Comments on: Fordlandia: Henry Ford’s Ill-Fated Foray Into the Brazilian Jungle

By: pissdoff1

pissdoff1 — Wed, 25 May 2011 02:22:40 +0000

might be mental_loss

By: Jason English

Jason English — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:15:52 +0000

Hey Ken. I put this note up after (re)posting this one but there’s a chance you read it before that update (or had stopped reading):

Note: Server migration week continues, so forgive us for reposting a few oldies/goodies. This article was originally published in 2009.

I’m being overly cautious here. We’re running at half-speed this week, in case the server migration process means we lose a few days of posts, or have a lengthy outage. (These posts are all backed up.)

Hoping to come back strong next week. We’ve been stockpiling!

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:01:10 +0000

Why do you repost the same articles?

By: Katarina Navane

Katarina Navane — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:56:19 +0000

I already knew a little about this odd chapter of history from a very nerdy source–the game Amazon Trail 2. Anyone else play that one?

By: dirk alan

dirk alan — Mon, 31 May 2010 22:11:28 +0000

i advised the old man to skip the model t and build the mustang but he wouldnt listen. he did take my advice on grooming and got a brazilian. go figure.

By: Marcio

Marcio — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:14:44 +0000

The rubber tree is natural from this area in the Amazon rain forest (I am Brazilian and that is a known fact) the problem was that Ford ordered the plantation to look like the Orange plantations, ignoring the fact that rubber trees require the protection from the sun, that is why, even today the rubber from the “seringais” is explored by artisans and indigenous people. The capital of Amazon, Manaus, was very, very rich before the synthetic rubber. Ford was not successful due to his own stupid mistakes.

By: Jim Q

Jim Q — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:41:23 +0000

Excellent description of Ford’s bullheaded ways. He was a bigot, a bully, a lousy father, a dismal husband, and the largest publisher of anti-semitic literature in world history. The list goes on and on.

Having said that, Fordlandia played a crucial role during World War II, when the Japanese blockade cut off access to plantations in the Pacific. The secure supply of latex from Brazil was a vital asset until synthetic rubber became available.

By: Tamahome Jenkins

Tamahome Jenkins — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:45:25 +0000

It was a good idea considering the fact that Europeans colonized the parts of the world that produced the rubber. Eventually, after many mistakes and much money spent, and possibly a few relocations, the plantation idea might have become successful if not for the advent of synthetic rubber.

By: Hyacinth

Hyacinth — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:36:26 +0000

It always amazes me how people try to force their standards on others. Had he taken the time to learn something about the region and its culture it might have had some chance at success. Well, except for the part that it wasn’t a good place to grow that particular plant. Details, details.