European Union and Globalization

Political unrest is a worldwide occurrence that manifests itself for brief or long periods in many nations. One nation Greece, witnessed political unrest due to globalization efforts. The 2016 article, "Glocal' disorder: Causes, conduct and consequences of the 2008 Greek unrest" by authors Sappho Xenakis and Leonidas K. Cheliotis examines the Athens-based political unrest and its spread to other Greek cities in late 2008.

The authors sought to understand why events occurred as they did in Athens to see how local, national, as well as international arenas play a role in shaping localized incidents of chaos. The article begins with criminological examination of social unrest and riots that have long been subject to comparative and single case studies where transitional/global dimensions of such events have barely featured. Recently however, criminology has considered global and transitional conditions as being important arenas for exploration.

Riots in countries are signs of political unrest and potential economic instability (Xenakis & Cheliotis, 2016). The authors set to examine the riots in countries like Greece to understand more what causes political unrest and provide a different perspective on globalization and globalization resistance. "In so doing, we address a range of dimensions proposed by Newburn (this issue) in his 'life-cycle' model of riots, which foregrounds not only the context, nature and dynamics of riots but also, crucially, their aftermath" (Xenakis & Cheliotis, 2016, p. 640).

The authors offer a summary of events of December 2008 as a backdrop for their analysis on the riots in Greece. The riots lasted for three weeks in December and gave Greece a level of civil unrest that originated in Athens and spread to many major and minor urban centers throughout the nation. Things escalated quickly when a 15-year-old unarmed boy by the name of Alexis Grigoropoulos was killed by a police officer December 6, 2008. This events was the trigger for the growth and spread of the unrest.

"eight consecutive days of rioting in Athens alone, and a wide range of other mobilizations that accompanied the violence and extended beyond it" (Xenakis & Cheliotis, 2016, p. 641). The damage caused by the riots cost Greece over 1.5 billion Euros and became the most intense episode of unrest the nation has experience since the 1974 restoration of democracy. Some interpreted the events as a 'social uprising' and a means of resisting their country's then current state. Other's saw it as a consequence of an underdeveloped civil society.

"By some, the events were framed as nihilistic riots that were the culmination of a culture of permissiveness towards deviance, violence and mindless resistance to change, and were the product, in significant part, of an underdeveloped civil society" (Xenakis & Cheliotis, 2016, p. 641). Most the Greeks that experienced and were part of the event, saw it as an effect of political violence, malaise, and socioeconomic problems that plagued the country in recent years.

In fact, the authors note many protests have sparked, often disruptive in nature due to the changes brought on my globalization and the influence of anti-globalization sentiments. "Many Greek anarchists, for example, shared ideas and made connections through participating in anti-globalization gatherings across Europe, such as that held during the International Monetary Fund meeting in Prague in 2000, and the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001" (Xenakis & Cheliotis, 2016, p. 643).

The seeds of the political unrest could have sparked from the demonstrators that just finished their protests in Genoa in 2001 and began the first discussion of founding a Greek independent media center. Along with the increasing police violence among Greece's citizens, and it created a heated atmosphere of unrest that led to 3-week long riots. The authors continue discussing police violence as they shared the 284 arrests made across Greece from December 6, 2008 to January 14, 2008.

Greece exists within the European Union and is part of an effort by Western European countries to prevent another World War scenario that took place with Germany. World powers often take measures to assure stability within the areas they inhabit while disregarding the effects such efforts can have on the people that endure the changes. Such changes often lead to economic decline for some countries and potential corruption as the authors note some saw the riots in Greece as frivolous attacks by the upper class against the lower class.

Still, some evidence suggests immigrants and the treatment of immigrants by police could have also fueled the nature of the riots. Globalization brings with it an influx of immigrants traveling to other countries for economic opportunity and political stability. This influx creates disturbances in the way the government handles its citizens and residents and how the public reacts to these actions. The authors suggested the lack of effective police response and the continued violence towards protestors demonstrated the fragility of the Greek government amid a global economy.

Just days after the initial rioting began, Greece asked for international aid in purchasing additional tear gas supplies amidst rumors that police fired shots and used excessive force. The actions of the police and the effects of the.