AS.100.369: Ecocide in Vietnam?

Having read this week's texts and comparing them to texts from the Panama Canal Zone, Philippines occupation, and the early Cold War, how have attitudes changed among some American scientists towards the uses of military power, the imperative of technological solutions, and the relationship of human beings with nature? Let's speculate on what might have been driving these changes. Is the use of the term "ecocide" itself significant of a broader transformation in American environmental consciousness by the end of the 1960s and early 1970s?

AS.100.369: Unleashing the Insect War

Having read various views of the American war on insects from 1944 to 1962, what do you think ultimately was behind the war--i.e. what motivations or values propelled these relentless campaigns of extermination? Did Americans just flat out hate "bugs" during the period? Or was there something else going on here? Other thoughts? 

AS.100.369: Bodily Trophies and Hunting Metaphors

I thought you guys might find this recent Rolling Stone article about the ongoing investigation into a "rogue" platoon in Afghanistan useful for what we've been considering in class. It's a fascinating piece of reporting, although it does raise some important questions: 1) The author does not necessarily delve into the broader racial and cultural assumptions that might have guided the conduct of this particular unit, so I do wonder how deep-seated ideologies and social patterns at home before deployment influenced decision-making on the battlefield. 2) The first question might help us dissect what we think about the U.S. military's assertion that this was a "rogue" platoon and not symptomatic of a deeper problem among frontline troops in Afghanistan--thoughts?  3) What responsibility does the home front have when we learn about these types of atrocities?

AS.100.369: Roosevelt Invents the Big Game Safari

Teddy Roosevelt: After three days on safari, have yet to take quinine--real American men should go into the tropics without any anti-malarial protection. I firmly believe a sound immune system is the sign of sound physical rigor and moral character.   (May 1, 1909 at 7:43 a.m.)

Teddy Roosevelt: Feeling feverish. Probably just the heat. (May 2, 1909 at 1:37 p.m.)

Teddy Roosevelt: Laying down for just a moment to regain my strength. (May 2, 1909 at 6:12 p.m.)

Teddy Roosevelt: Vomited. (May 2, 1909 at 6:15 p.m.)

AS.100.369: Corporate Colonialism Over the Natural World

 To start this week's blogpost, let's go back to my "Aliens"(1986) reference. Considering that most of you looked at me like I was crazy when I mentioned the film, I thought I would provide a link to the trailer.

It's great. Sigourney Weaver as the heroine, caught between a vicious alien species and corporate lackeys only interested in harnessing and weaponizing this new organism. Bill Paxton's role as the paranoid Colonial Marine is also memorable. But I digress....

As I mentioned in class, the premise of the film is that "The Company" establishes a mining colony on a distant planet with the insidious goals of exposing their colonist-employees to a new, unknown organism. Once the Company loses contact with its colony, it requests help from the Colonial Marine Corps, with Weaver's character as a reluctant adviser (she had previous experiences with these creatures in the prequel). The Marines go in and hilarity ensues.....turns out the Company is just trying to obtain an alien for their own research and development purposes at the expense of hundreds of lives. Below is a quote that might be a good jumping off place for our readings this week:

Burke (corporate lackey): [Discussing the alien organisms] Look, those two specimens are worth millions to the bio-weapons division. Now, if you're smart, we can both come out of it as heroes and we'll be set up for life.
Ripley (Sigourney Weaver's character): You're crazy Burke, you know that? You really think that you can get a dangerous organism like that past ICC quarantine?
Burke: How can they impound it if they don't know about it?
Ripley: You know, Burke, I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them [screwing] each other over for a [damn] percentage.

Now yes, "Aliens" might be a stretch for our purposes (and yes, don't worry, "Aliens" will not be on the exam), but the idea of the "Company" and its cold, calculating logic that Ripley refers to does relate to the problems of corporate colonialism over the natural world. With the last two week's of readings in mind, do American corporate interests utilize "percentage" logic to rationalize their operations or do they try to conceive of their operations in higher, moral terms? Of course, please share any other thoughts or questions you might have. Thanks everyone.