Organized Chaos

The tide of globalisation was unstoppable in the 1990s and whilst free trade benefited the Western world with an enhanced communication networks and higher standards of living, the downside - exploitation of the Third world, vast disparities in the distribution of wealth, unchecked and corrupt power to corporates - has been clearly evident. But even worse consequences have emergedv - terrorism and crime. Transnational terrorism has benefited from globalisation rather than being caused by it, but organized crime has evolved and mixed with this new globalised world into a hybrid operating at new unprecedented and dangerous levels. Journalist and historian Misha Glenny investigates this post globalisation criminal underworld in his new book McMafia. Having reported first on the collapse of communism in 1989 and then the Balkan wars 1991-1995, Glenny has witnessed, first hand, the rise of Eastern European thugs, gangsters and wrestlers to the form a new elite mafia.
The mix of rampant capitalism, corruption, unscrupulous morality and plain old brutality underpinned the rise of gangs in Serbia, Russia and Bulgaria in the early 1990s. Glenny identifies the imposing of an arms embargo on the former Yugoslavia in 1991 as a significant moment. The republic was not short of weaponry, but this gave every incentive for smugglers and gangs to create sophisticated plans to circumvent the embargo and get rich in the process. Another factor - following the collapse of communism - was the mass dismissal of intelligence services personnel who had enforced the Iron curtain's will. Individuals trained in surveillance, assassination and deception were perfect recruits for criminal gangs. Another key factor that Glenny explains - is the unbreakable link between politics and organized crime in the region. This was brutally demonstrated by the 2003 assassination of Zoran Djindjic, who had mixed with organized criminals and relied on their support on his rise to office. His death followed a pledge to crack down on these groups.