Abstract This paper argues that cartels should not be legalized in the United States due to their monopolistic, unethical and destructive nature of competition.
Abstract This paper looks at how Colombia has a rich and diverse culture and history, which are a tribute to both the country and its people. It discusses how, nonetheless, Colombia has more recently been plagued by the presence of drug cartels that have been responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States, committing horrible violent atrocities, both in the country and abroad, and wielding an enormous political influencing by bribing high profile officials. It discusses how these drug cartels are operated by powerful, wealthy, murderous criminals who don?t answer to any rule or law and how they constitute a significant national security risk to the United States of America.
From the Paper "The essential problem with the national security threat then posed by Columbia is that it is so well established within the country itself that it appears that it may be intractable unless we are committed to rooting out corruption within the government as well. Indeed, it is impossible to say for certain who, exactly, might be receiving bribes or financial support from the drug cartels and the trail of possible corruption has already been shown to reach right up to the president. Thus, U.S. initiative to get Colombia to deal with drug problem themselves face an enormous obstacle in that many government officials themselves may in fact be indebted to the drug cartels and are therefore likely to undermine U.S. efforts to destroy them."
Abstract The paper discusses the history of Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar and his drug cartel and then examines the influence of both on the war on drugs. The paper explores drug cartels of Latin America.
From the Paper "The term "war on drugs" has become commonplace in American society and for many college-age Americans it is difficult to remember a time when there was not a war on drugs. Today drug arrests and drug-related offenses account for many of the prosecutions that are undertaken in our justice system and many of those who are incarcerated are in prison for drug-related crimes."
Abstract This paper explains some of the similarities and differences between the Russian Mafia and the Columbian Cartels. It looks at the way that modern technology has seen organized crime groups entering and operating in the 21st century with vigor. It particularly looks at the similarities and differences between the two mafia groups with regards to structure, business and punishment.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
The Columbian Cartels and the Russian Mafia - An Analysis
Structure
Business
Murder and Punishment
From the Paper "While some similarities between the Russian Mafia and the Columbian Cartels are evident, the differences between the operations and group ethics are stark. As technology continues to advance, Organized Crime groups such as the Russian Mafia and the Columbian Cartels will continue to prey on the innocent and exploit the vulnerable and weak. Knowing how these groups operate is an obvious advantage to citizens and law enforcement alike. For groups such as the Mafia families, traditional operations with the slow infiltration of technology, law enforcement have a frame of reference for the investigation and apprehension of mafia members. However, for the Columbian Cartels, infiltration and inside knowledge of how these groups operate is proving much more difficult and so to be the apprehension of Cartel members."
Abstract This ten page undergraduate essay explains what a cartel is and analyses how such an organisation might have prevented the fluctuations in the world price of coffee experienced during the 1990s. The author also explains how the principal buyers of coffee exercise monopoly power, examines the relationship between the wholesale and retail price of coffee, and shows how supernormal profits are generated and sustained.
Abstract The Cali Cartel is a drug cartel based in the southern part of Colombia, around the city of Santiago de Cali. This paper examines the history, structure and activities of the cartel and how law enforcement agencies are trying to curtail its operations.
Paper Outline:
History of Cali and the Cartel Participants of the Cartel Activities of the Cartel The Structure of the Cartel Conclusion
References
From the Paper "The Colombian population, due to a weak government, is deprived of its sense of security. The weakness of the Colombian government is a very critical issue and even more alarming is the reason for its weakness. Namely, this weakness originates from the presence of strong drug lords, on the one hand and armed political opposition groups, on the other. Colombia has, thus, become a country in which all these different groups, one of them consisting of criminal drug dealers and the other of violent and terrorist political militias, compete with one another for power."
Abstract This paper provides an analysis of the international coffee market, including an explanation of the factors affecting the market, including pricing dynamics, supply and demand and the role of cartel-like behavior among industry associations. It focuses on a article in The Economist magazine ("Drowning in Cheap Coffee", 9/29/01 ) in which the author offers some background on how coffee's latest price slump came about, explains what some producers ? and producer associations ? are doing about it and suggests remedies for escaping their plight. It draws a comparison between the global coffee market and the world oil market, as both operate according to some of the same dynamics and cartel-like influences. A number of illustrative graphs and charts are included.
From the Paper "Another type of advantage realized by certain growers, not necessarily related to their choice of competitive strategy, is a low degree of operating leverage. By relying heavily on manual labor, a variable cost, rather than large-scale production machinery that entail high fixed costs, farmers across Latin America have been able to quickly scale down production in the face of poor economic conditions. Moreover, these firms likely have lower break-even points than equipment-dependent producers ? that is, they can cover costs even while overall revenue is down, to a greater extent than more mechanized operations. While firms benefit from this kind of operational flexibility, the Economist article points out the other side of the coin: tens of thousands of rural laborers from Mexico to Brazil suddenly looking for work, many begging for food along roadways."
Abstract This paper reviews the film "Traffic", which tells four stories simultaneously which all relate to the central issue of drugs. They bring up such issues as why drugs are grown in poor countries like Mexico and then smuggled into richer countries like the United States, why desperate people enter the drug trade to make a living and why huge cartels have come into being to oversee the drug trade. It examines how the overall effect is to emphasize how futile the situation is, with everyone going through the motions though there is no end in sight. If one cartel is eliminated, another one appears. So as long as there are users, there will be sellers. So long as drugs are illegal, there will be an economic incentive to fill the need.
From the Paper "Demand for drugs is elastic over time, rising and falling according to social attitudes, economic realities, and specifically the number of users. The pervasive nature of the drug problem is seen in the film as users come from all walks of life, many simply experimenting or rebelling, others turning to drugs as a means of escape from the horrors of their existence. Caroline Wakefield is a daughter of privilege, but she begins using drugs because others in her social group use them. These young people are rebelling against society or against parents they do not understand or who do not understand them. For many, experimentation is all that is involved. For some, like Catherine, using drugs taps into some psychological predisposition toward addiction, and the girl sinks further into the drug world and soon cares for nothing except her supply."
An analysis of how the conflict in Northern Ireland has many sociological implications that affect government and private sector broadcasters and the public at large.
Abstract This essay attempts to focus on the sociology of news in regard to the conflicts of Northern Ireland. By ?sociology of news,? this paper refers to the comprehensive account of the origins, structures, operating practices, codes, and cultures of the contemporary news media. It endeavors to analyze the questions brought on by the consequences of news on the conflict and the overall affect on society and local politics. It functions on the basic assumption that, throughout the northern region, many forms of the media's influence are used to organize major and minor cartels of strength; once created, the cartels utilize that power to maintain an identity among the various factions.
From the Paper "Often in situations like the Northern Ireland conflicts, government is a key media power and has therefore become a mechanism that allows the various cartels to operate or in many scenarios may even be a part of a cartel itself. This in itself produces a "national identity" or ?community.? How the media's influence is wielded by government or managed by anti governmental establishment can be shown to have helped create a wide collection of myths, ideals, or narrative anecdotes that are later employed by whoever the dominant groups or coalitions are at unique times throughout history. These stories and myths are used to help maintain their power base and even help in the recruitment of new soldiers in the fight. ?Spokespersons for each group rationalize its militant stance as "protection" from the other group. The British army, no less than the other militants, explains its aggressions as "defending the community." "
Discusses the economic effects of collusive price agreements from the perspective of the firms involved, other firms in the market, and society as a whole.
Abstract This paper attempts to discuss the economic effects of collusive price agreements from the perspective of the firms involved, other firms in the market, and society as a whole, with the main focus on the first form of collusion, cartels. A discussion of the effect of antitrust authorities follows. Part 3 explains how market structure affects collusion and concludes with a discussion of the facilitating strategies.
Introduction-Layout
1.0 Cartels 2.0 Antitrust Authorities and Fines Imposed
3.0 Market Structure and Collusive Price Agreements.
4.0 Facilitating Practices
5.0 Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper "Carlton et al. (1999) describe cartels as a group of firms that explicitly acts collectively to promote its best interests. By restricting market output and raising the market price, these firms succeed a similar profit of that of a monopoly. R. A. Posner (1976) also defines cartels as ?The pure collusive practice that involves cooperation between competing sellers to raise the market price above the competitive level."
Abstract The research paper explores the relationship between drug cartels in Latin America and Latin American governments. The main focus is on the Colombian cartels, which are extremely powerful and a major force in the Latin American and global drug trade, and the Colombian government. Contains an annotated bibliography that is not included in the word count.
From the Paper "A strong government, political stability and security are something that many of us take for granted. In Egypt, we may complain that the government is too strong and does give the population the chance to practice any form of political protest or opposition. However, in comparison to Colombia, which suffers from a weak government, the Egyptians are much more fortunate even if they are denied their political rights. The Colombian population, due to a weak government, is deprived of its sense of security. The weakness of the Colombian government is a very critical issue and even more alarming is the reason for its weakness. Namely, this weakness originates from the presence of strong drug lords, on the one hand and armed political opposition groups, on the other. Colombia has, thus, become a country in which all these different groups, one of them consisting of criminal drug dealers and the other of violent and terrorist political militias, compete with one another for power. The consequence of this struggle for power, according to Michael F. Jimenez, a professor of Latin American history at the University of Pittsburg, is the complete absence of any form of stability or security for the Colombian people. In this country, "street children, vagrants, homosexuals, beggars and prostitutes disappear at the hands of the death squads. Drug traffickers cut down politicians and journalists and terrorize at will." Indeed, people just disappear every single day, including politicians and government officials. By all accounts, the Colombian problem is very difficult to resolve because of the enormous power that the drug lords have. The drug lords and cartels are more powerful than the government itself and, many politicians are even dependant on the political and financial support of the drug lords. At the same time, as Time journalist, Tim McGirk explains in "A Carpet of Cocaine," the drug lords fund the political opposition groups to ensure that Colombia remains a fragmented and weak state, in order to ensure their continued power. Not only that but, the drug lords have a very strong presence in the Colombian economy and invest large amounts of money in it, as Professor Jimenez points out. The situation is almost impossible to resolve. The Colombian drug lords have to be eliminated but, not through the military aid of the United States, which is the present policy, because that only enhances the anger of the population towards their government and creates greater support for both the militias and the drug lords who then considered to be fighting against a foreign military intervention. The power of the Colombian drug lords is exceptional due to the political and economic roles that they play in their country's life and, therefore, the war against them needs to take an international intervention and to be carried out through the United Nations, both because the Columbian government is too weak to confront the cartels and US intervention increases the problem."
Abstract This paper evaluates the future of OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) as an export cartel. The author indicates the significance of OPEC as a price setting export cartel. The paper discusses the importance of OPEC to non-oil producing countries.
From the Paper "The purpose of this paper is to assess the likelihood that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries OPEC will be able to function efficiently as a cartel in the future."
Abstract This paper examines the functioning of competition in the marketplace. The focus is on production Cartel effects. The paper considers market structure in relation to competition on a general level, and then on the cartel.
From the Paper "This paper reviews the functioning of competition in the marketplace. Competition can affect market prices, product innovation, the number of participants in a market, product quality and other factors. To a great extent such effects are functions of the structure of a market. This paper considers market structure in relation to competition at a general level. Then a closer examination is made of the functioning of competition in a specific type of market structure ..."
Abstract The paper discusses how the element of national patriotism in a national identity is lost when cartels in the American government create wars that work in their self-interest. The writer proposes that Howard Zinn carefully understands the nature of government, and defies the sense of outward and superficial patriotism that is driving a corporate war in Iraq. The writer argues that the soldiers in the Iraq War are not fighting for their country, but are being lured into a war that serves a select elite few in governmental cartels, especially those relating to oil.
From the Paper "This political and governmental study will contrast two articles by Howard Zinn and Elie Wiesel. In this manner, Wiesel offers an ethnocentric view of American national identity, which overlooks the atrocities caused by cartelism. In essence, Howard Zinn gives a more empirical historical, economic, and governmental to detail the greater truth of American cartelism over the democratic principles that Wiesel defines through a nationalized idealization of America today. The basis of Zinn's article reflects on the notion of 'cartels', which are defined a group of countries or companies that rule a nation by controlling prices on goods that are both imported and exported. The problem in America, Zinn argues, is that dying (in war) for one's country is different that dying for the government: Those who died in this war did not die for their country."
This paper gathers and elucidates evidence and knowledge of organized crime, and the work being carried out towards the eventual freeing of society from it.
Abstract In this study the following groups are studied: The Italian Mafia, organized crime in the United States, Russian Organized Crime (ROC), Chinese Crime Groups in North America - Tongs, Gangs, and Triads, the Japanese Yakuza, the South American Cartels, and outlaw motorcycle gangs . Each of the following questions are answered: What were their origins? What factors affected their constant growth? In what sectors do these groups operate? In what hierarchy are these groups structured? What is their modus operandi? And, are individual groups linked to other crime syndicates"locally or internationally"
From the Paper "Organized crime has existed in society for hundreds of years in some form or another. It generally exists in prosperous societies where strong class distinctions"sometimes brutally enforced"exist. The history of some major crime organizations has been well documented; in this paper, a few of the well-known organizations are described briefly. The Italian Mafia originated in Sicily. Sicily, the biggest island in the Mediterranean, has always been subject to foreign occupation: At any point in its documented history, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, French, Spanish and Austrians have ruled Sicily. The island residents were considered slave labor and were exploited. The Mafia, a secret society that provided for the poor was born as a solace for the sufferings of the poor and the oppressed. Vendetta was justice for the Mafia in rural Sicily along with the golden rule of omerta (honor). The clannish nature of the Sicilians, and their instinctive dislike for inconsistent law enforcement and a repressive hereditary aristocracy, created a favorable climate for the Mafiosi, the forefathers of the present day Italian Mafia. (Porrello, 1999)"
