- What have you learned after reading this chapter? Has it broadened your perspective about a difficult issue—personal or societal? Has it introduced you to a new idea or way of thinking?
Few years ago, at a Global Studies class, we watched a video about the black market with the black rhinos in the southern Africa. I was really shocked by the reality of human selfishness, but since then, I have never heard about it again, I have forgotten about the issue, but reading the chapter it got refreshed in my mind.
Reading this chapter, Wheelan introduced me to the economic side of the issue, he said, "Give local people some reason to want the animals alive rather than dead. This is the premise of the budding Eco-tourism industry. If tourists are willing to pay great about s of money to spot and photograph black rhinos, and, more important, if local citizens somehow share the profits from the tourism, then the local population has a large incentive to keep such animals alive" (32), or the other idea was, no horns, no hunting of the rhinos. Moreover, I found this chapter like an introduction to human self-centered attitude when it comes to economy, or basically, to anything. Bill Gates dropped out from school, which does not mean that we should drop, considering that we, most likely, won´t establish a second Microsoft and become rich. He was thinking about himself, but in the end, even when the most benefits went to him, he made us better off too. I liked when Wheelan said, "Self-interest makes the world go around" (34). Somebody uses their capital, labor (Bill Gates or Eco-tourism) to produce something and, as a consequence, the rest of the world get something (valuable) for it, whether it is the software in my computer or a natural experience.
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