From Fear to Fraternity : A Russian Tale of Crime, Economy and Modernity

The end of communism marked the re-emergence of a huge rise in organised crime across Russia and Eastern Europe. High-profile efforts to combat it have met with little success. Patricia Rawlinson argues that burgeoning crime rates result not only from the failures of communism but also from the problems of free market economies. Drawing on interviews with members of the Russian criminal underworld, the business community, journalists and the militia, she argues that organised crime provides us with a barometer of economic well-being, not just for Russia but for any market economy. Organised crime makes good copy. Gangsters, shoot-outs and mob meetings are a staple of TV shows and media reports tend to glamorise the criminal underworld. The 'threat' from organised crime has been a high-profile concern in Western Europe and the US since the 1930s.

This being the case, the recent emergence of Russian and Eastern European organised crime has led to high-profile efforts to combat the new 'threat', with little understanding of what it entails. Patricia Rawlinson argues that burgeoning crime rates result not only from the failures of communism, but also from the problems of free market economies.

Drawing on interviews with members of the Russian criminal underworld, she argues that organised crime provides us with a barometer of economic well-being, both for Russia and for any neoliberal market economy. The End Of Communism Marked The Emergence Of A Worldwide 'threat' From Russian Organised Crime. Patricia Rawlinson Argues That This Threat Has Been Seriously Misunderstood. She Explains That The Problem Orginates In The Economic Systems That Nurture Organised Crime.... She Argues That We Need To Recognise Organised Crime As A Symptom Rather Than A Cause Of Economic Sickness, Not Just For Russian But For Any Market Economy.--back Cover. Introduction -- Telling Tales -- Crime-time Stories -- From Bandits To Bolsheviks To Brezhnev -- Shadowlands: The Gorbachev Years -- Comrade Capitalists: The Tale Of Crime And Economy In The 'new' Russia -- The Sovietising Of Western Society -- From Fear To Fraternity. Patricia Rawlinson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The end of communism marked the re-emergence of organised crime across Russia and Eastern Europe. High-profile efforts to combat it have met with little success. This book argues that burgeoning crime rates result not only from the failures of communism but also from the problems of free market economies. Drawing on interviews with members of the Russian criminal underworld, the business community, journalists and the militia, the text argues that organised crime provides us with a barometer of economic well-being, not just for Russia but for any market economy Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Introduction......Page 10 1. Telling Tales......Page 16 2. Crime-Time Stories......Page 31 3. From Bandits to Bolsheviks to Brezhnev......Page 54 4. Shadowlands: The Gorbachev Years......Page 79 5. Comrade Capitalists: The Tale of Crime and Economy in the ‘New’ Russia......Page 105 6. The Sovietising of Western Society......Page 145 7. From Fear to Fraternity......Page 178 Notes......Page 190 Index......Page 217 A study of organized crime in post-communist Russia. Drawing on interviews with members of the Russian criminal underworld, the business community, journalists and the militia, the book argues that burgeoning crime rates result not only from the failures of communism but also from the problems of free market economies A unique analysis of the development of Russian organised crime. The end of communism marked the re-emergence of a huge rise in organised crime across Russia and Eastern Europe. High-profile efforts to combat it have met with little success What is nation-building and is it ever going to succeed? A critical view from 'old Europe'.