Easter

Adaptive Failure: Easter's End

By Jared Diamond

&

The New Rulers of the World

By John Pilger

The extinction of the dinosaurs has been accepted by most as the result of the earth being hit with a meteor. That is, that is the best guess and logically reason to believe why the dinosaurs have literally disappeared from the face of the earth. Ancient civilizations like the Mayans no longer prosper and most Mayans today are not full blooded; why is that? Diamond takes a closer look at Easter Island, an island once abundant in resources but now resembles a wasteland more than an island full of life.

For the past few weeks, the focus has been on globalization and economic anthropology, more specifically: environmental destruction. The documentary of the affect of American globalization on Indonesia by John Pilger portrays how one country takes advantage of another. That is the impression one gets from watching the movie. Some argue however, that the government of these countries are the ones who sign the contract deals. They are the ones allowing this to happen and so is it necessarily "taking advantage" when the second person involved is willing?

Comparing these two, they both have one common factor: humans. The disastrous result of Easter Island was caused directly by humans inhibiting the island. They drained the area dry of resources, using everything and anything without properly creating a system of replacement for the things they were taking. In Indonesia, the country's gap between the poor and the rich grow increasingly larger. According to Pilger's film, this country must work to pay off their debt to the United States. In order to achieve this, they put their people to work. Not only are the working conditions unsanitary, the expectations go beyond belief. How is this justifiable in any way?

Indonesia is increasingly getting poorer while the United States is getting richer. Indonesia in general, is like the island: its resources are being drained dry. Walking the streets of middle class to lower class people, there is no doubt that poverty clings in the air. Heaps of garbage piles lie around in various locations all the while children are playing nearby.

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