Violent Borders, Chapters 5
FIRET PEER POST
1. After reading this chapter, one of the more compelling points that the author made was about how regardless of all the chaos and hatred that follows along with placing borders between people, at the end of the day having these borders or the LOS is necessary to at least try to keep some peace and unity among people in this crazy world we live in.
2. Share important or compelling evidence (one for each type):
Personal Experience- “The irony is that migrants from these disorderly artificial states, which are the remnants of European colonialism, are denied the right to move to Europe to escape the artificial boundaries Europe left behind”(118).
Outside Authorities- On page 93 Jones quotes author James C. Scott, author of The Art of Not Being Governed, ”To an eye not yet hypnotized by archeological remains and state-centric histories, the landscape would have seemed virtually all periphery and no centers”(93).
Statistics- “Ancient walls are an early example of the concept of territoriality,’ the attempt by an individual or group to effect influence or control people, phenomena and relationships by the limiting and asserting control over a geographical area’”(92).
Factual References and Examples- On page 92 Jones states, “Walls and fences are among the oldest and most familiar Technologies rulers and states use to prevent undesired movement into and out of their area of control: for example, the Great Wall of China, Hadrian's Wall, and walls around medieval cities in Europe”(92).
3. Although throughout this book Jones often addresses the violence and turmoil that has resulted from the use of borders, he does recognize what the importance of them really is. “Although many of these lines are invisible and permeable, they affect quality of life in terms of the availability of public education, infrastructure, government benefits like health care or Social Security, the right to free speech, and access to the economic opportunities”(93). These advanced systems are what makes the heart of each country differ from one another and without the difference, there would be no recognition for success.
Second PEER POST
Share one of the more compelling or significant points the author made in this chapter
in this chapter the author describes how throughout time, borders have been consistently used to limit access to public things by enclosure
Share important or compelling evidence (one for each type):
Personal Experience
Capitan Pouch led a rebellion against enclosure (89)
Outside Authorities
David Harvey: modern borders allow for "accumulation by dispossession" (102)
Statistics
40% of common oceans are covered by the LOS (116)
Factual References and Examples
in regards to historical walls "their effectiveness was uneven" (92)
great wall, Hadrian's wall etc.
The author mentions during the berlin conference, European powers drew borders that ignored all tribal affiliations, language communities, or traditional economic networks" (109) The author then follows up that when the European states were forced to decolonize, "the easiest path was to maintain the artificial European boundaries...which allowed the colonial infrastructure to become the institutions of the state." (110) despite the existence of several movements to unite Africa as one country across the continent.
Share the different perspectives the author draws on to illustrate the issue discussed
The Author draws on historical perspectives, describing how enclosure has changed over time, statistical perspectives, quantifying just how much is enclosed at different points in time, and perspectives that elaborate on the moral issue.