MARINA HRABAR Cadre Siblings with Ted Bundy. Purge
First published by ISBN: 9798863401171 Imprint: Independently published 2023 Copyright © 2023 by Marina Hrabar All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. Marina Hrabar asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. Marina Hrabar has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book. First edition This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy. Find out more at reedsy.com
Contents 1 Acknowledgment 1 2 “Genau, genau…” 3 3 About US 6 4 Our reliable source 8 5 The Birth of Behavioral Analysis in the FBI 10 6 California Dreamin’ 12 7 To have and have not 17 8 Will Switzerland punish international criminals? 27 9 Magnitsky case 30 10 Would you like “The Purge” exist in your country. Why or why... 32 11 How Private is Private 41 12 Housing is a right, not a commodity 50 13 Talk Radio 53 14 Organized crime 58 15 That‘s ridiculous. Timing has nothing to do with it. 75 16 Houston, nous avons un problème 77 17 When Your Judge Isn’t A Lawyer 84 18 The ancient protections of Magna Carta 87 19 Bizarre Aircraft We Love, and the Stories Behind Them 109 20 JUDICIAL CORRUPTION 125 21 Duty and Desire 131 22 Bad Hombres 140 23 Revenge as a Form of Justice 143 24 Rules of Swiss Games. 174 25 Why “To Kill a Mockingbird” Still Resonates Today 182
26 What better time to revisit the lessons and impressions of... 185 27 The Characteristics of Public Administration in Switzerland 210 28 Errors in Judicial Decisions 217 29 The utopia-dystopia binary 227 30 Never give up 244 31 How to avoid applying double standards yourself 246 32 How to respond to double standards 251 33 Never say Good-Bye 254 34 About the Author 256
1 Acknowledgment Ten years from now, the United States will have undergone a significant transformation in its government and society. In the mid-2010s, the nation was close to falling apart, but a new regime, referred to as the “New Founding Fathers,” has succeeded in rejuvenating it. The rate of unemployment is close to zero, and crime rates have plummeted to 1%. It is all made possible by a single night called “The Purge,” where everything is legal. For a half-day window of time, Americans are allowed to “feed their beasts” by ridding themselves of their wicked desires. Any offense, even homicide, is lawful. Only “category 10” officers, who are believed to be the advocates of the initiative, are exempt from The Purge. The Purge is celebrated in society, and people participate without hesitation. The movie tracks James and Mary Sandin, a prosperous, youthful pair who earn their livelihood by vending home protection systems to the affluent. While they opt out of The Purge, they must safeguard themselves since their child rescues a ‘target’ from murder. They are forced to choose between defending the refugee or turning him over to his assailants. The movie’s idea prompts audiences to ponder what they would do in the Sandins’ position. Throughout the decades, actual individuals have dealt with such difficult choices, yet the film portrays them as an intangible notion. 1
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. After World War II, many countries pledged to never again stand idly by whilst human beings were massacred. In the film ‘The Purge’, characters highlight that the program’s true victims are the poor. As they cannot afford protection, they are easy targets. The rich in America’s dystopian society feel entitled and regard the poor as a burden on the system. They employ “The Purge” as an occasion to eliminate the country’s “scum” and “pigs.” What seems like an opportunity to satisfy “natural, animalistic urges” essentially aims to get rid of a set of people perceived as unwanted. Humanrights are founded on the belief that each person is a moral and rational entity deserving of respect. They encompass more than just freedom of speech and other rights we value highly in our world. They are fundamental and inherent. The most basic right that every person has is the right to life. Sadly, history has repeatedly shown that this right is frequently ignored. The rights to freedom of thought, religion, and speech are all significant. What can we learn about human rights from “The Purge”? The film shows us that these rights can easily be disregarded. It only takes a few individuals who fail to speak up and take a stand for even the most basic of human rights to be taken away. What was the worst part of the clown purge? Not knowing how many of them could be in that car driving past you 2
2 “Genau, genau…” Consider examples from Soviet folk. More than 55 years ago, there was a show trial of the poet Joseph Brodsky. This is perhaps the most famous person who was persecuted under the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR “On Strengthening the Fight against Persons (idlers, slackers, parasites) who Evade Socially Useful Labor and Lead an Anti-Social Parasite Lifestyle.” Just three years after this decree, 37,000 people were exiled. Brodsky went to a village in the Arkhangelsk region. “Who recognized you as a poet? Who ranked you as a poet?” Immediately after school, Brodsky managed to work in different places: as a milling machine operator at the factory, an assistant in the morgue, and in geological parties. Brodsky has not worked anywhere in the state since 1962 (it follows from the documents of the prosecution). • In November 1963, the newspaper “Vecherniy Leningrad” published an article “Okololiteraturny chickpea”, which allegedly quotes Brodsky, and the authors of the article scolded him for his “parasitic way of life”. “Preparing the ground” continued with the publication of letters from readers of the newspaper, outraged by the poet. TRACTORS AT DAWN 3
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. ..AND THE SUN RISES AND STARES BLINDLY, AND MOWS THE SLEEPY HUTS WITH ITS RAYS. AND THE TRACTORS RISE LIKE BIRDS TO THE SKY. AND THE PLOWS RAISE THE FIELDS TO THE SUN. IT’S A WORKING MORNING. THE MORNING OF THE PEOPLE! A WORKING MORNING WITH AN ANCIENT SMILE. LIKE A GREAT RIVER, NATURE LOOKS DOWN ON THE PEOPLE AND RISES, REFLECTING, FROM SLEEP WITH THE VILLAGE. 1965 BRODSKY Brodsky will be arrested on January 13, 1964, and to pass the strictest sentence (five years of exile) in this administrative case. Judge Ekaterina Savelieva of the Dzerzhinsky District Court of Leningrad has two sessions. At the first one, Brodsky is sent for a compulsory forensic psychiatric examination. According to its results, they draw the conclusion: “There are psychopathic traits of character, but he is able to work. Therefore, administrative measures may be applied. Brodsky said that he was actually tortured in the hospital.” There are no documents from the trial itself, as it was an “ordinary” administrative case, but a famous record of Frida Vigdorova (she was a journalist and human rights activist) has survived. “Brodsky systematically fails to fulfill the duties of a Soviet man to produce material goods and personal security, which is evident from his frequent job changes. He was warned by the MGV bodies in 1961 and in 1962 by the police. He promised to get a permanent job. But he did not draw any conclusions, continued not to work, and wrote and read his decadent poems in the evenings. From the certificate of the Commission for Work with Young Writers, it is clear that Brodsky is not a poet. He was condemned by the readers of the newspaper, Vecherny Leningrad. Therefore, the court applies the Decree of 4/P. 1961: Exile Brodsky to remote areas for five years with compulsory labor,” Vigdorova wrote about the verdict. 4
“GENAU, GENAU…” Judge: And what is your specialty? Brodsky: Poet. A poet-translator. Judge: And who recognized that you are a poet? Who recognized you as a poet? Brodsky: No one (without challenge). And who considered me among the human race? So, who was judged in the 1960s of the twentieth century: a poet, unwanted by the system, or a person who did not want to engage in socially useful activities? Putting aside the extremes, it remains to recognize that they are both in the same person. Why be surprised? After all, the poet is a being to some extent spontaneous, not of this world, so the assessment of his actions should be approached with special measures. But there were none of them in the “great, mighty” Soviet Union. Today, the poet, novelist, and translator Joseph Alexandrovich Brodsky (1940–1996) is known all over the world. He is often called “the Shakespeare of our days”, a classic, and a “cultural phenomenon”. But not so long ago, the name of this master of words, who was born and spent his youth in Leningrad, was anathematized by some of his compatriots! Why? It is difficult to say. Apparently, he did not want to be like everyone else. Brodsky died on the night of January 27-28, 1996 from a heart attack. According to the last will of the poet, his body was buried in Venice, on the island of San Michele, although once in his youth he wrote: Neither the country nor Pogosta I don’t want to choose - On Vasilyevsky Island I’ll come to die. (“Stanzas”) But, having left for the USA, the poet forgot about these words. Well, he had the right to do so. And the debate about the “Brodsky case” has not subsided to this day. But now Iosif Alexandrovich is no longer concerned about it. 5
3 About US Meet Maryna Hrabar. She officially lives in the Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. Maryna Hrabar has her personal information, she has not committed any crime in her life (48 years old), and she has a university degree in linguistics (English). She is allowed to write from her new homeland (Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland) according to the standards of the Swiss journalistic profession. Her specialization is “Old English, Early Middle English, and Late Old English”. One of the few Irish words that everyone in Ireland knows is amadán, “an idiot”. They might know liúdramán too. Maryna Hrabar has the right to use her documents (Swiss Personal Data Protection Act), because this personal data is her personal data. • Maryna Hrabar took courses with Harvard Online: Contracts are promises that the law will enforce. But when will the law refuse to honor a promise? What happens when one party does not hold to their part of the deal? She has learned the skills she needs to make change happen. Her best vacation planner: Maryna Hrabar would like to visit the US island that speaks Elizabethan English. Facts and documents. How to Use Storytelling in Documentation. - If you’d like, the court will provide you with a free lawyer. - Thank you, Your Honor, but I’d rather have two competent, paid witnesses. 6
ABOUT US Meet Ted Bundy: Imagine Ted Bundy, who, after being arrested in Colorado, staged two dramatic prison escapes and other assaults, including three murders, appears in modern times and Switzerland. Ted Bundy was one of the most notorious criminals of the late 20th century. He murdered at least 20 women and admitted to 36 murders in the 1970s. Ted Bundy said, “The illusions that accompany crime and create its premonition are always more exciting than the immediate aftermath of the crime itself.” Bundy was executed in the electric chair at the Florida State Penitentiary on January 24, 1989. A cool, emotionless demeanor, along with a keen intellect and charming personality, make psychopathic killers like Bundy highly effective predators. He lacked interpersonal empathy and was incapable of feeling sympathy or remorse. He did not value human life and did not care about the consequences of his own crimes. He was callous, indifferent, and extremely brutal in his dealings with his victims. From a classification standpoint, Bundy was a so-called power/control serial killer. The main motive of such killers is to control their victims. Bundy’s IQ was actually a very impressive 136. For a general frame of reference, he’s probably smarter than your doctor, though a lot less beneficial to your health. Doctors come in around 120-125. To be a little more precise, Albert Einstein’s IQ was between 160 and 190 (the experts have never pinned it down). He didn’t stick with Chinese, and it’s not clear how much of the language Bundy learned to speak. By 1968, he lost interest in Chinese. “His intelligence and social skills enabled him to enjoy a successful college career, and he developed a series of apparently normal emotional relationships with women,” Britannica told the world public. Katherine Ramsland, a professor of forensic psychology in Pennsylvania and the author of The Human Predator, said in Bundy’s case it was his good looks and charm. “Many women thought Ted Bundy was handsome,” she said. “That he was in law school and knew how to dress well was also a plus”. 7
4 Our reliable source In 2017, there were 336 German-language, 59 French-language, 11 Italian, and 2 Romansh newspapers in Switzerland. The total circulation of newspapers amounted to more than 3 million copies sold. Switzerland also publishes numerous periodicals, association newspapers, free newspapers and official bulletins. But pluralism of opinion is a thing of the past! The leading newspapers are owned by two major publishing houses - Tamedia and Ringier - based in Zurich. The Swiss Radio and Television Company (SRG SSR) is a media group that includes 17 public radio stations (such as SRF 1, La Première, RSI and Radio Rumantsch) and television stations (such as SRF, RTS and TSI). It broadcasts in four national languages. In addition, there are 43 private regional radio stations in Switzerland. Their market share is 31% in the German-speaking regions, 26% in the Frenchspeaking regions, and 18% in the Italian-speaking regions. Switzerland ranked eighth in the 2019 Press Freedom Index. The study was traditionally written by the international human rights organization Reporters Without Borders. Mergers and acquisitions affect the objectivity of information presentation. Regional interests that shape public opinion are increasingly lost against the backdrop of events in major cities and international issues. 8
OUR RELIABLE SOURCE In 2019 alone, the Swiss Confederation has fallen two ranks behind Jamaica and Costa Rica. Expansion of state television and radio. Private advertising revenues are often not enough to fund objective journalists. They need subscription-paying readers. Because of the compulsory levy in favor of the SRG, many residents cannot afford to buy subscriptions to private media as well. This deprives these media of the very source of income they would have if there were fair and equal competition in the media market in Switzerland. To reduce the media’s dependence on officials, the federal government has developed an elaborate system of state control over state television and radio. We are forced to read the news presented by Swiss state television and radio under the “sauce” of PUBLIC OFFICIALS. SRG argues that it is established in the legal form of a (private) association under Swiss law. Therefore, it is “public” according to the state television version”. Scheme: The SRG concludes, for example, a concession under public law with the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications. Through this concession, the authorities can directly influence the content of the program. There is a saying: “Do you want to see the eyes of an SRF employee bleed? Tell him he works for the state.” Why do executives and employees deny their state status? Even the Swiss Post and the Swiss Federal Railways, for example, like to emphasize that they fulfill a state task and are part of the state. The profession of journalism in Switzerland is also becoming more dangerous every year. Media representatives are increasingly becoming victims of pressure from the authorities. In the latter case, Swiss officials are increasingly suing media representatives. The culture of responding adequately to journalistic criticism is dwindling. There are three major laws regulating data protection and information privacy in Switzerland: Article 13 of the Swiss Constitution, the Federal Act on Data Protection (DPA), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 9
5 The Birth of Behavioral Analysis in the FBI Any person can tell you what the FBI is doing. For years, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have been preventing terrorist attacks and catching criminals without leaving the screens. And do not chase any petty criminals, but with their ingenuity scare madmen, financial sharks, the best minds of the criminal world, and cybercriminals. That is why the plots of the series about the FBI are so diverse and can be really entertaining. The list of the most famous American gangsters of the 20th century includes Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, John Dillinger, Ma Barker, and other sinister criminals who spilled rivers of blood and left a terrible black trail. The nightmarish history did not prevent the criminals’ contemporaries and their grateful descendants from romanticizing the biographies of the egregious bandits and making the robbers and murderers popular figures in 20thcentury American history. Humberto Anastasio, called the Mad Hatter, was the founder of the Gambino family and known as one of the most violent gangsters in America. When Lucky took over the chief seat of criminal life in America, the reformer’s first innovation was the division of labor to increase efficiency. Among other things, a liquidation department was created, called the Murder Corporation, which was headed by Anastasia. The Murderer committed his first murder in 1921, for which he received the death penalty. However, the good work of the lawyers and the non-appearance of all witnesses at the trial 10
THE BIRTH OF BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS IN THE FBI for retrial led to the annulment of the sentence and the release of the gangster, where the murderer was waiting for new crimes and the post of the head of the Homicide Department. In early February 1978, the Bureau placed Bundy on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. Among the information shared by the FBI with law enforcement during this time were details on his “M.O.” (modus operandi or method of operation). The synopsis was pulled from a psychological assessment of Ted Bundy prepared by two FBI agents—Howard Teten and Robert Ressler—at the Bureau’s Training Academy. The two men were part of a groundbreaking behavioral analysis unit set up five years earlier for precisely this purpose: to study the behavior, experiences, and psychological make-up of criminals and suspects for patterns and insights that could help solve cases and prevent future crimes, especial serial murders and other forms of violence. Criminal behavioral analysis wasn’t a new concept. In the 1940s and 1950s, for example, George Metsky—the so-called “Mad Bomber”—planted explosive devices around New York City until a behavioral profile developed for the police by a local criminologist and psychiatrist helped lead to his capture in 1957. But in the coming years, the FBI would take this innovation to a whole new level. While imprisoned in a maximum-security Florida prison awaiting the outcome of various appeals, the frighteningly charming death row inmate agreed to sit down with FBI profiler Bill Hagmaier for a series of interviews that extended over a period of years. On the eve of Bundy’s execution, the cagey rapist and serial killer finally revealed the gruesome details of 30 of his crimes to the law enforcement officer. The story of Hagmaier’s exclusive conversations with Bundy are depicted in a chilling drama of the same title, starring Emmy winner Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Ted Bundy and Elijah Wood (The Lord Of The Rings franchise) as Bill Hagmaier. The conversations between the two men in the film are almost verbatim taken from actual recordings the real Hagmaier made. How do criminals in the modern world still manage to cheat the court and escape real punishment? 11
6 California Dreamin’ *By providing insight into the mind of Ted Bundy, an imaginary situation. I’ve been fascinated by true crime for a long time and certainly knew a fair amount about my story but the relationship between Bill Hagmaier and me was. It offered a different take in terms of how I (Bundy’s) have been represented in films in the sense that it’s not really about the trial. It’s not about me on the run. It’s also not depicting the murders. It is a film about a man on death row that tells that part of his story. My grasp on that power is dwindling. The conversations that occurred between them as depicted in the film are very close to what actually was said, and that’s really fascinating. It’s a story about Bill Hagmaier as much as it’s about me, Bundy—a man who was part of the FBI profiler team in its infancy who met me and was there to gather information and understanding from me. There are moments where it’s human-to-human. It’s a human connection that almost has to take place, and I found that really fascinating as well. And, from a psychological standpoint, how much was Bill affected by (these interactions) and spending that length of time with someone like me? Sitting opposite a person like that has got to leave an impression on you. Bill, obviously, had a career of encountering many people like that. 12
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ The story in which Bill recalls his childhood fear of rats and the silence after his father dealt with it is an intense one in which Bill reveals his vulnerability to you. Did Bill tell you it was a deliberate choice to reveal this very personal story to you or whether it happen unexpectedly over the course of their many discussions? Ted Bundy: I don’t think Bill’s a manipulative person but when you’re dealing with a known manipulator, you’re putting on an act, to a degree. In order for me to trust Bill, there had to be some sense of humanity exchanged. From very early on, possibly the first meeting, the tables were turned on Bill. I asked a number of questions that are very personal like, “Why did you end up in the FBI?” “How did you get there?” These are personal questions that divert from the intent of the conversation. It’s a changing of the roles. For Bill to divulge some degree of intimacy or personal detail was probably strategic on his part to allow me to feel safe and to feel like there was a genuine exchange rather than somebody simply coming in there to get something from him. I didn’t have faith or trust in law enforcement, primarily because many of them wanted something from him. They wanted a notch on their belt or accolades. Bill had to go to great lengths to prove he wasn’t that person (although he did write a book years later based on his conversations with me). 13
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. Bill is a man of faith and he’s humble about his accomplishments. Could you talk about how his faith may have helped him through this long ordeal of speaking with a serial killer? Ted Bundy: Bill leaned on his family and, I’m assuming, his faith as well as a means of there being a separation from the darkness that he had to endure. There are countless conversations he’s had to have and cases he’s had to review of such ugliness and darkness. You wonder what gets him through that. How can you remain intact as a human being while enduring that? I think it is his faith and his family which are extremely important to him and make up the foundation around him as a fortifying element against the darkness that he has to endure that are built into his job. What are you working on? Bill Hagmaier: One of the things that’s so fascinating about Bundy, specifically, is that unlike other serial killers who tend to not be able to function in society in traditional ways appears to be a functioning member of society. He was involved in state-level politics. He studied to be a lawyer. He was married and had a kid. He was gregarious. That doesn’t compute with the profile that we normally have for these sorts of people. A lot of the films portray those aspects of his personality because it was a massive part of who he was. What’s less covered, and what was so interesting about this particular story, is that he wasn’t as intelligent as he made himself out to be. He was a narcissist; he wanted to be admired. He wanted to be a powerful person. He was a great manipulator. But he also was insecure, kind of weak, and often deeply afraid, and this movie portrays that side of him, which I think is interesting. So much is revealed when one faces their demise. The reality of what they’re facing reveals so much about who they are. All legal systems of the world have taken the position that a mentally ill person cannot be held criminally responsible for his or her actions. For the Anglo-American system, this statement is deeply rooted in history. However, 14
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ in the latter half of the 20th century, the U.S. Supreme Court issued several decisions under which the mentally ill could be prosecuted, convicted, and committed. At least three decisions, Duskey v. United States, Pate v. Robinson, and Drop v. State of Missouri, set the stage for the U.S. courts’ work on insanity. Ted is not crazy and anybody is capable of doing this. In Daskey, the United States Supreme Court established the proper standard for determining whether a person can be held criminally responsible. A person’s sanity in such a case must be such that “the defendant, with a reasonable degree of rational understanding, was able to consult with his counsel and to appreciate the factual significance of the hearing against him” In the infamous case of Ford v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court held that it was impermissible to impose the death penalty on a mentally ill person because doing so would violate the constitutional principle of inapplicability of cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It was explained that this approach has been favored since early English common law. Generally, there are two approaches to determining a person’s insanity for sentencing purposes in the United States. In his dissenting opinion in the Ford case, Justice Powell characterized the definition of insanity for death penalty purposes as “the Eighth Amendment prohibits the death penalty only for those who do not understand the reason and purpose of the punishment imposed upon them.” This approach is based on giving priority to the intellectual characteristic of insanity. In particular, the mandatory medical examination, on the basis of which a clear need for psychiatric treatment is established, and the psychiatrist’s recommendations, which are approved at the trial, help to ensure that psychotropic drugs are used for treatment only in cases of severe mental disorders that pose a clear danger to others or to the person himself. These provisions also allow the interests of the defendant (inmate) to be considered when the adverse effects of such medication are less noticeable than the improvement in the patient’s mental state. It is the cumulative effect 15
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. of these requirements that brings the court’s action against the mentally ill into compliance with the constitutional due process clause (Washington v. Harper, 494 U.S. 210 (1990). However, none of the current theories of punishment in the United States precludes the incarceration of individuals who cannot adequately control their behavior because of a mental illness. This condition persists for a number of reasons. For example, for the reason that society needs to be protected from the criminal acts of its members regardless of their mental state, and placement in a mental institution does not always result in longterm incarceration (sometimes about 2 years). Other arguments are based on deterring the rest of society from committing crimes by punishing the offender or inflicting appropriate suffering on the offender. While psychiatrists are physicians who have professional insights and explanations of general patterns of thought, emotion, behavior, and motivation, not all human behavior can be explained by a psychiatric diagnosis. For example, research has found that less than 5% of violent acts in the United States are attributable to a mental disorder. Another study found that even among offenders with mental illness, fewer than 1 in 5 crimes are directly related to psychiatric symptoms. Criminal behavior or misconduct is not synonymous with psychiatric illness. Expert psychiatric testimony often addresses whether a defendant has a psychiatric diagnosis and is relevant to the legal question presented. For example, does the defendant have a history of bipolar disorder, and if so, did it relieve him of any criminal responsibility? But a large debt owed to a drug dealer, for example, could be the underlying motivation for a bank robbery. Identifying such factors does not always actually require psychiatric expertise. Based on the evidence presented, juries may be able to reach reasonable conclusions. Actual figures and test results (e.g., IQ scores, malingering tests, personality assessments) can seem to be objective facts, and they must be interpreted in context. Though assessment tools can also provide guidance in some cases, presuming they are infallible is dangerous, especially when making legal decisions about someone’s life and liberty. 16
7 To have and have not *By providing insight into the mind of Ted Bundy, imaginary situation. What promoted the idea of the purge? Is it a good idea? Ted Bundy: That’s good times. I know we were skeptical as a nation at first, but against all odds, The Purge has turned into one of the most consistently entertaining series in recent memory. And that success led me to a fairly obvious question this weekend: Would the Purge actually work in the United States? For example, this piece from The Week notes that the idea for the Purge came about after “a public outcry for protection and vengeance against the increasing number of homeless.” That’s important (relatively speaking), because most of the talk about how ridiculous the idea of a Purge is centers around it being sold as a way to decrease crime by allowing average Americans to let out all of their pent-up rage and anger once a year with zero fear of punishment. While it obviously evolved into that at some point, what this forgotten detail reveals is that the program started with a very specific target and goal. It wasn’t to reduce crime by giving people the green light to act like savages; it was a declaration of war against the homeless. What would make the Purge especially successful is that the enemy in 17
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. question would have almost no means of defense. It’s not like homeless people have guns in this country. If the United States government convinced the public that homelessness represented a grave threat and gave them 12 hours to go out and deal with that threat in any manner they saw fit, the result would be nothing short of a bloodbath. And a boon for the novelty assault weapon industry. In that way, at least for one year, the Purge would be hugely successful. Homelessness would indeed be much less of a concern because untold numbers of homeless people would be wiped out in one night. How to justify its existence after that first year is an entirely different story, but the government would have public opinion on its side for at least a little while after the inaugural Purge. That’s because … Less Homelessness Means More Money For Social Services I guess I should go on record here to confirm that I’m not saying we should institute an annual Purge to deal with homelessness in this country. I’m just saying that it would probably work, and when it did, it would maybe lead to some quality of life improvements for whatever poor people did manage to survive. You see, our current strategy for dealing with homelessness is to throw money at the problem. At last count, our spending in that area was somewhere around $4.5 billion annually. There’s nothing wrong with that. Obviously, money can be an extremely potent weapon in that particular battle. That said, if you eliminate the bulk of the nation’s homeless people in one raucous night, you free up a lot of money to spend in other ways. Tax cuts for the wealthy? Ted Bundy: Or even better, you could spend it in a very similar way. Specifically, you could spread that money around to people who need it to stave off homelessness themselves. Sounds awful, I know, but there’s at least some evidence that things play out exactly that way in the Purge-friendly version of 18
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT America. In the opening moments of the first film, there’s a statistic that says that violence and unemployment are almost non-existent. There’s a good chance that’s a smoke-and-mirror kind of thing that doesn’t really benefit anyone, and we’ll talk about that more in a bit. However, if we’re giving the benefit of the doubt, it’s just as possible that the Purge led to an influx of available resources which made their way to people living in less extreme forms of poverty. If it’s true that there’s a link between poverty and crime, this transfer of “wealth” would stand a perfectly fine chance of lessening crime in a large-scale kind of way. And now everyone has extra money to buy the coolest masks available. Ted Bundy: Granted, that would be a temporary benefit, and it would require the mass slaughter of some of the same people the program was meant to help in order to make any sort of sense on a long-term basis. And it probably won’t surprise you at all to know that this eventually becomes one of the key plot points of the entire series. Nevertheless, a government with a good enough handle on what information gets disseminated to the people could make it look good for at least the first year or so. Fewer People And A Burgeoning Purge Industry Means Low Unemployment Another key feature of life after the Purge is that unemployment reaches record low levels. This seems logical enough to me for a few different reasons. For starters, even though the targets of the annual campaign are the poorest, most vulnerable members of society, it’s inevitable that more than a few “middleclass” types (i.e. not homeless) will get swept up in the carnage every year. This exact situation makes up a good portion of the plot of the second movie. That’s also the point in the franchise where we learn that, if there aren’t enough legitimately poor people to go around, the government sends out armed militias to round up enough people to ensure a “successful” Purge. 19
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. What that amounts to is scores of able-bodied people exiting the labor pool every year, most of them leaving perfectly decent jobs behind. Sure, people would be irate if they knew that was happening, and the people who find out about it in the movies are no exception. The problem is, that we’re a nation that’s predisposed to not believing that massive government conspiracies actually happen. There’s no reason to believe that the future people who might publicly question the motives and actions of the New Founding Fathers (the political party that came up with the idea for the Purge) wouldn’t receive the same “conspiracy nut” write-off that we give people who make wild claims about government cover-ups today. We’re talking about a government that successfully convinced most of the populace to support a genocide against the homeless. Believing they could also hide their wrongdoing for an extended period of time isn’t so unrealistic once you take that into account. Also, they’d have the benefit of being able to say that the Purge itself creates jobs because it absolutely would. An entire industry would spring up around the annual event in no time at all. There are the obvious ventures, like finding new and exciting ways to protect people from dying on Purge night. Ethan Hawke’s character in the first movie is employed in that exact field. This means he sells baseball bats. Then there’s all the super fun “I Purged!” memorabilia that would be produced and sold every year. What’s the point of Purging if you can’t put a sticker on your shirt that says you did it, and then take a picture of yourself wearing that sticker and upload it to Facebook? Just because I think the Purge could work doesn’t mean I want to participate in it. Oh, and since we’re back on the subject of things about it that might work, let’s talk numbers! Violent Crime Would Plummet Okay, I admit right off the bat this would be some absolute smoke and mirrors shit, but in the most technical sense, the Purge would absolutely lead to a dramatic drop in violent crime statistics. 20
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT That goes for any pre-planned murder. 21
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. If it’s someone close to you, why would you bother doing it any day other than the Purge? 22
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT Because you might get killed yourself if you risk going out into the streets and/or shacking up for the night with a person who probably wants to kill you too? 23
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. Whatever, don’t be a pussy about it. This is the Purge. 24
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT The reason for that is really simple: Premeditated murder convictions would disappear almost completely. Statistics for what percentage of homicide convictions are of the first degree vary per year, but this Bureau of Justice Statistics report says the number is around 70 percent, if we’re talking about spouse murders. How many of those murders are still going to be on the books if disgruntled soulmates have a dedicated 12-hour window each year during which they can slay their significant other with impunity? I mean, yeah, science says that committing one crime can sometimes give people a taste for it that makes them keep doing it. That’s certainly a thing we’d have to contend with. “This never gets old!” And murder definitely isn’t the only form of violent crime. I’m not sure how your garden-variety sexual assaulter is going to hold off until the next government-sanctioned crime spree rolls around. But that’s beside the point, really. What matters is that, in terms of statistics, the Purge would appear to have a positive impact on crime in the United States. There would be the same amount of crime, obviously, if not significantly more. But still, if you’re the kind of person who would support the Purge, you’d most likely accept this cosmetic change in numbers as proof that it’s working. That brings us to the last point … The Public Would Support It Remember, the first Purge happened because the public was clamoring for a way to protect themselves from the homeless. It’s implied that there might have been some mind control involved in that party coming to power. But again, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that, by that point, regardless of the means used to accomplish it, the American public was sold enough on the idea of the Purge to vote it into law. As mentioned previously, the first Purge would inevitably have some tangible benefits for the country. Not only would that make anyone who voted for it in the first place feel justified in their decision, but it would also likely sway some of those who may have opposed it or been on the fence about 25
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. it previously. From there, the government’s job of selling voters on the idea that a yearly killing spree is something the country needs becomes a lot easier. The most brilliant thing about the Purge, as far as evil government programs go, is that it quickly evolves into one that feeds on the only segment of society that would be opposed to it in a widespread way, which is poor people. As I mentioned earlier, we learn in the second movie that at some point, there aren’t enough people participating in the Purge to make it worthwhile, so the government just sends out armies to round people up. This gives them an easy means of shutting down dissent, which would pair nicely with the fact that no one has less representation in a democratic government than poor people. If you think a whole lot of voters wouldn’t come to see the Purge (no matter how it’s carried out) as a problem that only the significantly less fortunate need to worry about, you’ve probably never been to America. As much as the movies try to portray the Purge as a negative thing, they also make it very clear that it still has significant public support. There’s a scene in the third movie in which an anti-Purge senator is debating a member of the New Founding Fathers. When he claims that the Purge “saved the country,” she doesn’t dispute it in the slightest — she just mutters something about how there are “other ways to do it.” 26
8 Will Switzerland punish international criminals? *By providing insight into the mind of Ted Bundy, an imaginary situation. Imagine Ted Bundy, who, after being arrested in Colorado, staged two dramatic prison escapes and other assaults, including three murders, appears in modern times and Switzerland. The unique combination of charm, good looks, keen intellect, lust for control, and cold-blooded, psychopathic personality made Bundy a prolific serial killer, a near-perfect killing machine that continues to fascinate and baffle us to this day. I’m here. Believe it or not, Bundy has had many relationships over the years. His partner seemed oblivious to the dark side of his personality. His ex-wife Boone divorced Bundy and moved from Florida. Since then, Ted Bundy’s ex-wife and daughter have stayed out of the spotlight and not much is known about them. Bundy’s childhood, education, distinct profile, consistent behavior, and romantic relationship all work in Bundy’s favor, ensuring that law enforcement has no clue about his actions. Ted Bundy meets a beautiful Swiss girl and confesses his love for her. She falls into his tender arms and a happy life begins. She describes him as “kind, warm and patient” when he proposes. Several groups of people can 27
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. benefit from simplified naturalization. Decisions are left solely to the federal government, making the process easier and faster. These people are: - Spouse of a Swiss citizen residing in Switzerland. She has been living with her for 3 years in marriage and has lived in Switzerland for a total of 5 years, of which she is just before the application is filed. Ted Bundy holds a Swiss passport, loves his Swiss wife, and is loved and cherished as a respectable member of the Swiss canton community. American police want to take Ted Bundy, a Swiss man, to America. The Swiss see Bundy as the victim of an overzealous prosecutor, a corrupt police officer, and a vengeful American fiancée. He uses this realization to his advantage, turning the trial into a sideshow based on his own sense of cleanliness. As his own attorney, he stands to interrogate his ex-girlfriend Carol. After he made her say he wasn’t creepy, he posed the question, and the two bonded in the middle of the hearing. Ted Bundy: My lawyer gave her my card. We stood. “I‘m sorry for your loss,” I said to Mrs. Bell. She looked at me in poisonous silence for a moment. ” I don‘t wish to speak with you,” she said. In the car, driving, my lawyer turned and smiled at me. “Bitch,” he said. “I see,” I said. “You believe her.” “Why wouldn’t I?” my Lawyer said. “She knows you. But she has no idea who killed her sister, nor how that connects with you. Did I miss anything?” “Not unless I missed it, too,” I said. “The question is,” I said, ” does she know something that she is not sharing, or is she just trying to find an object for her anger.” “Why did the cops come?” she said when I came in. There was a conference table and six chairs. “We were worried about you,” I said. “We wanted to be sure you were all right.” She stared at me. “All right?” she said. “Of course, I‘m not fucking all right. My sister‘s dead and it‘s my fault. How fucking all right is that?” 28
WILL SWITZERLAND PUNISH INTERNATIONAL CRIMINALS? “That‘s crazy.” “Yes,” I said. “It is. And it‘s crazy that somebody hired Police to beat you up. We still do not know what. But we will.” “I wish I‘d never started all this,” she said. “I don‘t blame you. But I‘m with you. And the Swiss cops are with you. And we‘ll hang in there together until we find out why.” “Americans will lie about pretty much anything! We are not going to let go of our Swiss Dear son! The next time someone tells you, “This meal is delicious” “Each of us has had a bad experience with the police,” Mutombo (secretarygeneral of CRAN) told Swiss public radio, RTS. Several other young men told RTS that “we have to show our hands are clean in everything we do.” Ted Bundy: In Switzerland, for example, there was a case against former Algerian Defense Minister Khalid Nezar. He was arrested in Switzerland in October 2011 after being indicted in court for his involvement in war crimes in Algeria from 1992 to 1994. Dropped. In early 2017, the Swiss Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office closed the case, arguing that there were insufficient grounds to accuse H. Nezar of war crimes, as there had been no armed conflict in Algeria during the period in question. Khaled Nezzar is set to be the highest-ranking military official ever tried for war crimes under the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows states to investigate and prosecute people suspected of having committed international crimes regardless of where they were committed, their nationality, or the nationality of the victims. the indictment had followed years of complex investigations, in which 24 people had been questioned. It said in particular that Nezzar was alleged “at the very least” to have “knowingly and willingly condoned, coordinated and encouraged the torture and other cruel, inhumane or humiliating acts, physical and psychological assaults, arbitrary detentions and convictions and extra-judicial executions”. It said Nezzar was presumed innocent until proven guilty. The conflict between the Algerian government and armed Islamist groups referred to as the “Black Decade”, led to almost 200,000 missing and dead and resulted in an unknown number of victims of torture, sexual violence, and other crimes. 29
9 Magnitsky case “Switzerland will return money seized from three Russians accused of being involved in one of the most notorious fraud cases in recent memory. These assets have been blocked based on a recent ruling by the Federal Criminal Court. This comes against a backdrop of high tensions between the West and Moscow, and risks damaging the reputation of the Swiss judiciary at the international level”. “The Swiss judicial system does not seem to have the capacity to deal with money laundering,” said Bill, an American investor and now British citizen, founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital Management. Browder says. This is a Swiss move to return 14 million Swiss francs ($15.3 million) to three Russians, Vladren Stepanov, Denis Katsif and Dmitry Kruyev, who are under sanctions in the United States and other Western countries. Here are his thoughts on recent decisions. The three are the main figures in the so-called Magnitsky case, named after Russian lawyer Sergey Magnitsky, who died in custody under suspicious circumstances after uncovering a huge financial fraud in 2009. The Hermitage has launched a criminal investigation in Switzerland, where some of the funds were hidden, believing the company to be the main victim of the fraud. “We filed a lawsuit and provided full evidence of fraud against us. Nevertheless, the Swiss authorities decided to release the funds,” Browder said. The return was estimated at about $230 million (211 million Swiss francs). That money ended up in the pockets of various crooks. This money was then distributed through a network of post companies 30
MAGNITSKY CASE and numbered accounts across Europe, including Switzerland. On July 21, 2021, federal prosecutor Diane Kohler dropped charges and signed a document dismissing the case. “The investigation did not reveal any evidence to justify prosecuting anyone in Switzerland,” BA said in a statement. However, he added, “a link was also established between some of the property seized in Switzerland and predicate crimes committed in Russia.” Swiss media Gotham City reported that “part” of the case was about CHF8 million deposited in a Credit Suisse account opened by Stepanov’s offshore company Faradin Systems. Four million francs. The Swiss investigation identified several practices typical of money laundering: the use of transit accounts, the speed and volume of transfers, and the frequent mixing of funds through shell companies in several countries. The purpose of such non-transparent actions was to “prevent disclosure of the criminal origins of these funds,” the OAG said in a statement. However, for the OAG, the investigation did not produce enough evidence to prosecute anyone in Switzerland. The only person prosecutors considered a “clear suspect” in money laundering has died under mysterious circumstances. Alexander Perepilichnyi was a financial transaction involved in the fraud, transferring several millions to the accounts opened by Stepanov in Zurich. Perepilichny later switched sides and sought asylum in the UK. Apart from 4 million Swiss francs seized after a ten-year investigation, Swiss authorities have not been able to establish a direct link between most of the money frozen in Switzerland and the fraud in Russia. As a result, the OAG decided to allow the money to be returned to the owners. Stepanov will receive 55% of his frozen deposits ($5.5 million), Klyuev 100% ($38,000), and Katsyv 99% ($8 million). This decision is very controversial and raises many questions. First, according to what criteria did Switzerland decide how much money should be confiscated and how much should be released? What can be done when fraudulent income flows through several accounts, where they are mixed with other funds of unclear origin, as in this case? The government has so far taken action only against individuals involved in notorious and egregious cases. Critics say many high-profile perpetrators in Russia and elsewhere are not on the list. Those who are on the list are relatively minor figures. 31
10 Would you like “The Purge” exist in your country. Why or why not? *By providing insight into the mind of Ted Bundy, an imaginary situation in Switzerland. Meet Mr. Theodore Robert Bundy in the Canton of Silent Hill Ted Bundy: Judge Schubald once seriously questioned whether the act of submitting to the prosecutor was the first step toward the Inquisition, and Franz Ricklin, the founder of Swiss jurisprudence, described plea bargaining as the new “queen of evidence,” said like “A dangerous one. The conviction process because of its speed,” which also evoked parallels in his mind with the Inquisition. Compared to many other countries, Switzerland tends to impose shorter sentences, especially for violent crimes. And usually only repeat offenders or offenders need to serve prison sentences. why? A closer look at European criminal law shows that German-speaking countries, including Switzerland, impose relatively light penalties. Premeditated murder - 10 years to life Manslaughter - Minimum 5 years Totschlag (homicide) - 1 to 10 years Serious physical injury - Six months to 10 years Rape - 1 to 10 years 32
WOULD YOU LIKE “THE PURGE” EXIST IN YOUR COUNTRY. WHY OR WHY... In Switzerland, murder can be punishable by life imprisonment. But according to Swiss criminal law, “life imprisonment” does not mean that the offender remains in prison for the rest of his or her life. “Swiss criminal law is very special, especially in the routine application of penalties by the courts,” says Martin Kyrias, a prominent Swiss criminologist and criminal lawyer. When evaluating real crimes, whether fraud, assault, or manslaughter, the average penalty is in the lower half or lower third of the possible range. Current Swiss statistics show that since 2007 violent crimes are often punishable with fines instead of prison sentences. “In Germany and Switzerland, criminals in prison tend to develop into bigger offenders, so the authorities prefer to refrain from imposing short prison sentences if possible,” says Koch. In English-speaking countries, relatively more perpetrators serve longer prison sentences simply because they are repeat offenders, even for relatively minor crimes, he said. “People working in courts today are influenced by decades of education about the harm that prison sentences can do,” said Killias. “In central European cultureoriented countries, imposing moderate penalties is considered culturally progressive,” says Koch. “Prison sentences are shorter than in the UK and the US.” The government also seems to have recognized that the penalties for violent crime are not appropriate when compared with those for financial crime and that judges tend to issue lenient sentences. It wants to “harmonize” the ranges for sentences. Switzerland itself exists because it is a federation, a club of sovereign “family members” who are free to do what and how. Unfortunately, today is a bunch of smart criminals. Whatever, mom! Ted Bundy: Yes, Whatever, mom! This probably explains why her victory in the election that the film is centered around seems to be far from guaranteed. Yes, the party in power sees her as a threat, but even they acknowledge that she’s not winning in the polls. She’s just catching up. If those results were 33
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. propaganda on the part of the New Founding Fathers, they probably wouldn’t be worried about it enough to change the rules of the Purge in a way that puts them at risk in order to get rid of her. What this implies is that, at every step of the way, the people have absolutely had the power to put an end to the Purge, and it would take nothing more than the usual mechanisms of the system of government we have in place now. But they didn’t. Election after election, their vote went to the party that supported the Purge. Sounds crazy, I know, but only until you remember that some of history’s biggest monsters enjoyed massive public support while they laid the groundwork for their evil plans. Hitler’s early efforts to eliminate Jews from society allowed the Nazis to finagle unemployment statistics in a way that made it look like the country had undergone an economic miracle. It was literally called that. “The Nazi Economic Miracle.” But all it amounted to was eliminating huge numbers of people from the workforce and giving those jobs to other people while instituting a war economy at the same time. It “worked,” so to speak, but benefiting from that success meant ignoring the awful thing that was happening to a massive segment of the population. Swiss to vote on $25 an hour minimum wage. 34
WOULD YOU LIKE “THE PURGE” EXIST IN YOUR COUNTRY. WHY OR WHY... Ted Bundy: Let‘s consider the “ Minimum wage “ example. GENEVA, Switzerland 2023– A vote on Sunday to establish a minimum wage of $25 an hour would make mostly immigrants here in agriculture, housekeeping, and catering among the world’s highest-paid unskilled workforce. The vote comes after hundreds of fast-food workers walked off their jobs in many U.S. cities and in more than 30 countries on Thursday in a protest for higher wages. If the Swiss proposal passes, the country will have the highest minimum wage in the world. But some who would be eligible for the higher wage worry that it may do more harm than good. Last year Switzerland passed a measure to curb “excessive” bonuses for executives, but months later in another referendum, the country voted down a proposal to reduce the income gap between lowest and highest salaries even though polls predicted the measure would pass. “A minimum wage of 4,000 francs could lead to job cuts and even threaten the existence of smaller companies, notably in retail, catering, agriculture, and housekeeping.” Swiss Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann told the local media recently. “If jobs are being cut, the weakest suffer most.” Opponents of the initiative say a law regulating minimum wages would be detrimental to Switzerland’s thriving economy because businesses might cut existing jobs or not hire new employees. At 3.2%, Switzerland’s unemployment rate is among the lowest globally. Currently, Switzerland does not have a minimum wage law. Industryspecific pay scales are determined by employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements between employers and trade unions. However, 90% of Swiss workers earn well above the proposed minimum and are already among the highest paid in the world. According to government statistics, the average household income in Switzerland is about $6,800 a month; in the USA, where the minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour, the average household monthly income is roughly $4,300, Census Bureau figures indicate. Referendums are a unique feature of Switzerland’s unique brand of social democracy, which gives citizens the power to shape policy over the govern35
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. ment. Any individual or group can challenge existing legislation or force a vote on a new issue by collecting 100,000 signatures on a petition. As in America, the issue of minimum income is controversial in Switzerland, too, pitting employers against trade unions and left-wing parties, which sponsored the proposal. And many of the “pro” and “con” arguments are similar as well. Luisa Almeida is an immigrant from Portugal who works in Switzerland as a housekeeper and nanny. Almeida’s earnings of $3,250 a month are below the proposed minimum wage but still much more than she’d make in Portugal. How many hours? Since she is not a Swiss citizen, she cannot vote but if she could, “I would vote ‘no’,” she says. “If my employer had to pay me more money, he wouldn’t be able to keep me on and I’d lose the job.” But on her nurse’s salary, she can’t really afford a place of her own in the city. Swiss cantons may be rich but it is also home to tens of thousands of hotel workers, waiters, cleaners, and hairdressers who struggle to make ends meet. Isn’t 4,000 francs a month too much? Ted Bundy: It may sound a lot, but only if you don’t live in Geneva, i explain a few things. “A single room is 1,000 francs a month, if you can survive on 500 francs a month for food you’re a very good manager, health insurance is 550 a month per person. If you are a family with two kids, you barely scrape by.” “At the end of the month their pockets are empty,” people say. “This [food bank] has been great because you have a week of food. A week of relief.” I find Geneva’s cost of living difficult. You can’t really afford a place of your own in the city. “How can I continue when I have to pay the dishwashers that much? “Should I cut their hours? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against someone earning 4,000 a month. But there’s a point where we just can’t pay that. I’ve sacrificed, I work 12 hours a day here. What should I do?” 36
WOULD YOU LIKE “THE PURGE” EXIST IN YOUR COUNTRY. WHY OR WHY... Geneva’s minimum wage came into law not because the government imposed it, but because Geneva citizens proposed it as a “people’s initiative”. They gathered enough signatures to call a referendum on the issue, and on 27 September voters said yes, by a pretty overwhelming 58% to 42%. Cost of Living in Switzerland 37
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. A recent Swiss poll by gfs.bern research institute shows that 64% of those surveyed are against the proposal. In past referendums on proposals from the left, the Swiss have been of two minds. Parliament in Switzerland votes to water down minimum wage By a margin of two votes, the National Council approved a plan to curtail the influence of minimum wage laws in Switzerland. Unlike other countries, Switzerland does not have a nationalminimum wage but has allowed cantons to set their own. So far, five cantons (from 26 cantons) have voted to implement a minimum wage of between 19,75 and 23,14 Swiss francs an hour: Geneva, Basel-Stadt, Ticino, Neuchâtel and Jura. The steps taken to make it happen might be radically different, but the Purge isn’t much different than any story throughout history. It has fantastical movie details attached to it that make it seem unbelievable, but at its core, it’s an idea that’s worked countless times throughout history. It’s not a question of if it could ever happen; it’s a question of whether it could happen again. “POVERTY”, wrote Aristotle, “is the parent of crime.” But was he right? 38
WOULD YOU LIKE “THE PURGE” EXIST IN YOUR COUNTRY. WHY OR WHY... Certainly, poverty and crime are associated. And the idea that a lack of income might drive someone to misdeeds sounds plausible. I found, to no one’s surprise, that teenagers who had grown up in families whose earnings were among the bottom fifth were seven times more likely to be convicted of violent crimes and twice as likely to be convicted of drug offenses, as those whose families incomes were in the top fifth. What did surprise me was that when I looked at families which had started poor and got richer, the younger children—those born into relative affluence— were just as likely to misbehave when they were teenagers as their elder siblings had been. Family income was not, per se, the determining factor. That suggests two, not mutually exclusive, possibilities. One is that a family’s culture, once established, is “sticky”—that you can, to put it crudely, take the kid out of the neighborhood, but not the neighborhood out of the kid. Given, for example, children’s propensity to emulate elder siblings whom they admire, that sounds perfectly plausible. The other possibility is that genes that predispose to criminal behavior (several studies suggest such genes exist) are more common at the bottom of society than at the top, perhaps because the lack of impulse control they engender also tends to reduce someone’s earning capacity. Neither of these conclusions is likely to be welcome to social reformers. The fact that they are uncomfortable will be no excuse for ignoring them. Why would a lawyer be free? They have to eat just like the rest of us. You can get legal insurance but I wouldn’t know if they would take your case. In the UK & USA you can get representation paid for by the government (Legal Aid), doesn’t mean the lawyer doesn’t get paid. And they eat a lot. Swiss citizens don’t really have free legal advice, so non-residents also don’t. If you feel a crime has been committed, the first stop is the police. If you can’t get them to take it up, your only hope is to hire a lawyer. If you haven’t the money, then you’re stuck. You could try getting a journalist interested. But pluralism of opinion is a thing of the past! The profession of journalism in Switzerland is also becoming more dangerous every year. Media representatives are increasingly becoming victims of pressure from 39
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. the authorities. In the latter case, Swiss officials are increasingly suing media representatives. The culture of responding adequately to journalistic criticism is dwindling. Ok, to put this simply: “free lawyers” are paid for by the taxpayer. For a very specific reason: Everyone has the legal right to get a fair trial and if you are accused of a crime, will be trialed in court and plausibly cannot afford legal representation yourself you will get help. As much as I feel for you: - you are not a Swiss citizen or resident - you are not accused of a crime and need a lawyer to defend yourself What exactly do you want the lawyer to do? Well, it’s not a right and it’s not 100% free but there’s something called Free Legal Assistance by the Swiss Bar Association. It’s more like a credit, at the end of the procedure a sum of expenses is made and you’re charged according to your income. https://www.sav-fsa.ch/en/rechtsausk…htspflege.html It may be a long shot, but not trying is losing before fighting. I guess the challenge here is speaking fluently any of the 3 main national languages: Italian, French, or German. First of all, breathe. I think you need to slow down before you mistakenly jump to conclusions. A Foreign Lawyer can work in Switzerland? Law is not really a career that travels well. Unless he/she is a citizen of an EU/EFTA country and has been admitted to the bar in an EU/EFTA country, his/her qualifications will not be recognized in Switzerland, and he/she will not be permitted to practice as a “lawyer”. This being said, he/she can work as an in-house counsel or legal advisor for a company. He/she will then still have the issue of getting a work permit. 40
11 How Private is Private Privacy is a human right protected by law. For the individual, it is the right to be left alone. It is being able to control what we are sharing, to whom we are sharing it, and when we are sharing it. We all hope that the information we send wirelessly is private, but is that always the case? Channel 4 News was able to learn personal information about unsuspecting people by intercepting their, supposedly private, but in reality completely public, wireless internet signals. The attack shown in the video was possible because the hackers had set up their own WiFi hotspot that either advertised the name of a common wireless hotspot provider, or the users chose to connect to a ‘free’ WiFi network. The lesson here is to be careful about the public WiFi networks you connect to, and the types of information you access using these networks. I’m not at all surprised at this. But again how easy it was to access your mobile data and all its content because people are not aware of how much info their phones leak. My email service is Gmail which uses https — I thought that https meant an encrypted link to the server concerned, so I don’t yet know if that sort of traffic can be seen openly as in the video. This “attack” was using WiFi which your simple phone would not use. However, there can still be a man-in-the-middle attack using the mobile 41
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. network. Your phone attaches to the strongest signal from your provider. If I use the correct equipment this can be my signal. I then read your text or listen to your call and relay it to the correct mast for your provider. Incoming signals are then routed through my equipment too. You are unaware of the attacker. Plenty of hacking tools online. Some are for hacking and forensics. Data that you throw in the recycle bin and emptied, can still be pulled back and read. There is much more than what you have seen in the video, the program they used was Maltego which was used mainly for collecting information from many sources. It does allow you to drill down on a web server right to save documents. The speed of the theft of personal info has changed over the years but personal information has always been at risk over the centuries. The VPN connection is not instantaneous., your Wi-Fi hardware may connect automatically to the network. In this period before your VPN takes over, what might be exposed depends on what software you run. This gap in coverage may only be a matter of seconds, but that’s enough to expose valuable information. How concerned are you about privacy? What is privacy? Is privacy a tool, a technique, or a legal provision? Does privacy mean not sharing anything with anyone? Privacy is a human right protected by law. For the individual, it is the right to be left alone. It is being able to control what we are sharing, to whom we are sharing it, and when we are sharing it. In offline interactions, we need to disclose information about ourselves in order to build trust with other people. When we move online, there are differences: companies need to be involved in order to facilitate online interaction, and they need to retain information about us to do this. These companies have a duty of care to protect our privacy, but our information can be at risk of accidental data loss or malicious attacks. 42
HOW PRIVATE IS PRIVATE Find out about your digital footprint Your digital footprint refers to a digital collection of data that can be traced back to you. This includes: Primary information is shared directly. Primary information refers to information you have shared to access services or posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, emails, phone calls, and chats for example. This involves personally identifiable, sensitive, or other information you have shared to access services. Secondary information is gathered through your activities. This is information that you have not shared directly. It’s often related to your online activities such as browsing, purchasing, website visits, and searches. It can be collected without you knowing, perhaps as a result of other people sharing information. What can we do to control the information we share? Google your name. See what comes up, is anything surprising? If you have Twitter, check your secondary footprint: compare what you’ve shared/deleted on Twitter to what is available about you — possibly from others’ sharing. 43
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. A basic grasp of American history should tell you that Barack Obama was still a child when Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were assassinated. Nevertheless, Snopes had to explain why this viral “photograph” of all three figures, sitting together in the prime of adulthood, was chronologically impossible. When a friend or family member shares an image on their timeline, do we ever wonder where it came from? Or even, if it’s real? Twitter and Tumblr are full of debunking accounts, but as a movement, it currently lacks coordination. 44
HOW PRIVATE IS PRIVATE “Online abuse is cowardly and can be deeply upsetting to the victim.” Alison Saunders A CPS spokesman said the guidelines cover the use of false online profiles and websites which are set up to publicize “false and damaging information”. “For example, it may be a criminal offense if a profile is created under the name of the victim with fake information uploaded which, if believed, could damage their reputation and humiliate them,” the spokesman said. “In some cases, the information could then be shared in such a way that it appears as though the victim has themselves made the statements. “This may amount to an offense, such as grossly offensive communication or harassment.” Could a Hacked Computer Record My Skype Video Calls? If your call is being recorded by the person you’re talking to, they would have asked your permission first. When someone has an ulterior motive to record your call. They obviously have no intent to show themselves. This means they’ll have to put up a hoax video with no sound. Unfortunately, fake video, while presenting significant barriers to manipulation, and currently enjoying its status as too difficult to fake for most people to bother, isn’t far behind and recent developments such as Face2Face show just how astonishing the results can be. Combined with the techniques found in Voco, changing the dialogue in video projects in a post could become routine. But in another type of webcam-based scam, the malware installed on your computer can be used to operate your built-in webcam, recording images of you without your knowledge. This malware is known as a Remote Access Trojan or RAT Even if you avoid video chat on Skype, you might still reveal personal details that can be used against you. Proceed with caution! 45
CADRE SIBLINGS WITH TED BUNDY. Something makes you think this person is going to record this session for whatever reason. The scammer manipulated the images taken, to make them seem worse. The scammers may use pictures or video footage of you. They can use the Webcam Studio, which will allow them to use pre-recorded media, such as images, audio/video, etc. as a source to create a virtual “bridge” between their live streams (webcam, digital cameras/players, etc.) and other media. If it is important to you, go off the grid. Record your own interviews offer an extra layer of protection. Be cautious about people you meet online. People you meet online may not be who they seem to be. Scammer can’t define details. Scammer can’t define details. If you received an email from someone asking about your “artworks” that they saw online, but can’t describe or name a single one, you are dealing with a scammer. A company with no people Conducting research on a company prior is critical. Does the website “About” section list the names of people who run the company or recruiting firm? Can you verify those people by looking them up on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other common social media sites? If the site lists no people’s names that you can verify, run. Oral offers 46