Organized Crime

Let me be perfectly clear that I in no way shape or form support or approve of criminal activity. However, I have to admit that I have an interest in stories, movies and literature centered around the concepts of the mafia, street gangs, cartels, etc. I'm a particularly big fan of the Godfather movies and novels. I don't know what it is about underground criminal syndicates that fascinates me, but they just do. Again, there is a fine line between having an appreciation of fictional stories, and approving of the real life harm that is caused by criminal organizations. I have to applaud the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Italian government in snuffing out, for the most part, the scourge of the Sicilian mafia, also known as "La Cosa Nostra". Obviously La Cosa Nostra is the most well known criminal organization, but there are criminal syndicates throughout all of the dark corners of the world that are still going strong and will require a large amount of effort to stamp out. Organizations such as the Japanese Yakuza, the Russian Mob, the various Latin American drug cartels, and the many prevalent street gangs are all still very much active and pose complex and multifaceted issues for the world. Organized crime might make for good stories, but in real life it causes so much harm and so many problems in the world, which is why, tempting and entertaining as it may be, shouldn't be romanticized to the extent of glorification.