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

[cartach]

Boycott Chinese goods? What a joke. Anyone who tries that will have problems, because they either would'nt be able to get equivalent goods manufactured by other countries including the USA, or if they could,they would'nt be able to afford them. Face it, the US is already a debtor nation with a falling standard of living and is fast becoming a third world nation. Better start having some respect for China or they might foreclose. And since when is the human rights record of the US anything to brag about or to hold up to the world as a shining example? Cafferty's arse is sucking wind as usual but nobody has to do anything more but just not listen to him. His opinion and words are not worth anything and any suit against him or CNN would be deemed frivolous and thrown out of court before it got to first base.

[KPinSEA]

There are many, many consumer choices where you can either take a Chinese product without knowing it, or shop a little more carefully and get a product of superior quality and slightly higher price from another country ... say, a democracy. It's pretty easy. Especially if you don't over-consume to start with and buy lots of cheap crap you don't really need at Wal-Mart.

The Chinese people don't have a meaningful vote ... but we can vote for them with our dollars, the only vote the Party cares about any more.

[mollysgran]

This just proves that -1. People are not used to hearing the truth in news anymore, and -2. many Chinese people still do not understand FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

[Nutcase]

If a person's dignity and reputation is only worth one dollar, do they really have any to violate? Perhaps a class action suit should not be permitted. Let each Chinese citizen separately sue for one dollar.

Je pense, donc je suis un populiste.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Puisque vous êtes un populiste, vous êtes populaires avec moi.

[josephjsalas]

1.3 billion towards the Clinton campain?

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Jack Cafferty just said it like it is, period. He used to be my local NYC anchor until WNBC screwed him over. He has always been frank and direct, weather you like it or not. Just because China has embraced capitalism dose not make them any more of an open society, maybe I’m old school, but I seem to recall the Red Threat, now were all cool because Wal-Mart and stupid trade deals are driving US companies out in doves.

The Chinese are going to import 2 autos to the US, which are not up to the standards of anything build in the US, Europe, Japan or even South Korea and they will be tariffed at .25%, so they can sell on price along. The emerging middle class in China have a taste for US and German build autos, I can’t speck for the Germans, but the Chinese tariff our vehicles at 25% which forces US auto manufactures to move assembly plants over there, not to mention the available cheep labor.

My wife is in the lighting industry and nothing in the lighting business is made here any more, except for small cottage style companies, and the quality issues are so bad, regardless of retail price, many companies are moving back.

I am not against trade, but smart trade would be nice. You go Jack, e-mail CNN and support him, since the Cafferty File is the only common sense segment on the Situation Room.

[HHR]

Hope the Chinese win the case. CNN has gotten as bad as Faux News. And, what gives? I thought Turner sold CNN to Time-Warner, quite a while back.

[MKJeeves]

Not news. Frivolous lawsuit will be found to have no merit.

[Chandidevi]

See what happens when a journalist speaks his truth...an­d the truth as it is seen by the world? The Chinese ARE goons and thugs; they rule with violence. My friend's father spoke out as a citizen of China and a college professor in China, against the government and he was jailed and tortured for five years, and came out a half-wit. He was once a brilliant man and now he doesn't know his head from his elbow. Someone has to call them on their tactics.

[queeraz]

Yes, sometimes the truth does hurt but, having the right of FREE SPEECH allows Americans to say what they feel. If they love China so much, go live there.

[Razz]

I agree with you 100%.

[Ozy]

GIVE THEM TONY SNOW AND GLENN BECK THROW IN WOLF AND MAKE IT THREE!

[CountryBeforeParty]

A Chinese man turns to his wife in bed and says, "I want a 69".

The wife says, "Why do you want beef with broccoli now?!?!?"

There, sue me.

[GerryS]

Hahahahahahaha!

[HHR]

Proving once again that if you scratch the surface of a USan, you find a racist.

[penitentiaryofdreams]

I like Jack - he speaks his mind honestly - a RARITY in TV news journalism these days. It was so obvious that he was referring to the Chinese government leadership. It's his opinion. So what????
I'm sure in China, you would not be afforded the rights to this kind of free speech. Tough turkey to China.
They need a lesson in free speech and American civics.

[white mende man]

Jack Cafferty is nothing more than a street thug and his words show it.

[browndog2]

The irony of your post just kills me.

[jvarga]

Careful according to those chinese individuals he can sue you for $1.

[TheKnownTruth]

This is s crock. This country sent poison over here. They have one of the worst human rights record and they sue us ???? We should sue them !!!!!

This is the kind of crap we now allow here. I guess we should now bend over and say "Yes sir master, may I please have another ?"

[MarkieBee]

Can we sue them for every piece of junk they import here to poison our children? Let the two Chinese-Americans go back to their home country and see how far a lawsuit like this would fly. Unbelieveable.

[GuiltyByStander]

Yes, of course we can. The court is the World Trade Organization and it has rules that China and the US have committed to. So why don't we?

Most of the crap made in China is owned and sold by American companies with happy American shareholders. We leave the Chinese alone because it's good for some of us.

It's time to place public good back on the level with private gain.

As for the suit, do you really think they'll win?

[CheshireCat2]

I'm with you on this one.

[globality]

sorry I meant
"if you are the former you should leave"