PART II Organized Crime Gangsters Bandits other Patriots
PART II: Organized Crime Gangsters, Bandits & other Patriots
Today 1. Hobsbawm: Social Bandits as primitive rebels. Popular support for social banditry is a “religion of the oppressed. ” For both pragmatic and symbolic reasons, social bandits cultivate an aura of invincibility, immortality, purity. Mafias are Social Banditry 2. 0. + later: 2. Andreas: Smugglers can make or break wars and states. Bosnia’s clandestine war economy. State vs. Patriotic vs. non-Patriotic smugglers.
Hobsbawm’s “Social Bandit” Social banditry is a popular form of primitive resistance pervasive in most societies historically. Most social banditry, though not all, is deemed illegal. For Hobsbawm, they are a rural, pre-capitalist and pre-political phenomenon (p. 23). What contemporary examples might we compare?
Bandits as Symbols of Resistance Brigandage in the Two Sicilies, peasant rebellion developed in southern Italy in the early 19 th century Expropriative anarchists, practiced robbery and scams in Argentina and Spain Cangaço, social banditry in Northeast Region, Brazil Hajduk, outlaws in Central and Eastern Europe Betyárs, social bandits in Kingdom of Hungary Klepht, anti-Ottoman insurgents in Greece and Cyprus Rapparee, Irish guerrillas during the 1690 s Williamite war Abrek, Anti-Cossack/Russian guerilla raiders in the North Caucasus, especially Chechnya
The Ballad of Jesse James was a lad that killed many a man, He robbed the Glendale train, He stole from the rich and he gave to the poor, He'd a hand a heart and a brain. Well it was Robert Ford, that dirty little coward, I wonder how he feels, For he ate of Jesse's bread and he slept in Jesse's bed, And he laid poor Jesse in his grave. (chorus) Well Jesse had a wife to mourn for his life, Three children, [now] they were brave, Well that dirty little coward that shot Mr. [Mister] Howard, He laid poor Jesse [Has laid Jesse James] in his grave. Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor, He'd never rob a mother or a child, There never was a man with the law in his hand, That could take Jesse James alive. Jesse was a man, a friend to the poor, He'd never see a man suffer pain, And with his brother Frank he robbed the Chicago bank, And stopped the Glendale train. It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shining bright, They robbed the Glendale train, And people they did say o'er many miles away Now the people held their breath when they heard of Jesse's death [etc. ]
Consider a Modern Exampe: El Chapo
Why the mythology? • The obvious reasons are: – Protection: population rarely helps the authorities, as they consider the bandits to be the “peasant’s bandits” deserving aid. – Deterrence: law-enforcement and citizens are more likely to hesitate if there is a myth of “invulnerability” (p. 15), of “immortality” and “superhuman powers” (p. 25). – Business credibility: having certain criminal “tastes” (e. g. robbing only Jews like Schinderbannes, or donating to the Socialist Party like Calabrian bandits) predisposes other criminals or allies with similar business models to cooperate.
But there are some deeper, sociological reasons • The myth of the social bandit is a symbolic, folk sociological substitute for revolutionary social change, which is out of the question. • He is “the poor boy who has made good, a surrogate for the failure of the mass to lift itself out of its own poverty, helplessness and meekness” (p. 22). • Their function is thus not so much to bring justice or equality, but the illusion of justice and equality.
So the mythology is part of a primitive religion of the oppressed “What would happen to people if their champions were irrevocably dead? ” (p. 25) • Themes of revolutionary vengeance and anarchist justice for enemies of the poor permeate social banditry folklore. The myth of the social bandit reclaims HONOR in the name of the poor.
The Carbonaro Oath “I, N. N. , promise and swear upon the general statues of the order and upon this steel, the avenging instrument of the perjured, scrupulously to keep the secret of the Carbonarism; and neither to write, engrave or paint anything concerning it, without having obtained a written permission. I swear to help my Good Cousins in case of need as much as in me lies, and not to attempt anything against the honor of their families. I consent and wish, if I perjure myself, that my body may be cut in pieces, then burnt, and my ashes scattered to the wind in order that my name may be held up to the execration of the Good Cousins throughout the earth. So help me God. ” From: Memoirs of the Secret Societies of the South of Italy (1821).
The “Men of Decision” Recommend a Brother (The Salentine Decision Lodge) No. 5 Grand Masons LDDTGSAFGCITDU, etc. The Decision (lodge) of Jupiter the Thunderer hopes to make war against the tyrants of the universe etc. The mortal Gaetano Caffieri is a Brother Decided, No. 5, belonging to the Decision of Jupiter the Thunderer, spread over the face of the Earth by hi Decision, has had the pleasure to belong to this Salentine Republican Decision. We invite, therefore, all Philanthropic Societies to lend their strong arm to the same, and to assist him in his wants, he having come to the Decision that he will obtain liberty of death. Dated this day, the 29 th of October 1817 Signed Pietro Gargaro (the Decided Grand Master No. 1). . Vito de Serio, Second Decided Gaetano Caffieri, Registrar of the Dead. Source: Memoirs of the Secret Societies of the South of Italy, particularly the Carbonari (1821). Secret revolutionary societies like the Carbonari were instrumental in national unification projects. Though they lacked a clear political agenda – aside from being strongly anti-state and anticlerical – they became symbols of patriotism.
Hobsbawm’s mafias • Characterized by: – Anti-state (anarchist) capitalist attitude. – Omerta code of honor. – High degree of organization (not to be confused with centralization – see p. 33). – Reactionary attitude towards social change. – Dynamic internal divisions (old vs. young, political vs. neutral, flexible vs. traditional). They are in the business of “impressing the sheep – and perhaps also the lions – with the power of the wolves, as well as to set them apart from the herd” (p. 34).
Moving on… MONDAY: 1. Hobsbawm: Social Bandits as primitive rebels. Popular support for social banditry is a “religion of the oppressed. ” For both pragmatic and symbolic reasons, social bandits cultivate an aura of invincibility, immortality, purity. Mafias are Social Banditry 2. 0. TODAY: 2. Andreas: Smugglers can make or break wars and states. Bosnia’s clandestine war economy. State vs. Patriotic vs. non-Patriotic smugglers. 3. Mamdani & King: Frozen conflicts and organized crime. Tribal patronage, Diasporas, and Regional Flows are key factors.
Andreas: Smugglers and Statesmen • Bottom-up, clandestine political economy approach to Bosnia war. Arms embargo was undermined by organized criminal weapons smuggling networks, contributing to: – The outbreak of the war, as the Serbian side mistakenly anticipated a quick and easy victory. – The prolongation of the war, as the protracted Siege of Sarejevo surprised everybody with its length and complexity. – The conclusion of the war, as diplomatic options were forced on the warring sides by criminally autonomous elements on all sides. – The aftermath of the war, as it left a profound legacy on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Legacy: Criminal Networks are Resilient “[T]he Bosnian state would probably not exist (or certainly not in its present form) without the assistance of criminal combatants, black market traders, and arms embargo-busters” (p. 33). […] Organized crime “can contribute to the outbreak and persistence of war, but also to its conclusion. Smuggling and criminal actors can contribute to the looting of the country, but also to its survival” (p. 49).
(1) State Smugglers “War is a continuation of business by clandestine means” (Andreas p. 30).
(2) “Patriotic” Smugglers “Many fighters from Serbia were wooed to Bosnia by the prospect of looting and selling stolen goods on the black market” (p. 35).
(3) “Unpatriotic, ” Inter-ethnic Smugglers “Sustaining the war by trading with the enemy” (p. 40– 42). “Many humanitarian aid groups also doubled as smuggling fronts” (p. 38).
If Organized Crime is UNPATROTIC, multi-ethnic: (e. g. South Ossetia in Georgia) If Organized Crime Is PATRIOTIC, ethnically exclusionary: (e. g. Kosovo in Yugoslavia) …becomes collaborator, partner in crime. …is attacked, provoked into war. …. reignites rebellion. …. is not attempted. Gangsters with quasi-state credentials… …become businessmen, entrepreneurs, institutional gatekeepers, unwitting agents of inter-ethnic cooperation. …become nationalist heroes, freedom fighters, martyrs, statesmen. Unruly militias with nothing to do… …became bodyguards, travel agents, inter-ethnic cooperators. …became tools of war profiteering. …improved. …deteriorated. …. undisturbed. …. disturbed. Common feature in the dinky states you read about: Host state consolidated after war, chaos or economic disaster… Host state crackdown on organized crime… Inter-ethnic relations in rebel community… Intra-ethnic relations in rebel community… Immunity for criminal kingpins… Host state leaders seeking to co-opt rebel leadership… Rebel movement leaders seeking to mobilize support… …is ensured by widespread collaboration …ensured by intimidation, terror, nationalist (everyone “in on it”). stigmatization (of “traitors”). …serve as excuse for gangsters to co-opt …are made unpopular, incredible. separatist movement. . . are made unpopular, incredible. Victims of criminal turf-wars… …are few, and do not contribute to ethnic mobilization. Eager patron state… …is used as supplier of oil, cigarettes, everyday goods. …are empowered through coercion. …are many, are justified as collateral damage of liberation struggle, and contribute to ethnic mobilization. …is used as supplier of arms, intelligence contacts, militant training camps, anti-host
King: The Perks of Frozen Conflicts The “interests of several major groups are satisfied by the limbo status into which these disputes have lapsed” (p. 526). “There is a political economy to warfare that produces positive externalities for its perpetrators” (p. 528). “State weakness is of obvious benefit to the unrecognized regimes” (p. 536). “The territory that separates them is in some cases miniscule […] Yet the problems they have spawned are immense. They are the central political problem for the [host states] and they have become conduits for trafficking in drugs, arms and even people across Eurasia into Europe and beyond” (p. 550). “In civil wars, as in politics, asking cui bono can be illuminating” (p. 552).
Three Key Factors • Organized criminal networks in “frozen conflict, ” conflict and post-conflict zones are all the more important as determinants of outcomes when three preconditions are met: – (1) Tribal (or other traditional) patronage networks. – (2) Large ethnic diasporas and “artificial” borders. – (3) Regional commodity flows of interest to smugglers.
(1) Tribal Patronage
(2) Diasporas
(3) Regional Flows
The Three Aligned in Afghanistan… Like other case studies you’ve read about, the country is largely pre-industrial and the culture is accordingly very convenient for criminal patronage networks: - tribal pride and honor are highly valued; - feuds are a common method of enforcing social order; - revenge is seen as a religious duty. Furthermore, diaspora communities are vast. - Tribal and ethnic village ties across Afghan. Pakistan border provide sanctuary, transportation routes and experienced smuggling channels. Finally, the geographic position is the world’s greatest HEROIN hub (see Mamdani).
Recap 1. Hobsbawm: Social Bandits as primitive rebels. Popular support for social banditry is a “religion of the oppressed. ” For both pragmatic and symbolic reasons, social bandits cultivate an aura of invincibility, immortality, purity. Mafias are Social Banditry 2. 0. 2. Andreas: Smugglers can make or break wars and states. Bosnia’s clandestine war economy. State vs. Patriotic vs. non-Patriotic smugglers. 3. Mamdani & King: Frozen conflicts and organized crime. Tribal patronage. Diasporas form the political landscape. Regional Flows “filtered” into opportunity by mafias.
Next Week: REVOLUTION
- Slides: 28