Towards an Uncertain Future

This week's documents explore the long and painful fight against the American Oil company Chevron for their wilful destruction of environment. The documents themselves are relatively straight forward as they are court documents and a report on the case itself. I think the biggest thing to take from these documents and the case itself is the disgusting and careless actions of Chevron in regards to its operations. Whilst the initial dumping of toxic waste into unlined pits and other environmental destructive actions occurred during a time when knowledge of the environmental effects was limited and potential costs of litigation and good will by Chevron was small, the fact that the case has remained unsettled with out an apology is frustrating. From document 11.1 it is clear that Chevron admitted that its practices were destructive to the environment but as it had a responsibility to its shareholders, the cheapest strategy was the best strategy. After briefly skimming through Michelle's blog post I think think she hit the nail on the head regarding the idea that 'it was' common practice is a legitimate defence. It is disgusting that this corporation has been allowed to blatantly attempt to bully the court systems of multiple countries not only in this case in Ecuador but around the world.

A quick google search will result in numerous cases about environmental damage and breaches of government standards and international laws by Texaco. Their strategy is similar to a retreating Russian army or an advancing german army during WWII. Take all that we need and then burn the rest so no one else can enjoy. I understand the need to represent the interests of your shareholders but please big powerful corporations just respect humanity and respect the environment.

Chapter 9: On Terror

This chapter is all about the balance between good and evil as well as terror and violence. Throughout the documents there is an underlying theme of the use of violence to induce terror and therefore instigate change. The use of terrorism isn't only a modern ideal but has been a form of inducing change for hundreds of years. Document 9.1 recounts the events in which eight journalists were massacred in such a brutal fashion and the journalists quest to find the truth about what happened. The religious and ritualistic way in which the journalists were killed summarizes the level of fear and terror that the villagers lived in. As stated, whilst it was clear the victims were unarmed the attackers still murdered them and ritualistically disposed of their bodies as if they were the devil.
Document 9.2 provides a politicians view (president gomez) on the use of violence in politics and progress. It is evident that he believes there is nothing wrong with utilising violence to induce change within a society. This idea that revolutionary violence is another element of the human condition is a common reoccurring theme throughout history from the French revolution, the American revolution and the resistance against Nazi Germany in WW2 to the revolutions throughout the entirety of Latin America against the colonial powers. Finally, Document 9.3 is a declaration by the President of Peru in 1992. In contrast to the previous two documents, President Fujimoro declares the need for democratic progression and it is clear that he believes the people have the ability to enact change without violence

Whilst the vast majority of the world would like change to occur quickly and peacefully, is the use of violence and terrorism more effective at inducing longer lasting change or does violence only set back society and its progression?

Chapter 7: Power to the People

The documents in this chapter provide a interesting account on Eva Peron and her role in Argentine politics. It is evident that she developed a significant following and was considered to be a woman of the people.

Document 7.1 Foster Haileys "Peronists will head Argentine ticket" discusses the events that led up to the declaration of the Peron's to run again for the presidency. The article discuses both the rapid timeline that was forced upon Senora Peron as well as the political power plays that occurred during the estabilishment of who would run second on the ticket. It was clear that this was a turbulent time in politics

Whilst the validity and accuracy of Documents 7.2, 7.3 and 7.4 must be questioned they do provide an outline the kind of woman that Evita Peron was. She was someone that was a bridge between the poor and the wealthy and powerful elites of society. It is truly a shame that she was taken from Argentine by Cancer at the age of 33 after being forced to rescind her candidacy due to military and political backlashes as well as her declining health. If she had continued into the esteemed position of Vice president she could have made significant strides in the improvement of women's rights throughout Latin America.

Chapter 5: Signs of a Gilded Age

The first document, Dario's poem titled To Roosevelt is a extremely satisfying 'slap-in-the-face' against the might and will of the United States of America and then President Roosevelt himself.  As President, Roosevelt represented continued incursions by US forces into Latin America. In 1903, Roosevelt justified and even supported the Revolution in Panama which resulted in the annexation of Panama Canal as a U.S. territory. In a testament to the Monroe Doctrine (a doctrine presented by President Monroe in 1823 that stated that any incursion into Latin America in the form of colonization or an attempt to interfere with any North or South American state would be seen as an act of aggression and would be met with deadly force), Roosevelt and the United States believed themselves to have a responsibility to act as the police officer for Latin America.

Dario's poem is a complete rejection of the 'supreme benevolence' that the United States assumed of itself at the time. Whilst Dario does reject the presence of U.S. forces he clearly speaks about the general view held by Latin Americans that the U.S. was a wealthy, progressive, powerful and democratic example to which many Latin American countries could look towards for guidance. Mid-way through the poem he says "If you clamor, it is heard like the roaring of a lion".  I think this to be very potent image of what the United States mean in the early 1900s yet still relevant to the United States' position in international relations and Latin America specifically.

His final free form stanza is a flowing piece of literary genius that creates a beautiful and striking image of Latin America and its 'soul'. Dario speaks of the history and deep connections to its ancient lands. He recognises the incursion by men such as Columbus and the Spanish (and other European powers) and the effect this had on the Latin American culture. He perfectly sums up Latin America towards the end of the poem when he says "And it dreams, And it loves, and it vibrates, and it is the daughter of the Sun. Be careful. Viva Spanish America!". He then goes onto potraty the strength of character and the might that the people hold as collective Latin Americans. He describes the people as a 'Thousand cubs loosed from the Spanish Lion". As a grandiose finale, one that would rival the concluding bars of Beethoven's great symphonies, he directly targets Roosevelt with a thinly veiled threat and maybe even a touch of 'just try us'. 

The final sentence both signifies the solid religious foundation in Latin America (one that continues to this day) and clearly states that the U.S.A does not have god on it side rather Latin America does.

I am extremely glad that I got to read this poem as it could have been written by hundreds of different poems from hundreds of different countries throughout the United States' tenure as the global leviathan and it would have had the same effect.

The Export Boom as Modernity

This weeks reading was a fascinating account of the Mexican President Porfirio Diaz who served as President for seven terms or 34 years. It is clear that Diaz is a figure of controversy in the history of Mexico. The 'Porfiriato' (the title given to the period in which Diaz ruled) brought relative peace and stability within the borders and significant economic growth which included vast investments from foreign enterprises in the sectors of minerals and transportation/logistics. This article is bias towards the positive aspects of Diaz's rule and the benefits that the had on modernizing Mexico. Whilst the author does touch on the aspects of the cruel ways in which Diaz retained controlled, the overwhelming feeling is that the 'ends justify the means'; if to ensure telegraph wires were not cut it was required to hang or punish policeman then that was okay as sometimes its necessary to spill blood to save blood. This view on managing Mexico clearly backfired as he became greedy with his position and fell from power during the Mexican Revolution. His 'dictatorship' became unpopular wit the people as they felt repressed and whilst claimed to be democratic the elections were mere formalities as there was never an opposition.

Citizenships and Rights in the Republic

This weeks readings focuses many issues such as of citizenship and rights during the formation of Latin America and its many states, the issue of woman's rights and religion. This review will focus on Document 3.4 titled 'Brushstroke' by Maria Eugenia Echenique. Maria strongly believes in the freedoms of woman and wishes to fight against the oppression of woman. Through a combination of education and increased freedoms, Maria believes woman can truly break through prejudice and succeed at life far more easily than before. It is undeniable the access to education is one of the most critical factors in the fight against oppression. This can be seen in modern times in countries such all around the world from the middle east, to the Asia and even into the west. Education has always been seen as the gateway to freedom and choice; without the ability to understand and think critical and make decisions, society is unable to progress. Whilst this fact is undeniable, Maria does become quite stereotypical and generalizes the male population quite destructively. She continues to state that men laugh at everything, make jokes of themselves, only think about filling their pockets (with money presumably) and satisfying their desires whilst becoming angry, aggressive and destructive if something comes between them and their goals.  Whilst this would upset the modern reader, this document must be placed into context of Latin American society in the late nineteen hundreds when woman's right's were blatantly non existent.

Whilst I am writing this I feel the need to compare Maria's original document to document 3.5 titled “Women: Dedicated to Miss Maria Eugenia Echenique” by  Judith (Josefi na Pelliza de Sagasta). Judith contradicts Maria completely stating that she believes equality between sexes would be destructive and a terrible thing if it occurred. She argues that woman would lose their "greatest charms and the poetic prestige of their weakness: the prestige which forms the most noble attribute of their sex, the prestige that later, when women are mothers, doubly beautifies them and places them on the sacred throne of the home, where women best belong. Women, in our opinion, should never even in thought surpass the limits that God." This type of comment would not stand in modern times without serious backlash and it is surprising that a comment like this would be made by a woman even during such a turmoiled time.

Chapter 2 - The Slaughterhouse

Echeverria's 'The Slaughterhouse' is a fascinating portrayal of the clash between the civilized ways of the Europeans and the violent and barbaric ways of the Americans. It constructs the idea of the butcher being a symbolic representation of a dictator and the bloody, gruesome slaughter of animals to be a physical representation of the suffering, anguish and destruction experienced by the Argentinian people during the Rosa dictatorship. It is clear from the beginning that Echeverria sides with the Unitarians, those who held strong christian beliefs whilst he rebelled against the Order of Rosa and the federal party who he describes as wild animals. The constant use of gruesome descriptions such as the '49 steers were stretched out on their skins' and 'nearly two hundred people trudged around in the sloughy ground the was drenched in the blood from the animals' arteries' further creates the symbolic imagery of mass killing and gross violations of human decency. This piece of literature has gone down in history as an important part of Latin American history; the long history of oppression and death has and I would argue, formed a key part of modern Latin American culture.

The chapter itself provides an interesting anecdote into the role the Church and the Emperor played the in the politics and lives of Latin Americans. Furthermore it describes the great difficulties that faced Latin America. Firstly, compared to the relatively United States who's population mostly resided in Easter cities with land that was relatively flat and easily traversable and greater Europe with established trading routes by both land and sea, Latin American colonies were isolated and difficult to get to. Most cities and ports were located around resources centres such as gold mines or nitrate deposits. Isolation most likely contributed to the ease and ability of foreign powers to oppress and rule freely the oppressed people of Latin America.

Dawson, Intro and Chapter One

As a reader and as someone who is relatively un-knowledgable about the history and culture of Latin America, this weeks reading provided a fascinating insight into the history of Latin America and where it has gone today. I found the that history itself is fragmented by the views of many different people an interesting one; similar to the idea that history is written by the victor, the history of Latin America has come from both European sources as well as local primary sources. Whilst over the years many scholars and politicians have dreamed of a united Latin America who had the both the power and resources to stand against Europe and the United States of America, the individual nature of the Latin America countries does not conduce well to inter-state cooperation on a grand scale. As clearly stated in the introduction, whilst the majority of Latin American's are Roman Catholics, the practice of this religion differs from community to community, from country to country. I am looking forward to reading further readings that don't provide the history of Latin America from single point of view but rather from many sources. I agree completely that history is fragmented and this approach should be used for other moments in history around the world. It should be impossible to create a single narrative without questioning what is written to be 'truth'.

Chapter 1 creates the idea that Latin America did not 'fight for its' independence' like the United States did or other countries around the world have done, but, as individual countries who rose up against their colonizers at different time. Whilst most shared similar views of oppression and a willingness to fend for themselves, these views were not shared by all at the same time. When one country overthrew their colonizers, the revolutions continued to spread like wild fire. This idea of a spreading revolution can also be seen in modern times during what is now known as the 'arab spring'. I think what occurred in Latin America was a natural reaction of human nature when they are oppressed and their freedom is robbed.

Lieutenant Nun and the Casta Paintings

The Casta paintings provide a unique perspective into the mixture of races within the Spanish colonies of Latin America. Commonly presented on a single canvas with 16 individual paintings, The artworks depict the mixture of Spanish colonizers and local indian. In some some cases, the racial mix includes Spaniards and blacks as well as Indian and Blacks. Initially it is quite clear that the paintings were criticized for sending back to Spain the message that creoles, the Mexican born children of spanish blood were relatively common. Presumably, Spanish nobles would have deemed creole children to be inferior and those involving themselves with primitive locals (having relationships and children with indians) would have been blasphemous. Furthermore, the paintings did not show the popularized image of drunken depravity associated with local indians rather 'productive labour, commerce and consumption'. The break down of the 'sistema de casas', the hierarchy of spanish colonisation that favoured the white as the dominant ruling class, had the potential to develop into resistance and potentially rebellion. This would have angered the Spanish royalty considerably. As history progresses, the access to these paintings becomes restricted as they become more popular with the wealthier Spaniards; the paintings came to hang in universities, museums and the officers of high ranking officials.

The story of Lieutenant Nun is a story of incredible daring and bravery coupled with adventure and enough action to satisfy the palettes of even the most thrill seeking people! The Lt. was obviously a hard woman who had the ability to remain emotionless when she saw her parents and her brothers. I can understand her rationale for not attempting contact; it would have been clear that if she had been caught dressed as man she would have faced serious punishment. It is incredible that she managed to continually dupe thousands of soldiers, officers and city officials into thinking she was a girl. Clearly, Lt. Nun was a hardened woman who did not believe that she had to live the life of a nun but rather seek glory, adventure and battle!

Guaman Poma, The First New Chronicle

The translated excerpt taken from Guaman Poma's chronicles provide a fascinating and thought provoking account of the history of Peru during the time of Spanish colonisation of the Americas. Immediately Guaman Poma depicts the Spanish conquistadores as men driven by religion, by greed and by a lust for power. Something that I presume many would not know is that term 'indian' was derived from the term 'indies' or land in the days.

The discovery of a land filled with immense wealth ultimately proved irresistible to the Spanish and soon after Candia returned to Spain with stories of 'cities paved with gold', two of the captains general assembled an army and return to the shores of Peru seeking glory.

It is clear, even from this small excerpt of the chronicles that religion proved to be the sole cause of the destruction of a civilization which held such a rich and beautiful culture. The chronicles speak about the attempts by the Spanish to convert the native Inca's to Christianity however were met with impenetrable opposition. The native believed in the worship of the Sun god, and typical of this time, this could not be accepted by the Spanish conquistadores. As a result, 'Indians were trampled like ants', as the Spanish forced their will upon those who did not deserve. This idea of religious fanaticism bringing about the destruction of civilizations and the killing of innocents is not unique to South America or Christianity. Although historically, Christianity has been the source of millions of deaths through the crusades and holy wars, the majority of religions have been used at some point to justify senseless killing. I hope someday that the world will be able to respect peoples desires to practice their own religion without requiring bloodshed to satisfy their beliefs.

Hello everyone,

My name is Mitchell and I am an exchange student from Brisbane, Australia. Whilst I am at UBC I will be studying part of my International Relations major as well as elective courses as part of a dual-degree program. I am looking forward to meeting both other exchange students as well as local Canadian students. My hobbies include mountain bike riding, snowboarding, international relations and anything adventurous like skydiving or white water rafting. Can't wait to meet more of you over the semester!

Cheers,

Mitchell