You Know You're Living In A 3Rd World Country When...

[ariel81]

Well,the countries with the best quality of life and admired by everybody are the scandinavian countries,who are,social democrats,same as the rest of europe and israel,that is the example to look for,and not the usa,taht is what i want argentina,to look like.

 

[Girino]

Well,the countries with the best quality of life and admired by everybody are the scandinavian countries,who are,social democrats,same as the rest of europe and israel,that is the example to look for,and not the usa,taht is what i want argentina,to look like.

Comparing Israel to Europe as far as social standard, democracy and socialism go, sounds a little far fetched.
If Argentina were like Sweden, it would be incredibly boring and cold. However they already have something in common: poor fiambres and quesos.

Keep dreaming.

 

[PaulBee]

The postal service is very very slow and unreliable (I know, I´m showing my age.)

 

[natykerouac]

Comparing Israel to Europe as far as social standard, democracy and socialism go, sounds a little far fetched.
If Argentina were like Sweden, it would be incredibly boring and cold. However they already have something in common: poor fiambres and quesos.

Keep dreaming.

It is amusing how nobody seems to see the irony of Americans complaining about other cultures' food.

Newsflash, if you walked everywhere like a lot of locals do, it wouldn't matter what you eat. I know this from experience. I used to eat pizza every day, after midnight, because I worked in a restaurant really late. But I was so busy and active that I actually lost weight and was more in shape. Sure it's not the best food for me. But it's not going to make you fat unless you drive around in your Porsche all day in a city that is meant to be walked in.

 

[natykerouac]

Wait till you get to pay the choro tax at gun point or have a purse or back pack ripped off by a moto chorro.

As for the anti-socialist filthy rich remarks. You should look at and evaluate socialism very closely. Just about every socialist I know blames the rich for the plight of the poor. My retort usually goes something like this.

Me and you (the socialist) both get 4 hectors of land at the age of 20.

You the socialist quickly build an adobe hut and spend the next twenty years watching soccer on your free government television network. You the socialist are granted free food programs, free housing programs and other tax free benefits. With all these freebies you manage to raise your family and eventually convert your adobe house into a small brick shack. Your property and life is a disaster but a least it is better than living under a tree in a plaza.

While you (the socialist ) spent the last 20 years watching free soccer nights and weekends and gladly consuming any tax free social benefit or hand out that was sent your way. I was busy building my own large luxury house with my own hands and mind. I built my big luxury house working bit by bit, a little here and a little there for around 8 years. After I completed my house I decided to build a few apartments on my property working nights and weekends in my free time. At one point I sold one of my apartments and bought a BMW and boat with the money I earned selling that apartment.

Then one day wife got sick and I sold another one of my apartments to pay the medical bills, thank God she recovered. But that’s OK I still have 3 apartments that I make rental income from plus my job. During this 20 years I was taxed on every dime I made. Some of the proceeds from my taxation where donated to you (the socialist) so you could enjoy free soccer along with free food and housing benefits.

After this twenty years, you (the socialist) one day look across the street and see my mansion, BMW, boat and apartments and say to yourself, look at that, that is not fair! That guy across the street is rich he has a huge house, a new BMW, a boat and apartment buildings. As for me I am poor this is just not fair. My wife is sick and I have nothing to pay the medical bills with, my house is a disaster and I have nothing. You the rich did this to me! It’s the only possible explination! I deserve more and better! We are all equal we all deserve the same things.

You then hear politicians and social activists blaming the rich for yours and other poor people’s conditions. You believe it completely and start to get an attitude about people that are rich. Because surely it’s not your fault that you or those other people are poor and have nothing.

In the end it is actually me that is the victim of your ignorance which has led you (the socialist) to poverty.

Pajarito there is nothing cheap down here. Unless you want to live in one of the villas. If you plan on living in anything close to first world conditions down here it is probably going to cost you more than it would up there in the North.

The majority not all of Argentinians have voted for and supported these governments and policies that have put them in the position they are in now. Do some research concerning Argentina and its financial/economic problems try doing your research with critical thinking and try not to make any assumptions. The problems in Argentina are just as much the fault of the Argentinian people as they are any government. For example the 100 billion default. How is that possible? Well when you have a population of 30 million and only 30 thousand of them are paying income taxes it all starts to make sense. Yes of course there is more to it than just the income taxes issue but by all means look into it. Also I would suggest in the future that you do your homework before you just blast away about things you think you understand on public forums.

Interesting, because that's not even what I was saying at all. That had literally nothing to do with what I was talking about, nor does it accurately describe socialists or me, in any way, but glad you got that off your chest. I don't think having a B&W is something desirable. I don't think having a "mansion" is desirable. I have often been in environments such as this "capitalist paradise" you are describing and it makes me feel sick and miserable and empty inside, so yeah, I'd say my personal views are more socialist than capitalist because gluttony does not appeal to me.
Guess I'll go watch my free soccer now ...futbol para todos

 

[natykerouac]

#1. It's has not been the steak capital anywhere for several years. Grass fed beef no longer exists. It's all feedlot beef.
#2. No one will ever convince you of anything.

Englightening

 

[natykerouac]

So then, maybe it is time to define "domestic employee". Do you mean that a single person, or a child free couple has someone who comes in to clean their apartment once a week?

Or maybe the family with three children and two working parents who has a child minder in the afternoon when the kids don't have school? Are you even aware that if the child is in state school they only do half the day, and the rest of the day there is no real affordable alternative but a child minder at home.

Or are we talking about the retiree that has decided that there are more fun things to do with life than mop and dust and who has some disposable income to spend on it.

In my opinion, coming from a socialist family and country, I don't see a problem with it as long as there is mutual respect.

The employer also takes a calculated risk letting someone into their home, caring for their children unsupervised. Here in Argentina sometimes it is a necessity, not simply a privileged right.

Of course. It is not a problem in itself. It's just a job. It depends on the situation. Families, I understand. I don't mean to confuse necessity with lavishness.

But people that are well off enough to be sitting on an online forum all day while getting paid in USD?
You moved to a country which is not your own. You are happy because its economy is in shambles, which somehow makes you able to live the sweet life while most everyone else is just trying to get by, in their own country. You bring money into the country and you give some people a paycheck for cleaning your toilet, so you think you've done your community service for the year. Simultaneously, you wish the country were more like the United States. You want there to be no bureaucracy, you want healthy food and cuisine from all over the world. You want San Francisco.
Well clearly you can't get everything you want. Live like a king but have an 'unhealthy' diet, and spend a million hours doing tramites.
You purposely moved here to be able to live lavishly, you are using a broken economy and people who are desperate for work to your advantage.
And then you complain about not knowing where to park your Ferrari so that it won't get stolen. Sorry you don't live somewhere where kids don't sleep in the street in broad daylight.

 

[Crema Americana]

Live lavishly. :lol: Who the hell would live here just because they can afford a maid?? That cracks me up.
This isn't 2002. The economy isn't in "shambles" though its true that the peso keeps getting weaker and the dollar now goes pretty far... but I wouldn't say it's cheap, especially considering the quality of what you're getting.

I sort of get the sentiment though. I once visited an expat forum for foreigners living in Spain (my mother's home country) and the stuff they complained about seemed so petty and unfair that I had a similar knee-jerk reaction of "well if you don't like it, gtfo!" especially when you consider that quite a few are taking advantage of cheap prices due to a country in crisis. But it's not their fault or intention...everyone just wants to live in a nice affordable place. Once the country picks up and prices adjust many will leave and move on - that's just the way it is. No reason to hate... if they enjoy the experience they'll be back to visit, and I would imagine most people who live in a place actually enjoy it -- no matter how cheap it is they aren't going to stay if they don't like it.

And that's just the people that move wherever is affordable and nice... a lot of the expats on this site have family ties or are genuinely attracted to and invested in the country, and not just because it's 'cheap.' And yea, people vent sometimes, but that's normal. It takes some adjusting and frustration happens... and some things are truly worth complaining about, because some things could be better.

 

[nlaruccia]

But people that are well off enough to be sitting on an online forum all day while getting paid in USD?
And then you complain about not knowing where to park your Ferrari so that it won't get stolen. Sorry you \don't live somewhere where kids don't sleep in the street in broad daylight.

You mean spending all day on an online forum like you?

"Complaining about where to park your Ferrari so that it won't get stolen????" What are you smoking?

 

[Rich One]

I'm not going to try to turn you away from your anti-socialist standpoint.

I have rewritten this sentence so many time trying to arrive to a sentence that sound balanced and open minded, but really is boils down to me being offended that you think that all socialists are poor people that blame the rich for their problems. I took that personally as a self proclaimed socialist. Obviously my problem not yours, and you are not in my class so I can't guide you in your critical thinking process either. Nor can you guide me in mine.

Peace and out.

Socialism from Sweden a different animal ....! far away from Cuban Socialismo de Estado MODEL....