Expat Position Regarding Politics

[polostar88]

Saying what I do, which is that if you're a guest in someone's house it's myopic and in bad taste to criticize how they do things is not totalitarianism and doesn't mean I support this govt. (in fact the few who know me know that I don't....that's not the point). The distinction also has nothing to do with "immigrant" vs. "expat," as immigrants are also guests. It has to do with respect for the history and identity of the majority of people here and their right to determine their own way of life. I don't agree with someone who mentioned a "globalist" world. This is dehumanizing, as if people are interchangeable cogs in a "global marketplace," i.e., they only have an identity as laborers and consumers. You don't become French or Japanese or whatever by "paying taxes" or having a document that claims you have some status there, saying this shows a remarkable lack of respect for the French people and their history. Also for reality, as the people there will not think you're French or Japanese.

A lot of you seem to have bought the propaganda from the US that you become a nationality simply by having a piece of paper and swearing allegiance to the post office or something, but that is not the case. If you're not born here of Argentinian parents you're not Argentinian and will never be, and in many countries this principle can be extended to several or many generations back. This simple reality is lost on most people, and I'm not sure if all the people who commented here don't see this, or pretend not to, in order to be in fashion with the view of the times.

I'm not "hurt" by the way, my interests are not in the slightest hurt, by my having this attitude. The opposite, it is a liberating view. I don't need state approval to feel like I'm a full human being: "teacher says it's OK." Please. This is the view of little children.

 

[khairyexpat]

Argei food ?????

No offense .... that is a very questionable taste !!!!

In other words ... disaster .... nightmare !!!!!

Sorry to say ...

 

[ariel81]

Saying what I do, which is that if you're a guest in someone's house it's myopic and in bad taste to criticize how they do things is not totalitarianism and doesn't mean I support this govt. (in fact the few who know me know that I don't....that's not the point). The distinction also has nothing to do with "immigrant" vs. "expat," as immigrants are also guests. It has to do with respect for the history and identity of the majority of people here and their right to determine their own way of life. I don't agree with someone who mentioned a "globalist" world. This is dehumanizing. You don't become French or Japanese whatever by "paying taxes" or having a document that claims you have some status there, saying this shows a remarkable lack of respect for the French people and their history. Also for reality, as the people there will not think you're French or Japanese.

A lot of you seem to have bought the propaganda from the US that you become a nationality simply by having a piece of paper and swearing allegiance to the post office or something, but that is not the case. If you're not born here of Argentinian parents you're not Argentinian and will never be, and in many countries this principle can be extended to several or many generations back. This simple reality is lost on most people, and I'm not sure if all the people who commented here don't see this, or pretend not to, in order to be in fashion with the view of the times.

I'm not "hurt" by the way, my interests are not in the slightest hurt, by my having this attitude. The opposite, it is a liberating view. I don't need state approval to feel like I'm a full human being: "teacher says it's OK." Please. This is the view of little children.

Im sorry,buty I disagree with you,if you become a citizen,you are argentinian,hey,if the huge amount of our "lovely" neighbours are argentinian,certainly the people here,are,and have the right to complain
For example,my dad is a foreigner,he lives here,all his life,but he is not an argentinian citizen,he did his schooling here,up to PHD (he is a real doctor,not like bajo_cero),he paid,50 years of taxes,and he doesnt have the right to complain?I do not agree

 

[ariel81]

Argei food ?????

No offense .... that is a very questionable taste !!!!

In other words ... disaster .... nightmare !!!!!

Sorry to say ...

well,to each his owm

 

[polostar88]

OP,

If the 88 in your name is your year of birth, maybe that (your young age) mitigates some of the idiocy of what you said. Some of it.

In any case, if this is how you truly feel, perhaps you would find yourself much more comfortable in one of these countries:

http://www.theriches...ve-governments/

Of course, the Kirchner government is trying to move Argentina in this direction, but if you have some misplaced moral, social, or other type of objection from trying to do all you can to keep that from happening, then when people ask your opinion, just tell them, "Esta boca no es mia."

If you're impatient and you want to see an advanced version of the kirchnerista vision of the future right now, go visit Venezuela.

But thanks for the misguided thoughts.

How ironic that you don't see the principal weapon of the Kirchnerist regime you oppose is its importation of vast numbers of "immigrants" from Latin American countries, people who it claims are "Argentinian," so then it can buy their votes.

 

[Pensador]

pol·i·tics

noun plural but singular or plural in construction \ˈpä-lə-ˌtiks\

: activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government
: the work or job of people (such as elected officials) who are part of a government
: the opinions that someone has about what should be done by governments : a person's political thoughts and opinions

But I think in Argentina the activities should be defined as Curruptics and opposed to Politics.

Hmmm a new word...

Corruptics...

: activities that relate to influencing the actions and corruption of a government or getting and keeping corrupt power in a government
: the corruption or job of people (such as elected officials) who are part of a government
: the opinions that someone has about what should be done about corruption : a person's corruption thoughts and opinions

And of course it should be discussed openly and freely.

 

[ariel81]

Indeed,as being absent so many years from here,I was scared about the amount of our "lovely" neighbours here,in buenos aires,and they breed like rabbits

 

[khairyexpat]

PoloStar: ... With all due respect I disagree.

As an Immigrant, I´m NOT A FOREIGNER in my new chosen home.
As an Immigrant I´m 100% HOME.

For an Immigrant it´s perfectly all right and obligation to care about your new HOME and be proud of your new life and actively participate and contribute in all aspects including criticism to right the wrong ... to make new HOME a better place.
YOU DO NOT IMMIGRATE TO BE A FOREIGNER !
If you Immigrate to Argentina ..... you are absolutely like any one else here ..... Argentina is your new HOME .... you SHOULD care about Argentina ... good and bad .... if you are building your life here, you are An Argentine ... even if you have no legal residency .. documents or no documents ... does not matter ....

An Immigrant is an Argentine ..... absolutely nothing to do with poor taste.
It´d be a poor taste to have a flunky useless Immigrant ... what a waste it would be !!!!!!
Who needs that ?

For me ... an Expat is NOT HOME and not an immigrant.

 

[polostar88]

This has to be the edgiest post I've seen in awhile.

Someone posts on an EXPAT community that expats shouldn't talk about politics and current events where they live? I call bullshit. You don't get to tell someone this just because you dislike their opinion or it varies from your own. Argentina is not perfect, but this isn't 1984, its not a crime to disagree with or comment on the state of affairs.

Also, as others said, I'm willing to bet you have made comments about US and UK politics, at least I hope so, its 2015 and part of being a global citizen is forming opinions about other nations internal affairs. By this standard you'd ban people from criticizing ISIS because we aren't Iraqi or Syrian.

Nobody is talking about banning anything. I'm talking about what's in poor taste. Also I'm from Europe and the US by the way. The totalitarianism you're talking about is implicit in the fake idea of "global citizen." There's no such thing and the implications, if you think it through, are 1984-like. Modern corrupt govts. maintain their power through this fake idea, which allows them to demographically erase their own citizens and their identities and concerns.

Regarding Iraq and Syria, sure, have an opinion, but my belief is that the people who live there should be allowed to deal with their own problems and determine their own future. There's also a big difference between a citizen criticizing a foreign country from his own, and going there to live and criticizing it from there; how can you say these two things are the same? I wouldn't ban anyone from having an opinion (how could I, anyway) but I'd strongly advise against going into Middle Eastern countries and telling the people there how to live. That's been tried for the last ten or twelve years without much success. It's easier to police your own borders and prevent potential ISIS members from coming into your country.

This is what different countries are for. Not everyone has to agree. Not everyone has to be rolled up into a homogenous mass. I find the dysfunction of certain countries charming. I have no desire to go and "make them better." Much of the charm would be lost if all problems were solved...

 

[ajoknoblauch]

In my view an expat, as a guest, should keep out of politics. This means taking no stand for or against the govt., for or against any cause in the country in which you're a guest. Let the locals decide their own fate. I'm here in part because I want to forget about politics in this sense.

I think it's dishonorable to go into someone's house and start criticizing how they do things.

This goes for expats whether they're on a tourist visa or you have citizenship or whatever. You're not Argentinian so stay out of Argentinian politics.

So, those nasty foreigners should not be allowed to publish scurrilous attacks like http://books.google.com/books/about/Peronism_Without_Peron.html?id=MfY60uIwKP8C