The Consumption Factor In Argentine Politics

[oiram]

http://www.argentinaindependent.com/currentaffairs/opinion/the-consumption-factor-in-argentine-politics/

Very thorough piece which was originally published at "el diplo".

Includes a sequence of tv ads from the 90s and it really help me relate to this (in)famous period of Argentina's life.

 

[Noesdeayer]

oiram:
It has been said for decades by foreigners that Argentines do not invent or start up new businesses but only consume.
They are born consumers.Argentina could never be communist ,quite simply because there would be no products or creature comfort items for them to buy or to consume.
Both the Menem and Kirchner economic policies were based almost entirely on consumption and not production or innovation
They are a talented people perhaps now they might begin to become more prductive and less inclined to consumerism when inflation is brought under control and their currency begins to have real value.
As someone who lived and worked here during the Menem years ,I would be interested in knowing what you mean by "relate to this infamous period".As hyper comsumerism has been a constant in Argentina almost since its inception as a nation.

 

[JoeGillis]

oiram:
It has been said for decades by foreigners that Argentines do not invent or start up new businesses but only consume.
They are born consumers.Argentina could never be communist ,quite simply because there would be no products or creature comfort items for them to buy or to consume.
Both the Menem and Kirchner economic policies were based almost entirely on consumption and not production or innovation
They are a talented people perhaps now they might begin to become more prductive and less inclined to consumerism when inflation is brought under control and their currency begins to have real value.
As someone who lived and worked here during the Menem years ,I would be interested in knowing what you mean by "relate to this infamous period".As hyper comsumerism has been a constant in Argentina almost since its inception as a nation.

I always laugh when many Argentines tell me that their foremost dislike of US society is that it is so consumer oriented.

Usually this is said with an air of haughty disdain, which is then followed by a declaration that, overall, Argentines are satisfied with having

just enough to be comfortable, that this society has yet to succumb to such blatant covetousness.

Honestly, I am not making this up! At first I thought the people saying this to me were a disgruntled minority, but

it has been stated far too many times over the last twelve years of my residency here for me to not take it seriously.

Nowadays when this is said to me, I guffaw loudly, say that this is the old pot calling the kettle black nonsense, and then proceed

to give a myriad number of examples of how Argentina is just as much a culture of consumerism as is the US. Needless to say, the

usual response is one of high dudgeon.

 

[Noesdeayer]

I hadn't had a chance to read the above article well enough until now..
The Macri gov't ".......seems to have forgotten the importance of consumption as a driver of social expectations and a source of political legitimacy".
Please,please.What the Macri gov't is attempting to do is to return the Argentine people's faith to their own currency in which they are paid so that they can begin saving once again,buying on credit and be able to have mortgages for their own homes like I had with Carlitos Menem.Thus .putting an end to a constant twist on consumption creating a false sense of prosperity created by Axel's permanent belief in Keynesian econmics as a cure for hyperinflation.
Social expectations are always better driven by savings and the best source of political legitimacy is keeping your word.
Peron himself said,"Mejor que decir es hacer y mejor que prometer es cumplir".-Better that saying is doing and better than promising is keeping that promise.
Macri must be held to his promises very closely.

 

[Rich One]

I always laugh when many Argentines tell me that their foremost dislike of US society is that it is so consumer oriented.

Usually this is said with an air of haughty disdain, which is then followed by a declaration that, overall, Argentines are satisfied with having

just enough to be comfortable, that this society has yet to succumb to such blatant covetousness.

Honestly, I am not making this up! At first I thought the people saying this to me were a disgruntled minority, but

it has been stated far too many times over the last twelve years of my residency here for me to not take it seriously.

Nowadays when this is said to me, I guffaw loudly, say that this is the old pot calling the kettle black nonsense, and then proceed

to give a myriad number of examples of how Argentina is just as much a culture of consumerism as is the US. Needless to say, the

usual response is one of high dudgeon.

Very true.... Thanks for enlightening me, pulled our the thesaurus to find out the meaning of dudgeon, covetousness and guffaw

 

[Rich One]

On the issue of consumerism and consumer products. Macri claims Argentina should be exporting elaborated food prods like cheese , pork prods and other becoming the Supermarket of the World, instead of plain soja and grains exporter...?

One can wonder who would buy these foodstuff products since they are more expensive here than in USA and Europe..??
Unless exports are subsidized ?

 

[ElQueso]

Not to mention things like cheese, in particular, are of relatively horrible quality in comparison to what can be found in the US and Europe! Maybe Angola, which contains the capital Luanda, which is (at least for expats) the most expensive city in the world (though BA is working on getting there).

Exporting cheese from Argentina would be like exporting clothes from here as well! Maybe Argentina and China can work out an exchange between cheese and clothes...

 

[Rich One]

Not to mention things like cheese, in particular, are of relatively horrible quality in comparison to what can be found in the US and Europe! Maybe Angola, which contains the capital Luanda, which is (at least for expats) the most expensive city in the world (though BA is working on getting there).

Exporting cheese from Argentina would be like exporting clothes from here as well! Maybe Argentina and China can work out an exchange between cheese and clothes...

Rumors are that Castillo the "owner" of La Salada has purchased a lot to start a Salada type outlet in Miami..!

 

[Noesdeayer]

Who might be interested in buying some fruit or vegetable products could be C&S Wholesale Grocers of Keene,N.H.
the lead supply chain company in the food industry and the largest wholesale supply company in the U.S.
You can get Chilean sea bass and tangerines at just about any grocery store in NYC.Why not Argentine wine and apples?
At a family lunch in NYC today I made a contact there through my cousin's wife which I plan to follow up on.
Who knows? It might lead to something.

 

[Ries]

we actually see argentinian produce, things like pears, at the health food store.
Of course, there is also wine, and mate. we see argentine wine everywhere in Washington State. and pretty much every health food store has mate, and it all comes from Argentina.

there is some good cheese made in Argentina- I was at a medium scale cheese maker in Tandil that made some pretty good stuff- and it is much cheaper than cheese in the USA of equivalent quality.
obviously, salamis from tandil could easily sell in the USA, and, again they are cheaper than equivalent quality.

I know several Argentine designers who export clothes, and they sell well, at high prices, in NYC and Tokyo.
I also know other Argentine small manufacturers who are exporting to europe and the US.

the problems are not with quality- its with structural and frictional barriers to export- taxes, customs, expenses, and so on.