Please Explain Piquetas....

[gsi16386]

SO, I'm still fascinated by these Piquetas and see that they are now blocking off the entrance to EZE. So please explain to me....what keeps all the people waiting in line to get into EZE, whom are quite possibly late to their flights, from getting out, bonding together, and beating the shit out of the people that are blocking the entrance?

I understand the concept of picketing, and I understand they are fighting for what they believe in or derechos humanos, and I encourage that. However, why piss everyone off in the process? Why couldn't they picket on the sidewalk? In front of the residence of the governor's house and block off his driveway so he couldn't get to work?

Bottom line is, I just don't get it and I don't understand why there is no backlash from the people these pickets are having an adverse effect on. Can anyone help clear this up for me? Or do Argentinians feel the same way...

 

[PhilipDT]

They picket because they're worthless lazy excuses for human beings who have 0 respect for the people who share the city with them. People will tell you that if they didn't piss people off then their protests wouldn't be so effective, but the truth is they're not effective now. They're all basically out there because they're lazy morons who don't want to go to work. I say bring out the dogs and water cannons!

 

[Purcy]

They picket because they're worthless lazy excuses for human beings who have 0 respect for the people who share the city with them. People will tell you that if they didn't piss people off then their protests wouldn't be so effective, but the truth is they're not effective now. They're all basically out there because they're lazy morons who don't want to go to work. I say bring out the dogs and water cannons!

But how do you really feel?

 

[John.St]

SO, I'm still fascinated by these Piquetas and see that they are now blocking off the entrance to EZE. So please explain to me....what keeps all the people waiting in line to get into EZE, whom are quite possibly late to their flights, from getting out, bonding together, and beating the shit out of the people that are blocking the entrance?

I understand the concept of picketing, and I understand they are fighting for what they believe in or derechos humanos, and I encourage that. However, why piss everyone off in the process? Why couldn't they picket on the sidewalk? In front of the residence of the governor's house and block off his driveway so he couldn't get to work?

Bottom line is, I just don't get it and I don't understand why there is no backlash from the people these pickets are having an adverse effect on. Can anyone help clear this up for me? Or do Argentinians feel the same way...

As far as I can judge Latinoamericans in general are protesting and picketing in a demonstration of futility.

They beat drums, blow whistles, scream and shout - and thus burn their anger away to no avail (I have watched this in several countries during the last 21 years).

The only thing they can pursuade the politicians to act is by giving them the ultimate threat: You won't get reelected!

That scares any and all politicians all over the world. Not to be reelected means to be pushed away from bribes, placing family without merits in good, fat positions, etc., etc.

 

[stormy18]

The piqueteros started protesting in the 90s, when workers' rights, unions, etc. were extremely limited by the Menem government. In some cases when a factory shut down, an entire town would be out of work and this affected everyone- so they started looking for new and more effective ways to protest. This would involve cutting off a main ruta with their protest, thus disrupting national commerce and transportation.

Proponents of the technique point out how it can get the government's attention when nothing else can. You might not agree with it, but if they're blocking off all access to Ezeiza someone is going to have to try and sit down with them pretty fast.

Critics argue that it restricts the right to free circulation within the country.

Whatever your point of view is, it's a legitimate form of protest that was used successfully in the 90s when nothing else worked. The piqueteros aren't just lazy or hateful- they're trying to achieve their political goals using a technique they (and many) think is effective.

 

[stormy18]

Regarding why people put up with it: My guess is that a long, long history of state terrorism and repression (anywhere from "dogs and water cannons" to public beatings and shootings to mass disappearances) makes people a little hesitant to crack down on political protests. The Argentines have fought for decades for the right to protest freely and attempts to limit this right aren't looked upon to kindly.

 

[Hache]

They're all basically out there because they're lazy morons who don't want to go to work. I say bring out the dogs and water cannons!

With all due respect, Phil, you're being way too simplistic. This is far more complex than that. In fact, it's too complex for me so I'll just go as far as explaining why I think you're suggesting no solution:

I think that in reality (and this is scary) most of them go there driven not by laziness (would a really lazy person bother going there and expose themselves to whatever the outcome of such action may be?) but by anger, frustration and resentfulness. I hate to say it but I find it hard blaming them. When in school, I missioned in the villas and witnessed first-hand the dead-end situation they know as life. Try to imagine yourself in their shoes (assuming they have them). Put yourself in survival mode. Now, imagine someone knocking on your door (assuming you have one) and hiring you as a piquetero. What you'll exceeds what you'd get elsewhere. Remember: you don't have a stable, en blanco job. That exists in a world beyond yours. By the end of the day, you must bring some money home or the numerous offspring you brought into this world because (and this is something that really puzzles me) you can't stop making babies, may go to bed (assuming they have one) on an empty stomach. So what do you do? You pick the offer best paid. And if you allow me to be ironic, off to work you go. You're a professional piquetero.

What they are doing won't solve their problems and they know it. They want to reach a position from where they could try something that could be effective. But they don't have too many options, and I wouldn't expect them to care much about us and our organized lives because they know we sure as hell don't care jack about theirs.

I wouldn't expect them to care a lot about the dogs and the water cannons either. Their every day lives are much worse than that. They are ready for a fight. What could they lose?

 

[John.St]

... the numerous offspring you brought into this world because (and this is something that really puzzles me) you can't stop making babies, ...

What else can you do?

Take a ride in your don't-have-car, watch your don't-have-TV, listen to your don't-have-radio, whatever in your don't-have-XX?

Anticoncepción costs don't-have-money.

- oh, and you may not even know what anticoncepción is.

 

[gsi16386]

I would like to report that we now have another protest...this one at Colegio Pellegrini, BUT they're protesting in front of their school and prohibiting the Director from entering the School. NOW THIS IS THE WAY TO PROTEST!! That grabs the attention of the person making the decision and doesn't effect the others around them.

WAY TO GO ALUMNOS!!!

Living in Argentina = "How to Piqueta 101"

 

[Guillo]

Come on, haven't you seen it written enough times already? Its PIQUETE not PIQUETA!