Sunday, September 13, 2009

Russia is losing its grip

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/weekinreview/13levy.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=russian&st=cse

1 comment:

  1. I'm having trouble posting so I will leave this as a comment for now, then try to post it as a regular blog post---sorry for the confusion.

    In our increasingly globalized world, global crime is becoming a greater problem every day. Whether it is human trafficking or drug cartels, the influx of crime has been astounding. The United Nations Office of Drug and Crime began publishing this year an annual report on human trafficking. In addition, the office created a Convention against Organized Crime, that despite its ratification by member states, has still not been largely ineffectual. In fact, it seems, as of late, the United Nations has struggled with making any discernable progress with preventing organized crime—leading to the question, what international organizations can effectively deal with this problem? (see: http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2009/090212_UNODC.doc.htm )

    However, looking only holistically at the ever elusive international bodies that can provide solutions to global crime is a daunting and often impossible task. Instead, it is critical to look at the social and economic factors that contribute to global crime in the first place. This New York Times slideshow: (http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/07/29/world/20090729ARGENTINA_index.html?ref=americas) reminds us that global crime starts because of social and economic disparities and can often begin on the smallest of scales. Paco, an addictive drug which is a cheaper substitute to cocaine, is becoming rampant in parts of South America. The solution to crack down swiftly on drug cartels comes from judges and other officials who issue orders for raids. The slideshow also touches on the very individual aspect of the drug trafficking and notes the addictive cycle that users face—again emphasizing the contribution individuals have on the global crisis.

    ReplyDelete