Still Hope For A Better Government, By Robert Cox

[Joe]

Usually foreign investment in developed nations is wasted because the rulers squander the money through corruption, see resource curse. For example often foreign investment is wasted because foreign companies have to pay off those in the government - instead of the money going to the national treasury.

China has been successful with foreign investment by milking technology from foreign companies thus helping domestic industries. Menem on the other hand was mainly interested in milking as many dollars as he could get for himself and his cronies.

Foreign investment is NOT the problem - corruption is. You take away the foreign investment and keep the corruption and you get the stagnation we are experiencing.

 

[Redpossum]

Obama didn't support Argentina. He supported the ability of other countries to centralize debt in the US and thus allow the slime on Wall St to continue screwing 3rd world debtors.

That is a valid point. But I'm sure Uncle Sam still extracted favors from Argentina in return, given that Argentina derived some benefit.

 

[Bkentfc]

That is a valid point. But I'm sure Uncle Sam still extracted favors from Argentina in return, given that Argentina derived some benefit.

Thats the perfect example of "no free lunch" Every country pursues self interest, you add corruption into the mix and the representatives of these countries look after their individual pockets.Thats the difference between third world countries and first world countries.However it does not mean that corruption in the ´first world´ is not rampant; it just carries a more complex dna,for example, who would have thought that her royal majesty is still an active beneficiary of the common agricultrural policy that has drained funds from the EU since the 80s.Going back to the original topic, essentially a country´s destiny is in its own hands. Keep your house in order and dont be tempted by the horsemen of the apocalypse as they shall come offering suitcases of greenbacks!!!

 

[Jaredberryman]

There's three things that will prevent Argentina from sliding into the Venezuelan abyss. First, Vaca Muerte. Second, Argentina has the biggest reserve of Lithium on the planet. Lithium is about to become one of the most sought after items from nature in the world. And Argentina has tons of it. Third, Argentina can grow massive amounts of food. As it is, Argentina produces food for 300 million people, with only a 40 million population. If they so chose, they could easily produce more.

So Argentina may continue to limp along. But I highly doubt it will go heading off the abyss and into a spiraling mass of chaos. I suppose it is possible (anything is possible in this crazy country) and we might see two or three years of instability, but nothing that is utterly insane. That's my opinion anyways. It's a shame that politicians and the people are corrupt. This should be an incredibly wealthy country.

 

[internationalguy]

When they grow up they will be very rich.

 

[Hybrid Ambassador]

Soner or later,this grand nation wll re-grasp past glory again, then it will be in the BRIC club , watch it doin' muy pronto !

 

[ajoknoblauch]

There's three things that will prevent Argentina from sliding into the Venezuelan abyss. First, Vaca Muerte. Second, Argentina has the biggest reserve of Lithium on the planet. Lithium is about to become one of the most sought after items from nature in the world. And Argentina has tons of it. Third, Argentina can grow massive amounts of food. As it is, Argentina produces food for 300 million people, with only a 40 million population. If they so chose, they could easily produce more.

So Argentina may continue to limp along. But I highly doubt it will go heading off the abyss and into a spiraling mass of chaos. I suppose it is possible (anything is possible in this crazy country) and we might see two or three years of instability, but nothing that is utterly insane. That's my opinion anyways. It's a shame that politicians and the people are corrupt. This should be an incredibly wealthy country.

With Vaca Muerta, Argentina has a chance to be as successful as Venezuela has been with its oil wealth.

 

[Increible]

But this is the Argentine bar. I always get told by friends, coworkers, others, etc. that "Well at least it's not
[Insert dictatorship years, hyper inflation years, huge poverty years...]". If that's Argentina's definition of
success then the Patagonian Ice Queen is a national savior and you can start to see why people don't
think things are so bad.

I've started to wonder if Argentina collectively suffers from some form of mental illness, mixtures of
Paranoia (Clarin/USA are trying to ruin the country), Delusions (Inflation is shrinking), Narcissism
(Argentina is comparable to Canada or Australia) Masochism (Peronism is the Past and Future) and
Bi Polar (The economy is fine, there is huge domestic growth! Paris club and IMF help!) all in one
non-racist South American "European" package. If someone demonstrated these behaviors they'd be
force treated/drugged or put in a straitjacket, but since Argentina is a country people kind of just feel
bad for it like the homeless guy who talks to himself on the street: you don't give him money because
you know it enables him.

I think the source of all Argentina's troubles is that the underlying cultural operating premise is "I'm more important than you (other person, group, country) therefore whatever I do to further my interests is justified and justifiable no matter what effect is has on you or how much you may not like it. And if you talk about it or complain about it, it either didn't happen or it did but it was your or someone else's fault and I'm going to make you and/or them pay for bringing it up." So yeah, it's like everybody is some kind of latino Bart Simpson. No wonder they like the Simpsons so much.

 

[Increible]

When they grow up they will be very rich.

If they do. Nobody grows up if they don't do the work. And anachronistic Freudian analysis clearly isn't helping.

 

[TWB103]

Relentlessly state and corporate promoted nationalism, and catholicism, prevent Argentines from being more responsible and accountable for their actions.

Argentina is too big and rich to fail which is their problem. It suffers temporary collapses but then quickly is able to pick itself up due to its riches. In short its not desperate enough to change and challenge the institutions which keep it in its rut.