What are the types of the crimes of the powerful?
What are the types of crime of the powerful?
Crime, itself, is defined as ‘an act punishable by law, being forbidden by statute or injurious to the public welfare’. Power, or powerful refers to those who have the ‘ability or capacity to influence the behaviour of others or a course of events’ (Oxford 1989). In this essay then, the phrase “crime by the powerful” is not exclusive to misdemeanors carried out by elite financial institutions, corporations and dominant individuals such as civil officers and businessmen but will also be discussing a perspective of patriarchal structures that exert crimes of power over women. The crimes that would be discussed are financial scandals or frauds, illegal trafficking as well as acts against humanity and the environment. In examining the crimes committed, there seems to be one common factor. Most of them go undetected due to strong corrupted ties between the individuals and the government bodies, weak laws or simply due to minorities who are unable to fight for their rights. Thus, this essay will also be examining the effect of such crimes on those who are helpless.
Environmental racism has been growing exponentially in these recent times. In brief, environmental racism is a crime against humanity referring to “the deliberate targeting of communities of colour for toxic waste disposal and the siting for polluting industries” (Robert D. Bullard & Dr Benjamin Chavis 1993). According to the Commission for Racial Justice in the US, approximately half of all Native Americans live in communities with toxic waste sites that are uncontrollable or left unsupervised and a study conducted found that three of the five largest waste facilities dealing with hazardous materials in the United States are located in poor black communities. Children in these areas are nearly 9 times more likely than economically advantaged children to be exposed to lead levels so high they can cause severe learning disabilities and neurological
Crime, itself, is defined as ‘an act punishable by law, being forbidden by statute or injurious to the public welfare’. Power, or powerful refers to those who have the ‘ability or capacity to influence the behaviour of others or a course of events’ (Oxford 1989). In this essay then, the phrase “crime by the powerful” is not exclusive to misdemeanors carried out by elite financial institutions, corporations and dominant individuals such as civil officers and businessmen but will also be discussing a perspective of patriarchal structures that exert crimes of power over women. The crimes that would be discussed are financial scandals or frauds, illegal trafficking as well as acts against humanity and the environment. In examining the crimes committed, there seems to be one common factor. Most of them go undetected due to strong corrupted ties between the individuals and the government bodies, weak laws or simply due to minorities who are unable to fight for their rights. Thus, this essay will also be examining the effect of such crimes on those who are helpless.
Environmental racism has been growing exponentially in these recent times. In brief, environmental racism is a crime against humanity referring to “the deliberate targeting of communities of colour for toxic waste disposal and the siting for polluting industries” (Robert D. Bullard & Dr Benjamin Chavis 1993). According to the Commission for Racial Justice in the US, approximately half of all Native Americans live in communities with toxic waste sites that are uncontrollable or left unsupervised and a study conducted found that three of the five largest waste facilities dealing with hazardous materials in the United States are located in poor black communities. Children in these areas are nearly 9 times more likely than economically advantaged children to be exposed to lead levels so high they can cause severe learning disabilities and neurological
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