This week's stories: Rape Not That Serious, According to Victorian
Legal System...Equal Opportunity Isn't For Poor People...Refugees An
Easier Target Than Terrorists...It's Official: Bosses Are Evil and
Insane...Quote of the Week.
One rapist convicted in Victoria last year was given a sentence of six
weeks. One in five rapists convicted in Victoria did not go to jail at all.
(Herald Sun, Oct 29).
The Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission is not allowed to fight
"systematic discrimination" by industry groups and employers,
particularly against low-income earners, according to its head.
A new booklet called 'Paying Too Much' says that private companies such
as banks, electricity and water companies, and phone companies,
systematically exploit, ignore and overcharge low-income earners.
Andrea Sharam, co-author of the booklet, says that companies often
exclude low-income neighbourhoods or groups of customers from services
(called 'red-lining'), or offer better deals to richer customers.
(Melbourne Times, October 23).
The Federal Government has been accused of directing military and
intelligence resources at detecting asylum seekers rather than terrorists.
Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett said that "the stupidity of that
policy, and the focus on the so-called security and protection issues in
something as pointless as detecting refugees rather than [terrorism] has
been emphasised in a tragic way."
The Government's position also had wasted hundred of millions of
dollars, Senator Bartlett said.
(Sunday Times, October 16).
Psychologists probing the wave of corporate crime in America have
noticed that psychopaths and chief executives tend to share many
personality traits - in particular an ability to appear plausible and
attract followers while at the same time hiding low self-esteem.
Robert Hare, of the University of British Columbia, one of the leading
experts on psychopathic behaviour, thinks boardrooms are full of people
who have what he calls "charisma without conscience".
"If I couldn't study psychopaths in prison, I would go down to the stock
exchange," he says.
Dr Babiak and Dr Hare say some of the traits most admired by
corporations suit the profile of the average psychopath. "They tend to
have a facade of charm that is very effective in ingratiating themselves
with people in power and which hides their anti-social tendencies," says
Dr Babiak.
"It is very easy for psychopaths to play up to what the establishment wants.
If that is getting in early and staying late, it's no problem. Most of
them can't believe how easy it is."
As America attempts to rid itself of the showbiz chief executives,
boardroom recruiters are taking more trouble to delve into candidates'
psychological make-up. Psychopaths tend to be arrogant, short-tempered,
manipulative, deceitful, lacking in empathy and remorse, and with a need
for self-aggrandisement while apparently being "rational".
(The Age, October 29).
quote of the week:
St Augustine tells the story of a conversation betweenAlexander the
Great and a pirate he captured. "How dare you molest the seas?" asks
Alexander.
"How dare you molest the whole world?" the pirate replies. "Because I do
it with a little ship only, I am called a thief. You, doing it with a
great navy, are called an emperor."
John Pilger.
anarchist news service
write to James, PO Box 503, Newtown NSW 2042
or email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
contact us to get ATNTF emailed directly to you.
If you like All the News That Fits, forward it on.
All the News That Fits appears in the Anarchist Age Weekly Review
(www.vicnet.net.au/~anarchist - PO Box 20 Parkville VIC 3052) and The Ham
([EMAIL PROTECTED]).
Some other Australian anarchist websites:
www.angry.at/racists - Anarchist/anti-racist music site with free mp3s, Real
Audio, Real Video, band interviews etc. Now with internet radio.
www.dolearmy.org - information for unemployed people.
www.activate.8m.com - anarchist magazine aimed at teenagers.
..
--
--
Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List
mailto:leftlink@;vicnet.net.au
Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/
Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop
Sub: mailto:majordomo@;vicnet.net.au?Body=subscribe%20leftlink
Unsub: mailto:majordomo@;vicnet.net.au?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
