ABSTRACT
Europe and the rest of the world face a long-term and far reaching transition of society from the modern era to the post-modern era. e absence of a thorough understanding of this transition is evident from the nature of the discussions pertaining to Europe and its present and future security. Postmodern society is characterized by unpredictable and explicitly contradictory economic, political and social developments (Wicks, 2003). Capitalist society today is characterized by:
1. Economic and political globalization that is becoming increasingly similar to economic and cultural imperialism. It aggravates the polarization between the so-called developed and undeveloped worlds, widens the gaps among dierent cultures and civilizations, encourages religious fundamentalism and (consequently) terrorism, increases poverty (in the developed and undeveloped worlds), neglects and excludes vulnerable social groups (minorities, youth,
Introduction 163 Rule of Law 165 Organized Crime 165 De‡ning Rule of Law 167 German Rechtsstaat 168 British Rule of Law 169 Connections of Corruption and Rule of Law 170 State Capture 171 Conclusions 174 References 175
the elderly), and diminishes the possibilities for countries to devise strategies for their own economic and general development and thus face their problems.
