Organized Crime Worldwide Organization - Research Paper Example

Organized crime is a worldwide organization, with many aspects that can link different countries together through a common quest for money and power.Differences in economic standing and government factor into the differences in the crimes each country commits, but in the end all are tied together through the same end goal. Organized crime remains a prominent force because of its highly protected coordinators, its connections to businesses and people of great power, and often times, public esteem. They are protected by those who depend on their services for survival and are therefore hard to expose by law enforcement. Organized crime tends to flourish in countries where legitimate government and civil society is disorganized, weak, absent or untrustworthy. Therefore, it is believed that the strong government and trustworthy law enforcement in the United States makes organized crime more difficult. The American economy is much less dependant on the money produced by organized crime when compared to the organized crime found in other countries. "In Japan, the most serious organized crime problems are almost always related to the notorious Japanese organized crime groups - the yakuza" (Finckenauer 90). The main crimes committed by these groups involve gambling, prostitution, and amphetamine trafficking. The human trafficking of sex workers is an overwhelmingly common crime in Asian countries and while law enforcement officials find it difficult to generalize Japanese organized crime, they do agree that prostitution stands at the head of organized crime in their country. Most of the illegal sex workers found in Japan come from the neighboring countries: Thailand, the Philippines, Colombia, China, and Korea. "Even though Japanese authorities are convinced that yakuza members are heavily involved in the transportation and control of foreign sex workers, but that it is not their number one priority because they believe foreign sex workers are not being forced into their activities, nor is there pressure from the Japanese public to do something about it because many businesses rely on the support of the wealthy crime groups" (Finckenauer 90). Like Japan, organized crime in China is responsible for orchestrating the human trafficking of sex workers, but they also play a role in country's drug problem. "The Chinese government is alarmed by the dramatic increase in the number of heroin addicts in China, and the authorities believe that locally based drug syndicates are responsible for importing heroin from the neighboring Golden Triangle and distributing it throughout China." (Finckenauer 90). The overwhelming amount of heroin smuggled into China is the factor that sets the country apart from its neighboring Asian countries. Most authorities agree that the Asian countries share many of the same types of crime, but it is difficult for them to generalize it. "For example there is little consensus among law enforcement authorities as to what the leading organized problems in Asia are, but they place most of their focus on combating organized crime activities such as gambling, prostitution, and violent acts committed by mobsters against rival gang members" (Finckenauer 90). One of the reasons why law enforcement officials have difficulty detecting who is behind these crimes is because the majority of organized crime groups are protected by local authorities called "boahusan" which means "protecting umbrella". These individuals rely on the money and protection of crime groups in order for their businesses to survive, to remain in power, and for their livelihood. The recent liberalization of Russia has created an immense opportunity for organized crime to flourish within its borders. "As the speed of liberalization was greater than that of institution-building, the emerging markets spontaneously developed alternative mechanisms of protection and enforcement" (Volkov 326). Law enforcement officials are often slow or reluctant to act on these crimes because the country lacks respective law and procedures when it comes to private businesses and entrepreneurship. Russia in some respects owes a large part of its economy and existence to organized crime because they have helped to boost the nation's growth and power. Unfortunately, along with these changes came many businesses and politicians who are tied to and controlled by the criminal groups. Extortion has become a regular occurrence in Russian business and in turn has provided organized crime groups with the opportunity to "engage in more sophisticated activities such as debt recovery, contract concerning registration, export licenses, and negotiations with state authorities" (Volkov 327). In Mexico, organized crime is almost entirely focused on the trafficking of narcotics. "For decades, during the 70 years that Mexico was effectively a one-party state run by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, a tacit understanding existed between drug cartels and members of all levels of government and state institutions that it was better to support organized crime than it was to fall victim to it" (Petrou 21). Realizing that the country needed to change, new president Vincent Fox began the transition to turning Mexico into a true democracy in 2000. As the Mexican government continues to crack down on the drug cartel they are finding out just how serious the problem is and just how much of their economy lies with the drug cartel. "Mexico is now a producer as well as a transit way for cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana" (Petrou22). Organized crime in the United States is very different, because the economy does not depend on it. The strongest influence organized crime has in America can be seen through their infiltration of labor unions. Labor unions that have been penetrated by crime groups can put pressure on businesses and politicians to act in their favor. Organized crime groups gain power like this in many different countries, and while it is more difficult to do in the United States, the country is different in this respect. One of the most prominent of these groups is the Teamster Central States Pension Fund who has infiltrated many labor unions in the United States. One union under their control is the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union, who's President Ed Hanley, represents the classic example of an organized crime takeover of a major union. "Since his election, Hanley has moved to solidify his power, both in terms of the local union officials and elements of organized crime. Likewise, the HRE, under Hanley's guidance has moved to insure support in the appropriate government circles by carefully selected and generous political campaign contributions (Witwer 535). When it comes to the United States, organized crime is much more under control. The main difference between organized crime in the United States and the organized crime in the countries previously discussed is that the United States is far less dependant on the surplus of crime groups. Organized crime is not strong enough in the United States to affect the economy in one way or another. Whereas in Japan, China, Russia, and Mexico rely heavily on organized crime in order for their countries to maintain a stable economy, the United States economy is free standing and can function on its own. Works Cited 1. Finckenauer, James. Asian Transnational Organized Crime and its Impact on the United States. Trends in Organized Crime. Vol. 10. Issue 2. Dec 2006. 18-107. 2. Petrou, Michael. Mexico's Civil War. Maclean's. Vol. 121. Issue 48. Dec. 2008. 20- 31. 3. Volkov, Vadim. The State of Democracy: Comparing Russia and South Africa. Interventions: The International Journal of Postcolonial Studies. Vol. 7. Issue 3. Nov. 2005. 326-332. 4. Witwer, David. Westbrook Pegler and the Anti-Union Movement. Journal of American History. Vol. 92. Issue 2. Sep. 2005. 527-552. Read More