Do Ill-Mannered Children of Diplomats Enjoy Immunity from Criminal Prosecution? . . . Should the Omaha Bugle Purchase the Nation of Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta)?

The Omaha Bugle-Global News Network

Adam and Jeff delve into the vexing questions that arise when a spoiled diplomat's son who runs over a police officer directing traffic claims diplomatic immunity. Jeff offers a scintillating history of the concept of diplomatic immunity--pointing out that it was devised to enable representatives of warring nations to confer with each other without fear of death (most of the time). Adam points out that there is a sort of sliding scale of immunity from prosecution in the diplomatic world--ambassadors not only get to attend fancy parties but they are often immune from lawsuits or searches or even having their cars towed due to parking violations. Lower level staff members are not so fortunate and may risk prosecution for comparatively minor offenses. Snotty children of diplomats who intentionally run their motorcycles into police officers are apparently offered no immunity under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and may be prosecuted for such crimes or, at the very least, declared persona non grata, and tossed out of the United States. This discussion of diplomatic immunity causes Jeff and Adam to wonder how they might obtain diplomatic immunity due to their extensive travels around the world and their desire to avoid being prosecuted for "unfortunate incidents' that sometimes arise when they drink too much in a pub. Jeff points out that the Omaha Bugle National Bank & Trust, which is always on the look out for projects that can help it become "too big to fail" in a short amount of time, might want to help by permitting Adam and Jeff to purchase a country such as Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) so that they could appoint themselves roving ambassadors and thereby avoid possible jail sentences in any countries in which the aforementioned "unfortunate incidents" occur.