Re: Expats And Politics - Expressing Opinions Publicly

[Kettle]

Very interesting question, Noruega. I suppose it's always possible that Migraciones officials would do an internet search for your name, but I think they're much more interested in your lack of a criminal record and sufficient means to support yourself. If they Googled you and came across some evidence that you were involved with something illegal, maybe that would have an impact on your application, but otherwise I don't think they care one bit.

Plus, as Bajo_cero2 says, there is freedom of speech here. They couldn't legally reject your application for that, and I think inventing a false reason could potentially bring them more trouble than it's worth.

I don't publically express my political opinions about Argentina, but this isn't because I'm scared of government repression. I think it stems more from the fact that I'm always rather unsure about my assessments of politics here (sorry if this is being discussed on another thread!). For me it's impossible to form a complete opinion of events, and I tend to be more influenced by the points of view of people close to me who I respect than maybe I would be in my home country. I find myself reading at least three local newspapers a day (usually La Nación and Página 12. I'll read Clarín for the headlines but I can't stomach too much of their content. The writing is too painful.) just to be able to cobble together a somewhat objective picture of the situation. The politics of talking politics are tricky in my own country, let alone in someone else's.

I will speak up if I genuinely think I can offer a different point of view that's influenced by my status as an outsider. But otherwise I only share my political opinions with close friends.

 

[mc kenna]

No consequenses Noruega. Freedom of speach is clearly respected in this country.

LOL says the lawyer you'll have to hire if this govt' decides you ''extended'' your free speech (see applying '' correctivos"" by this govt)
I'd say that works out pretty good all the way around don't it?

 

[Rich One]

If you use your name and pic or use a nick makes no difference your IP is your signature.

 

[mc kenna]

If you use your name and pic or use a nick makes no difference your IP is your signature.

if you only have one computer??i honestly don't know......perhaps someone can explain how the ip works

 

[Bajo_cero2]

LOL says the lawyer you'll have to hire if this govt' decides you ''extended'' your free speech (see applying '' correctivos"" by this govt)
I'd say that works out pretty good all the way around don't it?

I don't do freedom of speach cases.

If Clarin can openly lie (sometimes) and attack the goverment they way they do, it is obvious that there is freedom of speach.

If all the people who post calling kretina to the President can do it, this is another example.

 

[nicoenarg]

Your IP address can actually change. Its your computer's MAC address that never changes. There are (easy) ways to send out fake MAC addresses (change your computer's network identity) but depending on where you are it might be illegal to do so.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Being the only witnees against some genocidals, to declare against them at Court and send them to jail for life time has nothing to do with freedom of speach.

To declare at Court as a witness is a civil duty. Sometimes is also a risky situation.
He was killed for sending his torturers to jail.

 

[nicoenarg]

In general one may have reason to worry if your voice actually matters. AKA people listen to what you have to say. If you're a nobody (no offense) then the argentine government is not going to waste their resources on someone who writes on BAExpats which is read by some 200 people, most of whom are not even citizens and are permatourists.

No matter the craziness these last few days, we're not Turkey that you'll be thrown in jail for saying something against CFK. If that were the case, most members of this forum including myself would have been rotting in clandestine detention centers by now.

 

[mc kenna]

You mean......... we are not..... important??oh now i'm depressed

 

[ElQueso]

I don't post here under my real name because it's no one's business who I am (aside from what details of my personal life I may publish), unless I meet someone in person from this forum. When I post criticisms here, I know that there are people here who know who I am. I'm fully cognizant that we may be (probably are?) under some form of scrutiny from various sources here in Argentina, some of which may report in some fashion to the government about expat feelings.

I don't really post much on social media at all, but I do check out my Facebook page on occasion to see what friends are up to. Occasionally I've posted criticisms there, under my name with my photo.

I don't really care, at this point, that someone from the government reads what I have to say. I don't want to put me and my family at risk, but I don't believe that we are talking about these kinds of issues right now, particularly against insignificant expats. If, however, I ever got the feeling that what one says here could lead to serious problems, I'd be out of here anyway.

The truth is, it would be possible to track me down if they really wanted to, right now. I've met enough people from the board (really, only 4 or 5 and I know well a couple of guys from before I joined who post from time to time, but enough probably) that it would be possible to identify me simply by asking others if they knew who El Queso was, as an Argentino who attended a coffee chat. Maybe they could find me by IP address, but the cable company would have to keep a list of IP addresses that the registered modem has used (or MAC addresses - I don't hide mine), and they would have to get my IP information from the admins of this board, which is probably not hosted here (it's not a .AR), then go to the provider and get all that info.

Either way, takes some effort and we're just not worth anything in this regard. The majority of us expats can't vote in national elections (and maybe a majority can't vote at all) and probably don't "contaminate" a large portion of the population with our ideas.

Noruega, I think you're absolutely fine with your residency process. I doubt very much that immigrations actually searches the internet very much, if at all, maybe just a token search for your name. So many people have the same or similar names that it may be difficult to prove an issue anyway, so they may not even bother. I suspect that if it's policy it may get as good a scrutiny that aduana gives incoming bags at Ezeiza.

Even if they did find something in your name, if you are expressing an opinion and not inciting a violent revolution, I doubt they'd care.

Like I say, if any of that changes, I'm outta here.