Not sure what this is! - The alt is to reject a capitalist-centered framework to allow for inter-communal discussions with indigenous communities.
Marco Steiner and Bret Gustafson 23. Marc Steiner is the host of "The Marc Steiner Show" on TRNN. He is a Peabody Award-winning journalist who has spent his life working on social justice issues. Bret Gustafson is a professor of anthropology at Washington University in St Louis. He is the author, most recently, of 'Bolivia in the Age of Gas'. “FOR US, EXTRACTIVISM IS LETHAL’: THE ONGOING COLONIAL VIOLENCE OF RESOURCE EXTRACTION IN LATIN AMERICA” https://therealnews.com/for-us-extractivism-is-lethal-the-ongoing-colonial-violence-of-resource-extraction-in-latin-america Kkang
The solution really comes from strong communities that have autonomy, that have a vision of conservation. But that conservation must connect with the global level, with global benefits. The benefit of environmental conservation, but also equilibrium; eco-systemic balance. I dream. I belong to a nation of 1,350 people. That isn’t even as big as a school in a Western country. However, we are fighting so that our people can live well, that we can live sustainably, and that our vision can transform the vision of the Western world that is based on fossil fuels. You might say that this is a utopian vision, but this is our utopian vision.
Marc Steiner: No, no, no. Patricia, that was good. It’s important. We have to have those utopian visions for the future, what the future could be like. Pablo, come in for a minute. And then Teresa, please jump in after that. Pablo, you as a Marxist and a Marxist activist and theoretician, how do you see these contradictions that Patricia raised? It’s really important to probe into that. I’m curious from your perspective on that, and then I want Teresa to round it out. Pablo.
Pablo Poveda: [Translated from Spanish] Yes, we are in a moment after the composition of capitalism. And if we do not overcome capitalism, I don’t think it’s a technology problem. Technology is good. We’re in the fourth industrial revolution, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for the hope of humanity. The problem isn’t that; the problems are the social relationships of production. These debates that are about the overcoming of extractivism are taking place within the frameworks of capitalism, and we have to overcome that. Unfortunately, these populist governments have taken backwards steps and have damaged the perception of the left and of Marxist movements at the international level. And they have been based in an ideological discourse.
It is about generating an enemy in whoever questions their proposals, and that leads to polarization, racism, confrontations between the communities, between the people in the countryside and the people in the city. It’s a very arduous task. And with regard to the social subject, the revolutionary subject, the Bolivian working class and mining and oil are well paid. These are not the same conditions that led to the revolution of 1952 in Bolivia. We should bring together the different sectors of society in the search to save the planet and really seek an energy transition that stops climate change, that overcomes capitalism, and brings together different parts of society. But I see it is very difficult to use this panorama, especially because after the pandemic, everybody wants to reactivate the economy, and they want to reactivate by exploiting even more nature and workers. It is a very hard and a very long task for a society that wants to liberate humanity from capitalism.
Bret Gustafson: Those are really amazing observations. I just want to jump in quickly, Marc. As it often seems to happen, sometimes here in the US, we often look to Latin America for the solutions that we want. We want there to be a progressive transformation. I really appreciate it, Patricia, talking about the contradictions of the international climate negotiations. The fact that the wealthier countries are to blame. Maybe we shouldn’t always be looking for solutions in other countries here in the US. We need to also be a little more militant in our opposition to extractive economies that we live under and that our consumption maintains elsewhere.
Marc Steiner: That’s a really strong point. Teresa, do you want to pick up on that for a moment?
Teresa Velásquez: Yeah, I’m thinking of my students right now. We can educate them, help them make the connections around extractivism, water contamination, climate change, racism in both North and South America, and empower them to take action. From my perspective, I believe that this vision of the future also comes from Indigenous people in the US and in Latin America. So this vision is for a more sustainable future. It also has to be anti-racist. The future has to be anti-genocidal. It has to support the life of human beings and also non-human beings.