Viennese Journal 5.0 - Organized Crime, Terrorism and Schumann

I had another cram packed exciting day in Vienna. I made it to the Vienna International Center from our apartment without getting lost for the first time, and I'm very proud of that. Seems like I am at home with big ideas, but can't read a map. Pitiful really.

 I started the day in a meeting about the convergence of organized crime and international terrorism. A presentation by the a person from the United States Department of Justice. It sounds more complicated than it is, and you may be surprised to hear it - but the United States thinks terrorist groups sometimes work together with organized crime groups to earn money and move assets. The presenter warned that we should not jump to the conclusion that they always work together just because we have evidence of a few incidents of cooperation.  (It was comforting to see that we have learned something from the false pretext for the second Iraq war.)

What I heard in this presentation got me thinking about the relationship between economics and politics - otherwise known as political economy.  So this is what was percolating in my mind as I left this bizarre presentation. Political groups have specific political aims that require money and the movement of assets around the globe. Economic groups are motivated by making money.  Sometimes these groups benefit from working together even though they have different motivations. They both can make money at different stages of their operations together.  Certain political groups and economic groups may work together more and more over time, and develop a symbiotic relationship - and there is a convergence of the political and economic.  The more global the economic group the less commitment it will have to any geographically bound political movement. The economic group has a motivation to weaken the political group so that it can be manipulated to for its own purposes; and the reverse is true for the political group. So even as they mutually benefit from each other, they are tugging at each other.

What I learned this morning is that the same is true for illegal political economies.  Where things that are in economic demand are prohibited, then an underground or illicit economy may arise. Drugs, human trafficking, weapons trafficking, etc... Organized crime groups are increasingly globalized and becoming more profitable.  Terrorist groups, using violence against civilians to accomplish political goals, need money and to move assets.  Organized crimes groups have that expertise, and sometimes need armed thugs to help them out. And so the convergence of the illicit political group and the illicit economic group happen in our newly globalized illicit political economy.

Now the folks today were focused on how to disrupt the illicit political economy with law enforcement techniques. How do we catch these guys? But I think a broader approach is needed because for every guy you catch, there are three eagerly waiting to take their place. Law enforcement will never catch everyone, or deter anyone from the big bucks of the illicit political economy. 

No, the guy gave examples of situations that offered solutions that no one talked about. It was like the answer was right under his nose and he couldn't see it. He gave the example of the way the political resolution of the Irish conflict disbanded the IRA and then ended much of the illicit organized crime associated with that group. Some of IRA folks shifted full time into organized crime, but for the most part political compromise and negotiations ended the terror threat and the convergence. The same would be true with the Taliban. When we compromise with the Taliban and exit Afghanistan, they will stop selling opium (because it is against their politics), and the illicit convergence will end. The same is true on the demand side of the economic groups.  If we work on treating addiction in the demand countries for illegal guns and drugs, then there will be no market for organized crime.  And if we promote legitimate economic development in drug producing countries, people will have a profitable alternative to illicit drug production. People will stop making it if people stop buying it. Also, the decriminalization of certain drugs would be a political solution that would end the prohibition and bring that economy into the mainstream economy where it could be regulated, monitored and policed properly.  

In short, it occurred to me that the solutions to the illicit global political economy has more to do with politics and economics than law enforcement techniques.

After a dip into political economy, I spent the rest of the day in sessions on the violence against migrants and their families.  It will take me more time than I have tonight to unpack the many thoughtful, interesting, insightful, false, political statements by several different countries today.  One highlight was when the United States delegate suggested that countries should do more to be inclusive of migrants like the United States - she pointed to their multi cultural delegation as an example of the beacon of tolerance toward migrants that exists in the United States.  I thought to myself that she had not visited the North Carolina, Alabama, or Arizona legislatures lately.... She also said the mistakes of the parents should not be visited upon the children.  I thought she had not visited my NC DREAM TEAM friends in jail lately ....

One interesting idea I heard today was from the Philippines. They have made the Government regulatory agencies jointly and severally liable with employers who do not treat migrants fairly. This means that migrants can sue the government when an employer that the government is supposed to regulate causes harm to the migrant.  Sounds great in theory, I wonder how many migrants have collected?

I could go on and on, but I sense that I am losing you... So

Then I met Kerry at the Musikverein for a concert of Shubert, Schumann, and Camille Saint-Saëns. This place is amazingly beautiful, the acoustics incredible, and the music gave me chills.

We had great seats on the floor and could hear everything. The Saint-Saens piece included an organ which rocked.

We ate dinner at the Mozart cafe, and got home at midnight our time. I've got a TASER CLE powerpoint to finish, and some reading to prepare for tomorrow at the UN, but it's all good.
Thanks Friends, I hope that I get to report to you the message that I hope to share with the UN Commission tomorrow.