Argentina's Problems

[citygirl]

Sorry if I'm putting words in your mouth but I believe Surfing is saying that there ARE grass-roots movements here, such as the one behind gay marriage being legalized here. So they do exist and they do work. (And there def was one, I am a member on FB and there were marches, etc organized while it was being considered).

So I think the question Surfing posed is why isn't there move of a grass-roots movement in politics in general in order to effect change? Why is that in a country that is 90%+ Catholic, gay marriage can be legalized so quickly and efficiently thanks in part to this kind of activism yet year after year, decade after decade, this country's issues don't change and you still see the same old politicians and policies in place? Where are the people demanding change? Where is the impetus to break this "Que va a hacer, es Argentina, cada diez años, tenemos una crisis, es lo que hay" attitude??

 

[JoeGillis]

Although the Roman Catholic faith in Argentina is set at 92% of the population, only 8% of this figure are considered true practioners of the faith. The incredible plethora of different religious faiths, sects and beliefs in the USA, including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, et al, is the primary reason that same-sex marriage is having such a difficult time achieving national acceptance.

 

[james p]

Joe.......AMEN!

 

[jp]

I don't think it makes much sense to pin Argentina's economic woes on its culture or an attitude shared by its citizens.

If there is a "zero sum mentality" its not a genetic quirk. Its a fairly understandable reaction to decades of instability, which have left Argentina's institutions vulnerable and its citizens mistrustful. It will take a few decades of stability to make a significant change to popular attitudes.

Not every country in the western world profited through slavery & exploitation (although plenty did), but nearly all of them can point to several decades, if not centuries of stability, ingrained social norms and strong cultural bonds.

 

[John.St]

... Where are the people demanding change? Where is the impetus to break this "Que va a hacer, es Argentina, cada diez años, tenemos una crisis, es lo que hay" attitude??

They are there, marching, beating drums, blowing whistles and shouting - in short burning their anger away. After all the noise they feel relieved, accept "the inevitable" - and nothing changes.

 

[Amargo]

Steve, what I say is that the price we pay for oil or whatever is not really the cost of producing it. Who pays for the water being polluted by the extraction of oil? Or for the air polluted by reffineries? Or for the rainforest being destroyed by Shell and Co. in Nigeria and other countries. None other than our children or future generations.
And of course the people in those countries where the commodities come from (Nigerians, yes, Argentines - the water being polluted by pesticides, agrochemicals, etc).

 

[Amargo]

Not every country in the western world profited through slavery & exploitation (although plenty did), but nearly all of them can point to several decades, if not centuries of stability, ingrained social norms and strong cultural bonds.

I really can't think of any country which did not...

 

[surfing]

"They are there, marching, beating drums, blowing whistles and shouting - in short burning their anger away. After all the noise they feel relieved, accept "the inevitable" - and nothing changes."


As a former resident of Av de Mayo, I am not at all convinced as to the authenticity of these activities.

 

[nicoenarg]

I really can't think of any country which did not...

Talk about ignorance and narrow-mindedness. Pointless arguments ensue this way. I'm out, what the hell's the point. After all, Es Argentina!

 

[Amargo]

One of the biggest lies I have ever heard/read is that "richer nations of the West got rich off of poor countries' resources." Its true that the British Empire (an example) took resources from its colonies but none can prove that the whole Western world got rich because of colonialism. Its funny how this claim is touted all over the freakin' place, especially by people who know next to nothing about economics.

Aha...it does not have anything to do with what I wrote, but you are claiming that colonial powers invested huge sums of money, built thousands of ships, started a huge number of wars and sacrificed millions of their own citizens for...nothing? For helping the natives of the colonies? Come on! Having colonies was one of the best business in history, a cheap source of raw materials and labour. As an 'expert' for economics, as you claim to be, try reading some more history.

This lie is, to me, exactly the same as the lie that promotes the idea that white people are somehow responsible for slavery (yet no one gives a rat's ass that it was the blacks in Africa who were selling their own people (and white slaves) to Arabs and amongst each other, long before white man even knew about black slavery (oh, and I am not white!).

Very good. Because other ethnicities did it before, then it was fine. Got your point.