Matías, we've debated this many times before, and here's a basic summary:
Ed: Peronists are usually neo-liberals that have collectively worked to destroy the Argentine economy. Proof:, Menem, Rodrigo, Cavallo, even Perón himself...
Matías: No you don't understand peronism. It's about anti-neo-liberalism. Proof: the slogans, the hymns, the rhetoric.
Essentially, your argument is "look at
what peronism claims and what a few of them have done!" My argument is, "no look at what
most peronists have actually done!"
Since you're a sociologist, I would greatly encourage you to look at peronism in comparison to other so-called labour movements around the world: PSOE in Spain, the Labour Party in the UK, the Socialists in France.
All of these movements follow the exact same pattern as Peronism: they start off as workers parties, with not only good rhetoric, but also with good policies to back up the rhetoric (eg, greater worker participation in politics, nationalisation of industry, universal suffrage...). But inevitably, the party gets co-opted by the powerful and the policies are reversed (eg, Labour dismantling the NHS, the Socialists imposing austerity, Menem privatising the country's industry...).
My point is: you are a sociologist with a good understanding of history. You should know better than to look at rhetoric.
There should be no doubt that since 2003 a lot of good has been done to repair the Argentine economy. But a basic study of political movements and politicians shows that this was not done because of the Menemist Kirchners but rather in spite of them. The Argentine populace sent the ruling classes a very clear message in 2001-02: change or die. So the K's did an abrupt about face, but as recent years have shown, just like any other politician, they will gladly return to neo-liberalism if there is no popular pressure against them. The popular pressure in 2001 did not come from the PJ party structure, and it will not in the future either.
