The film, "Cidade de Deus," shows how violence in our world tends to follow a cyclical path. The movie starts out with young boys like Li'l Dice, Benny, and Carrot taking control of the various drug and criminal activities within the city. By the end of the movie another group of young boys can be seen rising up and taking over the illegal industries. It is interesting that regardless of the place, Brazil, the U.S. or anywhere, the ghettos like this seem to constantly pan out to a similar story. The poor and underprivileged of the larger cities are constantly looking to take advantage of these criminal activities, as most seem to have trouble finding another way of life.
As Julio Cesar Pino explains in his article, "Labor in the Favelas of Rio De Janerio, 1940- 1969," the Brazilian favelas began to grow out of the mass immigration from rural to urban setting in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as the country began to industrialize. Pino explains the problem with Brazilian urbanization was the lack of rights for Brazilian workers. The Brazilian ruling class was able to take advantage of this as they consumed a mass amount of good that the lower class produced at a cheap cost. The country had established a minimum wage, but that was only for full time workers. Businesses were able to constantly lay off workers and restrict their rights even more. Pino cites the fact that in any single year between 1940 and 1960 that 40% of the favela population would have been unemployed. This sub-proletariat class was not paid minimum wage, were not protected by a union, and simply did not have the means to provide a decent standard of living for themselves and their families because of the elite's manipulation of the working class. When reading about how poor these people would have been, it is not surprising that children like Li'l Dice and Carrot were able to perform horrendous crimes at a young age. They understood what kind of life they were likely to have to live and saw the selling of drugs as a way to control their own lives.
Ney dos Santos Oliviera writes about the similarities and differences between the Brazilian favelas and the ghettos of New York City. She explains that only 12% of the American population is black, compared to the roughly 43% black population in Brazil, with about 5 million people inhabiting the favelas. She explains that even with such a large black population in the country, few blacks have achieved any sort of political office. In the U.S. there may still be a disproportional number, especially at the national level, but the numbers are much better and for a smaller portion of the population. The author contributes this to a lack of political organization within the Brazilian favelas. This is not surprising, as in the U.S, large groups of poor people are disconnected from political activity even though they may have the most to gain from political involvement. These facts also help explain why kids growing up in these poor environments may see this illegal activity as their only way out.
It is rather stunning to see little children like Li'l Dice able to commit murder and sell and use drugs. However, it is a part of the society that has been created. As long as these underprivileged children view this activity as their only way out of a poor, troubled life then it will always occur throughout the world. It happens in the major cities of America, maybe not as prevalent as in a poor South American country, but these troubled kids tend to come from the same poor, undereducated, and impoverished backgrounds. The kids in these situations need to know there is a way out besides dealing drugs. That is easy to see in a place like the U.S, it is not so easy to see in a place with larger amounts of poverty.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Revolutionary Che
The film, Che Part 1: The Argentine, shows how Che and his group of guerrilla forces defeated the larger Cuban army and helped bring Fidel Castro to power. After watching the film and reading articles about the life of Che Guevara, it appears that this turned into a struggle of ideology in which Che was ready to give his life for. His resentment towards U.S. policy helped bring about his ideas of revolutionizing the world, not just Latin America, into a socialist state through a revolution by the people.
The use of guerrilla tactics by Che was extremely successful in the small, undeveloped Cuban state. Che outlines how his tactics worked in his own article, "Guerrilla Warfare: A method." First there is the defensive stage, where the smaller forces slowly attack the enemy in small battles and running. Next, is what he calls the state of equilibrium. Here attacks are possible from both sides. Lastly, is when the revolution has won the hearts and minds of the people which allows them to overtake the major cities within the country. These three stages are clearly viewable in the film. Initially, Che and his forces are roaming the countryside and planning precise attacks on Batista's army. While doing this Che is also taking in and educating the people. The second stage can be seen Batista's army infiltrates one of Che's camps and destroys it. The last stage can be seen as Che's forces overtake the city of Santa Clara and then begins to head for Havana.
It is interesting that in his "Message to the Tricontinental Congress," Che explains he is doing this because there is no other alternative to a socialist revolution. He believed the U.S. and other western powers were oppressing the underdeveloped countries of the world and would continue to do so. He frequently speaks of American imperialism and calls it the last stage of capitalism. This makes it evident that Che is beginning to fight an ideological battle. It seems hypocritical for him to argue that a socialist intervention from a foreign party, such as himself, is any better than a capitalist intervention in another state. In the film he is constantly speaking about fighting for the Cuba and its people. This was a cause that the Cuban's should risk their lives for, but why? Batista was only being replaced with another dictator under the name of Fidel Castro, and indebted it to the Soviet Union instead of western powers. Che only seemed concerned with escaping the control of foreign powers, and not relieving the people of Latin America from oppression concentrated within their own governments.
Socialism and defeating what Che believed to be American imperialism were his main concerns. One can buy that he was truly caring for the people, but when only watching documentaries showing the man in a positive light it is easy to establish this perspective about him. This is his legacy however, as Eric Zolov states in his article "Between Bohemianism and a Revolutionary Rebirth: Che Guevara in Mexico;" " Che remains for many Mexican youth, as well as for those of the generation of 1968, a symbol of international solidarity and anti- imperialist struggle an irreverent revolutionary who overcame his bohemianism while never repudiating his wanderlust spirit." However, it seems saddening that Che did not visualize a revolution that brought people real freedoms. People need freedoms from all governments, especially the one closest to them.
The use of guerrilla tactics by Che was extremely successful in the small, undeveloped Cuban state. Che outlines how his tactics worked in his own article, "Guerrilla Warfare: A method." First there is the defensive stage, where the smaller forces slowly attack the enemy in small battles and running. Next, is what he calls the state of equilibrium. Here attacks are possible from both sides. Lastly, is when the revolution has won the hearts and minds of the people which allows them to overtake the major cities within the country. These three stages are clearly viewable in the film. Initially, Che and his forces are roaming the countryside and planning precise attacks on Batista's army. While doing this Che is also taking in and educating the people. The second stage can be seen Batista's army infiltrates one of Che's camps and destroys it. The last stage can be seen as Che's forces overtake the city of Santa Clara and then begins to head for Havana.
It is interesting that in his "Message to the Tricontinental Congress," Che explains he is doing this because there is no other alternative to a socialist revolution. He believed the U.S. and other western powers were oppressing the underdeveloped countries of the world and would continue to do so. He frequently speaks of American imperialism and calls it the last stage of capitalism. This makes it evident that Che is beginning to fight an ideological battle. It seems hypocritical for him to argue that a socialist intervention from a foreign party, such as himself, is any better than a capitalist intervention in another state. In the film he is constantly speaking about fighting for the Cuba and its people. This was a cause that the Cuban's should risk their lives for, but why? Batista was only being replaced with another dictator under the name of Fidel Castro, and indebted it to the Soviet Union instead of western powers. Che only seemed concerned with escaping the control of foreign powers, and not relieving the people of Latin America from oppression concentrated within their own governments.
Socialism and defeating what Che believed to be American imperialism were his main concerns. One can buy that he was truly caring for the people, but when only watching documentaries showing the man in a positive light it is easy to establish this perspective about him. This is his legacy however, as Eric Zolov states in his article "Between Bohemianism and a Revolutionary Rebirth: Che Guevara in Mexico;" " Che remains for many Mexican youth, as well as for those of the generation of 1968, a symbol of international solidarity and anti- imperialist struggle an irreverent revolutionary who overcame his bohemianism while never repudiating his wanderlust spirit." However, it seems saddening that Che did not visualize a revolution that brought people real freedoms. People need freedoms from all governments, especially the one closest to them.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Motorcycle Diaries
The "Motorcycle Diaries" attempts to tell the story of Ernesto Guevara being transformed into the revolutionary we all know him as today. As he traveled through the impoverished countries of Latin America, one can see Guevara beginning to have a different view of the world. It appears he envisioned a united Latin America, where every member, regardless of what class they were, whether they were indigenous, or an immigrant, be given an equal life to live. The most enlightening part of the film is his time at the leper camp in San Pablo. The egalitarian community of the leper camp seems to be what Che had envisioned turning Latin America into.
As Eduardo Elena notes in his article, "Point of Departure: Travel and Nationalism in Ernesto Guevara’s Argentina," many Latin American countries had succumbed to a movement of nationalism. Guevara seems to be unique in that he saw the struggles of the people of each Latin American country as eerily similar and should not be restrained within the borders of each country. This is not surprising after Elena notes that by his teenage years Che had familiarized himself with Marx and other leftist authors. Advocating a socialist movement of the working class seems to be something that Guevara was likely support as he traveled through Latin America.
In the article, "Awaiting the Blood of a Truly Emancipating Revolution: Che Guevara in 1950's Peru," it is obvious that the injustices Guevara noticed during his travels strengthened his view that a large social revolution was necessary in Latin America. A quote in the article by Paul Dosal states, " the poverty and injustices he observed struck a sensitive chord." Guevara's eagerness to begin reform came from the struggles he witnessed from the working and helpless people of Latin America. As observed in the film from his time in the leper community, Che saw himself no different from these people with the exception of having a better status in the world. In the leper community it appears that only the Catholic nuns see themselves as better than the lepers, as they require the use of gloves around the ill, which Che refuses to use. Drinot's article helps us to understand why Che was so bothered by the injustice he saw. As in Peru, most Latin American governments attempted to eliminate their opposition. Quieting the views of the people is something that would have bothered Che as he witnessed the mass amount of poverty in the region.
Ann Zulawski writes in her article that Che had a strong bond between the indigenous people of Latin America. He recognized their struggles and how they were were treated as second class citizens by every other class in the region. This seems why this quote in the article by Drinot explains the revolutionary view of Che, " political change could only be brought about only through a violent revolution led by people capable of emancipating others who could not emancipate themselves." Che saw himself as in a position to help others. The working people of Latin America were not afforded the resources to bring about a revolution for themselves. Che and people like him could help unite the lower classes of Latin America and bring about the change he saw necessary.
It is interesting that Guevara attempted to unite such a large group of people. Latin America appears to have been run by a small elitist class and largely influenced by outside forces during this time period. Che saw the policies enforced as being against the will of the majority of the regular people. He wanted to lead a revolution that would wind up bringing about a similar egalitarian community as the one he witnessed at the leper colony in Peru. It appears that much of his work failed in most places, as only Cuba was the one place that seemed to prosper in any aspect from the effects of Che and many would argue it only hurt the country in the long run. Guevara was right that the injustices of the Latin America people needed to be addressed, but his socialist movement was largely ineffective. The people needed a government that allowed them to grow and prosper as individuals, not one that made everyone equal by depending on the state for their basic needs.
As Eduardo Elena notes in his article, "Point of Departure: Travel and Nationalism in Ernesto Guevara’s Argentina," many Latin American countries had succumbed to a movement of nationalism. Guevara seems to be unique in that he saw the struggles of the people of each Latin American country as eerily similar and should not be restrained within the borders of each country. This is not surprising after Elena notes that by his teenage years Che had familiarized himself with Marx and other leftist authors. Advocating a socialist movement of the working class seems to be something that Guevara was likely support as he traveled through Latin America.
In the article, "Awaiting the Blood of a Truly Emancipating Revolution: Che Guevara in 1950's Peru," it is obvious that the injustices Guevara noticed during his travels strengthened his view that a large social revolution was necessary in Latin America. A quote in the article by Paul Dosal states, " the poverty and injustices he observed struck a sensitive chord." Guevara's eagerness to begin reform came from the struggles he witnessed from the working and helpless people of Latin America. As observed in the film from his time in the leper community, Che saw himself no different from these people with the exception of having a better status in the world. In the leper community it appears that only the Catholic nuns see themselves as better than the lepers, as they require the use of gloves around the ill, which Che refuses to use. Drinot's article helps us to understand why Che was so bothered by the injustice he saw. As in Peru, most Latin American governments attempted to eliminate their opposition. Quieting the views of the people is something that would have bothered Che as he witnessed the mass amount of poverty in the region.
Ann Zulawski writes in her article that Che had a strong bond between the indigenous people of Latin America. He recognized their struggles and how they were were treated as second class citizens by every other class in the region. This seems why this quote in the article by Drinot explains the revolutionary view of Che, " political change could only be brought about only through a violent revolution led by people capable of emancipating others who could not emancipate themselves." Che saw himself as in a position to help others. The working people of Latin America were not afforded the resources to bring about a revolution for themselves. Che and people like him could help unite the lower classes of Latin America and bring about the change he saw necessary.
It is interesting that Guevara attempted to unite such a large group of people. Latin America appears to have been run by a small elitist class and largely influenced by outside forces during this time period. Che saw the policies enforced as being against the will of the majority of the regular people. He wanted to lead a revolution that would wind up bringing about a similar egalitarian community as the one he witnessed at the leper colony in Peru. It appears that much of his work failed in most places, as only Cuba was the one place that seemed to prosper in any aspect from the effects of Che and many would argue it only hurt the country in the long run. Guevara was right that the injustices of the Latin America people needed to be addressed, but his socialist movement was largely ineffective. The people needed a government that allowed them to grow and prosper as individuals, not one that made everyone equal by depending on the state for their basic needs.
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