Anthropology Essay Anthropology delves into the legitimacy of government power and the shadows it casts. In the podcast "The Outlaw Ocean; Episode; The Murder Video" and the documentary "Cartel Land " the hidden aspects are brought to light, where actions that are both illegal, in theory and in practice can find justification within a confined setting. In my essay, I will explore the legitimacy of state actions, their persistence and enigmatic role, while examining how societal norms perceive legality. The concept of something being "illegal yet legitimate" is examined through the lens of the documentary "Cartel Land" prompting us to question what falls within boundaries in our society. Witness the captivating outcomes of drug trafficking …show more content…
The “State as smuggling” comes to light when we discover government sanctioned activities that despite seeming are rife with corruption and ethical dilemmas. The podcast and documentary shed light on the complexities of the government's actions. How they intersect with the world of smuggling. By delving into themes like'state as smuggling' and the lines between activities and perceived legitimacy, we can gain a deeper understanding of ethics, legality and societal approval portrayed in these sources. Matthew Heineman's film "Cartel Land" explores the world of drug cartels and vigilante groups operating on both sides of the border, between the United States and Mexico. The documentary follows Dr. Jose Mireles, a physician who rallies the community against the Knights Templar drug cartel in Michoacan, Mexico. Another focus is on Tim Foley, known as Tim "Nailer" Foley, a veteran leading the Arizona Border Recon to combat drug trafficking on the U.S. Side. The film delves into the consequences. Both are negative. These individuals' actions shed light on the challenges and ethical dilemmas that arise …show more content…
Both the podcasts "The Outlaw Ocean" and the documentary "Cartel Land" illuminate the world of drug trafficking, where actions that are illegal, in theory, may be justified in practice. In my essay, I explored the legitimacy of a state's actions while examining norms that are considered legal or illegal within a society. The idea of something being 'illegal yet legitimate' is exemplified in the film "Cartel Land," which investigates what is deemed acceptable within our society's boundaries. Meanwhile, "The Outlaw Ocean" podcast discusses the notion of'state as smuggling', shedding light on how governmental authorities become entangled in smuggling operations. By exploring themes such as'state as smuggling' and questioning the boundaries between activities and perceived legitimacy, we can enhance our understanding of ethics, legality and societal acceptance as depicted in these
In the Documentary “Mexico’s Drug Cartel War”, it displays a systematic approach of drugs and violence. The Drug War has been going on since the United States had a devastating impact on Mexico after the recession where it nearly doubled its interest payments. Mexico could not afford the interest payments but did have many agricultural imports. This created the trade between the United States and the land owned by the two million farmers. It spread the slums to Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez to work in maquiladoras (assembly plants just across the border) (Jacobin, 2015). This paper will focus on explaining how drugs are related to violence in Mexico, how drug enforcement policies influence the relationship between drugs and violence, and how battle for control in their own country.
This paper summarizes the article “Researching Dealers and Smugglers” by Patricia A. Adler in the book Constructions of Deviance: Social Power, Context, and Interaction by Patricia A. Adler and Peter Adler. The piece is a perfect example of the overarching topic of researching deviance. In the article, Adler describes the process of initiating and sustaining field research pertaining to the drug dealing and smuggling subculture. She maintains that the only way to obtain true facts and understanding of deviant behaviors is for researchers to immerse themselves within the deviant group.
Concerned authorities have focused essentially on criminalization and punishment, to find remedies to the ever-increasing prevalent drug problem. In the name of drug reducing policies, authorities endorse more corrective and expensive drug control methods and officials approve stricter new drug war policies, violating numerous human rights. Regardless of or perhaps because of these efforts, UN agencies estimate the annual revenue generated by the illegal drug industry at $US400 billion, or the equivalent of roughly eight per cent of total international trade (Riley 1998). This trade has increased organized/unorganized crime, corrupted authorities and police officials, raised violence, disrupted economic markets, increased risk of diseases an...
Cocaine Cowboys is documentary film that was released in 2006 that was directed Billy Corben, and produced by Alfred Spellman and Corben. The film is about the rise of cocaine smuggling and the Miami drug war during the years of 1970s-1980s in Miami, Florida. In our textbook that is chosen for this course which is called, “Sociology: A Global Perspective” (Ferrante). We go over deviance, conformity, and social control in chapter seven; all in which becomes very relevant when put in the same conversation with this film, Cocaine Cowboys. This film is a true example of deviance that our society struggles with still to this day.
Throughout the When I Wear My Alligator Boots ethnography, Muehlmann supports her main argument by describing key features associated with the formation of narco culture. Because their culture recognizes that the drug trafficking industry is a part of their cultural identity, they wanted to promote these sets of values and beliefs to other people. One of the most interesting things I have heard while reading the When I Wear My Alligator Boots ethnography is the different roles men and women have in the narco culture of their communities. The media does not report on the everyday lives of ordinary people living in drug trafficking communities because the media is concerned with coverage of famous drug lords who use violent tactics on innocent people to protect their drug trafficking endeavors.
Drugs have influenced daily life and society since the day of their discovery centuries ago. Their impact ranges from medical to industrial, to recreational to political, and to criminal. Drugs can not only influence the individual, but even cities or countries as whole. A prime example of the power of drugs is the establishment and occupation of the drug cartels in Mexico. Not only have the effects of these cartels infamously changed Mexico, but they have traveled to the United States (US), and change continues to be exchanged between the two. The following report attempts to answer the question, what are the Mexican drug cartels, and how are the United States and Mexico effected by them? A brief history and introduction of Mexican drug cartels
Beith, Malcolm. “The Current State of Mexico’s Many Drug Cartels.” Insight Crimes. n.p., 25 Sep.
Mexicans claim that the war in drugs only made the cartels more violent and the state authorities more tainted. The result is that guiltless onlookers are often caught up in the crossfire. For periods, drug transferring groups have used Mexico's fragile political system to make "a network of corruption that ensured distribution rights, market access, and even official government protection for drug traffickers in exchange for lucrative bribes," (Shirk,2011).
Mexican drug cartels rise to dominance. THE WEEK Publications, 25 January 2014. Web. The Web. The Web.
MacCoun, Robert J., and Peter Reuter. Drug war heresies: learning from other vices, times, and places. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2001. 19,24,48-49. Print.
Beith, Malcolm. (2013, September 24). The current state of Mexico's many drug cartels. CTC Sentinal
According to estimates, more than 700,000 people are trafficked every year for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour. They are transported across borders and sold into modern-day slavery. Over the past decade, trafficking in human beings has reached epidemic proportions. No country is immune. Clawson (2009) discusses how the search for work abroad has been fueled by economic disparity, high unemployment and disruption of traditional livelihoods. It recognizes neither boundaries nor borders. Consequently profits from trafficking feed into the casket of organized crime. Trafficking is fueled by other criminal activities such as document fraud, money laundering and migrant smuggling. Because trafficking cases are expansive in reach, they are among the most important matters. (Clawson 2009)
Drug trafficking has been a massive concern between the borders of Mexico and the U.S. “since mid 1970s” (Wyler, 1). Drug trafficking is “knowingly being in possession, manufacturing, selling, purchasing, or delivering an illegal, controlled substance” (LaMance, 1). A dynamic relationship exists amongst Columbia, Mexico, and the U.S. the informal drug trafficking economy. This growing informal drug economy leads to many individuals creating a substantial living through this undercover market. These individual drug cartels monopolizing the trafficking market are a growing problem for the U.S economy and need to be located and controlled. If this trafficking continues, the U.S. informal economy will crush the growth of legal industries. The trafficking and abuse of drugs in the U.S. affects nearly all aspects of consumer life. Drug trafficking remains a growing issue and concern to the U.S. government. The U.S. border control must find a way to work with Mexico to overpower the individuals who contribute to the drug trafficking business. This market must be seized and these individuals must be stopped.
“Smuggling.” Gale Encyclopedia of American Law. Ed. Donna Batten. 3rd. vol. 9. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 14 January. 2014.
According to Jay Albanese organized crime is a continuing criminal enterprise that is rationally working to produce profit through illicit activities based on demand, where its existence is kept through force, threats, and corruption (Albanese 2004). When looking at transnational organized crime, we are looking at crimes that involve crossing national borders and individuals who work within more than one country to complete illicit business endeavors. I argue that political and systemic issues as well as outside influences leave weaker governed countries more exposed to the risks of transnational organized crime. I will be exploring four different areas related to this topic in order to understand why these countries experience an abundance of transnational crime; how it has become available through globalization, whereby the world has become an increasingly smaller place; factors that allow for countries to become more susceptible to criminal activity; the international moral panic that allows for policy control and global influence; and a link between organized crime and terrorism and its use to larger countries. This is an important topic because as the world shrinks our connection to one another grows and the influence one faces may cause repercussions upon all of us one day.