CNN Sued For $1.3 Billion Over Cafferty Remarks

Jack Cafferty set off a firestorm in China after his remarks (seen here) that the the nation is full of "goons and thugs" and that their exports are "junk." The Chinese government demanded that CNN apologize, which they did (lukewarmly), but the apology was apparently not enough for some Chinese citizens.

Reuters reports that CNN is now being sued by two Chinese citizens for $1.3 billion, or one dollar per Chinese citzen:

A Chinese primary school teacher and a beautician have filed a suit against CNN in New York over remarks they say insulted the Chinese people and are seeking $1.3 billion in compensation -- $1 per person in China, a Hong Kong newspaper reported.

The case against the Atlanta-based cable channel, its parent company Turner Broadcasting and Jack Cafferty, the offending commentator, comes after 14 lawyers launched a similar suit in Beijing alleging that Cafferty's remarks earlier this month violated the dignity and reputation of the Chinese people....

In New York, Liang Shubing, the beautician, and Li Lilan, a Beijing-based elementary school instructor, claimed Cafferty's words insulted all Chinese people and "intentionally caused mental harm" to the plaintiffs, the Ta Kung Pao newspaper reported on Thursday.

Previously: China Demands Apology From CNN's Cafferty For "Goons And Thugs" Comment

Comments

[aicon]

China is a country of barbarians led by faschists. They kill animals and skin them alive with no regard. They trash the environment and have no respect for anything. I urge everybody to Boykott The Olympics and I started avoiding to purchase products made in China.

Chinese people are brain washed and there is no freedom of press in China.

All the Chinese who live in America who complain should be sent back to china immediately. Truth is they will never want to live back there !!

[madkey]

This is bull Jack has a right to say what he want's. We have freedom of speech here in American unlike their communist government.

[Pam4Waters]

That is Government censorship. The Government of China is trying to censor USA media. This case had better not go forward. The precedent set by it would be one of the worst I can think of. Honestly, if this case goes any where the USA judicial system might as well just shut down. And CNN was stupid for apologizing.

[William1950]

I agree with most of the posts... what is ironic though is that most likely some court will agree with the sue-ers not the sue-ees.

[Martampa]

Why don't some of the citizens of the US sue the Chinese for toys with lead and pet food that killed many cats and dogs. Cafferty is one of the best on TV and is one of the few that speaks his mind.

[SouthpawSass]

Exactly! But on a positive note, do you know easy it made my Christmas shopping this year to look for all toys NOT made in China? Geez, I saved hundreds of dollars avoiding their lead based poison...

[atomic]

THIS IS ALL CRAP ... IF A CHINESE CITIZEN SPOKE OUT ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN CORPORATE PROFIT INTERESTS THEY WOULD BE SHOT IN THEIR FRONT YARD IN FRONT OF THEIR WHOLE FAMILY ...

I find it hard to swallow that some Chinese citizen is so upset about this that they wanted to sue CNN... It seem far more likely that some American corporation that is doing business with these sorted manufacturing plants are the ones upset by it because it tells the truth about the crap they are producing over there and shipping here for outrageous profits. This is elite US and Chinese money interests making a big stink by going through some citizen ... because a) what Cafferty said was the truth and b) they are mostly interested in hiding their cheap labor practices and c) if a public citizen spoke out in China about anything they would be shot in their front yard. ... how absurd. This is like when the beef producers went after Oprah because she said meat was bad for you.

[GRProgress]

That's Ok Jack. The last I looked, TRUTH is the ULTIMATE defense for this type of Claim.

[ohmercy]

testing.

Somethins is weird when I try to post.
So, here we go, testing.

And yes, what about the dignity of the Tibetans indeed.

[NanWhit]

The case against the Atlanta-based cable channel, its parent company Turner Broadcasting and Jack Cafferty, THE OFFENDING COMMENTATOR, comes after 14 lawyers launched a similar suit in Beijing alleging that Cafferty's remarks earlier this month violated the dignity and reputation of the Chinese people....

YOU KNOW, I HAVE UP UNTIL NOW LIKED JACK CAFFERTY, BUT HE IS STARTING TO GO TOO FAR WITH HIS COMMENTS. I HEARD HIM TODAY MAKE A COMMENT THAT OBAMA SHOULD RUN OVER HILLARY CLINTON WITH THE FLAT BED TRUCK SHE SUGGESTED THEY COULD HAVE A DEBATE ON. I WAS OFFENDED BY HIS COMMENT AND IT WAS VERY DISRESPECTFUL AND COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MR. CAFFERTY IS QUICKLY BECOMING CNN'S VERSION OF IMUS!!!

[aicon]

Go back to China or accept freedom of expression!!

[DrDemon]

L O L !

[Fathoms]

The difference is that Imus is a fool and a tool with a lap full of drool. Cafferty is a stodgy old cuss however what he offends with, is unvarnished truth. These chinese piss-ants can piss-off. Jack Cafferty is a national treasure.

[nerakami]

And what of the dignity, nobility and honor of the Tibetan people? I guess it doesn't feel so good when you are on the receiving end .... Start being more honorable China in your actions and then maybe the world will start to respect you....

Disclaimer: this is not about the Chinese people but the goons and thugs in the Chinese Government.

(Thank God I live in the USA... by now the Red Army would be beating down my door and hauling me off for torture and interrogation. Whew!)

[LarksTongue]

Um... I didn't think the Chinese were allowed to watch CNN. Regardless, yeah, I say sue 'em back for our lost jobs, dead pets and poisoned children.

[Gould123]

If they are from New York , than they are American Citizens not citizens of China, so in no way have they had any damage done to them in and itself! If they don't like haveing freedon of speech in the states, than they can return to china! It's pretty simple! I see no damage they themsself sustained . to sue you have to sustained personal damage! My god do we know sue when any one says some thing you don't like! I don't like cafferty much, but I do stand tall for freedom of speech! His words aren't the mosst sensative words for sure! They might even make you a little mad, but it's nothing to sue about and no legs to stand on!

[zjemi]

Very interesting turn of events. Use the US legal system as a vehicle to counter the one sided anti-Chinese media reporting and publicize the other side of the story. Will the Western
press actually report the plaintiffs' side of the story? It's about time that China and the Chinese around the world started their own public relations campaign. It's amazing how much misinformation our media feed us (not just the US, but Germany, France, etc.). Why, after the WMD stuff, aren't we more skeptical?

[LoRiseAntlers]

You know,if China would stop executing thousands of people a year,ensure their workers make decent wages and work decent hours,stop imprisoning and torturing anybody who speaks up against the government,stop raping Tibet,and on and on,that "anti-China" reporting you're whining about might end.

China was,is and will continue to be a murderous,rapaciopus communist dictatorship,and no amount of bullshiat you spout will change that fact.

[whiteboyblues]

FU China!

[atomic]

Ring ..... Ring .... Herro!... this mainland China calling and we as mad as hell and we not gonna take it no more. You no likey our poison dog foods and lead paint we gonna sue you for breach os contact... you liddle America scrum balls you. How dare you open yor libral mouths against us. We gonna make you pay you stupid American scrum.

[atomic]

China has citizens? That's news to me .... you mean these so called "citizens" came home from the rice factory and flipped on the boob tube and saw Cafferty trashing their impeccable reputation and so they got all like "sing song ding dong we gonna sue you big time ... you American scrum"? Then did they jump on their scooters and head down the dirt path to the Ministry of "Human Rights" and file a formal complaint against CNN? I mean ... how does it work when you live in a country where your government shoots it's own people and harvests their organs from live human beings to sell to rich people? At what point while they were pouring the lead into the paint that they would use on children's toys did they think to themselves ... hummm .. America better not complain or we screw them over with big lawsuit.

[atomic]

Let's all sue China for poisoning our pets and making lead based toys for our children. How about $200.00 per cup of dog food and $1000 for ever toy that made it through customs .... that should be around around 200 billion dollars ... enough to keep the occupation in Iraq up for a few more months.

[rodnacious]

Where do I sign up?