Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security

Sarah Chayes

Why does corruption that has taken over a whole government threaten global security, and what can be done about it?

At a glance

You will learn to tell ordinary graft from a government run as a criminal enterprise for personal enrichment
You will see how corruption can push people toward revolt, and why that matters to places far away
You will stop thinking this is a problem only of poorer countries and learn to spot the warning signs in rich ones

Chapter One. “If I See Somebody Planting an IED . . .” - Afghanistan, 2009
Chapter Two. “Lord King, How I Wish That You Were Wise” - Mirrors for Princes, ca. 700–1516
Chapter Three. Hearing the People’s Complaints - Kandahar to Kabul, 2001–2009
Chapter Four. Nonkinetic Targeting - Kabul, 2009
Chapter Five. Vertically Integrated Criminal Syndicates - Kabul, Garmisch, 2009–2010
Chapter Six. Revolt Against Kleptocracy - The Arab Spring: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, 2011
Chapter Seven. Variation 1: The (Overlooked) Military-Kleptocratic Complex - Egypt, ca. 2010
Chapter Eight. Variation 2: The Bureaucratic Kleptocracy - Tunisia, ca. 201091
Chapter Nine. Variation 3: The Post-Soviet Kleptocratic Autocracy - Uzbekistan, ca. 2013
Chapter Ten. Variation 4: The Resource Kleptocracy - Nigeria, ca. 2014
Chapter Eleven. Up a Level - Afghanistan and Washington, June 2010–January 2011
Chapter Twelve. Forging an Appeal on Earth - The Netherlands, England, America, ca. 1560–1787
Chapter Thirteen. Violent Extremists
Chapter Fourteen. Remedies
Epilogue Self-Reflection
APPENDIX