Macri On Cnn With Video

[sesamosinsal]

I am glad that someone (Richard Quest) finally asked him how he plans to achieve such ambitious goals amid the global economic downturn, e.g. hoping to add 20 billion to the FX reserves when almost every Central Bank around the world is hemorrhaging dollars.

His answer didn't surprise me: Hope.

 

[wineguy999]

He might be better than Cristina (any semi-retarded ape is), but he is still a typical South American politician. I think there is a lot of wishful thinking and self delusion toward Macri. I can understand the need people have to see Macri as this super statesman, since people lived 12+ miserable years under the Ks. But understanding is not the same as agreeing. There are lots of warning signs coming from Macri that people are choosing to ignore because they want to believe that now Argentina has a true leader. Sorry folks, but history seems to show us otherwise.

Wishful thinking and self-delusion do not necessarily travel hand-in-hand. As another said, perhaps it is optimism and hope for the impending changes.

Or, we can just judge based on history, because it's not possible that Macri is sincere in his intentions for a better Argentina.

 

[EJLarson]

I am glad that someone (Richard Quest) finally asked him how he plans to achieve such ambitious goals amid the global economic downturn, e.g. hoping to add 20 billion to the FX reserves when almost every Central Bank around the world is hemorrhaging dollars.

His answer didn't surprise me: Hope.

Posts like this do surprise me. Here's a new guy who may turn out to be as bad as "the rest of them," or, just maybe, not.

Point is that we don't know yet. But you choose to mischaracterize what he did say in the most pessimistic (and snarky) light possible. What he did say, paraphrased, is "we have plans and ideas that we think will work, but I only lead Argentina, so for the rest, we have to hope."

A little different than your take.

 

[sesamosinsal]

A little different than your take.

Oh, Ed. Let's not delve into a debate of semantics. So, they have a bunch of plans and ideas -- Wowee -- but at the end of the day it comes down to hope, hope that Argentina will be able to go against the global trends and achieve what no country in the region is achieving (and most of the world) right now.

 

[EJLarson]

Oh, Ed. Let's not delve into a debate of semantics. So, they have a bunch of plans and ideas -- Wowee -- but at the end of the day it comes down to hope, hope that Argentina will be able to go against the global trends and achieve what no country in the region is achieving (and most of the world) right now.

Well, just one more time - my annoyance wasn't about semantics, it was that you purposely chose to ignore the totality of what he did say and do the sound-bite thingy to make him look like a clownish moron. He may prove himself to be one, but he hasn't yet. You purposely colored his answer as "duh - I dunno - hope, maybe?" It just isn't an honest summary.

The reason I responded is that you often share valuable insights and thoughts. That you chose not to this time caught my eye and ire.

Last comment on subject. Promise.

 

[ben]

I am glad that someone (Richard Quest) finally asked him how he plans to achieve such ambitious goals amid the global economic downturn, e.g. hoping to add 20 billion to the FX reserves when almost every Central Bank around the world is hemorrhaging dollars.

His answer didn't surprise me: Hope.

I, for one, don't care that much for Macri's intentions. I do agree that when someone states goals that are unrealistic, that person is liable to a charge of being either disingenuous or, worse yet, incompetent. And Macri's entire claim to leadership is based on assumptions of his being eminently competent, that he can get shit done. Attack that, and a lot of Macri's raison d'etre falls away.

Except that's actually not what he said. What he said is that Argentina is screwed up enough at this point, that they have plenty of room to improve things by simply returning production/investment/development to normal levels, before they rise to such a point where the global headwinds start affecting things.

You can agree or disagree, but certainly he didn't just say 'Hope'.

 

[camberiu]

What he said is that Argentina is screwed up enough at this point, that they have plenty of room to improve things by simply returning production/investment/development to normal levels, before they rise to such a point where the global headwinds start affecting things.

Which I agree with. Argentina is coming from such a low baseline that the simple fact it stop digging it's own hole should bring noticeable improvement.

My problem with him is that he is show all of the traits of the typical South American demagogue. It started with the sale of the presidential plane, the announcement that he would be using regular public hospitals (with caveats) and now this whole drug war rhetoric. I've heard it all before, from several previous leaders here in South America. His demeanor and discourse particularly reminds me of Fernando Collor de Melo, the Brazilian president that was impeached by Congress in the early 90s.

By ordering the air force to shoot down unarmed aircraft out of the sky, he is clearly demonstrating that he does not care much for the rule of law and due process. Even, and specially, if it is all theatrics he then demonstrates that he is trying to position himself as the strong man/caudillo leader that the locals seem to adore and embrace so much.

Finally, the deal with the vulture funds seems to me to indicate that what he wants is not deep structural reforms in Argentina, but to simply gain access to the world's credit markets in order to replace the existing printing/inflation model of dealing with government deficits with the borrow abroad model of dealing with government deficits.


Again, I've seen it all before, many times. Is he better than Cristina? Sure! But he seems to bring nothing new to the table, other than the same old vices from the South American business oligarchy that we have bene grown so tired of in the last several decades.

 

[ben]

I don't think it is possible for someone to become leader anywhere, but particularly here, without showing some brass.

In general marketing is all about perception, but it is much more so here. Only here will you hear stories of somebody refusing to sell a property to a yanqui at a non-inflated price, which would somehow make him a boludo - even if ultimately he sells it for less.

There is a rather strong difference between being a bully, and showing that you will do what it takes to not be bullied yourself. It is possible to transition from the latter to the former, but when one is clearly dealing with bullies you give him the benefit of the doubt at first. Macri clearly is, which is why one is ready to tolerate the 'strongman' act, as you call it - on the assumption that it is indeed an act to some extent - as a necessary evil of life. Time will tell whether Macri is simply playing the game that needs to be played, or fancies himself a new Putin - which does not seem to jive with what we know of the man.

This is why I'm relatively OK with Macri's prolific extralegislative activity: He is facing people who are clearly operating in bad faith, which means he has to be cut some slack. The only way he has any chance at all in legislative negotiations is if it's clear that he won't shy away from a fight, and from getting his objectives accomplished using whatever means he has at his disposal. If, having shown that, he then negotiates with the various parliamentary blocs in good faith, and does not ride roughshod over the institutions, everything will be OK.

In contrast to President Collor, one may expect that his great personal wealth would shield him somewhat from allegations of corruption. He simply did and does not need to enter government to increase his personal wealth. And regarding his everyman demeanor, and here again I disagree with you camberiu, he either lives the show more than you think, or is a remarkably consistent actor. His personal lodgings are less than he can afford. He does not dress like a billionaire. He simply does not seem to care for the trappings of wealth and power nearly as much as he can afford if only purely as a private citizen.

Might camberiu's predictions come true? Sure, maybe it'll be even worse. But no reason to assume that now.

 

[Noesdeayer]

Camberiu:
Nonesense from someone who does not know the situation first hand but rather from some reading from afar.
Macri shows NO traits of any Latin American dictator.Let alone Collor de Mello.I was in Brazil in '94 when he was impeached and folllowed it all on Brazilian TV.
Name the traits and I will counter them one by one.
I have already commented on the plane overreach.
The deal with the vulture funds is necesassary to gain access to credit markets for growth
He has also already taken many steps to decrease pov't deficits too numerous to start listing and arguing about on this forum.
I would advise you to become a little better info before you star giving courses in L.A. politacal history
Your comments on Macri's personality have no basis in reality
Why do you refuse to answer questions put to you?

 

[Gringoboy]

Which I agree with. Argentina is coming from such a low baseline that the simple fact it stop digging it's own hole should bring noticeable improvement.

My problem with him is that he is show all of the traits of the typical South American demagogue. It started with the sale of the presidential plane, the announcement that he would be using regular public hospitals (with caveats) and now this whole drug war rhetoric. I've heard it all before, from several previous leaders here in South America. His demeanor and discourse particularly reminds me of Fernando Collor de Melo, the Brazilian president that was impeached by Congress in the early 90s.

By ordering the air force to shoot down unarmed aircraft out of the sky, he is clearly demonstrating that he does not care much for the rule of law and due process. Even, and specially, if it is all theatrics he then demonstrates that he is trying to position himself as the strong man/caudillo leader that the locals seem to adore and embrace so much.

Finally, the deal with the vulture funds seems to me to indicate that what he wants is not deep structural reforms in Argentina, but to simply gain access to the world's credit markets in order to replace the existing printing/inflation model of dealing with government deficits with the borrow abroad model of dealing with government deficits.


Again, I've seen it all before, many times. Is he better than Cristina? Sure! But he seems to bring nothing new to the table, other than the same old vices from the South American business oligarchy that we have bene grown so tired of in the last several decades.

That's a pretty depressing summary from someone utterly jaded by South American politics, particularly Brazilian politics.
This isn't Brazil in case you hadn't noticed.
Further, your notion that he's just another dictator is unbalanced.
Unlike his predecessor who insisted on swimming against the tide and producing some kind of economic miracle through her lover whizz kid Camporista puppet Kicillof, instead producing hatred and antagonism from the rest of the global community, at least the new administration is open to dialogue.
They have their backs up against the wall and they're big enough to see it.