In Praise of Looting

Blaming Katrina's victims for not being rich

"The Iberville Housing Projects got pissed off because the police started to "shop" after they kicked out looters. Then they started shooting at cops. When the cops left, the looters looted everything. There's probably not a grocery left in this city."

The devastation wrought on the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina is clearly evident three days after the winds started blowing and the journalists scampered out from their hotels. Most of New Orleans is under water. The Mississippi and Alabama coasts are obliterated. The situation in New Orleans is dire as thousands of people struggle to survive and get out of the worsening toxic cesspool that the city is becoming.

In the midst of all of this pain and misery, the media and the authorities have decided that the central story now is the looting and "lawlessness" that are taking place around the city. The poor, mostly black, victims of Hurricane Katrina are being blamed for their response to the situation. Their logical response to having the homes and neighborhoods destroyed is understandable given that this disaster has been happening for a long time in their neighborhoods and lives. The ongoing disaster that they are reacting to is the catastrophe known as capitalism.

The media knows that playing up the looting on TV plays well in Peoria. Comfortable middle class white people watch the New Orleans situation on TV and resort to simplistic Christian judgments about right and wrong. Some of them understand that the "looters" have a moral right to take food and medicine, but they seize on news that looters have taken guns and TVs as evidence that the looters are bad people. The authorities help reinforce these beliefs with their constant pontification about how looters will be punished. This morning the authorities are further demonizing the poor people of New Orleans by suspending rescue efforts because some person fired at a Coast Guard rescue worker. We all know that if some white dude in a rich neighborhood that was under water fired at rescue workers the rescue effort would continue uninterrupted.

What exactly is so evil about taking a package of Pampers or some cans of food from a Winn-Dixie or a Wal-Mart store? These people are trying to survive in neighborhoods that are under water, with no services of any kind. Are the rescue workers, the media, or the state dropping pampers and bottled water into the flooded neighborhoods of New Orleans? Are the on-the-scene Fox News anchors putting down their microphones, rolling up their sleeves, and helping rescue people?

The media and authorities' obsession with looting is racist, capitalist and simply inhumane. What difference does it make what people take from the stores near their neighborhoods? They have no access to food, clean water, diapers, medicine, shoes, liquor, cigarettes and all the things that they need to get through this crisis. It's not like these corporate grocery stores are going to go bankrupt because hungry people clear out an inventory that will have to be destroyed once the waters recede. People are "dumpster-diving" from stores who are insured, well capitalized, and which will have to throw away all of their stock anyway.

The Government Can't Help You

The failure of the American state to respond to this tragedy is abundantly clear at this point. In its typical fashion, the state will turn the situation into a circus before the capitalist profiteers move in. On Friday, American president George W. Bush will fly into New Orleans to perform a photo op while some residents of New Orleans are still trapped in their attics. Many poor residents will be dying as Bush speaks useless words about the catastrophe. The hungry and wet people won't be fed by Bush's visit, but perhaps if he falls out of a helicopter while surveying the damage, the residents can make a good jambalaya with the presidential corpse. Meanwhile, there are reports that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was laughing it up last night at a production in New York City of 'Spamalot'.

The catastrophe in New Orleans once again demonstrates the inability of the state to take care of its subjects, especially its poorest citizens. For all of the talk about "homeland security" over the past few years, very little homeland security was available for the residents of New Orleans. There are reports now about how the government cut back on programs that would have helped New Orleans weather this disaster. The immediate response by rescue workers was hampered by the fact that the Louisiana National Guard is stuck in Iraq, fighting and losing an imperialist war staged by Bush and his Halliburton cronies. The evacuation plan worked for middle and upper class people with cars, but apparently there was no effort to bus poor people out of the city as Hurricane Katrina approached.

If there is a silver lining in this ongoing tragedy, it involves the small acts of mutual aid being done by New Orleans residents for each other. This includes people rescuing people from flooded houses, people helping move sick people to dry ground, people sharing food and materials with each other, and much more. In times of natural or manmade disasters, humans have shown time and time again their ability to help each other out via mutual aid. These responses play out organically and can't be organized by the state. In many instances, the state's efforts interfere with this mutual aid and make situations worse. It's pretty clear in New Orleans that the state totally failed the poor residents of the city.

Looting is not a problem in New Orleans right now. People have a right to take what they need to survive. Even if they take things that aren't needed for survival, those of us watching from the comfort of our dry homes have no reason to complain about these actions. Finally, let's remember that looting is a form of wealth redistribution. When rich people loot, they call it capitalism, good business practices, third quarter dividends, the new economy and "giving people job." When your neighborhood is under water and there are no relief services in sight, taking diapers from a Wal-Mart is not a criminal or immoral act.

Hooray for the looters!

By Harry Looter 5 September 05

The "Looting" in New Orleans: Not Insane in the Least
Some comments on recent events in New Orleans from an anarchist perspective. Despite the comment from the Philadelphia tourist, I can't find this insane.

Bush Expected to Visit Storm-Ravaged Areas
US: WACO, Texas - President Bush is expected to visit storm-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast later this week, but first he is returning to Washington to oversee the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

The "Looting" in New Orleans: Not Insane in the Least

Some comments on recent events in New Orleans from an anarchist perspective. Despite the comment from the Philadelphia tourist, I can't find this insane.

Let's review now:

* Major hurricane threatens New Orleans with damage much worse than it actually got.
* About 20% of the residents of that city are in households without automobiles.
* Most of them are low-income and live in the shoddiest buildings in the most flood-prone neighborhood, i.e. they are the people most at risk.
* Evacuation is called.
* Evacuation plan is to get in your car and drive out of New Orleans.
* Absolutely nothing is done to provide for the evacuation of those without cars to drive.
* Hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of buses (owned by school districts, transit districts, and private companies) were available throughout the metro area and could have been commandeered as evacuation vehicles.
* End result: an evacuation that systematically fails to evacuate precisely those in most need of evacuating.

Put yourself in the position of one of those survivors. Nobody's cared about rescuing you; the only people that really counted were those with more money than you have. People like the owners of the shops in your city.

Shops closed and not about to reopen precisely because the owners fled town. Shops with blown-out windows that can be walked through. Shops whose merchandise is about to be ruined by the disease-ridden and polluted water streaming through levee breaks and flooding your city. Merchandise that, in many cases, you need because you're running low on necessities and relief can't easily get to you because of flooded highways.

How can it be anything but logical to help yourself to some of that merchandise in such a situation? The still photos I've seen seem very revealing; nobody looks particularly menacing or threatening. The "looters" seem to be of all ages and genders; it's not just young gang-bangers we're talking about. In fact, I've noticed numerous scenes showing mothers with their children.

I've dragged out the TV and turned it on tonight. NBC News had two segments on the "looting" and the most violent scene they showed was of a young man throwing a rock at a store window, trying to break it. One scene showed people walking calmly into and out of a Walgreen's, passing right by the camera, while across the street a trumpeter played "When the Saints Go Marching In." Put aside the fact that money hadn't been exchanged for the merchandise being taken out, and it could have been a normal street scene.

One phrase NBC trotted out was "every man for himself." That seems to be directly contradicted by their own footage, which showed many examples of people helping each other (and not just to carry stuff out of stores). Looks more like the key defining behavior in the aftermath of this disaster is cooperation, not individualistic competition. If you want a real example of "every man for himself," look at that evacuation plan the authorities came up with.

With all that so-called "breakdown" of "law and order," there's been only one person shot (not fatally, thankfully) so far. That one shooting is tragic, but let's have some perspective here. In 2004, there were 265 murders in New Orleans. That's just the dead; it doesn't cover the non-fatal assaults with deadly weapons. Add those in and we're probably well above 1 per day on average. If it really was an outbreak of barbarism, the violence would be much worse.

Instead, there's very little of it, Just lots of peaceful folks who have decided that those stores are, in the words of one man, "everybody's store[s]." A breakdown, in other words, of law but not order.

By David B posted 5 September 05

Related:

Bush Expected to Visit Storm-Ravaged Areas
US: WACO, Texas - President Bush is expected to visit storm-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast later this week, but first he is returning to Washington to oversee the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

First Grabs To Control Our DNA

A small company in Australia has been subjected to gross denials of rights after DNA database technology was stolen from it's company. This one year saga has spawned them to form a new approach to projects of importance to all people.

You would not think that the fight for the control of our DNA would occur in a country like Australia. Most people associate it with clean beaches and kangaroos, not corruption and denial of rights. My name is George Iliades.

I was born and raised in Australia and I take great pride in being Australian. I am the CEO of small software development company, Psylon Pty Ltd. One of our most important software development projects is a sophisticated National DNA Database, codenamed: Seraphim (six winged angel).

For the past twelve months we have been waging a war of survival and to get any form of justice for the theft of our companies Intellectual Property. Our reason for fighting this injustice is that we do not want DNA technology to get into the hands of the wrong people.

The fight continues now, because if we allow people such as this to gain control, future generations will end up in a society where people are valued and controlled by their DNA profile. Eventually very few people may control the entire population.

Our twelve month ordeal had more twists and turns than a movie. In isolation all the things that happened to us represent an amazing chain of events and devious methods designed to take down a company.

The dark side of this story is that this form of treatment imposed upon people is highly destructive and far more common than we are led to believe. The effect on our team was evident.

We had to contend with no legal justice from our Government [in fact no help at all].

We were left to run a company that had become a quarter in size, in under three weeks. This stress was compounded by the need to gather evidence so we could protect our company and ourselves from further assault.

A Global Problem It is easy to point the finger at one group, or person, or to blame the Government, but what I have witnessed has made me see that this is a symptom of a wider problem. I saw the lengths that people will go to for money, power and control. None of us can claim to be perfect but we need to claim back the right to use our basic moral compass.

Unfortunately when you are dealing with DNA and the future of global freedom, you cannot allow factors of moral weakness to enter the equation. Most people are not aware of the upcoming problems with vast DNA databases, and those it is meant to serve are not capable of defending their personal freedoms.

The other problem is a matter of technological imposition. The technologically advanced countries are going into isolated communities to take DNA samples and patent their codes. This, coupled with the technology gap could lead to the exclusion of major parts of the global population in the decision making process of DNA.

We Reject Your Reality In this world we are made to feel weak and powerless. All the gifts that we are given as free and unique spirits are boiled down to dollars and cents. We are fighting an endless, self-feeding cycle of greed, power and control. How can this happen? How can a global population be taken hostage by broken ideals? Fear! Fear makes us bow down to evil people and group pressure; it makes us do things that we know are wrong. Fear is what drives people to find the easy escape and sell each other out. What they do not realise in this case is that they are not just selling out an Australian company they are selling out themselves and future generations.

No amount of money can cover the price that we will all pay for selling out the control of our DNA information. We will respond to this world-wide problem with the mightiest power of all. Love! We will launch the first global DNA project based on a new business model on midnight Saturday 2nd July 2005.

The Seraphim project will be a global project for the people, by the people to protect our DNA and free our global spirit.

To be part of this project all you will need to do is give your heart.

What You Can Do Now Through the last twelve months of this ordeal we have asked for some type of formal investigation into these events.

To our amazement no government department has responded to our claims, rather we have been ignored and finally isolated.

If you are concerned about this issue we ask that you send a respectful email or contact the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard to voice your concerns:

The Psylon team will set up a new website for the Seraphim project.

To find out when it will be available, keep an eye on our web site at Psylon.

Also send our team an email to encourage us with this struggle to, seraphim@psylon.com

By George Iliades June 30 05
Psylon

Onwards and upwards!!: Loud and clear comrade! The stars are my brothers and sisters loud and clear comrade! The stars are my brothers and sisters and the heart is mercy! and the heart is mercy! Mercy for them all..........Mercy for them all.......... Regards,

All the chickens in the hen house. All the chickens in the hen house.

Related:

Worries over DNA and racial profiling
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Lab's Errors Force Review of 150 Virginia DNA Cases
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Witch-hunt targets scientists
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Fresh swipe at DNA labs
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DNA leads 'CSI' cold-case squad to first arrest?
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Criminal's DNA filed under relative's name
The New South Wales Opposition is calling for an investigation into claims that police have entered DNA data for serious offenders under incorrect names.

DNA fingerprinting 'no longer foolproof'...
The genetic profiles held by police for criminal investigations are not sophisticated enough to prevent false identifications, according to the father of DNA fingerprinting.

THE BUTLER DIDN'T DO IT!
PROFESSOR BARRY BOETTCHER: Now, there should be a law enacted within Queensland so that when cases come up like this they can be brought to attention and if an appropriate authority such as a judge of your Supreme Court considers that it merits further inquiry, an inquiry be ordered.

'Rape' officer clears his name
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New unit investigates unsolved deaths?
A new police unit has been established to investigate more than 360 unsolved deaths in New South Wales, with many of the deaths dating back more than 30 years.

Prisoner's bid for review denied
Prisoner Roger Cheney has lost a Supreme Court action to have a judicial review of his 1993 convictions an 30-year jail sentence. Justice Shaw said he was concerned about the prisoner's claim that DNA evidence held by the police could prove his innocence. Although Cheney had requested the results of the DNA tests, he had been denied access to the forensic analysis.

QLD Prisoners DNA Bid THE curious case of Queensland's "cat lady" murder is set to test the state's legal authorities again, with the man convicted of the killing asking the Attorney-General to take the unprecedented step of releasing blood samples for DNA retesting.

Database clears up crimes?
NSW Police Minister John Watkins said at the launch of a Sydney conference of international forensic experts meeting to mark 100 years of fingerprinting in NSW. He said the collection of DNA from prisoners and suspects in NSW during the past two years had led to more than 5,400 matches on the forensic database.

A Question of Innocence
Katrina Bolton: The promise of DNA freeing the innocent as well as convicting the guilty has been repeated by politicians across Australia, usually while DNA laws are being expanded. The promise was made as a national DNA database, ‘Crimtrac’ was created, and it was made as NSW introduced legislation giving unprecedented powers to take DNA samples from prisoners, by force if necessary.

Weak Carr Government suspends Innocence Panel
It's a callous disregard for justice! The panel takes applications from convicted prisoners for DNA evidence to be analysed a move that may help in a future court appeal.

JUST BEAT IT! Govt lauds crime-solving technology?
The New South Wales Government says advances in crime solving technology are helping the progress of hundreds of police investigations.

DNA testing causes debate in murder case
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Abolition of double jeopardy law a political stunt: NSW Opp
Why draconian laws? What about the re-trial by media that goes along with it? Twice shy?

ARE YOU INNOCENT?
The NSW government has finally appointed somebody (Justice John Nader) to head up its Innocence Panel and has produced leaflets and forms for people convicted of serious crimes (eg murder) to apply for DNA testing if they believe it may help prove their innocence. You can get the info by phoning 1300 881 717 or writing to the panel at GPO Box 45 Sydney NSW 2001.

Is the Westminster System flawed?
Most people would say Lady Di got the boot and NSW has so much trouble getting the Innocence Panel moving. I said hey, what's going on!

Murder charge first for DNA data bank link, but not the same as solving the murder Mass DNA testing of prisoners has led to the first NSW case of a person being charged with a previously unsolved murder as a result of a controversial gene-matching data bank. The Herald reported 25 Nov 02 "a DNA saliva swab led to the charging of a former prisoner with the bashing murder of a woman. Police had been unable to find any witnesses or suspects following the murder in Sydney's inner city two years ago. Detectives had admitted they faced a tough job finding the killer."

Prisoners can prove innocence for $20
Les Kennedy Daily Telegraph reported today that" Prisoners who believe that DNA will prove they were wrongly convicted will have the chance to prove their innocence for a mere $20 administration fee. The move comes 20 months after NSW inmates were asked to provide DNA for comparison with a databank of DNA from unsolved crime scenes for possible convictions.

DNA yours or mine?
Now they have isolated two genes that they say tells you if you're more likely to be depressed. What does that mean? It could mean that you should stay in jail because you are more likely than not to continue your offending behaviour according to a Department of Corrective Services Forensic Psychiatrist.

DNA = Do Not Assume - DNA Controversies!
The national DNA database of all known offenders proposed by Prime Minister Tony Blair could mean that innocent people will be accused of crimes they did not commit.

DNA Evidence of Bipartisanship
Last week the U.S. Congress passed the Justice for All Act, which includes provisions of the Innocence Protection Act. As of this posting, the legislation has not yet been signed by President Bush. Attached is an analysis of the legislation prepared by the Justice Project.

Here come de Judge - Time to Leave [266]
There have always been examples of rulings and interpretations that have supported the saying "The law is an ass". This is increasingly the case, because even the best intentioned judges are now facing an avalanche of new technologies and social change. But, it is no good making excuses for the judiciary and continuing to accept their strange interpretations. We must recognise that not only judges but the whole legal system will struggle more and more. In the end the whole system will become a farce. This is the way empires end.

2nd Renaissance -15 The Rabbits And The Wolves [180]
Historically, there have been periods when legal distinctions between animals and humans have been blurred. For instance, in medieval Europe, in the 14th and 15th centuries, numerous trials and executions of animals occurred. One source identifies 34 recorded instances of pigs having been tried and cruelly put to death. Besides pigs; rats, chickens, goats, and bees were similarly tried. Some of the pigs were fully dressed in human clothes at the time they were, inevitably, found guilty. In one case a vicar excommunicated a flock of sparrows that infested his church. All this happened despite the theological stance that animals had no soul, and no morals or conscience. They could not really be guilty of transgressing the Rule of Law.

Pension claims valid: Opposition

SOCIAL SERVICES NOT WARFARE

The Federal Governments secret agenda to cut pensions, including the disability and single parent payments while 'spending billions on military hardware' is just too much for most disabled people to accept.

The last attempt by the Neo-Liberal Coalition to attack the disabled and roll back their support was blocked thanks to the ALP, Democrats and the Greens.

When military spending is at an all time high and Australia has made record profits the last thing that should be clawed back is the basic benefits that provide the disabled with a way to survive.

The Opposition has released government documents it says reveal a plan to roll the working age pensions into a single payment all linked to price rises rather than wage rises as is currently the case.

Labor's families spokesman Wayne Swan says the move would save the Government more than a billion dollars over four years and could affect up to a million people.

Family and Community Services Minister Kay Patterson says it was the Government itself that first linked the pensions to average male weekly earnings and there is no plan to change the situation.

"The Government gets lots of suggestions, lots of options put to it," she said.

"This is a document that Mr Swan trots out twice a year, he does it now to cover up for the inadequacies of his tax and family policy, which he won't subject to Treasury and Finance until the last minute because he knows it's riddled with holes."

By Disabled People 29 September 04

Auditor Generals damning defence report

The Defence Department computer system upgrade has cost Australia tens of millions of dollars in a gigantic bungle, according to the Federal Opposition. The Commonwealth auditor-general has issued a damning report into the project.

Related:

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Thousands march for disability protest
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Labor slams GST windfall figures
The Federal Opposition says the latest figures on GST revenue confirm the Howard Government is the highest taxing government in history. The Government has revealed revenue raised by the tax is $2.9 billion greater than forecast.

Work for the dole is legal slavery
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Transport costs 'discourage' unemployed renters
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Governance a misfortune to experience
As an employee with the Australian government agency Centrelink my job was to interpret Australian law to determine entitlements for Australian citizens.

Families worse off under Lib/Lab: Community!The London lights are far abeam, behind a bank of cloud. Along the shore the gaslights gleam, the gale is piping loud; And down the Channel, groping blind, we drive her through the haze. Towards the land we left behind -- The good old land of "never mind", and old Australian ways.

Democrats call for improved accountability
Democrats' Senator Andrew Murray says reform of the rules governing political donations and politicians' salaries is needed, as well as measures to help whistleblowers in the public service.

FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT!
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Mark Latham's, token gestures for older unemployed
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Department of Housing Tenants
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Govts failing homeless, ACOSS says
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Work for the dole failure for two thirds
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Bonus prompts baby talk, principal says
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Government ignoring housing crisis: ACOSS
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Youth welfare system unfair: ACOSS
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Australia: Private job network agency blues
Can you trust a private job network agency? No you can't! A friend of ours is registered at MTC Marrickville. This agency has a practice of forcing unemployed to fill out preparing for work agreements. Of course they didn't offer him any work! So why was he cut off the dole?

Work for the dole? $10.00?
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INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT: ISJA
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Howard's Job Network Bailout
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ACOSS urges C'wealth to invest in families
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'WORK FOR THE DOLE' REDUCES JOB PROSPECTS
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The Criminal Law (Rehabilitation of Offenders) Act 1986 Qld
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Tax cuts wrong way to help battlers: ACOSS
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) says the Budgets fails to deliver anything for low and middle income Australians.

Public housing on a precipice
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Democrats approve tougher welfare penalties: But how does that pan out? There used to be an old saying in Australia" if you're hungry steal a sheep and leave the pelt on the fence. How do you plead, Peter Saunders?

Shoplifting and homelessness
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Fears for poor if Social Services take a social slide?
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Democrats approve tougher welfare penalties: But how does that pan out? There used to be an old saying in Australia" if you're hungry steal a sheep and leave the pelt on the fence. How do you plead, Peter Saunders?

Social services groups swamped
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Fears for poor if Social Services take a social slide?
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Social Services small change? Or wast the money on WAR!
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EX-PRISONER UNEMPLOYMENT: SENTENCED FOR LIFE
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Unemployed farm postings would cost jobs: AWU
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Tough luck! Kicks the poor to death
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Economy benefiting from non-profit institutions
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NSW prisons - primary industry bailed up!
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Robin Egan
Two thirds of fines are never collected because they go beyond the means of the defendants and because in lots of cases people do not see that they are responsible. Especially where people know their in the right and no fine ought to have been a penalty.

QANTAS drug testing: Pooping on people?

People are in different classes. What class are you in?

Some people struggle more than others do in order to survive. People take drugs to get through their life. Whether it's illegal or not has no bearing on what an employee can do for you as an employer.

Does your employee criticise you for cutting a corner in order for you his employer to make a profit?

In the gamble of life you take the good with the bad and the results can easily be seen. If there are no results then your employer will go broke. Based on your work performance your employer can sack you or keep you on depending on what you can do for the company. You can tell nine times out of ten if your employee is drunk on the job. Or stoned out of his/her mind and won't perform.

So what is the problem? Police, politicians, workers, and bosses are all stressed at some point. Better to admit what is real and call a spade a spade and let people get on with the job.

Zero tolerance is a contradiction within itself because a human being is not infallible and therefore a human being can only do their best.

Do not judge what a person has to do in order to survive.

Ageing causes people to respond. You're on a rock face in reality. Wind, rain, sun and waves crashing around you breaking you down slowly. Even the air you breathe is eating your internal organs away. Humanity accuses people of judging others so who are you to be the judge?

Employers have been accused of jumping the gun by introducing drug and alcohol testing programs while neglecting other issues that could impair a worker's performance, such as fatigue.

Fatigue may be correct but this statement indirectly attempts to cover up the reality of employers who may take drugs. People don't want to be seen as having to depend on drugs for medicinal purposes.

What about the employers own performance excuse me? Do the employers who wish to introduce this testing intend to test themselves first to see whether they're qualified to judge their employees?

If you want to introduce drug testing it has to be across the board starting from the top Prime Minister down. In that order because the ministers are leading us by example. Then there would be a need to go into the High Court of Australia and the bureaucracy, on to police and medical and then trickling down to the common class of workers.

If you're not prepared to have this type of reform then who are you 'Qantas' to be the Judge?

A drug testing specialist, Judith Perl, a forensic pharmacologist with NSW Police, said she expected many employers to follow companies such as Qantas in introducing schemes in an effort to meet obligations under occupational health and safety laws.

Is this Qantas or John Howard?

Qantas plans to trial random drug and alcohol testing in Sydney later this month, but is facing strong union criticism about the potential for discrimination and privacy breaches.

Dr Perl said occupational health and safety changes were putting company bosses in a position to ensure that there was a safe working environment.

"They are all jumping the gun and saying, 'Well, let's drug test'," Dr Perl said.

"They will be thinking if they are seen as doing something, that makes for a safe environment. But they neglect things that are in the too-hard basket, like fatigue."

Over the next three days Qantas employees will attend briefings by union officials about random urine- and breath-testing.

Qantas expects to test about 5 per cent of its 35,000-strong workforce each year once the program is fully operational.

Ten unions are involved in the campaign against the program. They say they do not oppose drug and alcohol testing to prevent and determine impairment, but they are concerned that the trial will force workers to reveal use of prescription medicines or over-the-counter drugs.

The assistant national secretary of the Australian Services Union, Linda White, said the tests would pick up whether workers took HIV or IVF medication or Viagra.

"People don't think that that's any business of their employer," Ms White said. "People are concerned that there's a privacy issue."

But a spokesman for Qantas, Michael Sharp, said it would not test for HIV and IVF medication or Viagra. It was only interested in three types of drugs depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens - and thresholds (such as a 0.02 blood-alcohol level) would apply.

He said the program emphasised education and rehabilitation, with staff testing positive to undergo counselling and return a negative test before they returned to work.

"We respect all employees rights to privacy the focus of it always has been our commitment to safety on the ground and in the air," Mr Sharp said.

By Medicinal Purposes Workplace Reporter 5 August 03

THE BIRD: Why did you take that drug? Because it was there and because it relieved my tension. Some people take to the bottle to find solace because it removes tension. Tension that could otherwise cause a company to go broke. We respect all employers right to privacy as long as the drug testing starts with the employers CEO's and is not discriminatory in that Prime Minister John Howard is tested as well as everybody else. Otherwise you could be judging others without judging yourself.

That's not fair. Your have an expectation about what others should do but not what you have done yourself. How do you rate?

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Shoplifting increased by 7.5 per cent last year, making it the only major crime category to register a significant increase in 2002, crime statistics show.

David Johnson, a 19-year old who spent several years on the streets, and in and out of youth refuges, believes there is a direct link between social welfare benefits and crime.

"If they can't have any income, that's what they will do, they'll revert to stealing. As I was saying before, they're cancelling out all the rent assistance. They're cancelling out all the pensioner's payments," he said.

He worries the perception of more crime will result in putting more police on the streets, which will simply result in more harassment of young people while real crimes go un-addressed.

"It's a chain reaction kind of thing. No payments, more crime. More crime, more cops. More cops, more harassment. It goes back to the bloody payments, basically," he said.

He said he has never been imprisoned, but was given a warning over two counts of petty theft when he was younger.

"I just stole a packet of Tim Tams from the bloody corner shop. I didn't realise the camera was looking straight at me," he said.

For Jesse Karauwan, a former homeless youth who served time for 27 drug and theft charges, the solution isn't dole payments, but providing the young with incentives to find work.

"You get nine dollars or something if you're at [McDonald's] or something or anywhere else. I suppose you're young, fair enough, I mean, you shouldn't make that much more than someone who's older. But like if they gave some incentive for them to actually go and look for work.

"Just say they leave school, school dropouts, instead of just hanging around, collecting the dole, smoking marijuana or whatever they do, give them some good incentive to go and find work," he said.

Attempted thong theft costs $560

A man has been fined $500 after appearing in a northern New South Wales court charged with stealing a pair of thongs.

By Satis Fied 28 March 03

THE RAT: Did you think these kids were just plain bad?

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