Monthly Archives: January 2013

Visualizing Space and Injustice in Palestine

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Teo Ballvé

In an old post about the potential political capacities of the infographic, I wrote: “If Guy Debord was right in highlighting that social relations between people are increasingly mediated by images and representations, then can the infographic be a popular … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Boundaries, City, Critique, Everyday Life, Guy Debord, Insurgency/Counterinsurgency, Maps, Media, Primitive Accumulation, Scale, Security, Spatiality, Spectacle, Territory, The State, Violence | Comments Off on Visualizing Space and Injustice in Palestine

Interweb Motley # 15

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Teo Ballvé

Jason Dittmer has a smart review of Robert Kaplan’s The Revenge of Geography. In atoning for what went wrong in Iraq, Kaplan is found flailing in the “shallows of geopolitics.” Anthropologist Wade Davis has a smart review of Jared Diamond’s … Continue reading →

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Interweb Motley # 14

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Teo Ballvé

Mapping the Nation: History and Cartography in Nineteenth-Century America (U of Chicago, 2012) by Susan Schulten was recently reviewed in Public Books. The book has an interesting companion site, where you can find more graphics and info (e.g. “Slavery and the … Continue reading →

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Quinoa: The Caviar of the Andes?

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Teo Ballvé

A story from The Guardian discusses how increasing global demand for quinoa (a grain-like superfood) has brought riches as well as problems for producers in Bolivia and Peru. On the upside, the tripling of quinoa prices has given some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Development, Land, Political Ecology, Political Economy, Science & Tech. | Comments Off on Quinoa: The Caviar of the Andes?

Zapatistas and Territory

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Teo Ballvé

After their silent and momentary seizure of five municipal plazas on December 21, the Zapatistas issued a new communiqué (in Spanish or English). In sum, it describes how they will continue consolidating their “other way of doing politics.” Among their … Continue reading →

Posted in Henri Lefebvre, Insurgency/Counterinsurgency, Marxism, Media, Networks, Race & Ethnicity, Spatiality, Territory, The State | 1 Comment

Hugo Chávez’s Career Deserves Honest Assessment

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Teo Ballvé

My column published today in McClatchy-Tribune Company newspapers: Hugo Chávez’s Career Deserves Honest Assessment As Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez fights for his life, an honest assessment of his 14 years in office must take into account his significant achievements. From … Continue reading →

Posted in Development, Political Economy, Sovereignty, The State | Comments Off on Hugo Chávez’s Career Deserves Honest Assessment

Interweb Motley # 13

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Teo Ballvé

Because I can, I am still on vacation. But ever wonder about why The Netherlands is not Holland? This piece by Jina Moore about the “White Correspondent’s Burden” on representations of Africa reminds me of the Granta essay “How to … Continue reading →

Posted in Boundaries, Interweb Motley, Maps | Comments Off on Interweb Motley # 13