultural difference (of immigrant) clashes with a legal obligation of the new/visited country?

Well he will most likely not have gotten the lashes, prolly got the US sentence for it in replace.

Well if you are in a certain country you are obligated to follow their rules and laws whatever those may be. only problem with that is that it would be helpful is if all countries obey the civil rights, which almost no countries do

yeah, if you brake a law of a country, you should get punished

though if it's lashes, it's against the human rights, but still, if a country didn't sign them, you can't complain

true, but most countries did

yes, but if you brake the law in a country that didn't sign them, you can't expect them to follow those rights

idd, then you're stuck with the laws of that country, however exceptions to that are scares

yeah, most countries signed it, but the mainpoint is, you can't go and brake the law just to say "but I want to be judged according the laws of country X and not Z"

lol idd

I thought that the laws apply to the "Citizens" not tourist or visitors.

than a tourist could kill a few guys and walk away without a punishment?

No, but the tourist embasy migth have something to say about punishment.

yes, if it's severe or so, and when the government of the tourist starts treatening about economical sanctions

What about International Law? Does it apply to tourist or is something totally different?

if the country in question has signed it yes
otherwise someone can make an international law and let it pass for every country even when they don't agree with it

See this is my thing yerssot, I want to travel to Cuba but there is no relations with the USA so therefore I can't go. But I could if I were to travel to Mexico or Central America and then go to Cuba. So I was wondering if International law applies to myself.

just don't shoot castro and you should be fine

Is a for cultural knowledge not politics....but that is funny!!!

Your biggest problem, SF, is if you run into any trouble in Cuba you will find it far harder to get the help you need.

Never underestimate the value of a passport in helping you when you get into trouble, but without the representation in the country of the state your passport was issued in, it is not much good.

now I aint quite sure

but I THINK it is (or certainly was) a crime for americans to travel to Cuba.
anywayz you have international laws and stuff. but you still have to respect the laws of a country, your punishment will probably depend on your country as well (if there is in a fact a dialog) but respecting the laws you will still have to do (if I go to the UK I have to drive on the left side of the road)

you don't HAVE to drive on the left side of the road, Fire, just ... doing that will make your chances of surviving the trip a LOT higher

hehe

>Ushgarak

I have had experiences like that once. It happen to me when I visited Guadalajara 2 years ago. I was stop by a federali and he ask me for my passport, I left it at the hotel so I had no papers. So I did what a friend of my told me once. Try to bribe the federali (which it is not a good idea if you get tough cop) and I did. So I gave him some cash and he let me go so I drove back to the hotel and pick up my passport. Now I know if I were to try that in Cuba I won't go very far. But you never know what some extra cash can do.

Did someone mention that the boy in question was sentenced to "caning" as in a cane. Just thought I'd mention it.

That's crazy about that kid.

No.......I have one........being in the military we ALWAYS have laws...and sometimes our laws are no good when we are in other coutries...for example.............................


I am stationed here in Germany. In Germany drinking is a big part of the culture, {WHICH I AM NOT ABOUT TO BASH} therefore the contractors that we hire to help build up the base are allowed to drink beer and drive bulldozers, forklifts...etc...and it's legal!! How crazy is that!

I couldn't believe it. Even though they are working on american property in Germany, there are laws that protect the civilians, in their country to still be able to do as their law allows them to do.

I just think sometimes laws need to be bent!! For protection. I don't want to get ran over by a drunk german on a bulldozer...

...i won't get started on the driving laws over here...its just crazy........ however I love this country and I do like the Germans and I have MUCH respect for them! ....just the laws suck...hee hee

it'd seriously surprise me if they could drink as much as they want

probably just a few beers like here

yea you get a fine if you drink three beers and drive

They are probably allowed to drink within a reasonable limit that still allows them to do their jobs effectively, if they drink too much I would imagine they couldn't work properly and would lose their job.

As for Laws, I think that you should adhere to the Laws of the country and if you break them then you should suffer the consequences of whatever the punishment is, ignorance should not be an excuse and if you are not happy with that then do not go to those countries or commit said crimes that you do not want the relevant punishment for,

IMHO the international law thing should really be taken more seriously.
Perhaps an international police force should enforce it when needed.
The world is in process right now, and the process is globalization.
In order for one to achieve globalization one must first reconcile ALL parties involved. Sometimes this is not possible (or is, albeit over too long a period to make it effective though) and more aggresive action is taken (some may be aware of what I am talking).
Globalization of the laws would undoubtedly lead to a clear answer to the issue adressed here...
Like that ?

it's not easy to get everyone to support an international police-force, cause it will be the idea that the organisation is so far away (ie, the mainoffice is in new york) and you get the feeling that they dont' care about you

and what will you do? take policemen of the same country they need to do their job in? than not much will change
and if not, you need to be very careful about it, cause american policemen would probably not have a very fun day while working in Iran

if you break a law in a different country than that of your citizenship, you have to take the punishment that country has for that kind of violation.

Very true. when I was in Korea last year....two korean girls had gotten run over by a Hum V (or it might have been a tank...I can't remember......at another base.....)and they were trying to punish them by Korean laws...however in the military they do protect their own.

I think the two had gotten kicked out of the military..but I do not think they went to jail.....the korean laws didn't touch them.

The Koreans were quite pissed off and they protested at A LOT of our bases there...and they still do on the anniversary of the girls death.

It was sad.

ooh.,.....it's LEGAL to shoot a welsh person with longbow inside the city walls of....can't remember on a sunday between the hours of 12 and 1 pm......this is the country i live in!!!

That'll be Chester and a good law it is too. I think it actually reads "You can only shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow inside the city walls and after midnight"

One from Liverpool:-

It is illegal for a woman to be topless in public except as a clerk in a tropical fish store

and York:-

Excluding Sundays, it is perfectly legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow.

it makes you wonder what was going on for them to make that law.......

It's because of when the Celts used to try and pillage our villages, they decided that if a Scotsman was found as far South as york he was a scout of some sort for an invasion force so they could kill him.

so.....even today you wouldn't go to jail if you did shoot them?

Dunno, it's never been recinded, tell you what you try it and let the rest of us know.

I don't mean to sound stupid...but what is a Welsh? And you can shoot a person from another country...what the......................****

a welsh person- someone from wales

corran - i'll put it on my list of things to do !

If a scot farts on sunday in York you can shoot him. I dunno what farting's got to do with being a scout from an invasion force, probs something to do with sunday being a day of rest

Age rules in england. You have to be:
15-lottery
16-sex
17-drive
18-alcohol

Seing as i am 15 in 2 months i think i have lots to look forward to in the next few years of my life.

Oh yeah, in england 5 year old children are allowed drugs Can't remember the reasoning behind that cus i was laughing my head off at it during sociology

weird.....16 to drive in the US.........

in germany i heard it is 21 and you have to pay almost 3,000 Euro.

I doubt taht's true airangel

Really...... I know I heard its over $1000.....seriously.... my husband heard it from a guy at work......I'd have to ask one of the German civilians I work with..................(i'm stationed here in Germany)

Just run out into the street and yell it.... Someone will answer I'm sure, but probably with
"SHUT UP!!!!!!"

I should know that in german but I don't, however i do know schlampe

I just got through taking a German course.....but I didn't learn much....... seriously...i try to talk to my landlord and I have the english/german dictionary and his wife is in front of me with her german/english dictionary............................but I helped their daughter with some english assignments for school!

Lol! Well you could look a t a german law website, if you were that interested. Or you could get one of those tape things.

isn't it five year old children who are allowed alcohol because it is in some medicines?

erm... airangel... $1000... in euro it's less than

Well, what you should do, is effectivley turn the local police into the international one... it's simple, all of the policemen are still doing their job, it's just that they abide by an international set of laws, previously agreed upon.

Cermie- I got told that they are allowed drugs in 'special cases'

Btw... Finti, haven't seen you around lately, wzup ?

I don't know if you ever saw that kid who was caught spraypainting but he was one of the most spoilt, arrogant little sh*ts you'd never want to meet.

Yerssot: Oh.....my bad.......i am learning the culture damn it!!! well...trying........

I'M from singapore!!
an yeah,it's DAMN strict here - throw a piece of tissue into the park and if you get caught you hvta pay 500 bucks - eat on the train or bus nd you gotta pay 500 too.
and THAT is just the start.

to be a real nitpicker, TO, it's Den Haag

and no, the USA do not recognise the Tribunal, though don't think that Bush was the one who started it.
It's for a simple reason: if they did, the US Army and the president would be sued every day, so they simply don't recognise it so they don't have to stop their killing and such to get to a tribunal.

Bush knows that if he recognise the international court he would be there all of the time. That's simple.

BTW usa soldiers would be on trial like any other nation soldiers and We all know that there is someone who thinks to be the owner of all reason and the guardian of the rights, while, by the international Non Governmental Ogranisations of Human Rights reports, is the Government that more violates Human Rights and supports other National Governments to do it, for political, economic and geographical reason of his interest.

As the International Court is waiting the USA ratifications, Kioto environmental theat is waiting USA ratification too. But No one believes taht the country wich products more tha 60% of atmosphere pollution will ratificate it.

Nobody reads the newspapers? Are you living in a censoured world?..Or nobody cares at all?

or given up on reason