"'American Rambo' goes berserk" in Lahore, Pakistan

[Formaldehyde]

That's kind of offences to call it blood money. I think you should edit your post to say "After paying for his crimes as prescribed by following the high moral standards, and the deep traditional values of Pakistani/Sharia law, he was released.

But to say the families shamelessly took money for the lives of their love ones is kinda mean dude.

I guess you didn't read the article and discern that nearly everybody is calling it that, because that is actually what it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_money_(term)

Blood money is money or some sort of compensation paid by an offender (usually a murderer) or his family group to the family or kin group of the victim.[1]

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/69809/blood-money

blood money, compensation paid by an offender (usually a murderer) or his kin group to the kin group of the victim. In many societies blood money functions to prevent the continuation of hostilities in the form of a feud. Some customs allow the injured party the choice of punishing the murder by blood vengeance or by blood money.

Among the Anglo-Saxon tribes, members of the killer’s kin group contributed to pay wergild, or blood money, to the kin of the victim. Kinsmen contributed according to the distance of the relationship to the murderer; the sum was divided among the victim’s kin on the same basis. Among many Indians of the northern Pacific coast of North America, blood payment was mandatory after killings in order to make peace possible, even when actual blood vengeance was also required. In most places there was no fixed standard, each group demanding as large an amount as possible. If agreement was not reached, feud might result.

 

[MobBoss]

I guess you didn't read the article and discern that nearly everybody is calling it that, because that is actually what it is.

And thats how the law works in Pakistan. The families didnt have to accept the money did they?

So whats your actual complaint?

 

[JollyRoger]

Who knew that the Anglo-Saxon tribes practiced Sharia law.

 

[RedRalph]

And thats how the law works in Pakistan. The families didnt have to accept the money did they?

So whats your actual complaint?

Actually that's not clear... there are reports they were forced to take it. One of their grandfathers was apparently beaten up in his house and told if they didnt take it he'd be killed.

 

[RedRalph]

You have a very odd tendancy towards accepting Sharia law in some circumstances, MobBoss.

 

[MobBoss]

You have a very odd tendancy towards accepting Sharia law in some circumstances, MobBoss.

Not really. Just a slightly more informed position than most as to the claims/compensation attitude for this sort of thing in that region. This sort of thing is hardly uncoomon and such payments are made all the time in Afghanistan and Iraq for a wide range of issues, from accidental death to various levels of property damage. Same mindset.

And where is the mention of the rumor that they were forced to take it?

 

[JollyRoger]

Not really. Just a slightly more informed position than most as to the claims/compensation attitude for this sort of thing in that region. This sort of thing is hardly uncoomon and such payments are made all the time in Afghanistan and Iraq for a wide range of issues, from accidental death to various levels of property damage. Same mindset.

We have that in the U.S. too (when tort "reform" doesn't stop it). However, parallel to that, we hand out criminal punishment for criminal acts. Your law and order radar should be going off about now.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Who knew that the Anglo-Saxon tribes practiced Sharia law.

I guess justice means many things to many different people. I find it ironic how so many conservatives seem to think it means community standards when they happen to agree with it, but otherwise don't.

 

[JollyRoger]

Sometimes you just need to be unwavering in your moral relativism.

 

[Bugfatty300]

there are reports they were forced to take it. One of their grandfathers was apparently beaten up in his house and told if they didnt take it he'd be killed.

And who did that? One of the numerous pro-American Pakistani groups who wanted the American freed? Pakistani authorities? If the Pakistani government was so anxious to get rid of this guy that they would violently extort the families to play ball, why not just say it was self-defense, drop the charges and let him go?

 

[Silurian]

And who did that? One of the numerous pro-American Pakistani groups who wanted the American freed? Pakistani authorities? If the Pakistani government was so anxious to get rid of this guy that they would violently extort the families to play ball, why not just say it was self-defense, drop the charges and let him go?

Because then the Pakistani authorities would get the blame and there would be riots

 

[Bugfatty300]

Because then the Pakistani authorities would get the blame and there would be riots

But no one would get mad and blame the authorities if they beat and threatened the families into agreeing to drop the charges? That would be seen as a legitimate reason to let the American go?

 

[Masada]

I think it plausible that these guys were actually trying to rob this gentleman and that the family took what they could and ran. Alternatively, someone did indeed intimadate the families and forced them to accept millions of dollars. I'm fairly sure that its something of a mix of the two, although I do kind of wonder how attractive that money would be...

 

[Kyriakos]

Quite scandalous, he should have been jailed for sure. But its a no win situation for him, he either is a pig who has thoughts that negate any remorse, or will be plagued by quilt for the rest of his life.

 

[Dreadnought]

I think it plausible that these guys were actually trying to rob this gentleman and that the family took what they could and ran. Alternatively, someone did indeed intimadate the families and forced them to accept millions of dollars. I'm fairly sure that its something of a mix of the two, although I do kind of wonder how attractive that money would be...

Agreed. I find it humorous that people jump to conclusions about what happened.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Quite scandalous, he should have been jailed for sure. But its a no win situation for him, he either is a pig who has thoughts that negate any remorse, or will be plagued by quilt for the rest of his life.

I don't think such mercenaries spend much time at all feeling guilty. They have already rationalized that the ends justify the means, or even worse they simply don't care who pays them.

 

[Bugfatty300]

I don't think such mercenaries spend much time at all feeling guilty. They have already rationalized that the ends justify the means, or even worse they simply don't care who pays them.

In this case what end do you think resulted from murdering two random Pakistanis?

 

[GhostWriter16]

I see no problem with Wergild anymore than I do locking someone up to pay for their murder. But ultimately, the only thing that pays for a murder is execution.

 

[Formaldehyde]

In this case what end do you think resulted from murdering two random Pakistanis?

According to the reports disclosed to the public, he was trying to escape from the scene of a hit-and-run and these two individuals tried to stop him. He then unsuccessfully attempted to flee from the police.

Some people seem to think they are above the law, especially if they are American mercenaries in foreign countries.

 

[MobBoss]

In a land where you can pay blood money for killing someone....why run away from a traffic accident?

That just doesnt make sense.