Outrage at sickening attack

Yes. Outrage.

What about the outrage at this violence, and the 'permission' of the activities which accelerate the breakdown of society which then breeds this pointless violence? Is the answer zero tolerance? It would go a long way to cutting the violence if those who commit violent acts were treated much less leniently than the law treats them now.

Another explanation. Capitalism, consumerism, or neoliberalism? All of them? WTF?

OMG! It's because society behaves selfishly? Yes? No?

This view of how a society should function is patently inadequate for the tasks ahead. We need all the resources of our societies to be mobilised to fight climate change and rebuild sustainable economies and communities. The violence in our community combined with the global financial and environmental crises should alert us to the reality that our social and economic system is in a bad state. The fact that Australia has managed to avoid the worst of the economic crisis for now should not blind us to the broader symptoms of social, environmental and economic crisis that confront us.

It's obviously complicated.

Then I read who wrote this... and it all makes sense...

The first few commenters appear to be what's expected from the readers of this Sydney rag.

Note: The term "baby koala" grates, the correct name for a young koala is "joey", the same as that for young kangaroo.

It's not home any more.

Police seek four men over Bankstown stabbing.

The hotel is in Chapel Road South, which used to be the Vietnamese area when I lived there. The ethnicity of the area may have changed as I haven't been there for a very long time. Looking at the ground view on Google maps it appears it's still a Vietnamese shopping area. (I thought it was outside The Oasis, which is on South Terrace and seems to be the place for violent attacks).

A news report stated that the attack was believed to be motivated by robbery, for money won on the poker machines.

not touching this one

AN Andergrove mother was bludgeoned with a rubber dildo wrapped in duct tape by a home invader who also killed her little pet dog by strapping it up to a palm tree in a public park, a court heard yesterday.
The alleged attacker wore a leather mask and his attack was premeditated and particularly violent, police said.

more here

They caught him.

Lauren Huxley

Robert Farmer, a monster, plead guilty to the brutal bashing of Lauren Huxley

RAY MARTIN: Lauren's face and skull had been slashed with heavy fibro cutters. Like being beaten with the sharp-end of an axe.
PAT HUXLEY: When I saw the x-rays it was unbelievable.
CHRISTINE HUXLEY: I walked out...
PAT HUXLEY: The only thing holding her skull together was her skin.
CHRISTINE HUXLEY: You know how you have a boiled egg and you crack that boiled egg and it shatters. That is what her skull looked like, it was just all in pieces.
RAY MARTIN: How many cuts were there?
DR RICHARD VICKERS: Approximately seven clear, distinct lacerations to her scalp and face.
RAY MARTIN: Leading facial surgeon Richard Vickers is often asked to beat the odds.
DR RICHARD VICKERS: Her facial bones are all in jagged pieces.
RAY MARTIN: This much damage usually means a high-speed car crash, with little chance of survival.
DR RICHARD VICKERS: I thought she only had a 5% chance of living and if she did survive she would have permanent brain damage.
RAY MARTIN: Richard, how did she survive?
DR RICHARD VICKERS: I don't know, Ray.

Photos of the Huxley Family, via Telegraph link.

Lauren and her family featured on 60 Minutes last night. I wept.

I wept for Lauren's loss. She has been physically damaged by the attack and faces more physiotherapy.
I wept for the Huxley's loss.
I wept that someone could do this to a child, Lauren at 18 was still the Huxley's child.
I wept for the anger of Lauren's father.

No one should go through this pain or this anger.

Update: Pogria has put a link in the comments to a television programme about this shocking murder. I knew of this murder of a family, too.