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The Politics of Organized Crime and the Organized Crime of Politics: A Study in Criminal Power
More than simply a study of the mafia, Alfredo Schulte-Bockholt's work argues that collaboration between political science and criminology is critical to understanding the real nature of organized crime and its power. Schulte-Bockholt looks at specific case studies from Asia, Latin America, and Europe as he develops a theoretical discussion―drawing on the thought of Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Antonio Gramsci―of the intimate connections between criminal groups and elite structures. Ranging from an historical discussion of the world drug economy to an examination of the evolution of organized crime in the former Soviet Union, the book extends into a consideration of the possible future development of organized crime in the age of advanced globalization.
260 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 28, 2025
3.5
Pretty academic but some very interesting bits.
Starts out great with an analysis of organised crime that draws on writers like Peter Dale Scott, and theorists like Max Horkheimer and Antonio Gramsci, then zooms in on the authors specialism which is the drug trade and politics in Latin America.
last couple chapters on organised crime in the soviet union and piracy in the 16th and 17th centuries are pretty sparse. The chapter on piracy especially would have benefitted from drawing on more historical research from Marxist historians like Peter Linebaugh or Marcus Rediker.
His final conclusions are pretty wild to me considering some of the early chapters. The early chapters seem to conclude that organised crime is a key part of the functioning of global capitalism, however his conclusions for how this could be tackled are things like "a reformed IMF" and "more efficient international policing institutions"
Pretty academic but some very interesting bits.
Starts out great with an analysis of organised crime that draws on writers like Peter Dale Scott, and theorists like Max Horkheimer and Antonio Gramsci, then zooms in on the authors specialism which is the drug trade and politics in Latin America.
last couple chapters on organised crime in the soviet union and piracy in the 16th and 17th centuries are pretty sparse. The chapter on piracy especially would have benefitted from drawing on more historical research from Marxist historians like Peter Linebaugh or Marcus Rediker.
His final conclusions are pretty wild to me considering some of the early chapters. The early chapters seem to conclude that organised crime is a key part of the functioning of global capitalism, however his conclusions for how this could be tackled are things like "a reformed IMF" and "more efficient international policing institutions"
Displaying 1 of 1 review