The Making of Latin America

Carrie, I loved your blog this week!  I also thought that was an interesting part of the Walker book.  How can small countries which are so close together develop such distinct cultural identities?  It is also interesting how different Spanish-speaking countries use different words and phrases.  I noticed this when I was in Honduras, and I'm sure you'll notice it in Peru.  Language is a reflection of identity, as examined by Belli.  The language we speak and words/phrases we use say a lot about who we are, where we're from, and what we've been through.  I agree with the thought you left us with at the end.  Nationalism and unification were so important following independence, but as time progressed, poets and intellectuals took a step back and began to look to the indigenous for identity.  I think language to a large extend does secure nationalism.  Neruda and Belli developed post-nationalist perspectives which caused them to look past t...

"Macchu Picchu, did you place stone on stone, and , at the base, rags? Coal on top of coal, and tears at the bottom?" In "The Heights of Macchu Picchu," Pablo Neruda approaches the ruins in a new way.  Instead of praising them for their beauty and majesty, he dares to take a closer look and wonder about the struggles of the people who had to build it. Initially, Neruda praises the ruins and the landscape surrounding them, but he catches himself.  To him, the ruins are not as important as the stories behind them.  Who built them? What were their lives like? Was this beautiful city built on the backs of slaves and other exploited people?  Questions like these haunt Neruda. Throughout the poem, Neruda's point of view is shaped by his communistic beliefs.  This is evident as he discusses how we die "many deaths."  This, in my opinion, is a direct critique of capitalism and its influence on society.  Capitalism’s inherent greed is present in everyone’...

Syd, I love the way you write! I can definitely hear your voice and perspective in your writing.  It's nice to read something that isn't morbidly academic or superficially poetic like we have to in books and DQs.  I also agree with your point and share your concern.  I am shocked to be learning things about our country that I hadn't known about throughout K-12 education.  I think our country often shapes curriculum to actively socialize the students and portray a positive view of patriotism and nationalism.  This is similar to what Domitila Barrios de Chungara examined in her testimony that we read earlier this week.  I think what you said about the government is profound.  Obviously, the government does not want to be challenged, and shaping our curriculum is one way they keep people passive and content.  Finally, I'm glad you mentioned how the word stark appears in every book because it can't be a coincidence!

In 1904, Latin American poet Ruben Dario wrote, "A thousand cubs set loose from the Spanish lion" in reference to newly independent Latin American nations.  He warned the United States that their imperialistic policies would not last forever.  Someday, a thousand Latin American cubs would grow into lions, challenging the US.  In 1970, this finally happened. Chileans had tolerated US capitalistic intervention for long enough and threw their support behind Salvador Allende, an open Marxist and socialist.  This terrified the US and companies such as Kennecott Copper, which made five times more in Chile than they did in any other country.  Allende's plan to nationalize various industries such as copper, nitrate, and textile threatened US enterprise.  Only a few decades after Dario wrote of the thousand cubs being set loose, one had grown into a lion and challenged the US.  Chile dared to stand up in the face of the US and put their people before profits....

Fantastic job, Emma! I absolutely loved this blog, and the various examples you brought up in it. Until meeting people like you and Damian, I had been pretty oblivious to national politics and the corruption instilled within our political system. I also felt like Serrata was correct, and few people know the extent to which our country has legalized corruption, or in this case, lobbying. The US Senate is flooded with money from lobbyists and special interest groups, sadly often resulting in the prioritization of those groups over human need and social reform. I also agreed about what actual purpose the electoral college serves, or lack thereof. Haven't we reached a point in American democracy that the people can be trusted with their own government? Overall, I think we need to examine our own government before making accusations about others being corrupt or unjust. Corruption looks different in different places, and acknowledging this is the first step towards a government ...

Che Guevara ™ is not a person; it's a brand. In the past five minutes searching the internet, I've found Che Guevara ™ posters, shirts, bags, coffee mugs, pins, bobble heads, and even beer.  His face and name are plastered on thousands of items and  t-shirts worn by people who don't know a thing about his life or what he stands for.  Che Guevara ™  isn't just a brand; he was a person. A short summary about Che Guevara (no trademark): He was born into a middle class Argentine family and went to school to become a doctor.  During his time motorcycling around Latin America, a young Che saw firsthand the inequality and poverty faced by many people throughout the region.  It was on this trip when he developed revolutionary and Marxist ideas, ideas that would come to dominate Latin American, especially Cuban, politics for decades to come. Amongst these ideas was the realization that the US views freedom and progress through an increasingly capitalistic l...