Corruption, Global Security, and World Order

Corruption is a human condition and an ancient phenomenon. From the beginnings of civilization, public notables have abused their offices for personal gain while citizens have sought advantage by corrupting those holding power. Today, global security is threatened as never before by fiscal uncertainty, competition and mutual suspicion among world powers, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, and tyranny. This book reveals corruption to be at the very center of these global threats and proposes a combination of remedies such as positive leadership, enhanced transparency, tougher punishment, and enforceable new sanctions against shady activities. Corruption, Global Security, and World Order explores the ties between corrupt practice and threats to global peace, corrupt practice and the suppression of human rights and development, corrupt practice and the maintenance of tyranny, and corruption in health and education. Robert I. Rotberg and a distinguished group of contributors discuss the global ramifications and implications of deeply embedded corruption. They demonstrate how criminals and criminalized states now control numerous areas of the world. The book explores issues of human and drug trafficking, and it shows how nuclear and WMD smugglers often coexist with other traffickers. Chapters examine the various ways in which corruption deprives citizens of fundamental human rights, assess the connection between corruption and the spread of terror, and examine ongoing efforts and strategies to reduce and contain - yet hardly ever to eliminate - corruption.