Populism Loves The Poor So Much It Multiplies Them

[GS_Dirtboy]

That is a quote from Gloria Álvarez, a Guatemalan political activist who is visiting Argentina on a media tour.

According to Álvarez a populist politician:
1. Educates people to feel like victims.
2. Polarizes the society and engenders hate creating "us vs. them."
3. Attempts to transform Parliamentary institutions into arms of the Executive Power.
4. Corrupts and manipulates the Judiciary.
5. Attempts to reform the constitution to keep themselves in power.
6. Seeks to limit private property, private enterprise, and freedom of the press.
7. Blames the country's woes on either colonial powers or the USA.

All of this in the name of "The People."

She insists that any similarity with the current situation in Argentina is "purely coincidence."

http://panampost.com/belen-marty/2014/12/03/gloria-alvarez-takes-anti-populist-fight-to-argentina/

Enjoy your Thursday.

GS

 

[camel]

And contracts the church to teach/preach that birth control is wrong.

 

[Pensador]

Both dead on posts. I find it to be a very distastful form of manilpuation aimedat people that to stupid and ignorant to even understand they are being manupilated and lied too. Seems to be trending all over the world of late catering to profoundly ignorant masses of the population.

 

[Killarney]

It's a very good argument against democracy. Once populists have sufficient voters to keep them in office there is no reason to make people self sufficient. And when it get's tough "it would be worse without us!"

 

[French jurist]

She's a great political commentator, and seasoned too... well!

 

[ElQueso]

Álvarez came to Argentina under the auspices of various libertarian organizations: Freedom Network, Communicate Liberty, Freedom and Progress Foundation, and the Freedom Foundation of Rosario.

I found Freedom and Progress Foundation (and Freedom Foundation of Rosario, but it wasn't as strongly worded):

VISIÓN

Una Argentina transformada en una sociedad abierta basada en el respeto por los derechos individuales, gobierno limitado, propiedad privada, mercados libres y paz.
MISIÓN

Contribuir al cambio profundo de la Argentina, trabajando en el desarrollo de políticas públicas, elevando el nivel de discusión y promoviendo la participación ciudadana en el debate público sobre el rol del Estado en nuestra sociedad.

Maybe too many people can't handle libertarianism, but going in that direction from where many Latin American countries are would be a step in the correct direction.

These kind of talks are well-timed in Argentina at the moment. The problem is, there are way too many poor people who won't get this (probably won't even see it), too many people who are more interested in football than political debate, too many people with a vested interest in the power structure. These kind of discussions need to continue, but it's a slow process to change the mindset of a majority of the majority of a nation, who all have different inertial vectors pulling them away from "the light". I fear that it's the voice in the wind that ends up getting carried away after awhile and is forgotten.

Lanata said it right in the interview with the young lady: you have to realize what's happening before you get there. Once you get there it's too late. Ya está.

It's a really depressing thought to see things continue to get worse and people all blaming the wrong causes. I often despair of things ever really changing. Anywhere. For any real length of time.

 

[ElQueso]

It's a very good argument against democracy. Once populists have sufficient voters to keep them in office there is no reason to make people self sufficient. And when it get's tough "it would be worse without us!"

It's a good argument against government in general. Authoritarian governments (monarchy or otherwise) start off limiting rights (or having the government "grant" rights). Democratic republics just take longer, usually.

Remember, the very existence of government immediately creates two classes of people: those who pay taxes, and those who receive the tax money (including the bureaucracy, the lawmakers themselves, the judiciary, etc.). The percentage of those who receive tax money as reimbursement for their time or labor grows - particularly when those who have the power to control the purse strings are within that class. Populism is just a corrupt form of the usual tools for the tax-receiving class to get more of what they want..

It's in everyone's best interest to have the smallest government possible.

 

[Killarney]

Couldn't agree more. Keep the peace and deliver the mail. Everything else......stay away from me.
Just laughed reading how the house in the US may vote to extend tax "breaks". Like it was their money and they are giving you a break and letting you keep it. Hilarious how left wing the US media has become.
Gee government thank you SO much for giving me a "break" letting me keep my own money that I worked for!