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110

One Week in Liberia

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notes

this was a really depressing non-literary essay about Liberia: its history, present-day poverty, Smith's ruminations on the futility of an education system with barely any budget in a country where the only good jobs are either in government or working for an American rubber company (Firestone). NGOs try to fill in the gap, but their resources are limited, and there are further limitations imposed by the lack of government investment in infrastructure. plus the focus on young girls (at the expense of the boys) seems foreboding ...

Smith, Z. (2009). One Week in Liberia. In Smith, Z. Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays. The Penguin Press HC, pp. 110-131

117

[...] The girls sing without facial affect; dead-eyed, unsmiling. Around us the bored schoolboys skulk. Nobody speaks to them or takes their picture. The teacher does not worry that boredom and disaffection may turn to resentment and violence: "Oh, no, they are very happy for the girls."

chilling and really worrisome portrayal of the boys as being neglected in favour of "the girls" in developing countries

—p.117 by Zadie Smith 6 years, 10 months ago

[...] The girls sing without facial affect; dead-eyed, unsmiling. Around us the bored schoolboys skulk. Nobody speaks to them or takes their picture. The teacher does not worry that boredom and disaffection may turn to resentment and violence: "Oh, no, they are very happy for the girls."

chilling and really worrisome portrayal of the boys as being neglected in favour of "the girls" in developing countries

—p.117 by Zadie Smith 6 years, 10 months ago
120

It is a frustration for activists that Liberians have tended not to trace their trouble back to extractive foreign companies or their government lobbies. Liberians don't think that way. Most Liberians know how much a rubber tapper gets paid: thirty-five American dollars a month. [...]

reminds you of Trump voters doesn't it?

—p.120 by Zadie Smith 6 years, 10 months ago

It is a frustration for activists that Liberians have tended not to trace their trouble back to extractive foreign companies or their government lobbies. Liberians don't think that way. Most Liberians know how much a rubber tapper gets paid: thirty-five American dollars a month. [...]

reminds you of Trump voters doesn't it?

—p.120 by Zadie Smith 6 years, 10 months ago

disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way

127

a louche, chain-smoking Lebanese in a safari pantsuit

—p.127 by Zadie Smith
notable
6 years, 10 months ago

a louche, chain-smoking Lebanese in a safari pantsuit

—p.127 by Zadie Smith
notable
6 years, 10 months ago
128

"[...] The whole reason Firestone came to Liberia in the first place was as a means of creating a permanent supply of rubber for the American military. The British had increased the taxes on Malaysian rubber--the Americans didn't want to pay that. They needed a permanent solution. So they planted the rubber--it's not native to Liberia. Really, they created a whole industry. It sounds strange, but these are some of the best jobs in Liberia."

quoting someone named Kamal

—p.128 by Zadie Smith 6 years, 10 months ago

"[...] The whole reason Firestone came to Liberia in the first place was as a means of creating a permanent supply of rubber for the American military. The British had increased the taxes on Malaysian rubber--the Americans didn't want to pay that. They needed a permanent solution. So they planted the rubber--it's not native to Liberia. Really, they created a whole industry. It sounds strange, but these are some of the best jobs in Liberia."

quoting someone named Kamal

—p.128 by Zadie Smith 6 years, 10 months ago
130

Englishman: [...] Maybe we could just give them a few things ... a nice bed, bedsheets, something so they won't be bitten to death at night. [...]

Liberian: My friend, someone's going to get malaria. It's inevitable. [...] I ask you please not to worry about malaria--we get it all the time in Liberia. I promise you we are used to it!


The history of Liberia consists of elegant variations on this conversation.

I really like the "elegant variations on this conversation"

—p.130 by Zadie Smith 6 years, 10 months ago

Englishman: [...] Maybe we could just give them a few things ... a nice bed, bedsheets, something so they won't be bitten to death at night. [...]

Liberian: My friend, someone's going to get malaria. It's inevitable. [...] I ask you please not to worry about malaria--we get it all the time in Liberia. I promise you we are used to it!


The history of Liberia consists of elegant variations on this conversation.

I really like the "elegant variations on this conversation"

—p.130 by Zadie Smith 6 years, 10 months ago