How crime has been affected by globalazation
Since this is such broad subject I chose to focus on a specific branch of crime and then on a specific group of criminals. I researched how organized crime has been affected by researching the Russian mafia
Final Draft of opinion editorial
Berrigan Kilgo
Draining the Banks
Imagine you have a superb idea for a business and you find all the money to finance your idea. You open your business and the first few days go exceptionally well. On the sixth day two customers come in while the rest of the place is deserted. They walk up to the counter and tell you that from now on you owe them 40% of your income. You know that you need that money to keep your business going and without your business you won’t have enough income to support your family. You refuse to pay. In response to this, one of them hits you in the face once and then twice. Reasoning doesn’t work, you were forced to agree. That is what Russian business owners face today when dealing with the mafia.
The Russian mafia was founded in Russian prisons near the fall of the Soviet Union. Since then this organization has grown to become 6,000 different groups spread all around Russia, and 200 of these groups have global influence. This influence stretches to the U.S., Africa, Europe and the Middle East. At its highest point the Russian Mafia controlled more than 2/3s of the Russian Economy. This organization is tied to international narcotic trade, international prostitution rings, and money laundering. The Russian Mafia is affecting the Russian economy in a negative way, therefore they will soon start to affect the global economy negatively as well.
Mafias and organized crime are generally seen where there is an unmet demand for illegal goods or activities. They supply where there is no other supplier. In James Finckenauer’s book it says, “This demand may be for drugs, firearms, or sex workers, or it may be for a service such as protection or resolving disputes when there is no acceptable legal means of doing so.”(Finckenauer, 3). The mafia will succeed in places where illegal demands need to be met and will be payed for.
Semyon Mogilevich is one of biggest existent Russian Mobsters. He is involved in money laundering, sex trafficking, drug and gun trade. In the earlier 21st century he was declared the most dangerous mobster in the world by the F.B.I. The corruption of the Russian government has allowed him to make powerful allies in government like his long lasting friend Vladimir Putin. Mogilevich is in charge of a business that is tangled in the Russia- Ukraine gas disputes. One of the biggest mobster alive currently is running a business that is involved in a global market this is just another way the Russian mafia is able to influence.
In the past mafia’s have been known to influence economies in positive ways. Historically when the mafia made money, that money would recirculate back into the local economy. The current mafia in Russian invests its money in offshore accounts. In the article “The Russian Mafia and Its Impact on the Russian Economy” it says, “Of the monthly capital flight, estimated to be $2 billion, at least 40 percent of it comes from mafia groups. That is over $19.2 billion dollars a year.” (Hatcher). This means that every year, the Russian mafia sends nearly 10 billion dollars overseas each year instead of letting this money recirculate into the Russian economy
Not only does the Russian Mafia contribute to capital flight and damage the economy in that way but they have other negative effects as well. The Russian government charges a very high tax rate, which allows the Russian Mafia to take advantage of small and big businesses. They charge these businesses a slightly lower tax rate than the government and then hide the businesses’ actual profits and expenses. In the article “The Russian Mafia and Its Impact on the Russian Economy” it talks about the direct effect capital flight has on the Russian Mafia: “The mafia, in this way, takes millions - perhaps billions of dollars each year from the Russian government and economy.”(Hatcher) Small business owners are losing their livelihoods because of this.
The constant threat of the Russian mafia all over Russia discourages entrepreneurs from starting businesses. In the article “Russian Organized crime” it says, “In order to conduct business in Russia, companies are finding that dealings with the government lead directly to dealings with thugs.” When anyone starts a business in Russia they have to first know how to deal with the local mafia. In the article “The Russian Mafia and Its Impact on the Russian Economy” it addresses how the Russian mafia is discouraging businesses in Russia from being started “The fear of the mafia has discouraged many entrepreneurs from starting businesses despite the economy’s need for them.”(Hatcher) This is not allowing the Russian economy any business opportunities to get themselves out of their current recession.
Exports in Europe are a big part of their economy. In the article “Why the Russian Crisis Could Have a Ripple Effect” it speaks about in what ways the Russian economy has an effect globally due to trade: “Exports equal 27 percent of the European economy and exports to Russia equal 6.9 percent of Europe's exports. In turn, exports to Europe are important to the U.S. U.S. exports to Europe equal 17.5 percent of U.S. exports.”(Hatcher) This means a decline in Russian economy will first have an effect on the European economy, then a decline the global economy will follow. An organization such as the Russian Mafia would not have such a large global effect in a less globalized world.
The Russian Mafia is dragging the Russian Economy down. They are doing this by taking money out of the Russian Economy and sending it overseas, taking taxes from the Russian Government and discouraging successful businesses from ever being started. This decline in the Russian Economy would only lead the Global Economy down the same path. Organized crime has existed since the beginning of government but in this new globalized era organized crime’s success has had a larger negative effect globally.
Sources
Finckenauer, James O., and Yuri Voronin. The Threat of Russian Organized Crime. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, 2001. Print.
<https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/187085.pdf>.
Hatcher, Jeffrey R. "The Russian Mafia and Its Impact on the Russian Economy." Jeffrey R. Jeffrey R, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://web.wm.edu/so/monitor/issues/07-1/4-hatcher.htm>.
Johnson, Hugh. "Why Russia's Crisis Could Have a Ripple Effect." CNBC. CNBC, 19 Dec. 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.cnbc.com/id/102282076>.
Burton, Fred. "Russian Organized Crime." Stratfor Enterprises. Security Weekly, 14 Nov. 2007. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stratfor.com%2Fweekly%2Frussian_organized_crime>.
Draining the Banks
Imagine you have a superb idea for a business and you find all the money to finance your idea. You open your business and the first few days go exceptionally well. On the sixth day two customers come in while the rest of the place is deserted. They walk up to the counter and tell you that from now on you owe them 40% of your income. You know that you need that money to keep your business going and without your business you won’t have enough income to support your family. You refuse to pay. In response to this, one of them hits you in the face once and then twice. Reasoning doesn’t work, you were forced to agree. That is what Russian business owners face today when dealing with the mafia.
The Russian mafia was founded in Russian prisons near the fall of the Soviet Union. Since then this organization has grown to become 6,000 different groups spread all around Russia, and 200 of these groups have global influence. This influence stretches to the U.S., Africa, Europe and the Middle East. At its highest point the Russian Mafia controlled more than 2/3s of the Russian Economy. This organization is tied to international narcotic trade, international prostitution rings, and money laundering. The Russian Mafia is affecting the Russian economy in a negative way, therefore they will soon start to affect the global economy negatively as well.
Mafias and organized crime are generally seen where there is an unmet demand for illegal goods or activities. They supply where there is no other supplier. In James Finckenauer’s book it says, “This demand may be for drugs, firearms, or sex workers, or it may be for a service such as protection or resolving disputes when there is no acceptable legal means of doing so.”(Finckenauer, 3). The mafia will succeed in places where illegal demands need to be met and will be payed for.
Semyon Mogilevich is one of biggest existent Russian Mobsters. He is involved in money laundering, sex trafficking, drug and gun trade. In the earlier 21st century he was declared the most dangerous mobster in the world by the F.B.I. The corruption of the Russian government has allowed him to make powerful allies in government like his long lasting friend Vladimir Putin. Mogilevich is in charge of a business that is tangled in the Russia- Ukraine gas disputes. One of the biggest mobster alive currently is running a business that is involved in a global market this is just another way the Russian mafia is able to influence.
In the past mafia’s have been known to influence economies in positive ways. Historically when the mafia made money, that money would recirculate back into the local economy. The current mafia in Russian invests its money in offshore accounts. In the article “The Russian Mafia and Its Impact on the Russian Economy” it says, “Of the monthly capital flight, estimated to be $2 billion, at least 40 percent of it comes from mafia groups. That is over $19.2 billion dollars a year.” (Hatcher). This means that every year, the Russian mafia sends nearly 10 billion dollars overseas each year instead of letting this money recirculate into the Russian economy
Not only does the Russian Mafia contribute to capital flight and damage the economy in that way but they have other negative effects as well. The Russian government charges a very high tax rate, which allows the Russian Mafia to take advantage of small and big businesses. They charge these businesses a slightly lower tax rate than the government and then hide the businesses’ actual profits and expenses. In the article “The Russian Mafia and Its Impact on the Russian Economy” it talks about the direct effect capital flight has on the Russian Mafia: “The mafia, in this way, takes millions - perhaps billions of dollars each year from the Russian government and economy.”(Hatcher) Small business owners are losing their livelihoods because of this.
The constant threat of the Russian mafia all over Russia discourages entrepreneurs from starting businesses. In the article “Russian Organized crime” it says, “In order to conduct business in Russia, companies are finding that dealings with the government lead directly to dealings with thugs.” When anyone starts a business in Russia they have to first know how to deal with the local mafia. In the article “The Russian Mafia and Its Impact on the Russian Economy” it addresses how the Russian mafia is discouraging businesses in Russia from being started “The fear of the mafia has discouraged many entrepreneurs from starting businesses despite the economy’s need for them.”(Hatcher) This is not allowing the Russian economy any business opportunities to get themselves out of their current recession.
Exports in Europe are a big part of their economy. In the article “Why the Russian Crisis Could Have a Ripple Effect” it speaks about in what ways the Russian economy has an effect globally due to trade: “Exports equal 27 percent of the European economy and exports to Russia equal 6.9 percent of Europe's exports. In turn, exports to Europe are important to the U.S. U.S. exports to Europe equal 17.5 percent of U.S. exports.”(Hatcher) This means a decline in Russian economy will first have an effect on the European economy, then a decline the global economy will follow. An organization such as the Russian Mafia would not have such a large global effect in a less globalized world.
The Russian Mafia is dragging the Russian Economy down. They are doing this by taking money out of the Russian Economy and sending it overseas, taking taxes from the Russian Government and discouraging successful businesses from ever being started. This decline in the Russian Economy would only lead the Global Economy down the same path. Organized crime has existed since the beginning of government but in this new globalized era organized crime’s success has had a larger negative effect globally.
Sources
Finckenauer, James O., and Yuri Voronin. The Threat of Russian Organized Crime. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, 2001. Print.
<https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/187085.pdf>.
Hatcher, Jeffrey R. "The Russian Mafia and Its Impact on the Russian Economy." Jeffrey R. Jeffrey R, n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://web.wm.edu/so/monitor/issues/07-1/4-hatcher.htm>.
Johnson, Hugh. "Why Russia's Crisis Could Have a Ripple Effect." CNBC. CNBC, 19 Dec. 2014. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.cnbc.com/id/102282076>.
Burton, Fred. "Russian Organized Crime." Stratfor Enterprises. Security Weekly, 14 Nov. 2007. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stratfor.com%2Fweekly%2Frussian_organized_crime>.
Reflection
For this project we learned about globalization and how its affecting ideas and technologies today. We researched world trade organizations and the way they have caused labor and trade laws to change. We also researched some of the organizations involved in enforcing the trade laws. For my project I wrote about the way globalization is changing crime and the way its forcing crime to evolve. The final product of this project was to write an opinion editorial and create a political cartoon about a specific subject that globalization effects. I chose to research the Russian Mafia. In order to do the research you had to collect sources and put them in MLA format then analyze the site and record relevant information. After we collect 5 of these sources then we began our project.
In this project I learned about just how much globalization has made things change and evolve. Things all the way from how goods and ideas are traded and the way crime is committed inside and and outside the government. This project showed me that there is corruption in every government in the world. Another thing that I got to read about and see is the lives of the people working in the sweatshops owned by the popular companies like; apple, walmart, and other clothing and convenience stores. One thing that I noticed when I was conducting my research was that wherever power exists there is also corruption and cruelty. Most people with money or influence tek advantage of those with less than them and in this hyperconnected world it is easy to do that.
My first cartoon was intricate but the message was unclear and the cartoon was organized in a sloppy manner. I used symbols that didn’t make it clear what I was portraying then I also didn’t label them. On my second draft I tried to use the same symbols and organize it in a new way so that the message of the cartoon was more clear. This draft was still unclear so I started brainstorming other ideas. When I started my third draft I changed the symbols I was using and they morphed the into relevant and recognizable concepts. This draft then became to dirty so I did it again and refined my ideas to better communicate the message. This draft also became to dirty so I redid it one more time to make my final.
This assignment was a different sort of writing then I have usually done in the past. In the past I have written essays and fictional novels. For this assignment I wrote an opinion editorial which was a different way to demonstrate what I learned this project. While working with this type of writing I learned how to correctly format my sources and my quotes. This will help me in the future to correctly write my papers and then get better grades. Another thing that I learned through using this type of writing is how to write my opinion in a convincing way. I learned how to find evidence that applies to the topic and backs up my argument or perspective.
In this project I learned about just how much globalization has made things change and evolve. Things all the way from how goods and ideas are traded and the way crime is committed inside and and outside the government. This project showed me that there is corruption in every government in the world. Another thing that I got to read about and see is the lives of the people working in the sweatshops owned by the popular companies like; apple, walmart, and other clothing and convenience stores. One thing that I noticed when I was conducting my research was that wherever power exists there is also corruption and cruelty. Most people with money or influence tek advantage of those with less than them and in this hyperconnected world it is easy to do that.
My first cartoon was intricate but the message was unclear and the cartoon was organized in a sloppy manner. I used symbols that didn’t make it clear what I was portraying then I also didn’t label them. On my second draft I tried to use the same symbols and organize it in a new way so that the message of the cartoon was more clear. This draft was still unclear so I started brainstorming other ideas. When I started my third draft I changed the symbols I was using and they morphed the into relevant and recognizable concepts. This draft then became to dirty so I did it again and refined my ideas to better communicate the message. This draft also became to dirty so I redid it one more time to make my final.
This assignment was a different sort of writing then I have usually done in the past. In the past I have written essays and fictional novels. For this assignment I wrote an opinion editorial which was a different way to demonstrate what I learned this project. While working with this type of writing I learned how to correctly format my sources and my quotes. This will help me in the future to correctly write my papers and then get better grades. Another thing that I learned through using this type of writing is how to write my opinion in a convincing way. I learned how to find evidence that applies to the topic and backs up my argument or perspective.