Chapters 70, 76, 77, "Long Journey"

Chapter 70 discusses various topics involving "counterhegemony" labor events that occurred globally. For example, the 1997 UPS strike. The strike itself was caused by the IBT, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. UPS had been known for their major use of part-time / temporary workers. Being a temporary worker means you don't get as much pay as a full-time worker, nor do you get as many benefits, if any. This caused a world-wide uprising against UPS, with the ITF, the International Transport Workers Federation's tagline in their pamphlets, "UPS: importing misery from America." Additionally, the chapter talks about the "feminist movement without borders", in which it is noted that historically, and even currently, there has been a notable amount of discrimination against women in the labor field and global economy. This led to the creation and adoption of CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, as well as SEWA, Self-Employed Women's Association. Both organizations target the inequalities and needs of the workers of the "informal sector," being where the jobs are not regulated, nor governmentally monitored. The informal sector makes up over half of the global working population, and primarily consists of those who are bordering, or are in poverty.

Chapter 76, as its title suggests, focuses on the reason why Nationalism is "better" or "beats" Globalism. (Sidenote: I got a good laugh at the second sentence in the entire chapter. "the rise of Donald Trump in the United States..." as if the author is saying that he's a force to be reckoned with or something.)

The chapter discusses the recent events occurring in the Western world, namely North America and Europe. It also talks a lot on the subject of immigration, and how it splits the "Nationalists" and "Globalists" further apart. The author of this particular section, Jonathan Haidt, breaks these topics into four different sections. The first section discusses the commonly found trend of the turn from communism to capitalism. This was found in a World Values Survey of 60 countries, and how nearly all of them had followed that path. The survey had found an additional trends in these counties. First, as a country becomes more industrial, there is a shift away from the "traditional values" of the people. Second, as the country becomes wealthier, the people seem to move away from their "survival values" that highlight the securities of one's family. (I tried to paraphrase but the author used the words I wanted to).

The next two "chapters" that Haidt created focus on immigration, and what it brings. Chapter two of Haidt's essay focuses on the growth of the gap between Nationalists and Globalists, and how the topic of immigration had influenced the gap. Nationalists see their country as something that is theirs and is worth keeping unique. Their country is their main priority. Globalists are essentially the opposite. They think "national borders are arbitrary and immoral" as there are countless individuals who are in dire need and their only option is migration from one country to another, seeking hopefully better conditions than they were given. The end of chapter 2 creates a bridge to the next chapter, focusing primarily on the immigration of Muslim individuals to Europe. Nationalists began to panic and say their traditions and cultures were at risk.

Chapter 3 focuses on the perceived racism that was created and spread about the immigration. Nationalist's aversion to the incoming migrants is seen as racist, by Globalists. The Muslim population that is migrating toward the western world poses a "threat" to the national identity of countries, as well as a "threat of terrorism" in the western world.

Chapter 4 acts as a sort of summary, and asks questions about the future of globalism vs nationalism. "How can we reap the gains of global cooperation, while respecting the world's many local and national identities, rather than diluting them?"

Finally, Chapter 77. The chapter begins by providing a baseline for what will be discussed. A brief period of hope that had started after the Berlin Wall was felled in 1989, then the USSR collapse in '91. Things were looking good, and no negativity seemed to be in sight. However, the hope was short-lived, as there were issues almost right after the hope started. Within the span of just two decades, many events had occurred that shot down the hope. All of those events happening in such a short amount of time caused a massive flux of global anxiety and widespread xenophobia.

The E-Reserve reading, "The Long Journey From Despair to Hope" goes over the various "parts" of Mexico. "Penthouse", "Middle", "Lower", and "Basement." "Penthouse Mexico" is where the "24 richest men in the country" reside. The Penthouse section talks about those 24 men having billions of dollars.. The "Middle" section is immediately worse than the Penthouse. In the words of the author, "Middle Mexico survives in the worst possible way: thinking that it is alive." It "has all the disadvantages of Penthouse Mexico: ignorance and cynicism. And all the disadvantages of Lower Mexico: economic instability, insecurity, and loss of hope..." The next "layer" of Mexico, Lower Mexico, has worse conditions. Half of the population is living in "cramped conditions," meaning 3+ people per room, as well as make far less than the minimum wage; in poverty. The residents of "Lower Mexico" are the service people; almost all jobs that one can think of. The author writes, "Lower Mexico has absolutely nothing... but it has not yet realized it." The final layer that the author writes about is "Basement Mexico." Basement Mexico is a historically significant layer, being the start of it all, with all of the distinct groups that made up the "Mexico-before-Mexico."

January, 1994.

On New Year's Day, 1994, Mexico had a major event take place. The Zapatista Army of National Liberation, EZLN, rose up, demanding freedom, and fighting NAFTA. The uprising lasted nearly two weeks, but the EZLN is still fighting to this day. 

The final part of the reading discusses Women, and the even poorer conditions they must go through in the lower parts. Their illiteracy, their salaries, their living conditions, etc. are all far worse than what the rest go through.

In all, the E-Reserve reading discusses the conditions of the various settings in Mexico, and why there is such a push to get out of there as quickly as one possibly can.