Towards an uncertain future

Chapter 11- Towards an uncertain future

Chapter 11 gave a good worldly context to what we've been learning about this term. Something that really stood out to me was this idea of a "crisis generation," and how the predominant unemployment crisis in North America is something that Latin America experienced a generation ago. Dawson
calls Latin America, "ahead of the curve" in this respect, and relates multinational corporation's power to colonial powers of the past.
I think it's this sense of unclear, global agendas run by inhuman and abstract forces that cause crises such as these. These forces can be seen on a personal level as well, through protest, through corruption of government agencies. Overall huge powers such as these foster poor social interactions, and the obliteration of the natural world for the sake of greed.
It's appropriate that Dawson concludes with document 11.1, an account of Neuva Loja, Aguinda v. Chevron Texaco because one of the biggest issues that our world faces as it globalizes is how to organize the use of natural resources in a healthy way. It's amazing how power can tweak rules and regulations in order to manipulate their own self interests. It disgusts me that Texaco could get away with dumping around 16 billion gallons of "production water" into surface waters over a span of only 18 years. I grew up going to oil spill sites on occasion with my Dad because he works as a toxicologist on site for oil spills internationally. The reality of oil spills and misconduct is ugly, and it has a long lasting impact on a region both environmentally and culturally.
It is true that Latin America, along with the rest of the world is heading "towards an uncertain future," I guess that the question now is how do we end the corruption and misuse of power when it is on such a large scale, and how can we create better social interactions within Latin America and globally.