The State, Ecological Violence and US Imperialism

Simon gave a presentation on US imperialism, the state and ecological violence. I found that aspects of this presentation gave a clear overview of these topics in relation to environmental sociology. It was interesting how Simon was able to provide us with a brief description of his academic experience in third world countries and how these topics intersected with his encounters. It would have been nice to gain a more in depth perspective on his studies in direct relation to course material.

As Simon mentioned, the first fact of history is that humans live and write history. Socially, we live in a society that was founded from the roots of its origins. If in practicality we cannot separate our social struggles from our environment, then it seems pointless to even try. With this in mind, to successfully fulfill the basic needs of life, humans must decide how to utilize their surroundings as a part of it. What stood out is how the state is able to use its power to manipulate not only its core country, but other periphery/semi-periphery countries as well. This leads to both increased social and environmental injustices which continue to fuel global inequalities. A vicious cycle if you ask me.

A discussion on capitalism concluded that severe ecological consequences in general are produced as a result of the production of items to not only meet basic needs, but to surpass them. When economic expansion grows from the seeds of capitalism, there is a threshold that is created. “Ecological violence” was a term I found interesting. It seems to divert the perception of violence as human versus human, to a human versus nature debate. At what point will nature fight back? Can it?