Argentines have long blamed the US for their problems. It's a legacy of Peronism. It's a convenient subterfuge for corrupt politicians and their compliant "constituents". The Argentine people are not especially good at introspection. I believe that it is a reflection of the superficiality of the culture. On the surface BA looks sophisticated but it is more patina than substance. At a far more significant level Porteños are obsessed with status, image, bragging, outdoing each other. There is less than minimal sense of community, little concern for the well being of the nation. It is a country without much of an identity that asserts itself in negativity and finger pointing rather than in the constructive pursuits of nation building. The political system, being closed and corrupt (especially in the poorer provinces where feudalistic caudillismo rules), excludes those capable individuals who could lead the nation to prosperity and more genuine democracy. It is a nation forever trapped in its own narrowness and limitations, its refusal to look beyond the confines of its prejudices. If Argentina did not have vast natural and human resources, few people would bother to express their disappointment over the current state of affairs. The shocking state of economic and social decay that exists today highlights the nation's ongoing failures. In reality, though, few foreigners think or care about Argentina. Argentines arrogantly think that it matters to Americans and Europeans when in reality it was off their radar to begin with.
