Despair in Once-Proud Argentina

WashPost ^ | 8/6/2

[NativeNewYorker]

ROSARIO, Argentina -- Word spread fast through the vast urban slums ringing Rosario. There was food on the freeway -- and it was still alive.

A cattle truck had overturned near this rusting industrial city, spilling 22 head of prime Angus beef across the wind-swept highway. Some were dead. Most were injured. A few were fine.

A mob moved out from Las Flores, a shantytown of trash heaps and metal shacks boiling over with refugees from the financial collapse of what was once Latin America's wealthiest nation. Within minutes, 600 hungry residents arrived on the scene, wielding machetes and carving knives. Suddenly, according to accounts from some of those present on that March day, a cry went up.

"Kill the cows!" someone yelled. "Take what you can!"

snip

In search of their "workers' paradise," Juan and Eva Peron declared war on the rich. During the "dirty war" of the 1970s, military rulers arrested tens of thousands of people, 15,000 of whom never resurfaced. And when then-President Carlos Menem touted New Capitalism in the 1990s, the rich got richer -- many illegally -- while the poor got poorer.

Hit link for balance.

[NativeNewYorker]

The Argie provinces have no spending controls, and just forward their bills - laden with corruption - to the central govt, which covered them with foreign borrowings.

When international investors stopped lending once they saw no chance of repayment, the game stopped.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Pride traditionally requires an accomplishment to be of any worth. There are peoples and nations suffering under the opposite impression, much like illiterate children full of government school instilled "self-esteem".

[happygrl]

Stunning to read how far they've fallen.

[NativeNewYorker]

Remember that old quote about how civilization is the thinnest of crusts atop a mighty volcano?

[Frank Grimes]

we have some Argentinian friends. The man is a very successful allergist down there, but he is now desperate to move his family up here to the states. He has travelled up here numerous times, so he understands how wonderful it is up here, and how crappy it is turning out to be down there.

On a more humorous note, the old joke goes...How does an Argentinian commit suicide?

Take a leap off the top of his ego!

[Frank Grimes]

In search of their "workers' paradise," Juan and Eva Peron declared war on the rich.

Could someone fill me in on why some people think the Perons were the greatest thing since sliced bread? She had a movie made about her and everything!

Maybe if the Repubs had any sack, they would get some film of all the people there who were once businessmen rummaging through trash, and run ads saying this is what happens when you overtax people.

[NativeNewYorker]

Oh goodness. Don't you know the poverty was caused by failed privatizations and rapacious foreign investors? /sarcasm

[MadIvan]

Could someone fill me in on why some people think the Perons were the greatest thing since sliced bread? She had a movie made about her and everything!

Spin control.

Regards, Ivan

[Paulus Invictus]

The Perons were thieves and murderers. Evita had a wonderful scam (like Jessie). She and her goons would visit the exec offices of businesses and demand a "donation for the poor." The poor got very little of the loot, but the Peron's made millions. If anyone made any kind of complaint, they were beaten and jailed. If anyone was deemed an opponent, they disappeared forever. Their propaganda mill was styled after the Nazis, as was their military. During my first visit to Argentina I watched an extraordinary military parade. I was stunned to see the troops dressed in German uniforms and helmets, doing the goose step in front of the Perons.

Argentina's major business was agriculture and they were sitting on a wheat and meat gold mine after the War. The Perons effectively ruined the agricultural sector and the country went downhill fast. It is still in the grip of Peronista leaders, all of whom are corrupt. As long as they are in power, the country is toast.

One of my best friends lives in Buenos Aires and he told me last week that this is the worst crisis ever. He thinks the country will never recover from the Perons.

[Frank Grimes]

as I said above, I have friends who live in Argentina (Tucuman). I have actually visited there, and it is so sad that such a beautiful country is in such turmoil. I just emailed my friend and I asked her the same question. "Do people still think that Evita was so great? and Why?" I am waiting for her response.

I am very interested in learning more about her and that country, as I find all that is happening there so sad but so interesting.

[Campion]

Here's an amazing factoid. Argentina, at the beginning of the last century, had a higher per-capita income than the US.

Peronism is all about class envy and high taxes in order to "soak the rich". IOW, it's the Democratic Party platform. Look what it's done in Argentina. That's where the left wing of the rat party wants to take the US.

[Frank Grimes]

see my last paragraph in post #6

[headsonpikes]

"IOW, it's the Democratic Party platform. Look what it's done in Argentina."

Socialism is a religion of peace.

[Maringa]

I went to Argentina - Puerto Iguazu last month while I was in Brazil to visit the Iguassu Falls. Brazil has a lot of poverty and misery of its own, but when you crossed into Argentina, the difference was as drastic as when you cross into Mexico from one of the Texas Border towns. There were people just standing and walking in the streets, wandering around with no jobs. Little kids everywhere just begging for the smallest spare change you could give them. It was very sad. There was a difference between the street vendors you see in Mexico versus the street vendors in Argentina. In Mexico, it has always been their way of life and it didn't seem to bother them - in Argentina you saw a once proud people relegated to scavenging anything to etch out a daily living. They seem very humiliated. Needless to say, I was glad to go back to Brazil, where there was a semblance of honor...You know its bad when the Brazilians feels sorry for Argentinians...

[ConsistentLibertarian]

Moral: Yet Another Case in which a right wing military dictatorship failed to transition to a stable, free market, constitutionally limited democracy where the Rule of Law holds sway.

[Free the USA]

Index Bump

[ConsistentLibertarian]

Or the military will launch a coup. Wait -- they've already had a right wing military government. Hey, how did that turn out anyways?

[Concentrate]

It's a very sad article. I hope that doesn't happen here.

I wonder why Latin america always has inflationary depressions, as opposed to the American 30's deflationary one.