Black market globalisation

America’s NPR website carries the first chapter of a new book that looks likely to become required reading: Illicit: How Smugglers, Hijackers and Copycats are hijacking the Global Economy.

Thanks to al-Qaeda the world now knows what a network of highly motivated individuals owing allegiance to no nation and empowered by globalization can do. The problem is that the world still thinks of these networks mostly in terms of terrorism. Yet, as the pages ahead show, profit can be as powerful a motivator as God. Networks of stateless traders in illicit goods are changing the world as much as terrorists are — probably more. But a world obsessed with terrorists has not yet taken notice. (NPR)

There’s also a fascinating audio interview on the site with author Moses Naim, a former Venezualan Trade Minister.

(Hat-tip to John Robb for the link.)