Pubdate: Sat, 03 Jan 2004 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Bill Engleson Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n2007/a03.html?1167 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/organized+crime ORGANIZED CRIME MORE THAN THE MOB These past few days have seen much speculation and little substance about "organized crime" and its assumed proliferation in the seats of political power and in society in general (e.g., Les Leyne's Dec. 31 column "Whiffs of crime in corridor of power.") In the same issue Jody Paterson explores the local as well as the more national political playground, and particularly the warrior-like no-holds-barred style of constituency power politics that led (for example) to the steamroller takeover of the federal Liberal party by the armed forces of Paul Martin. (I should add that I believe all parties practise this coup-like practice of domination but the Liberals are the champs.) What most interests me at this juncture is the definition of "organized crime." It is usually understood that organized crime refers to bikers and triads and mobsters and the like. Maybe, just maybe, we need to broaden this definition to include other forms of collective human endeavours. Patronage, business gifts, stacking political meetings and other behaviours that are practised with relish by the greedy, the power hungry, the tramplers of the democratic process: All of these and more questionable pastimes of the lazy and greedy perhaps should be in an expanded definition of "organized crime." Bill Engleson Denman Island - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin