Venting on BAexpats...

[Somewhereinba]

Vent mode on.
It's only Tuesday and so far this week:

• Argentina appoints an ambassador to support the dictatorship of Assad in Syria
• Ex-secretary of public works who was caught red handed with $9m of stollen money and an automatic weapon at a convent provisionally released from jail
• Argentina breaks another record of daily COVID infections
• Argentina plans joint military exercises with China
• Convicted ex-president Boudou giving classes at UBA from home detention
• More "VIP" vaccination tales - of a 24 year old
• Court dismisses a major corruption case against CFK and Axel K amidst judicial "reform" and "pressure"
• Government resort to their own popular markets to offer food at affordable prices to impoverished Argentines that it can no longer afford to pay to feed themselves (a la Venezuela model)
• Government umming and ahing about rising minimum salary to less than US$150 a month - still one of the lowest on the continent
• The brecha is increasing again - now at 54%
• Government threatening the ban meat exports amidst food crisis affecting poor and looming elections
• Am Cham threatening exit of more foreign companies from Argentina due to government price control policies
• New more dangerous COVID strains circulating freely in the community
• Teacher's union announces strike for Wednesday further disrupting classrooms
• Shots fired at house of Hebe de Bonafini
• Inflation on track to be higher this year than last
• News that more people have been murdered by recently released prisoners than prisoners dead of COVID
• Government discards more IFE payments to most vulnerable (presumably no hay plata)

Meanwhile in the background of all this chaos:

• Since AF came to power 20 K prisoners charged with corruption have been released from prison
• Increasing murmers in Europe that Argentina is complicit in the biggest drug shipment in European history - 16 tons via BA with love
• Poverty keeps getting worse
• Government does not want to play by the democratic rules it set in the first place
• Argentina condemned by international human rights organisations but does nothing about it
• Insecurity is getting worse
• Where is some serious positive momentum at least?

I'm pretty used to Argentina over the years being ...dramatic... even at the best of times.
However the nature and frequency of such events really makes one ask what trajectory this country is actually on.
For a country that is supposed to be building confidence to rebuild the economy, they are doing a good job at pushing it into negative territory by creating unnecessary contradiction and division.

No wonder so many young Argentines just stop seeing a future here and leave - headlines like these just don't look like those in any serious country where the average-joe can have a nice, safe, free, fair and calm life - or at least a tangible chance at it. These kind of complaints just are not comparable to complaining about the occasional power-cut or not being about to get ones favourite shampoo in stores.
On the positive side (hopefully) we have elections later this year.

Lol trying not to get angry and laugh at how bad it is... Only Argentina can produce such emotions in government incompetence

 

[TWB103]

This is why Peronist like movements such as BLM must never get a hold in the US and elsewhere in the developed world. Argentina is a lesson. I think the US and Europe especially are on a very slippery slope leading to Argentine like decadence. ID politics and wokeness have infected all the institutions - Regular, middle of the road people are starting to lose faith in politics, law, mainstream media, education... society in the 'normal' countries is becoming more divided and politically extreme like Argentina.

 

[semigoodlookin]

This is why Peronist like movements such as BLM must never get a hold in the US and elsewhere in the developed world. Argentina is a lesson. I think the US and Europe especially are on a very slippery slope leading to Argentine like decadence. ID politics and wokeness have infected all the institutions - Regular, middle of the road people are starting to lose faith in politics, law, mainstream media, education... society in the 'normal' countries is becoming more divided and politically extreme like Argentina.

I think you're conflating issues.

 

[Renzi]

This is why Peronist like movements such as BLM must never get a hold in the US and elsewhere in the developed world.

LOL. Trumpism is more of a Peronist movement than anything on the left in the USA currently. JD Perón's support base came from a similar demographic as well: the forgotten and politically disenfranchised working class for whom he came became both a savior and a martyr.

 

[Somewhereinba]

LOL. Trumpism is more of a Peronist movement than anything on the left in the USA currently. JD Perón's support base came from a similar demographic as well: the forgotten and politically disenfranchised working class for whom he came became both a savior and a martyr.

Wot... Trump supporters are pro business, lower taxes, border control (and gun rights)... Whatever Peronism is on paper the end result we have now is definitely not that... Instead in Argentina its anti-business, anti-work, Government involvement in EVERYTHING creating a dependence that they manipulate, open borders, mass social benefits, corrupt Government officials.

 

[Renzi]

Wot... Trump supporters are pro business, lower taxes, border control (and gun rights)... Whatever Peronism is on paper the end result we have now is definitely not that... Instead in Argentina its anti-business, anti-work, Government involvement in EVERYTHING creating a dependence that they manipulate, open borders, mass social benefits, corrupt Government officials.

My comparison was specifically on the similarity between the cult of personality of Trump and Peron, and the irrational devotion their followers both have regardless of what their policies actually were. Trump 2016 ran as a xenophobe and a populist, promising huge infrastructure spending and a protectionist economy (he bent over more than he "stood up" to China), but he governed as a standard GOP neocon.

Argentina's political culture predates Peronism and Kirchnerism, and they haven't even been in power for most of the last 100 years so it's silly to place the blame solely on their policies for the current state of affairs. A nation's politics are a reflection of its culture, not the other way around.

 

[Dougie]

The Peronist economic model is based on protectionism and blaming outside forces for their economic woes, much like the Steve Bannon right. The standard brand of Republican policies won out for the most part during Trump's term.

Bannon recommended a massive infrastructure project, taxing the very rich at a higher rate, and building the wall to protect the workers from low wage competition.

A hearty dose of nationalism, protectionism, and public infrastructure. Very much the brand of the Peronists.

 

[Somewhereinba]

The Peronist economic model is based on protectionism and blaming outside forces for their economic woes, much like the Steve Bannon right. The standard brand of Republican policies won out for the most part during Trump's term.

Bannon recommended a massive infrastructure project, taxing the very rich at a higher rate, and building the wall to protect the workers from low wage competition.

A hearty dose of nationalism, protectionism, and public infrastructure. Very much the brand of the Peronists.

I don't see any infrastructure being built here in Argentina lol... Trump lowered taxes on businesses - when was the last time a Peronist government made doing business easier by lowering taxes? I also don't think any Peronist governments have done ANYTHING to control the border and protect local workers - instead its actually the opposite. All neighbouring countries populations are free to cross the border and take from the system (working is optional as well). Complete opposite of Trump policies. Argentina nationalism involves screaming about Malvinas. They do run some 'special' form of protectionism where everything is expensive and shit quality complete opposite of USA where you can get good quality products made locally at good prices.

 

[Ries]

I don't see any infrastructure being built here in Argentina lol... Trump lowered taxes on businesses - when was the last time a Peronist government made doing business easier by lowering taxes? I also don't think any Peronist governments have done ANYTHING to control the border and protect local workers - instead its actually the opposite. All neighbouring countries populations are free to cross the border and take from the system (working is optional as well). Complete opposite of Trump policies. Argentina nationalism involves screaming about Malvinas. They do run some 'special' form of protectionism where everything is expensive and shit quality complete opposite of USA where you can get good quality products made locally at good prices.

No infrastructure? In the city, in the last few years, I have seen a lot. Having worked in infrastructure construction in the USA for 30 years or so, I think Argentina actually does more, faster- for example, the H line got built in record time- versus the 5 different mass transit lines I have worked on in the US, which would take 2 or 3 times as long, and maybe ten times the money. The CCK was done better and faster than equivalent (well there are really any equivalents- its an incredible art and music center) in the USA, again for far less money. The Paseo Del Bajo seemed to be finished overnight, along with the complete redo of pedestrian paths and parks for most of its lengths.

If you mean right this instant- infrastructure usually takes 3 to 5 years from decision to go- and I know, from friends who are architects in BA, that there are projects in design and planning right now.

I just looked it up- the CCK cost about 20 million in 2015 USD. The Frank Gehry designed Disney Hall in LA, which has less space and performance spaces than the CCK, cost $130 million ten years earlier, and could easily have cost $200 million if done at the same time as the CCK. "corruption" is all relative, of course, but having worked on big projects like that in the USA, the waste, markups, change orders, and ridiculous rules are no comparison to what happens in Argentina.

 

[TWB103]

I think you're conflating issues.

Although Peronism and BLM do both indeed utilize/promote marxist ideology I actually meant in the extreme way they go about business and the effect they have on the political landscape and society in general.