White Collar Crime
Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman, writing for the Multinational Monitor, challenge President Bush's 10-point plan to "improve corporate responsibility and help protect America's shareholders" in the wake of Enron, Global Crossing, and Arthur Andersen. Their beef? That the plan includes nothing new -- that the federal government already can, should -- but for some reason -- won't enforce laws already on the books.

Mokhiber and Weissman take the Treasury Department, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Sentencing Commission (which created guidelines for sentencing corporate criminals just 10 years ago), and Capitol Hill to task, saying that Bush can make all the points he wants -- but that if the government doesn't have the willpower to enforce existing laws, involving the public in the process, chances are slim to none that big business will show the willpower to abide by those laws.