From today's NY Times

[zingara]

...Why is it that despite the growth of the tourist industry, few people speak English? ...


English????????????????
If a head of states must speak another language it should be Chinese

 

[chris]

A President who has a working knowledge of English is a reasonable expectation in the 21st century. A national effort to improve and expand English language education is essential in a globalized world, hardly a question of colonialism.

The railways deteriorated after Peron nationalized them. Under Menem most of the long distance lines were abandoned. Nestor Kirchner promised to revive these lines and upgrade service. What happened to that promise? I used this as an example of a public works project that would not only improve the infrastructure but create jobs instead of endless subsidies.

 

[chris]

...Why is it that despite the growth of the tourist industry, few people speak English? ...


English????????????????
If a head of states must speak another language it should be Chinese

Has Chinese become the international language?

 

[Philsword]

What has the government done to assure the long term growth of the economy and the elimination of poverty? From what I see they have just doled out money in subsidies without job training programs, without seriously improved education to help people deal with a changing world. The Kirchners made a big deal out of reviving the railways. Where are the public works projects? Where is the revitalized rail network? I wanted to travel to Pinamar by train -- the train has been suspended due to very poor operating conditions. Why is it that despite the growth of the tourist industry, few people speak English? Why isn't the government addressing this? How is it possible that the President of a major Latin American nation can not even speak the English language? Rather than create a whole class of people dependent on the government, why doesn't the government do something to deal with the root problems of poverty - lack of education, in particular? Secondly job creation through government programs such as the one I mention: development of the railways. That is just one example. There are a lot of projects that could be done.

Good points, all of this is needed education, infrastructure, training. Why doesn't it happen? Maybe these are things that take time to show results. Maybe the politicians are more focused immediate handouts to secure support today to win the next election. If you actually fixed the problems the people wouldn't need these politicians anymore, maybe another reason why the real problems aren't really addressed.

 

[mariposa]

pagina 12, today, picked up the same op ed:

http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/economia/2-175937-2011-09-03.html

the main point seems to be how the u.s. is driving itself (and the world) more and more into a ditch with its misguided economic policies, not to excuse argentina's mistakes

 

[Matt84]

the main point seems to be how the u.s. is driving itself (and the world) more and more into a ditch with its misguided economic policies, not to excuse argentina's mistakes

take the good with the bad. If the u.s. is driving itself and the world more into a ditch it's because the u.s. had already driven itself and the world to unprecedented levels of wealth and interconnection before.

Can't blame the ocean for the low tide.

 

[mariposa]

can't argue with that.

 

[John.St]

A President who has a working knowledge of English is a reasonable expectation in the 21st century. A national effort to improve and expand English language education is essential in a globalized world, hardly a question of colonialism.

Whether we like it, hate it or are indifferent, English happens to be the de facto international language for the time being.

 

[John.St]

Good points, all of this is needed education, infrastructure, training. Why doesn't it happen?

Well, it does to some extent.

"Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner made on Friday a deep incursion into the province of Buenos Aires farmland where she headed the inauguration of a railway line which will reactivate the train service connecting twenty towns in the area." http://en.mercopress.com/2011/08/27...arm-heartland-not-so-long-ago-enemy-territory

 

[marksoc]

The railways deteriorated after Peron nationalized them.

TOTALLY FALSE. You sound like an anti-peronist, a "gorilla" (somebody that opposes anything that comes from the Peronist party or any initiative from any movement with low-class roots. Railways deteriorated since the 1970s, especially during the military dictatorship, and were destroyed by M*N*M in the 1990s, following the advice of Washington and Chicago, of course.

And btw, this government is doing a lot to improve the industrial capacity of Argentina, without giving up to foreign crimina**, sorry, "Investors". Science and technology are supported, poor children have now access to netbooks (and some of them will make it big in life thanks to that), school attendance has grown as a result of the Universal Child Allowance, any industry related to primary exports is growing by the minute, it is going somewhere good. Yep, I want to kick out all the big foreign mining companies, and that is the biggest issue I have with Cristina K.