scholarly journals Arms, corruption, and the state: Understanding the role of arms trade corruption in power politics

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Perlo-Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Political Competition ◽  
Defense Industry ◽  
Light Treatment ◽  
National Defense ◽  
Power Politics ◽  
Political Finance ◽  
Arms Trade ◽  
The Face ◽  
To Receive

This article discusses patterns of corruption in the arms business around the world. It finds corruption to be widespread, almost ubiquitous in some sectors such as submarines, and affecting developed democracies as recipients as much as other countries. Anti-corruption efforts face severe challenges in proving corruption in highly complex financial cases involving multiple jurisdictions. However, they also face obstruction from exporter governments who are reluctant to prosecute their national defense industry champions so that even where investigations bear fruit, companies tend to receive light treatment. The article argues that corruption in the arms trade is not merely and simply a matter of individual and corporate greed, but is, on the seller’s side, also an element of defense industrial policy as countries seek to maintain advanced technological capabilities in the face of limited domestic demand, widespread international competition, and a buyer’s market. For recipients in buyer, and sometimes also seller, countries, an underemphasized aspect is the role of arms trade corruption as a means of securing political finance by senior politicians involved in decisionmaking. Thus, the practice occupies a systemic role in political competition, complicating efforts to tackle it.

Secretary-General

2018 ◽  
pp. 230-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Newman
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Secretary General ◽  
Political Environment ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Power Politics ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Many ◽  
Historical Origins

This chapter describes the evolution of the role of the UN Secretary-General in the context of international relations, paying particular attention to the historical origins of the office within the international civil service. It explores the challenges faced by the Secretary-General in seeking to act independently on behalf of the global interest, in a political environment characterized by competing national interests and power politics. It also considers whether the process that resulted in the appointment of António Gutteres in 2016—seen as the most transparent, meritocratic, and inclusive in the history of the UN—might enable the Secretary-General to be more effective in the face of the many pressures upon the office.

scholarly journals Red flags for arms trade corruption

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Perlo-Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Political Power ◽  
Close Connection ◽  
Technological Capabilities ◽  
Red Flags ◽  
Political Finance ◽  
Arms Trade ◽  
Motivating Factor

The international arms trade is highly prone to corruption. Reasons for this include the size and technical complexity of deals, the secrecy and lack of transparency surrounding the trade and the broader military sector, and the crowded nature of the arms trade where exporting nations and companies are often desperate to make sales to maintain their business and technological capabilities. But which arms deals are most likely to be corrupt? This article considers some of the “red flags” for corruption in the arms trade, including those relating to the buyer, those relating to the seller, and those relating to the deal itself, most notably the use of agents or intermediaries, and the role of offsets. The article also argues that corruption in the arms trade is a function of its very close connection with political power in both the buyer and seller countries. Major arms deals are frequently regarded as being of strategic political importance by exporting governments, while opportunities for political finance are often a motivating factor for corruption for both buyers and sellers.

scholarly journals Countertrade Mechanism of Global Arms Trade: Case Study of Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 307
Author(s):  
Zainal Arifin ◽  
Agus Suman ◽  
Moh. Khusaini
Keyword(s):  
Main Tool ◽  
Defense Industry ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
National Defense ◽  
Arms Trade ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
Bargaining Position ◽  
Effective Instrument ◽  
Short And Long Term

A strong national defense system serve to maintain the nation's honor such as creating peace, security, and sovereignty and becomes an effective instrument for bargaining position in relations between nations so that it has broad impacts, including impacts on economic aspects. The research approach used is a qualitative approach. This type of research is a systematic review research. Likewise, the defense industry of a country reflects the economic strength of its country, because in carrying out the defense function, the defense industry has a very important role, including in holding the national Main Tool of the Armament System. However, now not all defense equipment can be produced by the domestic defense industry, so some defense equipment must still be held in cooperation with foreign countries. Law No. 16 of 2012 concerning the Defense Industry mandates that procurement of defense equipment from abroad be permitted if it fulfills several requirements, including trade returns, local content, and offset. Counter trade is one of the mechanisms of cooperation that has been carried out by Indonesia. This mechanism allows reciprocal trade between two countries by buying goods from abroad with payment in the form of goods worth the goods imported. So it is important to analyze the potential for economic improvement for Indonesia that is generated by the mechanism of trade defense equipment from abroad, so that in conducting cooperation, Indonesia can benefit both in the short and long term.

Assessing the size of agricultural holdings

2020 ◽  
pp. 105-116
Author(s):  
N. I. Shagaida
Keyword(s):  
Russian Federation ◽  
Vertical Integration ◽  
Total Revenue ◽  
Large Share ◽  
State Support ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Agricultural Organizations ◽  
Business Entities ◽  
To Receive

The article clarifies the concept of “agricultural holding”, using an approach to assessing the size on the basis of the total revenue of all agricultural organizations within the agricultural holding. It has been revealed that only 100 of the total number of agricultural holdings that were identified can be attributed to large business entities. They comprise about 3% of agricultural organizations in the country, while their share in the proceeds is about 37%. A large share of agricultural holdings — large business subjects under the control of Russian entities operate in one, and under the control of foreign legal entities — in three or more regions of the Russian Federation. Vertical integration within the framework of large agricultural holdings with different schemes for including the stages of processing and sale of products produced in their agricultural organizations allows them to receive advantages. Strengthening the role of large business entities in agriculture puts on the agenda the issue of differentiating approaches to taxation and state support in agriculture, depending on the size of the companies’ agricultural businesses.

Questions on the role of biofilms for the adaptation of microorganisms to unfavorable environmental factors by the example of P. aeruginosa

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-383
Author(s):  
Vasily N. Afonyushkin ◽  
N. A. Donchenko ◽  
Ju. N. Kozlova ◽  
N. A. Davidova ◽  
V. Yu. Koptev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Barrier Function ◽  
Infectious Agent ◽  
Antagonistic Activity ◽  
The Body ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
The Face

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a widely represented species of bacteria possessing of a pathogenic potential. This infectious agent is causing wound infections, fibrotic cystitis, fibrosing pneumonia, bacterial sepsis, etc. The microorganism is highly resistant to antiseptics, disinfectants, immune system responses of the body. The responses of a quorum sense of this kind of bacteria ensure the inclusion of many pathogenicity factors. The analysis of the scientific literature made it possible to formulate four questions concerning the role of biofilms for the adaptation of P. aeruginosa to adverse environmental factors: Is another person appears to be predominantly of a source an etiological agent or the source of P. aeruginosa infection in the environment? Does the formation of biofilms influence on the antibiotic resistance? How the antagonistic activity of microorganisms is realized in biofilm form? What is the main function of biofilms in the functioning of bacteria? A hypothesis has been put forward the effect of biofilms on the increase of antibiotic resistance of bacteria and, in particular, P. aeruginosa to be secondary in charcter. It is more likely a biofilmboth to fulfill the function of storing nutrients and provide topical competition in the face of food scarcity. In connection with the incompatibility of the molecular radii of most antibiotics and pores in biofilm, biofilm is doubtful to be capable of performing a barrier function for protecting against antibiotics. However, with respect to antibodies and immunocompetent cells, the barrier function is beyond doubt. The biofilm is more likely to fulfill the function of storing nutrients and providing topical competition in conditions of scarcity of food resources.

Provision of Remedies for Violation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: A Comparative Study of the United Nations, Inter-American and African Human Rights Systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 298-318
Author(s):  
Roman Girma Teshome
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Economic Rights ◽  
Regional Monitoring ◽  
Cultural Rights ◽  
The Past ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
To Receive

The effectiveness of human rights adjudicative procedures partly, if not most importantly, hinges upon the adequacy of the remedies they grant and the implementation of those remedies. This assertion also holds water with regard to the international and regional monitoring bodies established to receive individual complaints related to economic, social and cultural rights (hereinafter ‘ESC rights’ or ‘socio-economic rights’). Remedies can serve two major functions: they are meant, first, to rectify the pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage sustained by the particular victim, and second, to resolve systematic problems existing in the state machinery in order to ensure the non-repetition of the act. Hence, the role of remedies is not confined to correcting the past but also shaping the future by providing reforming measures a state has to undertake. The adequacy of remedies awarded by international and regional human rights bodies is also assessed based on these two benchmarks. The present article examines these issues in relation to individual complaint procedures that deal with the violation of ESC rights, with particular reference to the case laws of the three jurisdictions selected for this work, i.e. the United Nations, Inter-American and African Human Rights Systems.

The Modern Aristotle: Michael Polanyi’s Search for Truth against Nihilism

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Hoinski ◽  
Ronald Polansky
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Michael Polanyi ◽  
Contemporary Philosophy ◽  
The Face ◽  
Human Desire ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Theoretical Science

David Hoinski and Ronald Polansky’s “The Modern Aristotle: Michael Polanyi’s Search for Truth against Nihilism” shows how the general tendencies of contemporary philosophy of science disclose a return to the Aristotelian emphasis on both the formation of dispositions to know and the role of the mind in theoretical science. Focusing on a comparison of Michael Polanyi and Aristotle, Hoinski and Polansky investigate to what degree Aristotelian thought retains its purchase on reality in the face of the changes wrought by modern science. Polanyi’s approach relies on several Aristotelian assumptions, including the naturalness of the human desire to know, the institutional and personal basis for the accumulation of knowledge, and the endorsement of realism against objectivism. Hoinski and Polansky emphasize the promise of Polanyi’s neo-Aristotelian framework, which argues that science is won through reflection on reality.

After Victory

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. John Ikenberry
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Politics ◽  
World Order ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
The United States ◽  
Big Bang ◽  
World Politics ◽  
Napoleonic Wars ◽  
Power Politics ◽  
The Cold War

The end of the Cold War was a “big bang” reminiscent of earlier moments after major wars, such as the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the end of the world wars in 1919 and 1945. But what do states that win wars do with their newfound power, and how do they use it to build order? This book examines postwar settlements in modern history, arguing that powerful countries do seek to build stable and cooperative relations, but the type of order that emerges hinges on their ability to make commitments and restrain power. The book explains that only with the spread of democracy in the twentieth century and the innovative use of international institutions—both linked to the emergence of the United States as a world power—has order been created that goes beyond balance of power politics to exhibit “constitutional” characteristics. Blending comparative politics with international relations, and history with theory, the book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the organization of world order, the role of institutions in world politics, and the lessons of past postwar settlements for today.

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