Reaction to Life and Debt Relaxing jingles seduce your attention; catchy phrases entertain your curiosity. This is Jamaican music. It paints a picture of sea, sand and sun. While this music accompanies Stephanie Black’s film Life and Debt, another picture is painted. The film itself showcases the two different pictures of Jamaica side by side. The first picture is of Jamaica as if you came on a vacation. The second picture is of the impact economic globalization can have on developing countries. “If you come to Jamaica this is what you will see…” The narrator begins. Easy entries, no abrupt searches and effortless money exchange are all signs that Jamaica is a playground for sightseers. Throughout the film images of tourists pampering and spoiling themselves contrast with the poverty stricken country that lies beyond the façade of the resorts. History is explored to help the viewer better understand how Jamaica got to be so poor. Jamaica was granted independence in 1962 by England. When they became free, they had no economic strength. They needed time to build. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank stepped in with a series of short term loans, full interest rates and restrictions. They were also advised to cut back on their spending. The restrictions called for an elimination of tariffs and limitations on imports. Only certain percentages of money were allowed to be spent on education and health. The prices of locally grown produce rose. This made the capacity to export impossible compared to the imports from richer countries. The richer countries could afford to sell higher quantities more cheaply because of their machinery. An example of this conflict from the film is potatoes. Idaho potatoes pushed Jamaican potatoes off the market. American companies came and were able to buy out the local ones. In an interview with a local farmer, the farmer explains how the American company wanted to sell him seeds. The man had plenty of seeds; it’s the...