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DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIA.
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Examines era of the 1990s as a complicated transitional period from Communism to political democracy.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Examines era of the 1990s as a complicated transitional period from Communism to political democracy. Problems of changing a unitary state into a federalist democracy; inability to collect taxes, economic stagnantion. The influence of the Russian Mafia. Examines growth of organized crime and its control of business companies. Democracy as an outside force.
Paper Introduction:
FROM COMMUNISM TO POLITICAL DEMOCRACY THE RUSSIAN EXPERIENCE
INTRODUCTION:
The entire development of Russia starting in 1990 until today has been a complicated transitional period: the transformation of a unitary state into a federalist democracy.
Democracy has been hurt by many of Boris Yeltsin's economic reforms. His attempt to move from public to private ownership was fraught with problems. During the last five years of Yeltsin's presidency, domestic production dropped 41 percent and unemployment rose 7 percent. Rampant inflation which caused prices to rise as much as 2,500 percent has at times made food and other necessities unaffordable. Statistics show that 20 percent of Russians are now living under the official poverty level. Some Russians wish for the days of Communism where at
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24-43 Gill, G. One problem with democracy in Russia is the inability for thegovernment to collect taxes. The Russian authorities are fighting a losing battle to control theMafia. Hisattempt to move from public to private ownership was fraught with problems.During the last five years of Yeltsin's presidency, domestic productiondropped 41 percent and unemployment rose 7 percent. Statistics show that 2 percent ofRussians are now living under the official poverty level. As aresult, the Russian citizenry may turn to the authoritarian alternativewhich they may not personally like, but which offers at least the devilthey know they can survive, rather than the devil of freedom which theyfeel they are not surviving (Gill, 2 , 19 ). Themob has taken a huge role in Russian society and has managed to get afoothold in the Russian government.WHAT IS THE RUSSIAN MAFIA: Much of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union has become a kindof laboratory for the development of the most pernicious forms of randomand organized crime. 1993). Russian groups have a strong 'networking' capabilitywith other transnational crime groups. Hiatt, F. The downfall of communism left an economic, moral and social vacuum,which the Mafia has been only too happy to fill. "Rise of theRussian Mafia;" International Police Review. With the harsh economic climate of the free market, therehas been an explosive growth in its operations. (2 ). Some Russianswish for the days of Communism where at least they had food and basichealth care. Nor does it fit into the neat paradigms that law enforcementagencies apply to groups such as the Cosa Nostra. (1998). When the old order dies or weakens, andwhen ethnic antagonisms or national aspirations and tensions become acute,"banditry" and other forms of criminality appear, either as traditionaltypes or altered to reflect new realities or technologies (Hobsbawm, 1969,17-18). and foreigngovernment representatives concerned directly with such matters have judgedrecently that government responses to increasing European organized crimehave been much the same as the inadequate Western responses to the rise offascism in the 192 s and 193 s, with the potential consequences of inactionbeing of parallel magnitude. (JulyAugust 1997). Pgs. Wishnevsky, J. Hundreds of ex-KGB men andveterans of the Afghan war veterans offered their skills to the crimebosses. Given thatRussia has no tradition whatsoever of popular government, there is reasonto believe the pessimists are the realists (Gill, 2 , xv). Severesocio-economic conditions, including lack of food, soaring rates ofsuicide, and infrequent pay, make possible criminal penetration of Russia'sstrategic rocket forces with the attendant dangers of fissile materials andeven nuclear-armed missiles falling into criminal hands. The partial nature of reforms, reflected in excessivegovernment intervention in the economy and poor public provision ofprotection and contract law, has been a major source of new economic crime.Simultaneously, the costs imposed by corruption and organized crime havegone up, largely due to their relative disorganization and the generaleconomic uncertainty during thereforms. The launchauthority of Russia's nuclear arsenal has been seriously weakened. Turbiville, G. This createsa large problem in a growing economy, since a democracy cannot run when itis bankrupt. Much of the perceivedincrease in corruption and organized crime in transitional Russiarepresents a more open version of activity that was commonplace during thepre-reform era. Unofficialsources say 8 % of Russian banks are controlled either directly orindirectly by criminals (Hiatt, 1995, 2). Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Gill, 187) In the face of continued economic stagnation that has made the lifeof the average Russian worse than before the fall of Communism, Russiandemocracy risks being undermined by the fact that the average citizen seesno benefit from democracy and worse, sees what democracy has brought interms of stagnation and decline and the rise of organized criminality ascreating a state that is worse than what existed under communism. Crooks known as "thieves in law" (vory yzakone) began to fill the gap, supplying luxuries such as jeans,cigarettes, vodka, chewing gum and hi-fi equipment to those who couldafford them. FROM COMMUNISM TO POLITICAL DEMOCRACY - THE RUSSIAN EXPERIENCEINTRODUCTION: The entire development of Russia starting in 199 until today hasbeen a complicated transitional period: the transformation of a unitarystate into a federalist democracy.Democracy has been hurt by many of Boris Yeltsin's economic reforms. Either way, youpay. 2, No. The seeds of organized crime were sown under the harsh conditions ofa police state. The rich are finding ways around paying thegovernment and the poor have no money to give the government. It is estimated approximately $25 Billion ofdirty Russian money has left the country since the fall of communism, mostof which has been laundered by banks in Switzerland, Liechtenstein andCyprus. Russia's organized crimephenomenon has distinct characteristics, which challenge the traditionallyseparate roles of the law enforcement, intelligence, diplomatic and evenmilitary communities. The multifaceted pervasiveness of organized crime requires aresponse that brings together the diplomat, the warrior, the cop, and thespy. "A Nation Up for Grabs," Washington Post NationalWeekly Edition, 3-9 April 1995, Page 2-3. The benefits of economic crime in transitional Russia likewise arehigher than they would be in advanced Western market economies, because thealternatives are less attractive (Lietzel, 1998, 2). Whilepossessing special features, this growing criminality is reflective of thesociety in which they operate. & Johnston, R. Foreign companies based in Russia routinely pay up to 2 percent oftheir profits to the Mafia. By 1996 this estimate had grown to 8, groups, each with memberships of between 5 and 1, .The government in Moscow estimates the Russian Mafia controls 4 percent ofprivate business and 6 percent of state-owned companies. As businessman Victor Zolotov stated, "What's the difference betweenpaying taxes to the Mafia or paying them to the government? Already, criminalgroups are able to divert fissile materials or even strategic weaponssystems for illicit transfer to the highest bidder. The Mafia also provided money and jobs to young men in Moscow, St.Petersburg and Kiev who were struggling to cope following the collapse ofthe communist safety net. It is a region where the interests of local, regional,and international criminal groups have coincided with the appearance ofdisrupted economies, requirements for hard currency, and reduced lawenforcement effectiveness (Hiatt, 1995, 2). In this regard, both U.S. Russia's Stillborn Democracy: fromGorbachev to Yeltsin. Rogue political ormilitary groups could well acquire the capability of an unauthorizednuclear launch against their foes--domestic or foreign. "Corruption Allegations UndermineRussia's Leaders," RFE/RL Research Report, Vol. "Corruption and Organized Crime in theRussian Transition;" New Economic School Report; Moscow; March 1998. (1995). 37.----------------------- 9 In Russia, the deepening association of military and securityestablishments with criminal enterprise has been especially alarming. The Russian Armed Forces is an institution increasingly defined bythe high levels of military criminality and corruption embedded within itat every level. J. J. Official estimates of the size and influence of the Russian Mafiamake frightening reading - the unofficial estimates are terrifying. Bandits; London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. After communism fell, the mob grew strong. He isnow leading an effort to keep the plant open by shifting production toconsumer goods (Hiatt, 1995, 3). Military crime is now directly associated with the RussianMinistry of Defense, General Staff, and other senior staffs;transportation, construction, and logistic organizations; combined armsunits and commands; technically oriented and highly trained strategicstrike and air defense formations; military research organizations; andmilitary-educational components. All the Western aid in the world - even if it were actually gettingto its intended recipients rather than being siphoned off through thecorruption that has seen most aid end up in private Swiss bank accounts -would not have a positive effect in the maintenance of democracy and thedevelopment of democratic institutions in Russia, since democracy is thenseen as an outside force foisted on the Russians by the victors of the ColdWar. H., Jr. Its transnational nature makesboundaries increasingly irrelevant, and inter-state cooperation betweenpolice and intelligence agencies increasingly necessary (Cilluffo,Johnston, 1997, 24). References Cilluffo, F. The Russian Mafia is not a new phenomenon but its rapid growth andincreasing willingness to use extreme violence is worrying law enforcementofficers worldwide. J.(1969). "Mafia In Uniform: The CriminalizationOf The Russian Armed Forces;" United States Army: Foreign Military StudiesOffice, Ft Leavenworth. Rampant inflation--which caused prices to rise as much as 2,5 percent--has at times madefood and other necessities unaffordable. & Markwick, R.D. Increased levels of crime have always been associated with conflictand political or social disarray. Relations between the Kremlin and the rest of the world are stillgoverned by the fact that Russia is a nuclear-armed super-power spanning 11time zones. Another factor hurting Russian democracy is the presence of the mob,known as the Russian Mafia. Weak materialsprotection control and accountability at Russian nuclear facilities, andwell-worn smuggling routes have made the likelihood of a 'dirty bomb' beingdeployed by terrorists much greater (Cilluffo, Johnston, 1997, 43).CONCLUSIONS: There is a widespread view that the resolve of some government andlaw enforcement organizations to attack organized crime in many statesabroad is minimal or nonexistent. In 1994Russia's then interior minister, Mikhail Yegorov, said the number oforganized crime groups in the former Soviet Union had grown from 785 duringGorbachev's reign to 5,691. Whatever is going to be created must be the creation of Russiansthemselves, so that they feel a vested interest in defending andmaintaining it. Hobsbawm, E. (March 1998). Criminals began to thrive during the Brezhnev era whenthe Soviet economy was stagnating. The coming of Putin has been seen by some as a chance to makethe democratic promises made under Yeltsin real, while others point to hisKGB background and see a new authoritarianism developing. The Soviet-era gangsters kept a low profile, knowing all toowell they would end up in the gulags if they flaunted their ill-gottenwealth (Wishnevsky, 1993, 18). This level of extortion may explain why percapita investment in Russia is only a seventh of what it is in neighboringPoland, which has its own, but less serious organized crime problem (Hiatt,1995, 3). Individual military criminals range fromgeneral- and field-grade officers to the newest conscripts (Turbiville,1998, 21). The fact is, the Mafia is more stable than the government. (Sept. In 1995 an FBI document stated: "If Russian organized crime couldhelp foreign crime networks to gain access to nuclear material or otherfissile weapons then the scenario becomes truly frightening." It isbecoming clear to the West that strategic weapons safeguards have becomecompromised not only by poorly maintained electronic systems, but also bypervasive corruption throughout the Russian government. Law enforcement officials and policy-makers now recognize thatRussian organized crime is no mere mirror-image of other, ethnic-basedgroups. Leitzel, J. Typically, military and security forces haveready access to valuable state property; the land, air, and sea transportmeans to move it; and specialized skills that criminal organizations needand can put to good use (Turbiville, 1998, 15). If you signa one-year agreement with the Mafia, you can count on it." Zolotov is themanager of a factory that, until 1989, produced military hardware.
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