I would first like to say that I was really struck by the trailer for the documentary (definitely adding to my watch list). The whole situation as seen from the trailer and described in the LA Times article is infuriating. I was particularly struck by the solidarity shown regardless of racial or language boundaries for the effort of keeping the space as a farm. I think that when it comes to “official” matters, not using English as the language for communication can be used as a tool to delegitimize efforts for justice. I loved how the woman speaking at city council combined Spanish with the use of the phrase “justice for all” from the Pledge of Allegiance, using American ideals that transcend language barriers.

Reading the second half of Mitchell’s book and the analysis provided by Chris in this blog post, I really thought about California and farming landscapes seen as as negotiation of systems of control within capitalist economies (199, mentioned in conclusion). I think that viewing the landscape through this limited lens provides a depressing look into the human condition. Through making the landscape “ugly,” Mitchell allows for the reader to reflect on the greater scheme of things when it comes to the Californian landscape. It is not just an open space for opportunity, there is a long history attached to that.

The intertwining of capital and labor includes policing human mobility and even human survival. Through this reading and the documentary, we are able to see how far we will go to displace a community and ruin a landscape for the opportunity of a profit. I think that it is interesting to consider the themes of capitalism with displacement/erasures of communities when it comes to claiming profit from landscapes. In particular, I want to consider the issue of fracking in the California landscape. It is interesting to see the different reports claiming that fracking is poisoning California’s water with those that claim otherwise and tying that in to, as mentioned in the trailer, where a money path is formed. Is capitalism from the land so important as to risk the survival of not only the land, but also the people of California? Racialization and claim to space is also something that should be questioned regarding fracking. It is interesting to see who is leading the movement against fracking in California versus those that are investing/profiting from it.