MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Brazilian court orders resumption of work at controversial dam in the Amazon
Brazil's Supreme Court has approved the resumption of work on the controversial 13 billion dollars Belo Monte dam in the Amazon, which was stopped earlier this month after protests from indigenous groups. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesBrasil says it needs electricity,by any means possible,than the guilt of occupation can deter.
Aug 29th, 2012 - 11:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0How can there be mountains of token regret for the past 'crimes' when they continue today.
Can more money be spent on finding ways of getting electricity in a friendly way or is that not economic
Can't really understand what you are trying to say, Yul.
Aug 29th, 2012 - 12:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Whereas the dam is discrete, the other 'friendly ways' are dispersed ...
eg. hundreds of wind farms along the coastline of Brasil,
and solar arrays across the Sertao.
The downside is visual/tourist blight and alternative land use; but it is a BIG country, and, like every other country in the world, Brasil will adopt a mixed energy strategy eventually .... including, sadly, (pre-salt) oil.
I say hurry on the full commissioning of Belo Monte.
The 'indians' in the feature picture of the article can then take off their feathers and revert to their normal dress; and if they all get free 4x4s, so what? It is a small price to pay for the development of Brasil (If Brasil were corruption-free I would not be saying this).
The only absolutely important corollary is to ensure that the illegal logging STOPS.
We have the drones, the satellites and people on the ground; what we need is the political (and military) will. The trouble is that - at present -many of the big loggers are the big land-grabbers ('owners')/land clearers and the powerful (politicians) themselves.
Geoff why do the 'new world' countries pretend that they don't want every bit of the earth they occupy for themselves,according to their insatiable greed but continue to remove people,who have lived in a place for generation.
Aug 29th, 2012 - 03:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Are they going ahead with the project(which in capitalist terms is too costly to delay)while consulting with the indigenous people.Is that how the law is seen and was the small delay as much as could be financed.There is a lot of tokenism here,isn't there.
This type of activities disgust me. I need to make a point that the tribes have already lost their true indigenous identity by wearing western clothes. It's a real shame, as they are probably the best hope of peace in the region with their nice traditions and lifestyles. Is there anything that we, the world public, can do to try and prevent this? If you have suggestions, then please upload them.
Aug 29th, 2012 - 05:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Have Africans that wear suits lost their true identity.Does clothes make an identity or is there something far more deeper.Ask the Yanquis on here and their history ect is far less deep.
Aug 29th, 2012 - 06:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Geoff's obsession with his adopted country, Brazil, is pretty sickening in most of his posts. It's comparable with BK's obsession with CFK. Weird stuff. Having said that, it appears that people like him don't give a rat's ass about “indians” (without even showing the respect of capitalizing the I). They don't typically wear traditional dress, they usually have Xingu Beer t-shirts on. So, they're not real “indians”. But hey, the important thing is that we get as many washing machines into as many homes as possible in Sao Paulo and Rio. Then they can say they're the same as the U.S., Canada, western Europe, etc. Then, they're a “developed” country. Super...
Aug 29th, 2012 - 07:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Can't they just slaughter them as is the tradition with indigenous peoples in South America. We should all know by now that if you don't come from an Iberian background in South America, you have no human rights.
Aug 29th, 2012 - 07:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@7
Aug 29th, 2012 - 07:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Seems like a reasonable idea in the eyes of an implanted individual living in South America, yet they claim that they are not colonialists and cling to an identity that we Europeans created for them. Maybe the Brazilians could get some advice from the Argies on getting rid of these people? Death flights perhaps?
@5 Are there any movements that are actively against this that I could join, because this is something that I simply can't stand for? They deserve to have their land untouched by any kinds of projects that involve energy. The government could easily find alternate destinations for the dam, or just do other renewable projects.
Aug 29th, 2012 - 07:49 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Oh dear Britworker's gone over to the dark side:
Aug 29th, 2012 - 08:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Can't they just slaughter them as is the tradition with indigenous peoples in South America. We should all know by now that if you don't come from an Iberian background in South America, you have no human rights.”
Those words could be right out of the mouth of Chavez or Evo.
@10
Aug 29th, 2012 - 08:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Truth hurts doesn't it 'Condorito', and the truth is that South America have slaughtered most of their indigenous people's when they got in the way. Just like you would like to do to the Falkland Islanders. The difference is that FI's have a well armed, war hardened nuclear power with a proven track record to protect them.
we slaughter the natives? another account, as you guys made the discoverers Europeans true massagre of indigenous and now try to show how good guys. who invented slavery? who invented the piracy? in place that started the greatest wars the world has ever seen? every time I come to mercopress, plus I'm sure the Europeans are wolves in sheep's clothing. hypocrites ...
Aug 29th, 2012 - 09:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@Brit
Aug 29th, 2012 - 10:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am fine with the truth.
The truth is that I support and always have supported the FI right to be British or independent.
Also, as is the case of the majority of Chileans I have native blood (the same is true of Bolivians, Peruvians, Paraguayans, Ecuadorians and Colombians). So some of my ancestors killed and raped some of my other ancestors. If you go back down your own family tree you will find the same. We are humans.
I am just poking fun at you comment @7 becasue it is very simplistic and the kind of thing Chavez would say. You do know that after the battle of Cullonden in 1746 the British gov't ethnically cleansed the Highlands. Most countries have been through similar processes in their history, so there is no need to take that superior tone. That's all.
I think the South American condition is different (from the older world) because the invasions from Europe have been so very recent, and the development-differential so great - stone-age & pre/post industrialised worlds clash, with inevitable outcomes.
Aug 29th, 2012 - 10:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The Brasilian serendipitous outcome of genetic mixing of the clashing races has been much worse elsewhere around the world, the mixes of peoples here please me immensely.
There are no 'keep in' reservations for the indigenous native tribes and races, like there is elsewhere in the history of the Americas.
Hopefully, Brasil can continue its passage to development with a minimum of segregations.
The efforts here to retain the integrity of 'non-contact' native communities are commendable but, eventually, the globalised world will reach into every corner;
this is just the way an increasingly populous, finite world works.
I make no value judgement on the processes, per se, leading to urbanised living and 'development' - just on the social aberrations that I observe along the way;
and I have no sickening obsessions with Brasil - just a love of the country and a desire to see it get where it is going with the minimum of harms.
There are the sadnesses experienced by me - and everybody else - about the inevitableness of it all, but there is no desire in me to support or validate destructions - eg Belo Monte - simply for their own sakes, just as hideously inevitable stages on the path to human 'progress'.
You know, hammerhead993 #6 & Forgetit, that this is my position.
And you are not sufficiently stupid that you expect simple solutions and simplistic comment.
Once again were is Guzz?
Aug 30th, 2012 - 04:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0There are no simple solutions to the desire to grab whatever is needed to make capital work and grow,or even just to make money and own things.Even other people are expendable.No simple solutions,only one solution and that is to oppose the greed(which is really not greed but the inherent working of capital).
Aug 30th, 2012 - 11:57 am - Link - Report abuse 0On the level of racist explanations,there are no pure races,only gangland like members of groupings,such as Yanquis Brits Chinese ect .take your pick to which you belong and kowtow to.
12... Don't think Uk invented piracy or slavery, our friends the Romans, Greeks had slaves. same with piracy an ancient proffesion. you must of got confused with what country stopped slavery and attacked countries that didn't ...The Royal Navy no less? shows how brainwashed the Argentine trolls are on this site.
Aug 30th, 2012 - 04:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@Yuleno so If I'm British, and wanted to be Brazilian, I should move there? Is that what you're saying? I would love to move to Brazil and sort some of it out.
Aug 30th, 2012 - 08:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0No it's not what I'm saying.
Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Perhaps you should stay where you are and sort yourself out.Wouldnt that more beneficial for you.
@Yuleno Yeah you're right. I'm going to try get my life sorted out, and try and get project Orion re-booted as it may be vital for us all, and is technically feasible. But I would want to stay in Brazil for a while at some point in time.
Aug 30th, 2012 - 09:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#20
Aug 31st, 2012 - 07:38 am - Link - Report abuse 0strongly recommend it!
But choose your 'hood.
No reason you can't visit a place is there.
Aug 31st, 2012 - 10:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0The courts are schizophrenic.
Aug 31st, 2012 - 03:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#1 Good questions
Sep 04th, 2012 - 01:41 am - Link - Report abuse 0#10 Cahvez and Evo ARE natives!
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