Introduction
Crime is considered as a way of adopting ideas and techniques that break the ethical boundaries and governmental laws as well. The current paper tends to explore and elaborate the different aspects of crimes, their features, and their impact on the social order of the world. Correspondingly, the current paper tends to incorporate the studies of Beirne and Messerschmidt based on criminology to elaborate the primary features of the white-collar crime and political crime.
Discussion
It is evident in the studies of Beirne and Messerschmidt, “crime is referred to as an illegitimate and outlawedaction that can demonstrate to be hazardous for the worldly affairs”.Similarly, it is also noticeable that people who mostly get involved in criminal-based activities are punished by the governmental organization and security agencies. On the other hand, it can also be observed that there are few crimes that are mostly disregarded by the security agencies due to the fact that those crimes have been committed by higher officials.
On the other hand, it can also be noted that there are domineeringly two basic attributes of significant crimes.
The crimes that have been committed by theexecutive businessleaders and influential are typically considered as white crimes.
The crimes that have been committed by governmental and political leaders are considered as political crime.
However, it is could also be articulated that both of the crimes discussed above have the same intentions of acquiring profits, land, and resources in an illegal manner. The white collar crime and political crimes are convicted with the intentions to gain more money without caring about the sentiments and rationalities of other human beings.
White Collar Crime
It is evident in thechapter 12 of the social context entitled, “Criminology: A Social Approach” that“white-collar crime as a monetarily driven diplomatic crime that includes a different aspect of crimes such as corruption, fraud, manipulation, theft, copyright infringement, cybercrime and others”.
It is also shown in the studies of Beirne and Messerschmidt that the people belong from the elite class typically get involved in white-collar crimes. On the other hand, it could also be articulated that White-collar crime is an extensive issue in the present era. The bookalso provides an overview that white-collar crime is increasing at a rapid speed, which proves that it is an alarming situation for the entire world. It is also noticeable that there are so many business executives and influential who simply crave to make more money and for that reason, they tend to get involved in wrong doing. For instance, they start to get involved in acquiring lands in an appropriate or illegitimate manner.
On the other hand, it could also be analyzed in the studies of Beirne and Messerschmidt that the latest development and technologies have also contributed a lot in the rapid increment of white-collar crimes. The crimes that are being committed with the help of the internet technology are considered as cybercrime which typically included personality theft and copyright infringement. Many cases of white-collar crimes have been reported in my countries including African and Asian countries. It is perceptible that many business executives are involved in fraud and other crimes.
Features of White-Collar Crime
The study of Beirne and Messerschmidt reveals, “the white-collar-criminal frequently belong to the higher class that typically includes business administrators, certified public accountant, and some procurement heads that are regularly dealing with the essential progressions and assessments of the business”. Moreover, the study also reveals that the white-collar criminals are mostly confidential associates of the association who typically take benefit of that state of affairs and get involved in the criminal-based activity in order to gain more profit. It is also noticeable that women are less involved in white-collar crimes as compared to men, and this is one of the most prominent reasons that most of the multination companies in the present era are inclined to hire women as the executives. The most significant and commonly known features/element derived from the studies of white-collar crimes is provided below.
1. In a white-collar crime, the executives and higher officials are involved in doing corruptions.
2. A huge number of white-collar criminals are hardened criminal and they tend to repeat their criminal-based activity to loot others.
3. It is noticeable that people who are involved in white-collar crime save themselves from the wrath of security agencies by giving bribe to higher officials. Many times, the white-collar criminals have the support of higher officials who tends to protect them.
4. It is also perceptible that a person who commits a white-collar crime does not lose his importance among his associates. In fact, many times white-collar criminals are considered as dynamic leaders as white-collar crime is not considered as violation of business code.
5. White-collar criminals are also petrifiedof law and security force agencies, and for this reason they tend to make sure that they are not making much public appearances to keep their identity hidden.
Beirne and Messerschmidt illustrated, “fraud is one of the most crucial feature of white-collar crime”. It is patently known that many companies have involved themselves in this criminal act by befooling their stakeholders and potential customers. Moreover, fraud can be considered as a way of misleading and deceive others by giving fake hopes and showing fake schemes that do not exist in actuality. The company’s owner or executive mostly commits the crime based on fraud.
It has been illustrated in chapter 12 of the book, “cybercrime is a type of crime where criminal and law breakers typically include computer and network”.
The study of Beirne and Messerschmidtt ends to articulate that any illegal activity implicated through the computational system, networking layer or any other digital services is known as cyber crime. The cybercrime typically makes use of the hacking technique for hacking different websites.
Moreover, cybercrime also includes personality theft as it is a commonly known fact that many people tend to impersonators on a different website to befool others. Cyber bullying and stalking are also considered as a white-collar crime as many people find this entire scenario of being stalked as a crime.
Political Crime
According toBeirne and Messerschmidt, “political crime is a violation of laws and regulation for a political reason”. Moreover, the study reveals thatit is a violation of public peace that has a direct impact on the society. The political system is directly responsible for the crime that enforces people to commit it. The crime is mostly against the own citizen that may violate some human rights.
It has been illustrated in chapter 13 of the book, “political crime is a very old crime that mostly occurs due to political situations of a country”. The study also reveals that it mostly targets the innocent civilians due to poor government policies. Human rights violations are the main concern of political crime in different countries. It is state organized crime that mostly commits by officials who are directly and indirectly involved in policy making. A person who is motivated by his/her conviction and chooses the unlawful act that affects the society mostly commits it.
Features of Political Crime
According to Beirne and Messerschmidt, the organized political “crime is comprised of different features such as teamwork, effective planning, efficient control, and coordination between people who are committing the crime”. It is noticed that the political parties and officials are involved in political crime for achieving their personal interest rather than public interest. The crime has affected the democratic political system and increased corruption in different countries. It is reported that some governments are also involved in committing the political crime to achieve their objectives. There are different types of political crime such as one-sided violence by the state, gender-based violence, extrajudicial killing of innocent people, police brutality, civil war, terrorism, armed conflicts, and others. Different nations have suffered due to increased political crimes (Beirne andMesserschmidt354-360).
It is evident in the video based on political crime that an armed conflict is the significant type of political crime that is reported in different countries. It is one of organized violence that killed many innocent people. The given video the Iraq for Sale: the War Profiteers has discussed different features of political crime that are reported in Iraq. The country has experienced political violence that directly affected the human rights in the country. Some political figures and officials from corporate sector have tried to capture that natural oil reserve of Iraq through violating the human rights. It has increased the armed conflict in the country that killed many innocent people. It is most violent conflict in the world that was carried out through the unlawful usage of armed forces. It began a civil war in the country that has an extensive impact on civilians’ rights in the country. The number of causalities has increased and many people internally displaced in the country.
It is an observable fact that political leaders from superpower have managed to use their armed forces to acquire the natural resources of Iraq by commencing a war against them. The Armed conflict has effected that all people in Iraq including school age children. Some human rights organizations have focused the issues and display the real image of political crime in the country. The superpower countries are continuously focused on achieving the natural reserves of Iraq without considering the humanitarian law. The armed forces have killed the innocent people without any reason. Some superpower and inflective countries such as the US are directly responsible for creatingthat situation in the country.
Overlapping of Political Crime and White-Collarcrimes
Beirne and Messerschmidt explains, “political crime and white-collar crimes typically manages to overlap each other’s features as it is noticeable that both types of criminal activities are committed by higher officials”(Beirne and Messerschmidt 313). In a political crime, a higher governmental or political officials commits a crime.On the other hand, in white-collar crime, the crime is committed by higher executives in a corporate sector.
Correspondingly, it is also observed in the video entitled as “Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers” that policial leaders, governmental officials, and executives from the corporate sector linked together to take benefits from the war in Iraq. It is an observable fact that Iraq is full of natural resources including oil and it is one prominent reason that many corporporate sector in the developing countries such as the owner of oil refinerieslinked with the government of USAto acquire the luxuriant lands in Iraq for their personal benefits. The primary interst of this linkage between political government and corporate sector was to attain the financial benefits by obtaining the natural resources such as oil from Iraq. For this reason, it can be illustrated that Iraq war can be considered as technique to privatize the war in order to practice the corporate-political crime in a confined manner.
Similarly, another video that has been reviewed in order to obtain more detail about linkage between political crime and white-collar crime is the incident of oil spill that occurred in Gulf of Mexico. The entire scenario can be considered as a political and corporate level crime for the reason that many governmental officials linked with the owner of the oil refinery to protect them. It is evident in the video that the oil refinery’s incident killed many workers due to the fact that the factory did not have enough security measures. However, the political figures helped the owner of the company to make sure that they are saved from the wrath of justice.
For this reason, the studies of Beirne and Messerschmidt becomes valid that political crime and white-collar crime overlaps each other as in both the cases, the higher officials from political and corporate sector try to play with the sentiments with other by becoming fraudsters in order to acquire, money and lucrative lands for personal reimbursements.
Conclusion
It is articulated that Beirne and Messerschmidt in their social context “Criminology” has manifestly provided an overview of the two basic form of crimes that includes political crime and white-collar crime. Moreover, the paper based on criminology has also explained the features and the connection that exists between political and white-collar crime.
Works Cited
Beirne, Piers and James & Messerschmidt. Criminology A social approach . Oxford: Oxford University Press , 2010.
Brave New Films.Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers. YouTube, 11 February 2015,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q8y-4nZP6o.
PBS .The Spill. 26 October 2010. 3 January 2017 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-spill/>
