Theme:
The enormous differences between Hispanic America and Anglo-America, seen as a function of initial European settlement--and the time of that settlement. In Latin America, the overwhelming burden of Hispanic institutions in a region which has been independent of direct Spanish rule for nearly two centuries.
Sub-Theme:
Latin America, for all its variety, as a showcase for all the problems of the "underdeveloped" world, despite the fact that it has been theoretically independent for a long time, and theoretically democratic for a long time.
Contrasts between Anglo-America and Hispanic America: a laundry-list of reasons why it made a difference whether England or Spain originally settled a particular area.
(1) Place in the world: Latin America suffers from its association with Spain, an arrogant but fading star on the international scene from late 17th century. The U.S. gains from association with Britain during its early dynamic phase; Canada got the status quo types as its heritage from the revolutionary war. Both North American countries benefitted from their use of English.
In this century, especially since the end of the second world war, the U.S. of course has been the main reason for the supremacy of English as a world language.
(2) Political differences: the basic role of government.
-- Attitudes toward authoritarianism: church, army, and government
-- Attitudes toward centralization and federalism
-- Approaches to solving political differences: attitudes toward compromise. Conciliation vs. honor as civic virtues.
(3) Economic differences: attitudes toward money, work, land, and leisure
-- Availability of risk capital. What happens when land is capital.
-- Reliance on agriculture and mining as sources of basic income, and the effect of violent fluctuations in world prices. Copper, coffee, and "banana republics."
-- Condition of the economic infrastructure, especially transport systems; "colonial" patterns of roads and railroads.
-- Disparities in income between segments of the population: rich, poor, and middle-class.
(4) Demographic differences
-- Race, and attitudes toward race
-- Degree and rate of urbanization; primacy of cities
-- Birth rates, death rates, and rates of natural increase
(5) Great problems of the future: eating vs. ecology.
Differences within Latin America: Augelli's idea of "Mainland" vs. "Rimland"
-- "Mainland," and what it means in a Latin American context. Why Mexico is a prime example (see list below)
-- "Rimland," why the West Indies and Caribbean fringe (and perhaps the southern fringe of the U.S.) differ from the Mainland.
Differences in: Climate, crops, and colonial history, economic diversity, and linkages with Europe. Present demographic differences: race and population densities.
News items and miscellanea:
"Bolivians in fear as Maoist rebels slip in from Peru," NYT 5Se92 pp. 1 and 4. "Porous border and ill-equipped troops offer Shining Path a new base for violence."
"4 Caribbean islands quicken pace toward union," NYT 17Mr91, p.7. Four islands of the windward chain, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Dominica began a series of talks hoping to get the creation of a single state of about 500,000 by as early as 1992. Discusses reasons for unification as well as barriers -- the ideas can be generalized to other small states.
"Response to Chile human rights report is violent," NYT 24Mr91, p.10 describes "terrorist" attacks after reports on human rights abuses of the previous military government. Just because S. American countries currently have elected governments doesn't mean that all is calm and rosy.
"Westminsters-in-the-sun," The Economist 9Ja88, p.36 talks of the former British territories that show democratic forms are not totally alien to the Caribbean.
"Refugees: Mexico. The new Mayans," The Economist, 9Ja88, p.40 discusses refugees from government sponsored violence in Guatemala who are settling in UN camps in southern Mexico.
"Roots of inequality," NYT 26Mr89, p. 4:1 lays out land ownership problems in some Latin American countries based on Worldwatch report. Examples: In Brazil the top 2% of landowners control 60% of arable land and 70% of rural households are landless or nearly so; in Colombia the top 4% of landowners control 68% of arable land and 66% of rural households are landless or nearly so, and in Guatemala the top 1% of landlords control 41% of arable land and 60% of rural households are totally or nearly landless.
"Middle-class protests cast cloud over Venezuelan democracy," NYT 6Ap92, p.14 discusses widespread disgust with the corrupt political system in Venezuela. Anyone reading this would not have been surprised by the attempted coup late in 1992.
"Brazil welcomes drop in population growth," NYT 8Mr92, p.18 says the growth rate has dropped below 2%. This is welcomed in a country that until recently had a policy that the more the better because of the limitless land available in the Amazon.
"Latin America cheers up," The Economist 18AP92, pp 11-12 talks about the prospective boom to our south and whether it is only another blip in a long up and down cycle ... as the article says, democracy is delicate.
"Brazil abortions: illegal in name only," NYT 21Jl91, p.12 talks about the underground abortion system in this nominally Catholic country. For instance it discusses one 46 year old woman with three children and 13 abortions.
"Venezuela's policy for Brazil's gold miners: bullets," NYT 16Fe92, p.20 discusses one of the border conflicts in South America; this one is due to gold miners crossing into Yanomani Indian preserves in Venezuela in search of gold.