Chaos and Collapse: The Political Economy of Terrorism and Separatism in an Age of Instability
Book Overview
“Chaos and Collapse: The Political Economy of Terrorism and Separatism in an Age of Instability” by Dr. Saira Siddiqui and Shahzeb Danish delivers a groundbreaking analysis of modern conflict. The authors argue that in an “Age of Instability” defined by digital acceleration, climate volatility, and structural inequality, participation in armed conflict has become a rational economic strategy. The book dismantles the traditional “greed vs. grievance” debate, recasting it as a new business model: grievance provides the “labor pool,” while greed provides the “venture capital”. It introduces new frameworks, defining terrorism as “asymmetric market disruption” and separatism as a “competitive state-building” project to seize a taxable resource base. Analyzing the “Violence Entrepreneur”, digital financing via cryptocurrency, and the “Climate Shock” as a conflict multiplier, the authors use case studies from the Sahel to South Sudan. They conclude that traditional counter-insurgency (COIN) is obsolete and propose new strategies like “Development as Security” and “Economic Firebreaks” to make peace the only profitable alternative.
About the Authors
Dr. Saira Siddiqui
Dr. Saira Siddiqui is an Assistant Professor (OPS) in the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, Government Coolege University Faisalabad & Social Sciences, with over a decade of experience in teaching and curriculum development. She is the author or co-author of several notable works, including Sustainability and Law in the Third World (co-authored with Kashif Lodhi), Community Development Failures in Pakistan: A Sociological Analysis and Pathways to Improvement, and Cultural Values about Gender Inequality, Equity, Social Justice and their Implications for Women’s Health in Rural Punjab, Pakistan.
Shahzeb Danish
Shahzeb Danish is a sociologist specializing in social justice and the challenges faced by vulnerable communities in Pakistan. His research focuses on gender inequality, educational access, and youth empowerment. He holds a BS in Sociology (2025, CGPA 3.4/4.0) from the University of the Punjab and has published over seven articles in recognized journals, including Migration Letters and the Journal of Social Research Development. His practical experience includes internships with the District Population Welfare Office, Bhakkar, and the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, Lahore. In 2024, his research was recognized with an Excellence Certification at the 1st International Conference on Innovation and Sustainability in Management and Social Sciences.
Endorsements & Reviews
“Chaos and Collapse is a seismic shift in how we must understand modern conflict. Siddiqui and Danish brilliantly dismantle the outdated ‘greed vs. grievance’ debate, recasting it as a terrifyingly rational business model. Their framework—where grievance is the ‘labor pool’ and greed is the ‘venture capital’—is a vital, groundbreaking lens for any policymaker, strategist, or academic in the field.”
“A truly indispensable read for our ‘Age of Instability.’ The concepts of ‘asymmetric market disruption’ for terrorism and ‘competitive state-building’ for separatism are paradigm-altering. This book provides the new vocabulary we desperately need to analyze the nexus of cryptocurrency, climate shocks, and the new ‘Violence Entrepreneur.’ A stunning, timely achievement.”
“Siddiqui and Danish have written the obituary for traditional counter-insurgency. This book is a powerful, data-driven argument that COIN is obsolete because it fails to compete on the only battlefield that matters: the economic one. Their proposals, from ‘Economic Firebreaks’ to ‘Development as Security,’ are not just academic—they are the only viable path forward.”
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