GITS: SAC - "Not Equal" - On the Criminal MO

In the thirteenth episode of "Ghost in the Shell: stand alone complex," the Section 9 team is tasked with investigating an offshore autonomous colony run by anti-cyberization terrorists. What they find, however, is that the girl seemingly has become the leader of the terrorist group. Further investigation only compounds the mystery.

The offshore colony of which the group resides is in itself a very fascinating subject, as it is a major hotbed of criminal activity. This activity includes the trafficking of illicit goods (as well as people), an activity that in the real world is commonly orchestrated by members of the Mafia, the Cartel, and various other criminal syndicates. Individuals also get involved.

In fact, the subject of trafficking has been very prevalent over the past year. Two stories in particular include the heroin trade of Chicago, and the infamous Silk Road. In regards to the former, declines in both cocaine and opiates have led to a power vacuum which heroin soon filled; usage in the past forty years has almost doubled. And with the latter, the apprehension of Ross Ulbricht came with the discovery of over twenty-eight million dollars in cryptocurrency, backlash by the internet at large, and renewed interest in the anonymous dealings world; including a crowdfund for assassinations.

In my post on Romanticism, I touched on the idea of drug trafficking being used to fuel something greater than itself. And in my Corporate Terrorism post, I touched on the idea of criminal groups fulfilling an industrial revolution not unlike the Military-Industrial Complex. What has to be considered here is this idea that all things sort of touch upon one another; everything is connected in some way. 

The modus operandi of these groups is surprisingly easy to disseminate. Like day and night, the criminal underworld is merely an economic and sociopolitical mirror, a parallel to our civilized world. Their way is rougher than our own, but both paths lead to advancement. The real question has always been whether these two worlds can coexist. And the very reason for the WLIA blog is to bring questions such as this to the table.

If the legitimate and illegitimate are considered to be at war with one another, then all of us can be deemed soldiers on the battlefield. And when our time comes, we are going to have to take a side. Just how many friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even family members are closeted in their support of criminal activities? How many of them can justify the actions of those who use Silk Road? How many of them can justify the actions of the Cartel? 

This article is not meant to serve as a discussion of how to eliminate crime, but how to exploit it. Because at the end of the day, even liabilities can be assets. And sell quite a few of you may disagree with my point of view, I know many more of you, deep down, understand what it is I'm saying.

If you ask me, we need some sort of psychological experiment to bring us greater understanding of the dark half of the world. What I propose is this: take all of the criminals we have currently, enclose them in a region that is cordoned off from the rest of society, give them enough supplies to survive, and see just how creative they really can be.