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After World War Two the process of decolonization and the question of how to achieve full sovereignty was an issue for various third world countries. Postcolonial states like Bolivia lacked complete independence from the imperial powers, such as the United States, because of the inequality in market relations and the establishment of certain conditions upon third world nations in order to achieve a successful, independent, democratic nation. In the novel Let Me Speak! Testimony of Domitila, a Woman of the Bolivian Mines, Domitila Barrios de Chungara analyzes the relationship between Bolivia’s struggle with development and the influence of western capitalism. Domitila believed that capitalism was one of the leading causes for the devastation …show more content…
and injustice in Bolivia and that the only way to overcome its effect is through its eradication; by providing anecdotes of her own experience in Bolivia, she supports her claim and explains that: the drive for capital corrupted the political organizations and the government, unity among the workers and peasants is essential for success against capitalism, and the only way Bolivia will be truly independent is through a socialist agenda adapted to fit their needs.
Domitila’s stance on capitalism was developed because of her observations of corruption in political organizations and in the government of Bolivia because of their need to enrich themselves. When she describes the situation in Bolivia, she explains that “there are lots of people who have gotten rich, but they invest all their money broad. And [the] wealth is handed over to the veracity of the capitalists, at the lowest possible prices, through agreements which do not …show more content…
benefit [the people].” Because of the corruption of the government, there is a lack of capital in Bolivia that lead to an increase of problems in the nation because they could not provide the promised social securities that the workers and peasants of Bolivia needed in order to live content and comfortable lives and indeed made the situation worse for them. Not only is there a lack of capital in the country, but the money that was circulating in Bolivia was not used to help the people. Domitila explains that “the [mining] company tells [the people] it is going bankrupt, that it cannot build more housing. Yet the majority of the houses in the camp are the same ones that were built when the company was private. After nationalization, almost everything stayed the same.” She emphasizes the relationship between the government’s corruption and the lack of improvement to bring attention to the fact that the nationalization of the mines in Bolivia did not improve the lives of the workers or anyone but those in power who had control over the usage of the country’s capital. Hence, the government corruption in Bolivia was one of the reasons why Domitila believed capitalism was the cause of the problems in her country. Under the circumstances that lead to government corruption, i.e. capitalism, the political organizations that were originally meant to help the people of the revolution now served as a force that could repress the people and eliminate opposition. One prominent example was the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR) of Bolivia which Domitila describes to be “corrupt in every way: in its agents and labor representatives, peasant leaders and authorities. As if that was not enough, the MNR reached the point of setting up Nazi-style concentration camps in Bolivia.” The revolutionary group that once stood with the people now works as an agency of repression because, under the conditions of passive decolonization, the new ruling group in Bolivia (i.e. the MNR) does not want to dismantle the existing system but benefit itself. The group transitioned from wanting a revolution to dismantling the radical revolutionary forces so it could maintain power and its benefits even if it means oppressing those who put the group in power. Moreover, Domitila claims that the females who participated in the MNR “began to serve the interests of their party, which was part of the government and, in fact, they helped repress the people. They served as an instrument of repression.” These females take the name of barzolas, once a symbol of progress and change, and give it a negative connotation because now they are associated with those who sold out to the government. Additionally, the MNR barzolas are used to oppress the Housewives Committee when the normal police could not. Thus, the government corruption and corruption in political organizations lead to Domitila’s conclusion that capitalism and Bolivia’s problems are correlated and she goes on to present solutions for this situation. Domitila argues that one of the ways to resist the oppressive system Bolivian people are under is through the unification of the workers and peasants.
Her argument for this theory is that “[the people] are such a large machine and each one of [them] is a cog. And if one cog is missing the machine cannot work. So [they have] to know how to assign each person his or her role and know how to value each one.” She justifies this need for unification because through her experience she noticed that the oppressive system (i.e the government and their political allies) use the differences between workers and peasants to keep these groups distracted and if they fight each other then there is less chance of opposition towards the group in power. Consequently, Domitila argues that education is a key element that is needed to unify the people of Bolivia. She points out that “education in Bolivia is still part of a capitalist system...[the educational system] never explains our poverty, our misery, our parents’ situation, their great sacrifices and their low wages, why a few children have everything and many others have nothing.” Through this observation, she emphasizes that educating the children, and the lower class adults, on the circumstances that lead to their current situation can lead to a greater political consciousness throughout the lower classes and the future middle class that can serve as a way to unify the masses against the enemy. Given these points, Domitila affirms that
“the best way to fight and take revenge [from the oppressive systems is] to organize better, to make the people politically aware, and to struggle to free our county once and for all from the imperialist yoke. That is the only way to solve our problem.” Thus, the call for a unification of the people is Domitila’s first approach towards a fight against capitalism and that leads to a high concentration on leftist theories (more specifically socialism) as possible solutions to the problems in Bolivia. As a result of Domitila’s stance on capitalism and her idea that unity is an important method for resistance, she argues that Bolivia will only be free of its troubles by following a socialist programme. Her first allusion towards a socialist programme is the assertion that “the union must always be an independent organization and must follow the working class line..under no pretext can the union place itself in the service of the government” Theoretically, the conditions leading up to a socialist utopia need to be set through the clear distinction between the “proletariat” and the “bourgeoisie;” in this case, Domitila argues that the unions will be made up of this theoretical proletariat group and that the bourgeoisie “other” is the government, thus the primary conditions for a socialist revolution are met. With this condition in mind, Domitila also acknowledges that the government of Bolivia should be run by the people because the bourgeoisie “[undid] the revolution and the workers and peasants lived in worse conditions than before. That is why [she believes] a revolution in the future [will lead to a] government [that] will come from the people.” This idea that the government must come from the people is the final stage of an ideal socialist society as theorized by Marxist thinkers so on some level Domitila was aware that a socialist programme could bring solutions to the people of Bolivia based on their situation and the results they want to see. Eventually, she does make a clear affirmation that the goal of any further Bolivian revolution is “not struggling for a small victory, for a small wage increase here, a small answer there. No. [the] people are preparing themselves to get capitalism out of their country forever, and its domestic and foreign servants, too.” In brief, theoretically Domitila acknowledges that Marxist socialism is the best route for her country because the end goals of socialism (as of that time) coincided with the needs of the people in Bolivia; essentially, a fight on capitalism during that time was a socialist revolution. However, she knows that raw western Marxism, Marxist-Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism, etc. are not applicable to her country because the situations in each of these countries and the approaches made to apply socialism are not applicable to Bolivia; Bolivia has to adapt socialism to fit its needs and situation to actually be a solution instead of a problem. Ultimately, Domitila and organic intellectuals like her had a strong position against western capitalism because they experienced the difficulties that this system brought upon the nation. Western capitalism had a major influence on the course of development of various postcolonial states such as Bolivia and in some cases devastated their nation. Those in Latin America called this influence the dependencia theory because the developing nations became so dependent on foreign aid that an attempt to nationalize and go out on their own left them in conditions far worse than they had started with. With Bolivia as an example, Domitila illustrates how difficult it was to have completely nationalized industries under the capitalist influence of the United States because it had greater power over the markets and intervened to maintain its interests in that country save. As a developing nation, Bolivia had to depend on aid and fell into the cycle of providing material for the enrichment of other nations while it left its people impoverished and in a reign of terror and oppression. Given those conditions, socialism was the key that the intellectuals (like Domitila) believed would set Bolivia (and nations like her) free from the capitalist prison.
Alvarado was born into a poor social class where her father did not own any land. Land is a major issue for Honduran people because only a few wealthy people owned all the land, and everyone else was forced to work for these large landowners. The inequality stretches further because majority of these landowner do not have legal right to the land, which is where Alvarado’s participation in groups that fight for the return of their land begins. Social class plays another big role is oppression with the lack of healthcare and education. The lack of healthcare significantly affects the campesinos in that there is a lack of nearby hospitals. If a person is to become in need of a doctor, it is common for the person to die before they can even complete the journey to town. However, even if they were to make it in town by early morning, sometimes the hospital is booked for the entire day. Along with healthcare, the government also poorly aids education. As expressed by Alvarado, “even though elementary school is free, we still have to pay for uniforms, books, and materials… we have to pay for the bus fare too… Many of the high schools charge a monthly fee. In my town they charge $7.50 a month (59)…” Due to the high price of school, it is uncommon for children to make it past the sixth grade. This lack of support for children to go to school hinders their only chance
Therefore, drastic differences in opinion make Jose Marti the exact opposite of Domingo Sarmiento. Marti’s voice in “Our America” declares dangers of aspects stated by Sarmiento and relies on using aspects already in Latin America to fund a stable government and society. Marti claims that “to govern well an understanding and appreciation of local realities is required.” By stating this he is somewhat criticizing and differing with Sarmiento’s sacred opinions on being a pure reflection of European and foreign customs. Moreover, Marti smashes these declarations and believes influence from other countries won’t ever be as valuable as his own nation’s influence and reality. Marti is also antiracist by claiming that “the uneducated will govern because it is their nature to confront and resolve problems with their hands, while the educated dither over which formula to import.” Giving the lowest classes in civilization a voice and power is of importance to Marti contrastingly from Sarmiento according to the previous quote from the text. His American model relied on “giving way to American education… and teaching the history of the Americas, from the Incas to the present.” By educating citizens on their nation rather than imitating foreign customs, adaptation to local realities could be accomplished and therefore resulting in progress. Additionally, Marti also confesses his fear towards “our strong neighbor the United States and its expansionism of ideas, possibly influencing the Americas. However, unification through the nation’s national identity and working for common objectives despite differences is the main goal for Marti’s
Victims of a new wave of political beliefs, namely collectivization were enforced by Stalin and his followers in the name of Communism. Dolot convinces the reader that powerful forces of government made it clear to village farmers there was no option for them. They had no choice but to join the collective farm. It was a do or die situation; a matter of survival with the consequences of rebellion meant arrest, execution, concentration camps, or starvation.
Both Capitalism and Socialism are highly relevant to The Jungle. Laissaz-faire Capitalism is the prime economic system in America. All around, it means that consumers and producers have the right to make their money and spend it through whatever legal means that they choose. Capitalism is the system that is most fitting to what people know as the “American Dream”. Some may believe that Capitalism is the cause for a large amount of the poverty that Americans face, but any capitalist would explain that inher...
According to our system, it is very unlikely to have teachers like Tapia. When we read the conclusion part of the article written by: Meroni’s, Vera and Costas, when they say: “As it turns out, not just education itself but also the skills acquired through education and taught to students drive socio-economic performance.”(pg. 14) we understand that this wheel gap, we face the embarrassing reality that our performance in real life is inefficient, as it is in reading, the example of "sapo", when the author said: ‘“Because Mr. Blessington told me I was going to end up in jail, so why waste my time doing homework?”’(Quinonez 171) all these internal and external influence received, led him to surrender and not only that, it is understood that our economic performance also depends on it. This allows us to understand why, in reading of Quinonez, this school has teachers like Blessington, the economic deficiency plays a role in determining the quality of teachers who work in different schools; And Julia de Burgos high school is not the exception. The skills acquired in our outer life, they also have a large weight in our future success or failure. But what can one develop skills in a neighborhood lacking? What kind of friends generates a neighborhood so? Understandably the position of "sapo" if we see the external
Throughout the middle of the 1900’s, decolonization was flooding the globe. Many third world countries were growing tired of living in the shadow of the super powers of the world. The time of imperialism was ending and freedom of all states was on the rise. However, this freedom did not come without sacrifice due to the controlling empire’s refusal to let go. Many countries had bloodshed due to fighting for their freedom. However, some, such as the French, released countries without a fight (p. 23-24). As the super powers began to come across other issues, the colonized countries began to seek independence. An important ordeal that occurred during the twentieth century was the cold war. The cold war enhanced the will for decolonization by driving
De Lourdes Rollemberg Mollo, Maria and Alfredo Saad-Filho. "Neoliberal Economic Policies in Brazil (1994 – 2005): Cardoso, Lula and the Need for a Democratic Alternative." New Political Economy March 2006: 99-123.
Poverty on social conditions affects everyone in every part of the world, no matter if they are rich or poor. First of all, everyone is divided into some sort of social class. The most known classes are the economic classes- the lower class, the middle class, and the higher class. The lower class goes through arduous labor all day and night to earn decent amounts of money to provide for themselves and their families. Most likely, they are the only source of income for the entire family. The higher class works hard to keep up or raise their high social status. They also work hard so they don’t loss their social rank, which permits them to hold a higher power over the middle and lower classes. Similarities of decisions made by characters in these two literary works will analyzed to understand the meaning behind the actions and influences of the social classes on each other.
The text clearly criticizes the capitalist system of governance and the consequences of social stratification due to mal-practices by the bourgeoisies. It also states that despite the cons, capitalism is highlighted as a revolutionary thought because the monarchical and religious powers have impinged in favor of this system overtime. These practices and
...y also make clear not only the underlying selfish motives of common people, but also the abilities. In societies all around the world, people are initiating or resisting change as the Romans did. Every citizen has the power and the right to stand up for the causes they believe in; moreover, it is each citizen’s duty to do so. Each individual in the general public is not only a citizen, but also an active part of the government, because people have the responsibility to be the difference that they want to see in humanity, and change can start with just one person.
Przeworski, A., 2004. Capitalism, Development and Democracy. Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 24, No. 4 (96), Pp. 489-497
Le Guin suggests the need for permanent revolution to counter such threats as an incipient bureaucracy and a tendency toward dominance games. Marx used the term “permanent revolution” to describe the strategy of a revolutionary class to continue to pursue its class interests independently and without compromise, despite overtures for political alliances and the political dominance of opposing sections of society. In Can the Subaltern Speak? Spivak explores contemporary relations of power and Western intellectual discourse through representation and the political economy of global capitalism. In place of Earth's global capitalism I will be exploring Urras and Annares' relationship with themselves and each other. Urras and Anarres each view themselves as establishers of the good society.
Capitalism is a social system that is based mainly on the principle of individual rights. It has the political aspect, which is a “laissez-faire” system meaning freedom. There is also the economical aspect of it that shows that when such freedom is applied to production, it results in the “free market”. Legally also, capitalism is a system of the rule of the law as opposed to the rule of man. This essay will seek to look into the origins of capitalism and agrarian capitalism, the social property relations necessary to the development of capitalism and look at the general transition, mainly according to Ellen Wood.
Along with the advance and development of the society, capitalism is acquired by lots of countries among the world. But in the meantime, an increasing number of problems are brought to our attention, one of which is the pros and cons of capitalism. As to whether it is a blessing or a curse, people take different attitudes. Capitalism can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Europe, and this economic system has been contributing to the whole human race for centuries. However, people are attaching more importance to what capitalism is really doing to us, and they start wondering if another world is possible. My paper will focus on the question “Is capitalism good or evil”, and discuss different views about it.
Capitalism dominates the world today. Known as a system to create wealth, capitalism’s main purpose is to increase profits through land, labor and free market. It is a replacement of feudalism and slavery. It promises to provide equality and increases living standards through equal exchanges, technological innovations and mass productions. However, taking a look at the global economy today, one can clearly see the disparity between developed and developing countries, and the persistence of poverty throughout the world despite the existence of abundant wealth. This modern issue was predicted and explained a hundred and fifty years ago in Karl Marx’s Capital.