Critical Perspectives and Reflections

 Bill Lee September, 2, 2019  There is a recent article in the Guardian1 about the many deleterious effects on a community in West Papua, Indonesia of a copper mine operated by a company owned by a multinational conglomerate. It is more than unfortunate that this story is not at all unusual in its outline of the destructive effects the particular mine has had on the culture, environment and the local community. Resource extraction companies are, in my experience, the most avaricious and ruthless examples of raw capitalism in action in the world today. Profit is the god of these companies and any person or community that stands in their way will by assailed using the most virulently brutal and deadly tactics that they these companies are allowed (by bought and paid for governments) to get away with. Resource extraction companies, particularly as they have been operating in the vulnerable countries of the Global South have been allowed to destroy, people, communities, env...