Just one more crisis

[SaraSara]

Most Argentines have lived in a state of crisis all their lives.

They have survived revolutions, military coups, meltdowns, the Rodrigazo, innumerable devaluations, Martinez de Hoz, Menem, "pesificacion", street chaos, the debt default, the Tequila effect, the Kirchnery dynasty - you name it. They have had their retirement fund raided by the government and their bank savings accounts frozen and decimated by the "corralito".

Yet people go on getting married, buying apartments, having babies, throwing lavish birthday parties, and going on vacation.

They don't seem unduly worried about the sky falling - it's only people from more orderly societies who plan, and fret. I think many Argentines have become so used to living on the edge that they hardly notice there is an edge. Or maybe ignoring the edge is a self-defense mechanism.

During the "pesificacion" most of my relatives were caught with dollar loans and peso salaries - their debt load tripled overnight. So they retrenched, sold their cars, and lent whatever they could to one another. Now, eight years later, they have bought new cars and are happily planning three-day weekends, while I ponder how best to protect my savings.

Honestly, I envy them.

 

[dennisr]

Most Argentines have lived in a state of crisis all their lives.

They have survived revolutions, military coups, meltdowns, the Rodrigazo, innumerable devaluations, Martinez de Hoz, Menem, "pesificacion", street chaos, the debt default, the Tequila effect, the Kirchnery dynasty - you name it. They have had their retirement fund raided by the government and their bank savings accounts frozen and decimated by the "corralito".

Yet people go on getting married, buying apartments, having babies, throwing lavish birthday parties, and going on vacation.

They don't seem unduly worried about the sky falling - it's only people from more orderly societies who plan, and fret. I think many Argentines have become so used to living on the edge that they hardly notice there is an edge. Or maybe ignoring the edge is a self-defense mechanism.

During the "pesificacion" most of my relatives were caught with dollar loans and peso salaries - their debt load tripled overnight. So they retrenched, sold their cars, and lent whatever they could to one another. Now, eight years later, they have bought new cars and are happily planning three-day weekends, while I ponder how best to protect my savings.

Honestly, I envy them.

You are so correct. In some obscure way, "the live for today and enjoy the moment attitude" is what attracts me to Argentina. My Girlfriend has some million peso notes, and each time I see those things, I have to admire the resilience of the people.

 

[erocifeller]

It is the influence of the southern Italian hedonistic present orientated catholic culture =p

 

[mini]

During the "pesificacion" most of my relatives were caught with dollar loans and peso salaries - their debt load tripled overnight. So they retrenched, sold their cars, and lent whatever they could to one another. Now, eight years later, they have bought new cars and are happily planning three-day weekends, while I ponder how best to protect my savings.

Honestly, I envy them.

That's interesting. Most people I've talked to who had dollar loans made out quite well as the dollars owed were converted to pesos owed. So they now owed 1/3 what they did in dollars. It was the ones who had dollar savings (in the country) who had their worth cut by 1/3 as those dollars were also converted to pesos.

Finally, just when I thought I had it figured out, I'm back to square one again. sign. Seems I'll never "get it". LOL.

 

[SaraSara]

My relatives had borrowed money from siblings, aunts, etc.. -- Informal family loans with no papers, repayable in dollars. That's why they got in trouble. However, they eventually managed to settle their accounts without throttling each other. No small feat, that.

By the way, that's how locals buy apartments for cash - they pass the hat and the family chips in, some more grudgingly than others.

 

[Gringoboy]

My other half, who is Argentine simply says 'Get used to it!'

 

[JoeBlow]

Most Argentines have lived in a state of crisis all their lives.

In most countries (quite literally), people live in a state of crisis all their lives.

I mention this because you'd think humanity would wake up and say: how is it possible that for 50+% of 6 billion people basic survival is in doubt? And when I say "in doubt" I'm not only talking about the type of problems typical of middle class Argentina (although these problems nothing to laugh at either).

Instead, we go on comparing Argentina to Switzerland, saying "boy life sucks for us", and forgetting that we have it much better here than most other countries.

We need to somehow come to the realization and say that this system of ours is not helping enough people.

 

[nikad]

Being Argentine, that is why it is so hard for me to understand why, for example in the US, people freak out so much about crisis For us it is just natural, cyclic. I guess both extremes are bad, lok at the Swedish and their incredibly high suicide rates; when things are too predictable, living is just not a lot of fun I guess (?)

 

[dillster]

Most Argentines have lived in a state of crisis all their lives.

Yes, that is true Sara and ALL due to the fact that the culture creates this. Argentinism is a disease. Sad to see another generation infected with it. Six military coups, one per decade on average, beginning in 1930.

Why is there no inspection system for vehicles? The cars, buses, trucks are the worst I have ever seen and I have been to the poorest countries in the world. The pollution that pours out of one is appalling. Waiting at the bus stop yesteray, I saw buses blacking out the whole block. In the province, cars have no lights, and are tied together with coat hangars and rope and tape.

Fix the sidewalks. Put a muffler and catalytic converter on your cars. Want to know how many countries mandate these? Argentina is closer to India than Western nations.

The pizza back in the US may not have been to your liking, but life was so much easier, wasnt it? no long lines winding out the door to get coins, at least a smile once in a while vs. this bitter angry furious place. Quiet in the street. You could walk down sidewalks in one piece without breaking your ankle and not be engulfed in a cloud of fumes with fingers in your ears from the deafening piercing noise from one bus. The percentage of the population that is crude and rude is huge. And so on and so on. Horrible pollution, noise and more noise, broken sidewalks, nasty people and unpleasant encounter, plus hassle after hassle, strike and protests (this week I was caught in a city wide bus strike) and fake money and a govt. that could care less about the people, the most polluted river in S. America (the smell alone must cause cancer), yet they whine about Uruguay. Yes, it must be all their fault.

This place is a mess. Its not just the inflation but the predictions are dire. Argentina has had 10 years and has done next to nothing to make life better and apparently they are beating their war drums to bring this lovely lifestyle to those farmers on the south atlantic islands. How selfish of the ruling families who run this mafia that passes for a country.

 

[jp]

I hope whatever is keeping you in this country lets you leave soon. You sound thoroughly miserable.