Past Programs
Crime - 2005
Should New Orleans be rebuilt?
17/09/2005
It's almost certain that the French Quarter and the Garden District, home of some very fine domestic architecture, will be cleaned up now that the flood waters have receded from New Orleans. But what about the rest of the city and the thousands who have had to flee the encroaching waters? Will they come back and is it worth rebuilding?
Last week an article in the Washington Post reminded us that sometimes cities do fade into history - 'Look at Babylon, Carthage, Pompeii,' it said - and suggested that perhaps the Crescent City should not be rebuilt. The author of that article, Joel Garreau, who is cultural revolution correspondent on the paper and also a senior fellow at the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, joins us to talk about the futre of the city. And Kristen Murray, a social scientist and researcher of contemporary issues, who herself published an article about the plight of New Orleans last week in the Australian Financial Review, talks about what the disaster tells us about urban issues in America.
Young people, risk taking and crime
23/04/2005
The story of the 9 young Australians arrested in Bali over alleged drug smuggling was the talking point of the week.
Perhaps because it is every parent's nightmare that their children might get caught up in something way beyond their control - and jeopardise their entire future.
Legally, there is much to come; the 9 young people are yet to be charged, let alone found guilty.
Don Weatherburn offers some possible reasons why a young person might be drawn to taking these kinds of risks.
