GCJD1

Political Transitions and Globalized Crime

The end of the Cold War has had an enormous impact on the rise of transnational crime. The most important consequences are the political and economic transition under way in the former communist states and the concomitant rise in regional conflicts. With the end of the superpower conflict, the potential for large-scale conflict has diminished, but since the late 1990s there has been a phenomenal rise in the number of regional conflicts. Although regional in nature, these conflicts have entered into the global economy because the arms and the manpower they require have often been paid for by transnational criminal activity. Drugs and diamonds are just two of the commodities that have been entered into the illicit economy to pay for the arms needed to fuel the conflicts (Nordstrom, 2007). In turn, these conflicts have produced unprecedented numbers of refugees and have destroyed the legitimate economies of their regions.

These conflicts decimate the state and divert government energy away from the social welfare of citizens. All efforts are instead devoted to the maintenance of power and the suppression of rebellions. Citizens are left without social protections or a means of financial support. The low priority attached to women and children in conflict regions has made them particularly vulnerable to traffickers in those regions. Psychologically damaged by years of conflict, they have neither the psychological nor the financial means to resist the human traffickers. They are moved along the same global routes used by the human smugglers who exploit men trying to leave economically difficult situations to find employment in more affluent societies.

Decline of Border Controls and Globalized Crime

The decline of border controls has proved to be an important facilitator of transnational crime. In some cases, the decline is a consequence of deliberate policy decisions, whereas in other cases it is a result of major political transitions68% of sample

You are viewing a sample of the Kindle version

International Crime and Justice Kindle Edition:

Buy now with 1-Click

By clicking "Buy now with 1-Click", you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use. Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC

25 ratings

$55 49

Close