A Gift or a Trap? Imagine yourself as a tourist. You have come fed up with your daily ritual of your 9 to 5. You feel as if you are going to go insane if you do not have a break from the routine. Subsequently, you find yourself booking a two-week trip to Jamaica, your dream vacation where you will focus on yourself, and only yourself. The outside world doesn’t matter; all you want to care about is having the best quality vacation you possibly can. This is precisely the problem that Stephanie Black, interweaving text by Jamaica Kincaid, attaches to Jamaica’s current economic climate in her 2001 documentary “Life and Debt”. Once a self-reliant economy, Jamaica has become highly dependent on the global market due to the economic interference of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank, implementing of their globalist views. The film recounts the history of Jamaica’s economy and its present-day status as an economy attempting to …show more content…
The country used to have a strong agricultural sector prior to the intervention of the IMF, World Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank. Banana producers Chiquita, Dole, and Del Monte now control 90% of the banana industry, as it is much cheaper to produce bananas in South America than in Jamaica. Also harmed by the free trade market has been the dairy industry. What was once a thriving industry has also succumbed to the free trade market, as it does not meet government requirements. Instead of Jamaican citizens receiving fresh milk, majority of their dairy comes in the form of powdered milk. Although this powdered milk cost more to produce overall, the cost of it to be imported is less than what it costs to produce milk in Jamaica. A pivotal scene is shown in the film of a dairy farmer dumping 3,000 quarts of fresh milk into the
There is a widespread concern about rising levels of debt. Debt can become disastrous for those who live alone or those families who are already having problems with supporting their family. The people who might be struck by debt, they might have trouble recovering. Debt can cause Americans to lose their homes and stability they need to feed, and shelter their families. Although debt comes upon us Americans quickly, people can see debt as terrible thing to be stuck with. It has many disadvantages that can devastate to people.
v. Jessie has no spouse and can't be claimed as a dependent by someone else.
In the documentary Life and Debt, it is explained through the stories of local people, the economic and social crisis of Jamaica. With Jamaica receiving mandatory loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1977 because of lack of alternatives, Jamaica was promised meaningful development. Unfortunately, this only made the situation worse because of the extreme policies and foreign economic agendas that came with the loans, forcing Jamaica into even further debt. Therefore, it is my opinion that it is because of the policies and greed of the IMF and The World Bank that came along with the loans, that Jamaica is currently 4.5 billion dollars in debt.
Burton (2015) in her Journal, ‘Globalisation and Cultural Identity in Caribbean Society: The Jamaican Case,’ however points out that Jamaica has a unique culture and this has shaped how that countries adapts to the effects of colonialism and even globalisation.
Student loan debt affects college students all over the United States. Today students are having to take out loans in order to pay for all of their college expenses. It can be a pain to deal with the hassle of paying back the loans. The problems with student loans include causing students to go into debt that they are not able to pay them off in the given time which makes them put major life decisions on hold, and the debt stay with the student even through bankruptcy. A solution that would solve these problems is the idea of debt forgiveness which is the idea that the government will get rid of all the loan debt for college graduates.
“Life and Debt” is a documentary produced and directed by Stephanie Black, which describes the impact of international institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, in small developing countries. (About Life and Debt) The documentary focuses mainly in the repercussions of financial policies imposed in Jamaica and its effects on its citizens. Throughout the film, Black also emphasizes the different industries affected by these international institutions. From the agricultural activity to the construction of a new Free Trade Zone in Kingston, developing countries such as Jamaica did not obtain the aid they were seeking for. Instead, most of these organizations refused to help the country due to its declining economy.
The Jamaican economy in 1970 was 800 million dollars in debt and by the time of the year 2000 the debt had reached an alarming 7 billion dollars. In order to service its accumulated debts Jamaica set up Exporting Processing Zones or EPZ’s. The free zones created lots of employment to jump-start the economy. The free zones themselves were separate entities to Jamaica, similar to the US-owned cemetery for the WW2 soldiers in Normandy. In this way, the supplies needed for manufacturing never really enter Jamaica, thus allowing for cheap imports. The factories had their downsides though. Workers were only paid in Jamaican dollars about 30USD per week while some were paid that for two weeks. Every two weeks, money was taken out as taxes which angered the Jamaicans
College debt can stunt most students from pursuing their college dream and going to their school of choice. Students get scared of the word debt and the numbers that they would be dealing with outside of college. Students are putting aside going to their dream schools because of the fear of how much debt they will get into after college. There are many reasons why people don’t pursue college, or just from not being able to afford it. Students go back and look at not going to their dream college or college at all and regret not taking the challenge and going with what they always wanted to do. Some students experience not being in debt after college and why they think college tuition is right where it needs to be, but others will make shocking choices to not be in debt. College students are choosing not to pursue their dream college or college at all because of finances they would be dealing with after college, debt.
When we think about college and a college education, it seems as though our first initial thought is the student loans and debt that can result in achieving a college degree. Looking back, student debt has risen drastically and has made it extremely stressful for students and families. Many people go through their entire life in debt, especially from being a student. Student debt has always existed; however, now, it is so extreme, almost all students who attend college find themselves deep in debt, and must continue paying off their debt many years after they graduate. For the past two decades, student debt has risen, illustrating how big this social problem has become. The reason student debt is a significant social problem is because of how much it can effect a person’s life, and their families lives, that can carry over to their future. Although there were many things that led up to and impacted the drastic student debt that is now being faced by many students around the world, the corporation Sallie Mae, was the essential factor in why student debt has skyrocketed to unreasonable proportions. Sallie Mae provided the first type of corporation that changed its focus from helping students, to helping themselves. The history and scope of the student debt can help us understand that the corporation, Sallie Mae, was the main cause of this problem.
The “Money as Debt” was created by Paul Grignon in 2006. It is the most fascinating video I have ever seen. Moreover, I am just amazed how much I have learned in just 47 minutes. This video describes how basic banking system works and answers the question where the money comes from.
65.7% of college students have to get student loans to pay for college, and the average student loan debt is $19,237 for a graduating senior in the United States according to the National Post Secondary Student Aid Study. This is no surprise considering that the rate of tuition increases 7% per year, and in some of the more prestigious colleges, students will have to pay well into six figures just to get their education. Even in-state rates for South Dakota, which is comparatively very cheap to practically everything else, students are still paying $40,000 for their education when one factors in dorm living and a meal plan. Most students will need to borrow some money on a student loan to get through school, but how does one know if they're
The documentary Life and Debt portrays a true example of the impact economic globalization can have on a developing country. When most Americans think about Jamaica, we think about the beautiful beaches, warm weather, and friendly people that make it a fabulous vacation spot. This movie shows the place in a different light, by showing a pressuring problem of debt. The everyday survival of many Jamaicans is based on the economic decisions of the United States and other powerful foreign countries.
Looking at the beautiful landscape of Jamaica, its warm turquoise beaches and comfortable hotels, everyone imagines that this Caribbean nation is a prosperous and developed tropical paradise, but this is very far from the harsh and brutal reality. “Life and Debt” is a powerful documentary film directed by Stephanie Black in 2001 that shows the world the harsh situation and contrast of this country from both perspectives tourists and locals. She takes the audience on an experience inside and outside the glamor-filled hotels to demonstrate that beyond the gates of the hotels is the real Jamaica, a small island hit by high unemployment, extreme poverty, violence and hopelessness for its residents. This documentary also examines the unfair policies of international organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund that favor the wealthy countries and cause the destruction of other countries’ economies like Jamaica. The crusade of tourist sights
The short film by the Stephanie black’s 2001, film life and debt takes us on a journey to the life of Jamaica. Shows us what people Jamaica had and have been going through. This short film focuses on the economic and social aspects of Jamaica. In the film, they state that they need Globalization to work the benefit of all. During the film, said “There will be no good future for the rich, if there is no future for the poor”.
Jamaica is not just white sand beaches and mimosas. Behind the thin veil of paradise lurk corruption, violence, and inequalities. Life & Debt illustrates the daily realties of Jamaica following IMF structural adjustment programs. IMF reforms have perpetuated a cycle of debt that Jamaicans have little hope to escape. Although IMF conditionality claims to develop nations so that they can grow and re-pay their lenders, Jamaica is still indebted $4.5 billion dollars and has little development to show for it. Measures of austerity coupled with devaluation, high interest rates, and drops in local wages results in greater unemployment, increased violence, and widening inequality. The bulk of the film focuses on how global integration has undercut