In chapter thirteen Parenti opens up and discusses the issues that are going on in South America, specifically Rio. In Rio, the crime rate is insanely high and the violence, gangs, mobs, and drug industry is basically out of control and the government is trying its best to somewhat "restore" Rio. The police has been involved and have started their own groups in midst to try and protect Rio, some have been good and some unfortunately have been bad. Gangs have formed left and right and have been in a complete sheer violent uproar against the police and armed forces of Rio. " Vidigal is hostile, under the control of Comando Vermelho (CV), one of Rio's gangs known to shoot at police helicopters." Parenti was first hand experiencing the violent gangs and seeing how bad of a condition Rio is. "Indeed, the gangs of RIo run the favelas and the city's retail drug trade. Inside the communities they carry machine guns openly as if they were the police, tax local economic activity as if they were the revenue service, and operate informal courts and mete out punishments as if they had a legal code." Parenti also discusses how climate change is actually contributing to Rio's violent chaotic runs, "Rio allows us to forecast political issues linked to climate change because, in many ways, it is a city produced by extreme weather elsewhere. A brutal rhythm of drought and flooding hundreds of miles away in Brazil's arid Northeast, or Nordeste, has fueled Rio's growth. As weather patterns grow more chaotic and extreme due to global warming, outmigration from the countryside will increase."
In chapter fourteen, Parenti drifts from South America and goes onto Mexico and discusses the issues going on south of California. Parenti discusses how there is somewhat of a war in Mexico, "close to thirty thousand people have been killed here since 2006, when President Felipe Calderon deployed the military into the border cities to fight the drug war. By 2009, more than eleven hundred of the dead were soldiers, police, and security officials." Parenti spent some time researching and doing studies close around the border of Juarez. Climate change has been a great issue, and Parenti is beginning to discover we're all connected in a sense that climate change is and will continue to affect us, whether we want to accept the fact or do anything about it. "The meltdown of northern Mexico provides another illustration of the catastrophic convergence: policies that create poverty and violence are now colliding with the new realities of climate change, and together these three fores are creating socially destructive forms of adaptation." Parenti addresses the issue that in recent December of 2008, Forbes magazine called Mexico a "failed state" and that basically climate change is affecting it greatly and the narco world is taking advantage and trying to take control of the governmental world.
In chapter fifteen, Parenti discusses his experience meeting and being able to shadow Jose Romero around Mexico for his research. An issue was brought up that many Mexican citizens are wanting to come to America even more because of the climate change and it's affect on Mexico. "Climate change will increase the number of people trying to enter the United States. Recall the estimates that by 2050 as many as 250 million to 1 billion people will be on the move due to climate change." Parenti discusses how America itself, is basically becoming the image of a failed stated because civilization is turning into ruins with violence all over the place and countries are fight each other.
In chapter sixteen, Parenti discusses how our civilization is in crisis because of this big issue that many have turned away and put under the rug. Climate change is happening and it's only getting worse and worse as days go by. Countries have already expressed their sincere proof of climate change affecting their environment by violence and creating a huge amount of chaos. Ultimately, Parenti has addressed the issue of how climate change is affecting everyone in general. And whether or not, administrators want to do something about it, plans needs to be put forth to restore our earths normal habitat/environment.
Quiz Question: What is one of Rio's biggest gangs that shoots down police helicopters?
Research Proposal: In terms of climate change, is aggression and violence different for different countries due to culture?
I thought the chapter on Rio was really interesting. It's crazy how there are gangs that shoot down police helicopters. I wonder how the government in Rio will be able to handle the gangs during the olympics.
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