On 06/09/2014 08:00 AM, Louis Suárez-Potts wrote: > Bernardo, > > This and other news from Flok Society is inspiring. But I find it useful to > force a critical perspective. Thus > * What actual policies is the national government of Ecuador taking > that adopt Free/Libre Open Knowledge recommendations arising from this (and > other, some continuing) process? > > * Nations are complicated, and they do not really speak with one voice > expressing one single interest. Ecuador has not shown itself to be exempt > from this. Even as it allows for community enterprise, it also works to > exploit its oil wealth. This raises the question: How are these economic and > social forces to be reconciled? Is there to be more transparency and > accountability for the oil industry's actions in the country? (Accountability > could mean here something more than just announcing it. It could mean being > subject to the popular will, and especially the will of those most affected. > That will could be made manifest via modern means.) > > Thanks > louis > *** Here comes some critical perspective from Gordon Cook: http://www.cookreport.com/pdfs/July-augCRecuadorfinal.pdf
Disclaimer: I was interviewed regarding my attempt and early failure at participating in the project. I recommend reading the report, but also with some distance. The ethical failure of several people involved do not mean the whole project is to throw away. Nevertheless, it seems clear to me that the path chosen to reach the ends tell a lot about the failure to embrace a critical perspective. One thing that I find important in that respect is the naive approach of FLOK regarding the Latin American way of government: populism walks hand in hand with northern corporations to ensure "Western" control (read: plunder) of natural resources. Lately, this tactics has seen the sweeping rise of Chinese influence, as demonstrated by the pre-sale of Ecuador's underground resources, e.g. in the Yasuni National Park, to foment "progress". == hk -- Liberationtech is public & archives are searchable on Google. Violations of list guidelines will get you moderated: https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech. Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password by emailing moderator at compa...@stanford.edu.
