ce system. The study of social problems is mainly directed towards the individual deviant rather than the society in which he operates. This concentration of study on the individual neglects to consider the covert, institutional forms of deviance pervading society. The violence of war and the injustices imposed on society by large corporations is elided in the publics obsession with the dramatic and predatory actions of the individual. These stories of individual deviance are the ones that make the front page and the evening news. Is it any wonder knowing what powers control these media outlets? The more the focus is placed on the individual deviant, the less it is placed on the institutions controlling the society in which he operates. This is precisely what the powers to be need in order to protect their interests. The politicians who create and ratify the laws, by which society is judged, do so in order to protect and defend their interests and the interests of those who support them financially. The deviant actions of their supporters, namely the corporate elite, are rarely treated in a criminal fashion. They instead use the laws they create to oppress and persecute those who do not comply with their rhetoric, this being primarily the poor and minority segments of the population who are underrepresented in the Government. The viewpoint of the conservative capitalist is that social problems are the result of human failure and those who fail need to be placed under strict social control because they are unfit to live in society. It is because of this perspective that victim blaming takes place. Those viewed by the criminal justice system as inutile are less apt to have the crimes committed against them addressed by the system. Americans have been conditioned to recognize only those situations that are well beyond the principled ideal as social problems. To be perceived by the public as a social problem, a condition...
