..An anthropologist, Gusterson is a professor of anthropology and sociology at George Mason University. His expertise is in nuclear culture, international security, and the anthropology of science. He has conducted considerable fieldwork in the United States and Russia, where he studied the culture of nuclear weapon scientists and antinuclear activists. Two of his books encapsulate this work--Nuclear Rites: A Weapons Laboratory at the End of the Cold War (University of California Press, 1996) and People of the Bomb: Portraits of America's Nuclear Complex (University of Minnesota Press, 2004). He also coedited Why America's Top Pundits Are Wrong (University of California Press, 2005); a sequel, The Insecure American, is in preparation. Previously, he taught in MIT's Program on Science, Technology, and Society
The bursting global security bubble
By Hugh Gusterson | 24 September 2008 ..
In the 1930s and 1940s, the West's financial and security structures collapsed. In the grip of a speculative bubble, and in the absence of proper oversight, banks had been allowed to lend more money than they responsibly could. (Sound familiar?) When queasy depositors sought to withdraw their money en masse, the result was a massive collapse of banks and the stock market, followed by the Great Depression. The world was then engulfed by World War II, during which about 70million people were killed--partly because jingoistic nationalism is always exacerbated by economic depression and dislocation, but also because the victors of World War I imposed what historians now see as an unfairly punitive settlement on Germany, facilitating the rise of fascism there. In the absence of a stable system either of treaties or deterrence, aggressively nationalist European powers were unable to manage their rivalries with restraint. The consequence was war on a scale beyond imagination. Human history is the story of complaisance. While disaster is fresh in our memory, we take precautions. But as the memory of disaster recedes, we start to take risks. The post-World War II order was supposed to be one in which wise men had fixed these problems, ensuring that super sized stock market crashes, great depressions, and genocidal wars would never happen again.
On the economic side, banks were regulated to make sure they lived within their means, and government spending and monetary policy were used to smooth out the business cycle and keep unemployment within parameters that didn't threaten the social order.
On the security side, a combination of alliances and treaties evolved to manage and balance the competition of the day's two superpowers--the United States and Soviet Union. After the near calamity of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the superpowers learned to avoid each other's red lines, engage one another in a sustained conversation about their military programs, use treaties to keep these programs within bounds, and cooperate in reining back the proliferation of nuclear weapons to other countries. They also added features such as permissive action links to their nuclear weapons to make an unintended explosion less likely.
But human history is the story of complaisance. While disaster is fresh in our memory, we take precautions. As the memory of disaster recedes, kept alive only in history books and the fading memories of the aged, we assume that the fruits of precaution are the natural order of things. So we start to take risks. And if the risks pay dividends in the short term, we take more risks, finding reasons not to see that we're building an edifice of risk that can only eventually collapse under its own weight.
So it was that financiers, economists, congressmen, and regulator stalked themselves into believing over the last decade that the economic laws of gravity had somehow been repealed. Otherwise intelligent people professed to believe that house prices could climb far in excess of any other indices of wealth and that a substantially unregulated new banking system, based largely on mortgages and their derivatives, could arise without calamity. If in the short term this produced great prosperity--especially for Wall Street and the politicians and regulators who enabled such a pyramid scheme--the longer-term consequence was a calamity whose full extent we don't yet know.
And what of the other shoe? Are we at least doing a better job of keeping World War III or a nuclear calamity at bay? I think not. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan show that we have already, sooner than I would have thought possible, unlearned the main lesson of Vietnam--that occupying faraway countries usually ends badly. (This lesson was articulated in the so-called Powell Doctrine back when former Secretary of State Colin Powell was a reasonable person.) U.S. troops are now involved in direct military attacks against the territory of a nuclear power, Pakistan. Thus, Washington is violating a principal rule of the road the two superpowers worked out during the Cold War: Never let the troops of two nuclear powers engage one another directly.
In addition, Washington is going to extraordinary lengths to weaken the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty so that U.S. companies can reap the short-term financial benefits of selling nuclear fuel and technology to India. (A side note: One benefit of the financial meltdown is that Congress is now too busy to approve this deal.)Ignoring the advice of many arms control experts, the five U.S.presidential administrations in power since the end of the Cold War have been slow to secure loose nuclear material and reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world, and have failed to de-alert nuclear weapons still on hair-trigger alert or negotiate a fissile material cut-off treaty. Not to mention, the air force has become so careless about nuclear safety that it recently flew nuclear-armed cruise missiles around the country without realizing it.
Then there's the matter of Russia. George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev had a handshake agreement that NATO wouldn't expand to Russia's borders if the Soviets allowed Eastern Europe to go free. But in one of the most short-sighted and dishonorable decisions in recent U.S. history, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush found it convenient to violate this agreement. Currently, Washington is busy absorbing Russia's former allies into NATO and building military bases and missile interceptor sites close to Russian territory. This is the military equivalent of building a financial empire based on credit default swaps. It's also Versailles all over again, and we should hardly be surprised that the Weimar figure of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin has been replaced by the efficiently brutal neo-fascism of current Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, that Russia is back in the business of invading neighbors, or that the Russians are planning to increase their military spending by 25 percent this year.
When financial systems and security orders collapse, we learn that everything is connected. This is a hard lesson for Americans to learn since they're ideologically predisposed to believe that every man is an island who can be prosperous and secure while others are not. But now we've learned that when poor people in modest neighborhoods lose their homes, the money drains out of our retirement funds and investment banks collapse; and when U.S. banks collapse, they can take European banks and the Russian stock market with them. We're (hopefully) about to see CEOs lose their mansions because they didn't care that plumber's and mechanics were losing their three-bedroom starter homes.
Economists like to talk about soft and hard landings when economic bubbles burst. At the moment we're in the midst of a very hard landing.And what about the security bubble we've created? Will that be a soft or hard landing when it bursts?
Unfortunately, the lawyers tell us we are only allowed to offer the film to people residing in the United States or Canada. The computers think you are someplace else right now, and that's why you are seeing this page. If you really are in the U.S. or Canada and our computers are confused, you may try accessing the website from a different network, at a friends house, etc. We're very sorry for the inconvenience, and really want as many people to see the film as possible.
The story is set in Australia in the near future. It depicts a poorly-funded police unit called the Main Force Patrol (MFP) , which struggles to protect the Outback's few remaining townspeople from violent motorcycle gangs. The film depicts future Australia as a bleak, dystopian and impoverished society that is facing a breakdown of civil order primarily due to widespread oil shortages.(This is not explained in this film but in the sequel,Mad Max 2The Road Warrior.)The film introduces a young MFP police officer,Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) who is considered the MFP's "top pursuit man".
A member of one of the biker gangs (nicknamed Nightrider) escapes from police custody by killing an officer and stealing his vehicle. Max pursues Nightrider in a high-speed chase, which results in Nightrider's death by fiery explosion. After the dangerous chase (which results in injuries to a number of officers), the police chief warns Max that the bandits will be out for him now because of Nightrider's death.
The biker gang, which is led by Toecutter (Hugh Keays-Byrne), plans to avenge Nightrider's death by killing MFP officers. Toecutter's young protegé, Johnny the Boy (played by Tim Burns), sets a trap for Max's close friend and fellow officer, Jim Goose (played by actor Steve Bisley). When Goose's vehicle is flipped over, the bikers burn him alive ("the Goose is cooked"). Jim Goose survives, but after seeing his charred body in the hospital's burn ward, Max becomes angry and disillusioned with the police force and resigns from the MFP with no intention of returning. He takes a road trip with his wife and infant son in the relatively peaceful coastal area North of their home.
While on vacation, Max's wife, Jessie, (played by Joanne Samuel) runs into Toecutter's gang, who try to molest her. She escapes, but the gang manage to track her to the home where she and Max are staying. While attempting to escape from the gang again, Jessie and her son are run down by the gang who leave their crushed bodies in the middle of the road. Max arrives too late to intervene. His son is pronounced dead on the scene, while his wife suffers massive injuries. (It is revealed in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior that she later died from her injuries.)
Filled with a burning, obsessive anger, Max once again dons his police outfit and straps on his sawn-off shotgun. Driving the supercharged, black Pursuit Special, he goes out to avenge the death of his family. He hunts down and kills the gang members one by one, including the Toecutter. When Max finds Johnny the Boy, he handcuffs Johnny's ankle to a wrecked, overturned vehicle with a ruptured gas tank. Max lights a crude time-delay fuse and gives Johnny a hacksaw, leaving him the choice of trying to saw through the handcuffs (10 minutes) or his ankle (five minutes), and then drives off into the desolate outback as the ruptured gas tank explodes.
How and Who did it.
George Miller was a medical doctor in Australia, working in a hospital emergency room, where he saw many injuries and deaths of the types depicted in the movie. While in residency at a Melbourne hospital, he met amateur film maker Byron Kennedy at a summer film school in 1971. The duo produced the short film Violence in the Cinema, Part 1, which was screened at a number of film festivals and won several awards. Eight years later, the duo created Mad Max, with the assistance of first time screen writer James McCausland (who appears in the film as the bearded man in an apron in front of the diner).
Miller believed that audiences would find his violent story to be more believable if set in a bleak, dystopic future. The film was shot over a period of twelve weeks in Australia, between December 1978 and February 1979, just outside Melbourne. Many of the car-chase scenes for the original Mad Max were filmed near the town of Lara just north of Geelong (Victoria Australia). The movie was shot with a widescreen anamorphic lens, the first Australian film to use one.
Mel Gibson, a complete unknown at this point, went to auditions with his friend and classmate Bisley (who would later land the part of Jim Goose). Gibson went to auditions in poor shape, as the night before he had gotten into a drunken brawl with three men at a party, resulting in a swollen nose, a broken jawline, and various other bruises. Mel showed up at the audition the next day looking like a "black and blue pumpkin" (his own words). Mel did not expect to get the role and only went to accompany his friend. However, the casting agent liked the look and told Mel to come back in two weeks, telling him "we need freaks." When Gibson returned, he was not recognized because his wounds had healed almost completely; he received the part anyway.
Due to the film's low budget, only Mel Gibson was given a jacket and pants made from real leather. All the other actors playing police officers wore vinyl outfits. The police cars were repeatedly repainted to give the illusion that more cars were used; often they were driven with the paint still wet. The film's post-production was done in Kennedy's house, with Wilson and Byron editing the film in Byron's bedroom on a home-built editing machine that Byron's father, an engineer, had designed for them. The duo also edited the sound in Kennedy's house.
Reception
The film initially received a mixed reaction from critics. Tom Buckley of the New York Times called it "ugly and incoherent", though Varietymagazine praised the directorial debut by Miller.
Though the film had a limited run in the United States and earned only $8 million there, it did very well elsewhere around the world and went on to earn $100 million worldwide.Since it was independently financed with a reported budget of just $300,000 AUD, it was a major financial success. For twenty years, the movie held a record in the Guinness Book of records as the highest profit-to-cost ratio of a motion picture, conceding the record only in 2000 to The Blair Witch Project. The film was awarded three Australian Film Industry Awards in 1979 for editing, sound and musical score.
Vehicles
Max's yellow Interceptor was a 1974 XB 351 V8 Ford Falcon sedan (previously a Melbourne police car)
The Big Bopper, driven by Roop and Charlie, was also a 1974 Ford Falcon XB sedan, but was powered by a 302ci Cleveland V8.
The March Hare, driven by Sarse and Scuttle, was an in-line-six-powered 1972 Ford Falcon XA sedan (this car was formerly a Melbourne taxi cab).
The most memorable car, Max's black Pursuit Special was a limited GT351 version of a 1973 XB Coupe (sold in Australia from December 1973 to August 1976) which was modified by the film's art director Jon Dowding.After filming was over, this Interceptor was bought and restored by Bob Forsenko and is currently on display in the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Cumbria, England.
The Nightrider's vehicle, another Pursuit Special, was a 1972 Holden HQ LS Monaro Coupe.
Of the motorcycles that appear in the film, 14 were donated by Kawasaki and were driven by a local Victorian motorcycle gang, the Vigilantes, who appeared as members of Toecutter's gang. By the end of filming, fourteen vehicles had been destroyed in the chase and crash scenes, including the director's personal Mazda Bongo (the small, blue van that spins uncontrollably after being struck by the Big Bopper in the film's opening chase).
Coming soon…
The whole point of this blog is so I could post this, enjoy!
I find this subject as vile as the next person but I've lived in a "pro" rehabilitation society all my life and it seems to have no effect on the rate of recedivism.
We don't have the death penalty in Australia but I would advocate it for indiscriminant killers and child rapists. Obviously there would need to be 100% proof DNA, multiple eye witnesses etc. Communities need to make a strong statement about what they will accept when the most vulnerable in our societies are harmed.
Case in point: Mark Anthony Jewel
From http://www.observationdeck.org/weblogs/vault/?p=45
Monday, June 4, 2007 Mark Anthony Jewell
Its not getting any better its getting worse. Mark Anthony Jewell may be released in 6 months if he completes a sex offenders rehabilitation course. One way or the other, He'll be out this time next year…
This is a violent, sadistic serial rapist who authorities are claiming cannot be rehabilitated (unlike all those other "nice" sex offenders).
Jewell likes to rape women and children–here is a list of some of his crimes…
1979: Burglary and wilful damage; wilful and obscene exposure, burglary
1980: Unlawfully on premises; wilful damage, theft, assaulting police, burglary and theft
1982: Burglary and theft
1984: Burglary and theft, unlawfully on premises
1990: Jailed for 16 years with a 14-year minimum after raping 10 females
1998: Released from prison on parole
1999: Jailed for 18 months for stalking, burglary and theft
2003: Pleaded guilty to sex charges against two girls. Jailed for six years with a five-year minimum
Yes, this vile stain on the crack of humanity will be out next year and will do it again but I do not blame violent repulsive criminals like Mark Anthony Jewell because he is continually given a free pass isn't he?
If you are looking for the real barbarians in this country of ours, you will not find them amongst the criminal fraternity.
Look to the courts, the Judges and the governments.
And when Jewell preys upon his next victim, the destruction that he will cause will be their fault and theirs alone. posted by The Keeper at 2:09 am
*****UPDATE******
Mark Anthony Jewel has been released from prison after only 6 years detention in which he refused to take any part in sex offender rehab programs and has been widely described as a sex monster in the major papers. Well Known Australian Barrister Peter Faris had this to say on the ruling....
THE purpose of any government is to protect its citizens -- not just one citizen but all its citizens.
The Victorian criminal justice system has released into the community a man properly described by this newspaper as a child-sex monster.
He has been released anonymously with a court order banning the publication of his name or place of residence.
Judge Frances Millane justified these suppression orders by stating that his prospects of rehabilitation must be protected.
If and when this monster reoffends, who will accept responsibility?
Will the Government say sorry to the child victim?
Will Judge Millane say sorry?
This means that the man could be living next door to you.
If you have young children, you now need to be even more careful.
The only way that parents can protect their children is if they know who the sex offenders are and where they live.
If pedophiles do not want to be exposed in this way then they should not commit their foul crimes.
The choice is simple: do we protect our children or do we protect pedophiles?
The answer is easy.
Peter Faris QC is a Melbourne barrister
*********************
Why do we risk the safety of the weak and vulnerable to habitual offenders who's satisfaction is sought in the destruction of the innocent? If a lion escapes from the zoo and starts running around eating kids rangers or police would be forced to step in and protect the community, this shouldn't be any different. ********************** 2nd UPDATE
The Supreme Court of Victoria has stopped the major newsapapers publishing details of Mark Jewels offences and release the information provided here has been in the public arena for some time.
Cave Clan is a group dedicated to urban exploration. We are much like traditional cave exploring groups in that we venture into places other people would not usually think of going, just to see what's there. Unlike traditional caving groups we don't limit ourselves to natural cavities. We will explore pretty much anything, natural or man-made. We are a pacifist organization in that we don't go and smash things underground. We have expanded remarkably since the 80s, we now have branches in most states of Australia and contacts in many countries around the world. Cave Clan has been the subject of many rumours throughout the years, such as being; a gothic band, a graffiti crew, ritualistic (having bizarre rituals and sacrifices in drains), residents of the drains who defend them to the death, a group who use drains as an escape after committing crimes, and so on. These rumours are always a source of amusement. Being a part of the Cave Clan is not a full time obsession, it's a part time hobby. Some people explore whenever possible while others explore just a few tunnels a year. It's up to the individual.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe? What about diseases and things? Cave Clan explorers a wide variety of tunnels which includes stormwater drains. Since Americans refer to stormwater drains as 'sewers', most people assume them to be effluent carrying pipelines, but this isn't accurate. Australia's stormwater and sewerage network are completely separate, therefore the only thing you'll find in a stormwater drain is rain water. If you catch diseases whilst standing out in the rain, you would probably end up in trouble. Despite what some people will tell you there aren't pools of stagnant water filled with rotting vegetation and dead bodies. It's very rare for water pools to accumulate in stormwater tunnels, and if they do, the natural rain cycles ensure they don't have enough time to sit still and stagnate. In the 20 years of Cave Clan's operation, there hasn't been a reported case of a member falling sick after exploring a stormwater drain.
What about rain and flash floods? It's true that flash floods do happen. There are warning signs and some time for escape, but the safest practice (apart from not going in tunnels at all) is to follow the golden rule; When it rains, no drains! ALWAYS check the weather forecast before exploring drains, this information is available free of charge over the phone and internet (see our safety section). Keep in mind that most drains are connected to rivers and creeks, so it can be raining a few kilometres away and that will cause a flood.
Why do you do it? There are many answers to this question. Some of the more 'hardcore' members of Cave Clan say they are addicted to exploring. Other's just like to see a cross section of what's underground. Some just do it from a social point of view, a little bit of adventure mixed with socialising. It's different for every member. Some do it to record sounds or take photos, others to get away from it all, but for most of us we have one thing in common in us; A sense of adventure.
What age do I need to be? What is the average age group of Cave Clan members? The joining age is over 18. The average age group in Melbourne is 18 - 35 with most members being in their mid twenties. We have members in their 40s as well.
Are you all dole bludgers? Nope. Cave Clan is a diverse group, you'll find tradesmen, computer geeks, shop owners, teachers, government workers, writers, students, scientists, mechanics and many other types.
How hard are these places to explore? Most places we explore are 'walk-in'. The majority of drains are high enough to stand up in, some are even enormous. Some of the locations we explore are a bit more awkward, however you are not pressured to do anything you don't want to in the Cave Clan. Some locations we know about are very difficult to get into - these are more suited to seasoned explorers and are often explored during ..unofficial expeditions'. The important thing is for newer members not to feel that they need to prove themselves to us by doing things they don't really want to - every Clan member had to start somewhere and we all know what it's like. The Cave Clan is not about who is the best and bravest, it is about enjoying yourself.
Are there leaders and officials in the Cave Clan? No. Whilst Cave Clan was founded by three people, they don't control the group. We don't have 'officials' or leaders. Every member is free to have as much or as little input as they like. Cave Clan is more a central point for like-minded explorers to meet up. Newsletters, planned expos and events are put together by a team of members who have donated their time and resources in order to keep the group organised and moving. Every member is welcome and encouraged to submit exploration related articles to our newsletter or for online distribution (expo reports etc), and give suggestions for up and coming expos and events. The Cave Clan is entirely non-profit.
How can I get involved? How do I join? Firstly, we do not encourage you to join us or to go in tunnels. However, if you are then you can contact us either by e-mail or post (where available) and we'll let you know when the next New Explorer's Expo is happening. New Explorer's Expos consist of a group of interested individuals (mostly new to the scene) and only a couple of Cave Clan members who will guide you through one of the more interesting and easy drains in your city. If you like what you see and want to join, all you have to do is subscribe to let the guide know and they will give you some information on the Cave Clan Probation.
I heard you cut off peoples fingers and have bizarre rituals down drains. Is that true? Could be!
This week George Negus speaks with FIFA President, Sepp Blatter about racism in sport, politics and the future of football.
Mr Blatter is today one of the sporting world's most powerful men, as well was one of the most recognised personalities in the football world.
Despite his fame and success, it hasn't been all smooth sailing for the sporting powerhouse, he's been accused of running FIFA as a personal fiefdom and will most likely see out his contract through till 2011.
He's recently come under the spotlight after welcoming the soccer world to Sydney's Opera House for the 58th congress. Blatter painted an optimistic picture for the future of football, but one cloud remains on the horizon in the form of his controversial "6+5" proposals.
"Football is touched by political dimension. We are going to discuss tomorrow (measures) to protect our game, to protect our national teams, to protect the national identity of the clubs and to give motivation to young players," he told an audience including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
TRANSCRIPT
Last week, the peak body of international football, FIFA, held its Annual Congress in Sydney, a first for Australia, compared with soccer's royalty from Europe and South America, still a developing Third World nation. It may surprise non-football types out there, but for what is essentially a sporting body, off the field, 208 nation-strong FIFA has serious clout in areas such as racism and child labour, in terms of influence, right up there with the International Olympic Committee. So much so, that Joseph 'Sepp' Blatter, the FIFA President, is arguably among a handful of the world's most powerful individuals. If you're one of those who believes sport and politics shouldn't be mixed, this interview with the Swiss-born boss of the world game will definitely raise an eyebrow.
GEORGE NEGUS: Mr Blatter, thanks for your time. I've travelled the world a lot, but two things I know I'm going to see, wherever I go, is Coca-Cola, which we may or may not really need, and kids kicking footballs around. Not even football sometimes - rolled up bits of string and paper. Is it bigger than any religion and ideology in the world - there are people who would think that?
SEPP BLATTER, FIFA PRESIDENT: No it is, it is, and I'm not immodest if I say that because we are not touched by religion. All religions, they play football - even nowadays all girls and women have the right to play football in cultures like the Arabic countries in the Muslim they play football. Not all in public, but they play football and football is over any ideology because the only ideology we have in football is to touch the world with our game. And how can you touch the world with our game?
GEORGE NEGUS: How do you explain that, I mean were calling this not a sport but a phenomenon? What characteristic is it that football's got, makes it have this influence, if you believe it has?
SEPP BLATTER: First of all, football is hope. Football is hope. Let me just explain. To be a better human being but also hope one day, one day, to leave your country to be somewhere, let's say admired, as a football star. And what is football producing that is so important and what we need in our world? Emotions. And then the other factor of our game is then because it's so game is so popular everybody wants to play it. And we have football matches organised in all countries, everywhere - they want to play, they want to play this game - it is more than touching a ball.
GEORGE NEGUS: It must get dangerously close to politics on occasions.
SEPP BLATTER: Absolutely.
GEORGE NEGUS: Let me try a couple of political aspects of FIFA's role with you. Palestine, not recognised by the United Nations, is an affiliate and a member of FIFA and plays in the World Cup qualification matches. That's a political statement.
SEPP BLATTER: That is a political statement, and the political statement only goes so far - that we shall not intervene in any matters. But without our intervention, two words to the authorities in Israel. It would not have been feasible, that the Palestinians can leave the country, go to different checkpoints to go and play international matches outside of Palestine and what we are trying to do now is that one day we'll try to organise an international match in Palestine.
GEORGE NEGUS: In Palestine, which officially doesn't exist?
SEPP BLATTER: The territories in Palestine.
GEORGE NEGUS: In occupied territory - would you regard that as a political achievement?
SEPP BLATTER: No, I would say this would be a sport's achievement, an achievement that football can overcome boundaries of politicians.
GEORGE NEGUS: So when people say that sports and politics don't mix, you obviously disagree - you think that they do mix?
SEPP BLATTER: They have to mix, they have to mix because of the tremendous development of the game and our involvement now also. My predecessor always has said, "we don't want to have anything to do with the United Nations." I did the contrary. As soon as I became the president, we signed a memorandum of understanding with Mr Kofi Anan in June - in May 1999 - and the United Nations flag is now in all FIFA competitions - we have also this blue flag with the United Nations.
GEORGE NEGUS: There is a lot of controversy in the world at the moment about China and the Olympic games, human rights, Tibet, etcetera, the fiasco over the torch relay. If China was applying to hold the next World Cup, in the current climate do you think they should hold the World Cup?
SEPP BLATTER: If they correspond to the list of requirements of FIFA then they should, because... GEORGE NEGUS: Would that include things like human rights?
SEPP BLATTER: No. Otherwise we can give the World Cup to nobody.
GEORGE NEGUS: I see.
SEPP BLATTER: If you go to the essence of human rights?
GEORGE NEGUS: Even in Australia?
SEPP BLATTER: No, not even my country, Switzerland. Any country if you go really, really in depth somewhere, the human rights are not totally respected.
GEORGE NEGUS: Do you think the world could have applied more pressure? Would you, for instance, as the head of FIFA, if you were in the same situation, apply more pressure on China than has been applied to get them to abide by the human rights agreement that they made at the time. Do you consider the situation in Tibet?
SEPP BLATTER: Yeah, I have considered the situation in Tibet was well known also at the time when the Olympic Games were given to China and would at that time the IOC would have said, "Listen, we gave you, or we attribute the Olympic Games under the condition that in the next six months or in a year you will solve the problem of the right of the Tibet." But they haven't done it, we haven't done it. But now to say we should not go there or we should have done this or that and at the same time the big nations in the world, the big seven or the big eight, they make a lot of trade, industry and commerce with China by selling or by producing in China and a lot of delegations travelling there still.
GEORGE NEGUS: Hypocrisy then - it's double standards.
SEPP BLATTER: It is hypocrisy.
GEORGE NEGUS: You've had campaigns in a lot of areas, humanitarian, social areas, like anti-child labour, anti-racism. How successful do you think you've been in shifting world opinion and world activity on those sorts of issues?
SEPP BLATTER: Discrimination or racism, I think we have made a lot of progress. But we can only make progress if our national associations and the clubs, where such situations occur, that they intervene.
GEORGE NEGUS: Are there countries in the world where they ignore these kinds of attempts to change?
SEPP BLATTER: No, but to intervene, it means what they have to do, and this is the only way, is to deduct points in the match where you have identified the origin or the - let's say the responsibility - or even to exclude from a competition, which EUFA did last season with one of the teams from Holland of discrimination.
GEORGE NEGUS: Despite all these admirable, high-minded motivations and intentions, continually though, there are these allegations of corruption. People say that you run the team for your own private fiefdom, for instance. Allegations of corruption against yourself over the years.
SEPP BLATTER: Yeah, but we can not be more open than we are.
GEORGE NEGUS: So why are there so many allegations, do you think?
SEPP BLATTER: Because there are obsessed people in the world, and coming from the media one day, there are barking dogs, they try to get the bone. They try to get that bone for whatever reasons. I'm happy to speak with you also about the corruption and the personal attack, but I cannot understand this ongoing, ongoing attacks, because that would also be in the evidence and would I feel guilty, then I would say go to the congress and say, "Sorry, I misled you." But it's nothing. That's it, it's nothing.
GEORGE NEGUS: It's good to talk to you. I hope you enjoy your stay in this country.
excited
FIFA president Sepp Blatter (Getty Images) 
