Our World's Greatest Threat: Global Capitalism

             Whether or not any of you reading this are interested in political science, something that pertains to us all and deserves our attention is the crisis we, as a world, are currently facing. I am no expert, and there dozens of perspectives when it comes to global relations/international relations, but I hope to present a particular view and spark thought, conversation, and even change. I want to pique the interest of anyone reading, in the hopes that it makes something think more deeply about the world and their role in it, as well as what they want for the future.

             I use the term "global relations" rather than "international relations" because I feel that the major actions in the world are not nations. Nations are definitely important and large, powerful, actors, but I feel global capitalism is a much more powerful force that shapes interactions across the globe. Capitalism has become ever more pervasive and present in all parts of the world. I have to admit, after being exposed to three of the many dominant views in IR (international relations), I find myself arguing from the radical leftist, or Marxist perspective.

           This means that I believe that the capitalist system is the ultimate root and source of many problems that face the lower and middle classes in countries all across the world. I believe in equality in opportunity, as opposed to equality of outcome, which is what most people probably think of when they think of communism and or socialism and the radical left. I do not think that people who are successful should be penalized by having to distribute their wealth to the less fortunate. I do, however, think that we should all have the equal opportunity and access to a valuable primary, secondary and higher education, regardless of the price of homes in our neighborhood, parental income, etc. I believe we should all be able to pay for college, pursue the degree that best fits us, and do our best to reach our various outcomes.

           I believe that people of the lower classes in Guatemala for example, now have more in common with the lower classes of Mozambique and other countries than they do with the upper classes of their own country. Latin America is classified as a region of "third-world countries." I think this depends on your perspective. Many people in the US believe it is their job to "bring development" to the poor, backwards people to the south. This is ridiculous. I do not believe integrating the rural people of the Andes into the capitalist system will help them. I do not believe in integrating more people into the system and making it more accessible, because the system itself is deeply flawed and adding people to it only makes it stronger.

          Why is capitalism flawed? Because it is economically, socially, and ecologically unsustainable. Capitalism can never create equality. It depends on poor working conditions, wages, and cheap resources in order to make the biggest profit possible. I do not need to tell any of you that this affliction exists in abundance in Latin America. The people at the bottom tier all over the world are becoming increasingly fed up with the lack of social movement, decent living conditions, and it can only get so bad before the system implodes upon itself.

         Why are conditions so poor in Latin America? Why can't peasants stay peasants and live the lives of their grandparents? Capitalism has taken their land, their means of production, driven them to the cities, where they rot and starve. Some of you may say, but nothing is worse than being a peasant. In the cities, and with capitalism, these people have more opportunities they have ever had before.

          I argue that this is gravely wrong. The people of the Americas had been surviving, flourishing even, for at least 10,000 years before capitalism ever set foot on their shores. The grand cultures of the Americas did not need Europeans to come and tell them who the true gods were, how to grow food, how to build, how to speak, how to live. Ever since Europeans laid eyes on the "New World", they have been raping, pillaging, and exploiting it, which brings me to my next point.

        The other main reason capitalism is unsustainable, besides that the economic system of ever acquiring more money is impossible and that the people will not be suppressed indefinitely: the ecology of the world. The earth's natural resources are by no means infinite. On the contrary, they are quite limited and that max is fast approaching. We as a people have two choices: wait and do nothing, until some cataclysmic event occurs and changes everything, or we attempt to change things ourselves. I urge you all to support the latter.

       Thank you.

           

Tostadas dulces

These are great for a quick, simple dessert.
Just fry and toss in cinammon sugar!

Why I Never Play Hard to Get by Rachel Kay Albers

One of my friends posted a link to this article today on Facebook and after reading it, I thought I just had to share it with as many people as possible. It's a short one, but the author makes a lot of really good, thought-provoking points about some phrases that we've all heard and taken to be good advice.
It's really worth the read.
Here's my favorite line:
"When we structure romantic relationships so that one party is considered a prize of conquest, won only by someone strong enough to fight past objections and overcome enough Nos to reach the Holy Grail of Yes, how can we expect that this blurred view of consent won’t bleed into our sexual relationships, as well? " 

Pass it on!
http://feminspire.com/why-i-never-play-hard-to-get/

Pan Dulce

One of the best things about Los Angeles versus Montana, fresh pan dulce! As finding pan dulce in Montana is impossible, I decided to make it myself for the first time this past Dia de los Muertos, as I wanted to honor my Tio and Grandpa but couldn't set out an altar because my cat would ruin it. Instead, I made pan dulce and mexican hot chocolate so we could have dinner together.
I made these using a recipe I found online in Spanish, and there are TONS. It seems there are a lot of different ways to make it but either way, they were delicious.
I tried to make the common "concha" kind (named for the topping that is supposed to look like a turtle's shell, mine kind of melted off).

The topping: butter and sugar and cinnamon, mashed together.

Missrizos.com

Leí un artículo hoy sobre una cantante dominicana que recientemente decidió a permitir su pelo ser natural y dejar la usa de las químicas para ordenarlo. Parece superficial, pero representa un tema más profundo de la sociedad y cultura. Las chicas dominicanas son ensenadas a odiar su pelo natural y los rizos parecen como algo malo y feo. Esta tradición no es única a la Republica Dominicana, existe en todos partes. Debemos cambiar este sentimiento. Todos somos hermosas chicas y ahora esta el tiempo para abrazar quien somos y ser orgullosas de nuestra herencia, cualquier herencia es.

Visite este sitio. Vale la pena.
http://www.missrizos.com/

I read an article today about a dominican singer who recently decided to let her hair be natural and stop using chemicals to straighten it. It seems superficial, but this represents a much deeper issue in society and culture. Domincan girls are taught to hate their natural hair and curls are seen as something bad and ugly. This tradition is not unique to the Dominican Republic, it exists everywhere. We should change this feeling. We're all beautiful chicas, and now is the time to embrace who we are and be proud of our heritage, whatever heritage that is.

Visit this site. It's worth it.
http://www.missrizos.com/

And here is the article I read in English.
http://latinzine.msn.com/going-natural-a-dominicana-who-loves-her-curls

Chile Relleno

This dish is a classic Mexican staple. My grandma always seemed to have some freshly made, but younger me didn't like the slimy texture of chiles so I never tried them.
However, since it's such a classic dish, I decided I should learn how to make it.
It involves poblano chiles and queso fresco. First you roast/blacken the chiles in the oven and then put them in a Ziploc to sweat for 10 minutes. While they're sweating, I prepared the batter by beating two egg whites until fluffy and folding in some flour.
Once the chiles were done sweating, I cut them open and removed the seeds and filled them with queso fresco. I used toothpicks to keep them closed, dipped them in batter, and pan fried them in a little oil. I made rice and beans to go with.

Soup Fridays!

Every other Friday various departments on campus host free soup lunch in the Native American Center. It's open to everyone, a great way to get to know people and Native culture, and it's free!

I just went today for the first time and had a nice time and some delicious food!

El Consejo Nacional de la Raza

Hola.

Hoy quiero enviar un mensaje a mis lectores que se hablan español. Sé que escribo en ingles, porque estoy en los Estados Unidos y la mayoría de personas en mi estado especifico, Montana, hablan ingles. Pero quiero conectar con mas personas; las personas que se hablan español, porque tal vez ustedes son los mas importantes. Somos juntos en este mundo y lo creo completamente que necesitamos ser unidos si queremos tener éxito en todo que hacemos. No hay países diferentes, todo que pasa nos afecta igualmente. Sí, tenemos diferencias y esto es algo bueno. Pero hay menos diferencias que semejanzas.

Mira a este sitio, del Consejo Nacional de la Raza. Es una organización muy importante y vale la pena.

http://www.nclr.org/

También hay algunos artículos interesantes sobre el voto hispano y la influencia que tuvo en esta elección estadounidense.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/09/15029245-hispanics-to-obama-we-helped-you-now-you-help-us?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=2

http://www.nclr.org/index.php/about_us/news/news_releases/el_voto_hispano_marca_la_diferencia_en_la_eleccion_presidencial_2012/

VOTE!!!

Today is the day everyone! Seeing as our nation is a republic, voting for the people who will represent us is the best we can do and the most influence we can have. So  make sure you vote for the person who will best represent YOU, not their sponsors.
It's our responsibility. Let's not be a complacent nation.

Dia de los Muertos

I like to print black and white pictures like these and color them in to use for decorations:


As you might know, yesterday, Nov 2nd was Dia de los Muertos or "Day of the Dead". This is a hugely important holiday in Mexican culture, and merits a much longer essay than I have the time to provide. However, I will give a brief description of the holiday as I understand it and how I myself practice it (with lots of pictures of course).

Dia de los Muertos is thought to come largely from indigenous cultures and traditions, as one of the many traditions that blended with Catholicism and remained after colonization. It is a joyful holiday, a day in which our dead loved ones are thought to be among us. Cemeteries are bright, colorful, filled with flowers and life in Mexico, unlike in the US, where death is seen as a much more mournful occurrence. Most of Latin America is still very Catholic, and death is seen not as the end of life, but as the next chapter, a transition to be celebrated. Dia de los Muertos is a time of coming together of family, dead or alive, and highly respectful of those no longer with us.

Often, altars to dead relatives are set up in the weeks leading up to Nov 2nd, which hold many offers and tributes to them, such as their photos along with food, wine, candles, flowers, etc. These altars are very beautiful and filled with color and are meant to show respect to the deceased. Often, people decorate sugarskulls and display them on the altar or in their home as well.

On the actual day, many people paint their face and many celebrations with food and family are held. Many communities have parades and festivals, especially in Mexico and the US south-west. Even here in Missoula, many organizations put together an annual parade that marches through down town and attempts to represent some of the tradition.

I did not make an altar this year, as I did not think it would be safe from my cat. However, as I do every year, I painted half my face in the Dia de los Muertos style and wore in a Mexican-inspired dress with bright embroidered flowers. I went through my day at the university like this, to honor my Tio and Grandpa and to bring awareness to the day. Once at home, I made pan dulce and Mexican hot chocolate for the first time, which I set out on two extra plates and cups so that they might eat dinner with us. It truly is a beautiful holiday, and a wonderful feeling to think we might be able to feel close to our family members after they've left us.

My homemade pan dulce:

                                                           My facepaint and dress:

       We miss you Grandpa <3                                                                                



And here are some representations from around Missoula I found last year:

Watch it. This election will affect us all, men and women.

Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria & Kerry Washington Hit Mitt Romney On Women’s Issues In New TV Ad | MoveOn.Org

An Interesting and In-depth look at the Motivations of the Pro-life Movement

How I Lost Faith in the “Pro-Life” Movement | Love, Joy, Feminism

It's well worth the read.

Please Don't Elect This Man

Please read this article about Romney and his apparent views on gay and lesbian people having families. Besides being ridiculous and wrong in so many ways, this issue needs to be settled once and for all so we can move on to more important discussions, such as how to prevent us from exceeding our carrying capacity and destroying the Earth.

Gay and lesbian rights should be so fundamental and basic, it is ridiculous that these discussions even continue to exist.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelangelo-signorile/romney-some-gays-are-actu_b_2022314.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012

Bullying

I, as many have, could go on for pages about bullying, why it's bad, why we shouldn't do it, and the many subtle ways in which we do. Instead however, I will assume that my readers know bullying is bad and hurtful and realize when they are doing so and feel guilty about it. The truth is, we all have or do bully people at times or have been bullying. It is part of the fabric of our society and how we grew up. However, we can be conscious of it and stop ourselves when we discover we are bullying someone. I like to think the majority of people fall into this category.
The way in which ALL people can improve is much more subtle. The use of the words "gay" and "retard" are widespread among youth in the US. It is my impression that using "gay" as an insult has gotten more press and more social backlash, while "retard" still seems to be in full swing. I have never used "gay" as an insult in my life. However, I'll be the first to admit that I have the bad habit of using "retarded" to describe something that pisses me off. This is wrong and I know it is, but it is a bad habit that I must try to break.
If we all try to wean ourselves off these words, the world would have a lot less bullying.

Here, a Special Olympian responds to Ann Coulter's use of the word "retard" to describe President Obama. It is beautifully written and reminds us all of how we can improve ourselves.
Please give it a read.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-special-olympian-ann-coulter-20121024,0,1303808.story?track=rss

Draw the Line: The Bill of Reproductive Rights

Hey everyone, I heard about this from one of my friends via Facebook, and just thought I'd share it here so everyone could check it out. You really should. It only takes a minute. Plus, it's got Amy Poehler!

http://www.drawtheline.org/your-turn/?o=0142398

Tenemos el Poder

As I hope everyone knows, elections are soon upon us. There is no set of ideals or beliefs that are completely constant in any population or group, there is always variation and diversity. I am not going to claim that all Hispanics feel one way or another when it comes to politics, society, the duty of the government, etc.

However, I will argue that our vote is more powerful than ever before as a demographic. We are already the largest minority in this country, and are on our way to becoming the majority. The majority of births in this country are to Hispanic mothers, and we are poised to cast the deciding vote on the direction of our nation. It is OUR time. Because there is no clear winner between the candidates in the eyes of many Hispanic people (many of whom traditionally hold conservative views but do not feel at all welcome or wanted in the Republican party) we are the group that the candidates should be most heavily courting. We are the largest bloc of possibly undecided voters, as many others stick to their party lines even when doing so is against their best interest. Never have we had such an opportunity to make the changes we want to see. And while neither presidential candidate truly seems to understand just what those changes are, some very important and pertinent issues are on the table.

These issues are important not just for Hispanics, but for everyone, especially the young people of this country (a growing number of whom are Hispanic). As young people in this nation, it is in our best interest to vote for candidates who support equal opportunity for education and improving our nation's education system. The manufacturing jobs of our grandparents' times are gone. Never again will the US hope to be competitive when it comes to cheap labor. The standard of living we expect in this country and have grown accustomed to cannot be supported by wages low enough to entice transnational corporations to have their factories here.

A point the President made in Tuesday debate was to the effect of, yes, we are going to lose some jobs. But what we can and should do, is invest in the development of high-skilled, high-paying jobs. This is something we are very well-positioned to do. Our higher education system is one of the best in the world, but it is in desperate need of help, as the system can only withstand so many budget cuts. It is in everyone's best interest to increase funding for education, yet in times of austerity measures, education is often the first sector to be cut. This is ridiculous and dangerous. It is one of the easiest sectors to cut, as its effects are not immediately felt. But this problem is linked to so many other issues in our country, such as poverty and high teen-birth rates and unemployment. Ultimately, it all comes down to education.

Nearly everyone I know will be drowning in debt by the time they graduate from undergraduate school, and many would like to continue on to grad school, as that is now necessary to be competitive. Helping people who want to further their education can only help this nation as a whole. Bending to the will of the capitalist elites will not save us. They do not care about any nation in particular. They are a class all their own and are loyal only to the system and their money.

The idea of "less government" appeals to many. But the private sector does not always do it better. Real wages have not risen in the US since the 70s. Producing more for export in Latin America has not raised wages there. Our families, our kin, in this country and others are hurting. We are all hurting under this system, and people like Romney, who buy into his brand of economic theory, say that not having job security is just something the working class will just have to get used to. Easy for someone not of the working class to say. The majority of us will spend our lives working. It is not in our best interest to vote for someone who represents the interests of the capitalist elitist class, rather than our own.

Please, think about what is best for your future. How many of you out there want to have to put an early halt to your higher education career because you get pregnant or your girlfriend gets pregnant because she can't afford reliable, easy to use birth control? How many of you want to pay taxes to fund the ER visits of people who can't afford or refuse to buy health insurance? To me, it makes sense that we all pay in to the system, and we all can benefit. I'm not arguing for the equal outcome idea, that we all should get the same results no matter what. But I am arguing that we should all have equal opportunity to live the best lives we can, and make the most of our future.

Tostadas!

A simple Mexican staple. Here, I fry the corn tortillas myself. Growing up, we'd use store bought crispy tortillas or ones my grandma had made. Top with refried beans, cheese, lettuce and salsa.

Breakfast for Dinner: Chorizo Scramble

I've never made chorizo at home before, being unable to buy some from a Mexican market up in here in Montana (as there are none), so when I saw a home-made sausage stand at the local farmer's market, I decided to ask if he had any chorizo. To my surprise, he did! He assured me it was lymph node free, and the leanest, cleanest, tastiest chorizo I could ever find. I decided to scramble it up with some eggs from a local chicken-raiser and an organic, local red potato.
I first boiled the potato until it was mostly cooked, then cut it into cubes and pan-cooked them with salt, pepper and a tiny bit of oil. I next began to cook the chorizo most of the way through before adding the eggs and then the potatoes. The chorizo was extra lean, so it mixed in completely with the eggs, resulting in a not-quite-traditional look, but the taste was amazing, and spot-on. Served with a little Tapatio and freshly cooked tortillas. =]

These are the uncooked tortillas I like to use; they're super tastey and way better when you're the first to cook them. I highly recommend uncooked torts if you can find them. Costco sells some good ones too. 

Chile Verde!

For chile verde, I first make a salsa verde the way I usually do: spicy! I use tomatillos, anaheim peppers, and serranos. I roast them on a baking pan in the oven under the broiler and blend them with fresh garlic, onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro. For this particular batch, I also made a completely mild batch of salsa verde, minus the peppers just so I could mellow out some of the spice (I like my salsa verde hot, but for a full plate of it I like it to be a little milder). I dissolved some boullion (chicken stock could be used) in water and added the two salsas to taste, and browned chunks of pork shoulder, combined them all in a glass pan, and cooked in the oven for 4 hours.

Before:
 (tomatillos from the farmers' market!)

After:

 
Chiles                                                                           Salsa verde                  

The meal:


And finally, my boyfriend enjoying two plates of it. 

Pozole!

Pozole! A favorite of mine, I figured this one out with the help of some online recipes I found and my grandmother's tips. I use about 2 pounds of pork shoulder for this soup, cut into chunks but I add the bones as well. It is often eaten around Christmas, but in Southern California, where I'm from, most Mexican restaurants serve it daily, or something similar, menudo (however, menudo also has tripe--the main difference and why I don't eat it). I slow cook it at a gentle boil for about 3 hours, and it takes 30-45 minutes of prep. It's typically served with cabbage, onion, cilantro, lime or lemon juice, pepper flakes, and radish. I  serve mine without the onion or radish.