“The Caribbean in the Vortex of Capitalist Globalization”
A Talk by Dr. Jeb Sprague-Silgado
Thursday March 9, 4:30 pm
Founders Room, Anabel Taylor Hall
Cornell University
First in a series on Understanding the Global Capitalist Economy Today
Event is free and open to the public
Dr. Sprague-Silgado is a visiting professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California at Santa Barbara and is a founding member of the Network for Critical Studies of Global Capitalism (NCSGC). He is the author of “Paramilitarism and the Assault on Democracy in Haiti” (Monthly Review Press, 2012) and the forthcoming book “The Caribbean and Global Capitalism” (2018), on which his talk will be based.
This talk is sponsored by the Committee on U.S.-Latin American Relations (CUSLAR) and Cornell Organization for Labor Action (COLA). It is funded in part by the SAFC.
First in a series on
Understanding the Global Capitalist Economy Today
The global economy is more productive than ever, and yet for a majority of people in the United States, Latin America, and around the world, living conditions have not improved.
Debt continues to shackle an entire generation, generating enormous profits for banks. Young people, facing mounting pressure to succeed, are finding that avenues for financial and material security are simply not there — even with a college degree. As we face heightening conflicts, ecological destruction, job loss, and economic disenfranchisement, many are frustrated and looking for answers.
Divisive politics have seized upon these crises in an attempt to scapegoat marginalized groups, such as immigrants and refugees, who are themselves uprooted by the same issues. However, crises have also inspired many people to turn toward a critical analysis of our underlying economic system — capitalism — in order to better understand and counteract these forces.
The economy today is global. Understanding what that means for us means reaching and thinking beyond borders. At CUSLAR, we encourage this through study and education on issues related to Latin America and the United States.
Join us at CUSLAR for a series of events and discussion groups where we will attempt to get “beneath the surface” of politics, to explore some of the deeper dynamics shaping our lives.
Upcoming events in the series:
What is capitalism?
Saturday, March 18, 2017
A workshop at The People’s School – TBA
Where does profit come from? Do capitalists actually “produce” value? How is human labor turned into a commodity? What does this mean for those of us who work for a living?
A brief history of capitalism and Latin America
Thursday, April 13, 2017
4:30 – 6 pm
CUSLAR, 316 Anabel Taylor Hall, Cornell University
Did capitalism always exist? How and where did the first capitalist systems come about? What makes capitalism unique? How did it spread? What is the role of colonialism in capitalism’s development? What has the spread of capitalism meant for Latin America?
What can be done? Organizing and Challenging Divisiveness
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Date and time TBA
Claudia de la Cruz, an educator, community organizer/activist and minister in New York City, will lead a conversation about organizing and resistance today. How can we use an understanding of capitalism to organize today? Why is it important for activists to study the global economy?
Committee on U.S./Latin American Relations 