A group of bikies? A
group of one ethnicity? Adolescent street urchins? A group of rugby supporters celebrating
victory in a bar? Mercenaries? Was Red
Squad a gang? Are roadside workers
gangs? Sheep shearers?
Unless a group or gang is subject to and complies with the rule of law in which it operates, adverse outcomes invariably occur.
Some even suggest top level bankers are members of a gang
who make their own rules and that bad economic outcomes are a manifestation of
this abuse of codes of compliance.
In this article however, I focus on gangs with guns.
Mercenaries.
Wagner Mercenary Group (WMG) has loomed large in
media these past few weeks. Not so much
for their self-proclaimed intrepid performances in the battle for Bakhmut in
Ukraine via the boasts of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of that pack, but
because unquestionably, mutiny, by Prigozhin.
Not only was President Putin exposed as being remiss
in many respects, apropos ensuring that he had no information on what his hired
substitutes for the Russian military were doing, but also, no knowledge of what
the former chef (Prigozhin) had on his menu for each day.
Not only did the thirty plus thousand hired underlings who
make up what has emerged as a private army, decide to take on its principal
employer i.e., the Russian government by riding a high horse to Moscow whether
as a genuine challenge to the authority of President Putin or as show pony
parody, WMG sent a very clear message to all but the most adle pated world
leaders: “Mercenary groups can pose serious threats to any country when they
have unbridled power.”
WMG is not alone in this category of unbridled power. The
American government backed Blackwater mercenary group of former US navy
SEALS (1), is but another
of such “legalised” gangs which plague the globe, ostensibly on missions of
altruism.
My research indicates that wherever WMG setup, for examples
Syria or Central African Republic, Prigozhin was cunning enough to get his
hands on natural resources of his “host” countries – be it oil or diamonds, as
reward for replacing the French in Africa and/or the Russians in Syria. Conversely,
in Ukraine, WMG could not secure natural resource and was funded directly by
Russia.
However, WMG demonstrated that whatever law they were
operating under (be it contractual), that when a large armed gang or its leader
decides it, or he, is bigger than the game, problems at mill are assured.
If Mercenaries can be made legitimate by empathetic world
leaders such as President Trump pardoning Blackwater crimes (2) and that WMG can walk away
with apparent impunity from a blatant mutiny, the situation with the next
category of gangs, would seem not to be so easy to resolve.
Drug Cartels.
To the casual observer it might seem that Mexico is pretty
much under the control of drug cartels. (3) Almost as
bad if not worse than Colombian drug overlord Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria
(December 1, 1949 – December 2, 1993), often referred to as the "World's
Greatest Outlaw".
One can make a case that if dope was legal (4) there would be no profit in
supply and gangs would lose their source funding and the problem of drug lords
would evaporate.
Unquestionably, where there is demand for product, be it
drugs, alcohol or abortions, making that product illegal does not stop the
supply but merely elevates the cost and inevitably, criminal networks. Reflect on the consequences of 1920ies alcohol
Prohibition in USA! Al Capone arrives and
a criminal network which endures to this day.
Therefore, whereas America is the largest market for South
American (and probably Afghanistan) dope, making dope legal in North America
might solve the omnipotence of gangs in South America? Perhaps that solution is a little too
hard to sell?
Illegal Immigrants
Last week, unemployed immigrants from North Africa, exposed
the vulnerability of President Macron to control France when the gangs
turned feral. Across the Channel, the
British would be stupid not to expect similar outbreaks in London town as more
and more Middle East and African illegals into Europe, make it across La
Manche.
Unemployed Sudanese refugees in Melbourne, now loom as a
growing problem. Earlier arrivals in
Sydney from the Middle East are well established in the drug supply business.
Aussie cops already had bikie gangs similar to what we have endured in New
Zealand since the 1970ies but with the new category of gangsters, Australia has
a serious problem.
ANZAC Gangs.
Today, both Australia and New Zealand ignore at their
peril, the size and power of what these multiple groups have evolved into.
Putting Illegal immigrants to the side, ANZAC gangs are
right in the cross-hairs of the drug cartels because that’s where the money is
to be made at this point in time in the antipodean southern seas.
Recent NZ media has carried several very impressive drug
related raids, arrests and court convictions by both Aussie and Kiwi police. (5) Courts also seem to be reflecting the penalties
previous parliaments installed in drug crime legislation.
Question is however, police seizures of cash and cars, arrests
and subsequent incarceration of incumbent gang leaders, does not make the
problem of gangs go away. Another gang boss emerges. Territorial wars among gangs erupt.
Few of the general public will be bothered if gang warfare
results in gang members being shot. The danger is however, that innocent
parties are caught up in the skirmishes. Drive by shooting hits the wrong
pedestrian. Most concerning for the future is the entrenchment of these gangs
who quite clearly do have access to firearms.
Notwithstanding that thousands of Kiwis with gun licences
had their hunting tools taken from them by a government policy now completely
exposed as knee jerk ill-considered targeting the wrong blokes, gang members
still have guns!
Make no mistake. Gangs are seen by a massive majority of
Kiwis as a threat to the safety and security of our country.
By the mere presence of gangs, most New Zealanders are
intimidated. Few if any New Zealanders,
irrespective of the fact that they might be physically capable young men, are
unwise enough to do what many in my generation would have done as younger men: Stepped
up to try to prevent a crime in progress.
Today it’s different. If police do happen to attend before a
reported crime in progress has been done and dusted, and an arrest is made,
Court sentences or outcomes, seem not to deter gang members from violence. Ram Raids.
Indiscriminate bashings in or outside clubs/cafes. Dairy robberies with hammers or knives. Just
keep on keeping on.
Not all of these events are gang related. But the perception of the power of the
increasing number of gangs and their membership, is of major concern to the
majority of law-abiding Kiwis who want no more than a safe environment in which
to bring up their kids.
References:
(2)
Ibid
Ross Meurant. Former police inspector. Former Member of Parliament.
5 comments:
And by far the most dangerous 'gang/mafia/cartel' is that one masquerading as our government.
Gangs and gangsters are anti-social and non-productive entities that cost society far more than they contribute to it.
Families are overtaken by gang member parents and or relatives and held hostage to the gang culture. Ill-gotten gains are spent on man toys such as bikes, cars and guns.
There is no fear or respect for law and order. They purposely intimidate the everyday citizen with their very appearance including wearing ugly patched clothes and congregating in huge numbers where they take over public facilities including hospitals and roads with impunity. Their behaviour is raucous and infantile, similar to wild animals. They fight and kill each other like stone age people. Do we like, need or appreciate them for any reason?
Hell no! So why do we not do something about getting rid of them?
For starters, ban patches, confiscate ill-gotten gains and noisy vehicles. Turf them out of their gang pads and lock them up for drug crimes. Hound them until they want to be a decent person and part of decent society.
The hour is late but we have already wasted the last 50 years letting it come to this hopeless point. We have to do something now and it needs to be drastic.
Hearing stories from reformed gang members who regret their past means there is room for improvement. However, the cunning ones are moving into political activism and riding the government largesse to organise voting accommodations for the incumbents.
In the 1970's there was a man at work who said there should be open season on gang patch wearers. That was 50 years ago now and the problem has only got worse, as we knew it would.
Anyone with warm and huggy reform methods who wishes to kowtow to gangs should be housed with them to help implement the outcomes.
MC
So, who do we appoint to address it and give us all succour? The Hon. Ginny Andersen. Between her and 'cuddles' Coster, we can all sleep soundly at night - yeah right!
Clear analysis.
So much for Ardern's " kind society".
The question is: what is the aim of all this violence and who is supporting this ?
Take a look at Ecuador 25 July Five prisons taken over by gangs days after a city mayor shot dead by gangs
Gangs control much of South America and Mexico
How did this come to be?
Find the answer and then avoid the outcome in NZ
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