Americas Politics

From boots on the ground, to boots? in the air

lalicda — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:41:04 +0000

The border patrol is finally drawing down, in a manner of speaking. After repeated reports from such esteemed institutions as the GAO, the Obama administration has finally announced that they will go with what seems to work — dropping from 1,200 people patrolling the southwestern border to 300 next year. In their place, they propose to have people in planes do the job.

Guatemala Police Archives are up!

lalicda — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:46:17 +0000

In a major coup for Guatemala historical memory projects and the University of Texas, Austin, the first reels of the national police archives are up, already more than 10 million images.

You can’t search the text of the pdfs, so you basically have to drill down by year and other general characteristics. I spent about an hour playing around through the browse feature without finding much of notice, but it holds some gems for those who have the time….

2011, in Volcanoes

lalicda — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:12:29 +0000

via kotke: the Atlantic has 30 amazing volcano photos, and Chile tops the list!

When are the Zetas like MacDonalds?

lalicda — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:36:18 +0000

John Bailey has a concise explanation of how the Zetas can expand quickly, saay south from Mexico to Guate:

“the more entrepreneurial “Zetas” can “apply” to operate in a particular plaza and pay fees to the lead organization for the use of their name. Or a gang can independently negotiate a franchise with the relevant Zeta node. In addition, Zetas franchisees typically diversify into activities such as extortion or kidnapping to earn additional profits.”

All good Latin Americanists should learn about bananas

lalicda — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:56:29 +0000

You can start here, with this Edible Geography post on banana control:

Chiquita Banana Color Guide

Undocumented Migrants are often Parents to US Citizens

lalicda — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 01:47:05 +0000

Pew Hispanic Center confirms something I’m learning anecdotally: Many first generation students have parents who are undocumented migrants. According to Unauthorized Immigrants, “nearly half (46%) of unauthorized adult immigrants today—-about 4.7 million people—-are parents of minor children. By contrast, just 38% of legal immigrant adults and 29% of U.S.-born adults are parents of minor children.”

While this makes parent-teacher conferences rather awkward in grade school, the stakes get even higher in college.

Fun fact: When some students turn 21, they are excited to drink alcohol legally. Other students are excited to sponsor their parents for legal residence in the US.

Discourse, Take two: Not a wall, but a state of mind

lalicda — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:59:39 +0000

Snippet from a great NYTimes op-ed:

“Walls, then, are built not for security, but for a sense of security. The distinction is important, as those who commission them know very well. What a wall satisfies is not so much a material need as a mental one. Walls protect people not from barbarians, but from anxieties and fears, which can often be more terrible than the worst vandals. In this way, they are built not for those who live outside them, threatening as they may be, but for those who dwell within. In a certain sense, then, what is built is not a wall, but a state of mind.”

On Discourse (Take one)

lalicda — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:53:32 +0000

I find it impossible to think about something without wondering what the words being used mean and meant, how it came to be understood in that way, what configurations of people, place and power produced that state of things.

– Elden, S., D. Gregory, and A. Sevilla-Buitrago. 2011. Spaces of the past, histories of the present: an interview with Stuart Elden and Derek Gregory. ACME: An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies 10(2): 316.

Inequality

lalicda — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:05:11 +0000

You should care:

Growth in Real After-Tax Income from 1979 to 2007

Income growth in the US over the past 30 years has been pretty friggin’ unequal.

PSU & Outrage

lalicda — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:59:39 +0000

Dear mainstream media, especially Sports Illustrated,

You suck.

Love,

La Licda

——

I have finally found something worth posting that properly expresses how ridiculous and offensive the coverage of the Penn State “scandal” is — The Onion.

To wit:

“The victim I spoke to, who was 12 years old when Sandusky first took advantage of him, looked very upset throughout the entire interview,” Sports Illustrated writer Stewart Mandel said. “And when I asked whether he was concerned not just for how Joe Paterno would be remembered, but also for the football program’s ability to recover, he told me the interview was over and I should get out of his house.”

“Can you blame him, though?” Mandel added. “A coaching legend’s reputation hangs in the balance. I’m just as hurt and frustrated as he is.”

Many members of the sports media said they found the victims equally uncooperative and generally disinterested in Paterno’s Bear Bryant, Walter Camp, and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Awards. According to the journalists, shock and trauma were possible reasons for this response, and the victim’s were more than likely speechless due to the thought of Paterno’s storied career ending on such a sour note.

“I think right now they just need some time,” said ESPN senior writer Ivan Maisel, who, in light of the allegations of misconduct at every level of Penn State’s administration and the dozens of ruined lives that resulted, filed a column about Paterno’s football legacy Wednesday. “I’m sure they’ll be better when the dust settles and they realize just how impressive 409 victories really is.” “