Rick, I understand that you're upset. But shouldn't you be more upset with the Swedish government than with the US government? Who caved? The Swedes!
Countries have pressured other sovereign powers before, and the US is just following in the global-political norm. The fact that pressuring a foreign power is done should not upset you as much as the fact that the Swedish government caved to it.
Expecting the US government/embassy not to pressure a foreign power over something that it perceives as being illegal, and if not illegal then something exceedingly close, is illogical. Politics is looking out for one's own interest. And it is in the interest of the US government to push prosecution of foreign pirates, whether they are digital or Somali, so that a "US industry" can thrive.
I personally hate Hollywood and watch less than 10 movies a year (most of them are older and gotten from the library). However, I can't disagree with my government in that the founders of TPB got what they justly deserved.
Globalization of corporations and corporate interest profits the corporations, not the citizens. Not ever.
We now know thanks to wikileaks that the USA has threatened trade embargos upon smaller countries to get what they want [1]
>The fact that pressuring a foreign power is done should not upset you as much as the fact that the Swedish government caved to it.
By your logic, when a 6'10 300lb strong man threatens to snap your arm off if you don't willingly give him your money, it's your fault for giving it to him, not his fault for threatening. That's crazy.
Just because the 300lbs strong man (The USA) is much bigger and stronger than the average Joe (country), it doesn't mean they should be allowed to go around threatening whenever they please to further their own interests, with blatant disregard for others.
