OT- Argentina, what a country!

[Andr�s]

Our grandparents came from Europe, with the hope of a better future. Now that hope is gone and we’re running away back to Europe, the USA or any country serious where you can hope to have what you earn working.
Argentina has the natural and human resources to be one of the richest countries in the world.
The only war during the Last century was the useless Falklands conflict. (I can tell you about that from our pov later.)
Argentina hasn't been devastated by war, but it has been devastated by a government that systematically and deliberately stole our money for decades.
Politicians, judges, syndicates, banks, powerful and monopolic companies, they are all part of the same mafia-like political class.
A political class with roots in the previous military dictatorship, and that reaches all levels of power.
What happened with privatized companies (phones, airlines, trains, ect.)? Instead of running them, the foreign companies that bought them (below their real price) systematically sold their infrastructure and took the many away (giving some politicians their piece).

If they are in trouble now, is only because they've stolen too much and our money is running out.

A good thing is that the media is with the people and against that political caste. (even if there are powerful multi-media companies that dominate the market and have strong bonds with the government, that we know manipulate what they publish)

The government was running out of money, and said they needed to borrow our money from the banks to keep the country running.
They said we had to keep our money in the county, that money on foreign banks will not come back to ourselves. We trusted them, that was our mistake.
Where do you think their money is? Safe off country of course.

Mid class does not exist any more. We’re all poor. There are the ones that have very little and the ones that have nothing.

Latest restrictions to bank operations were a desperate attempt to save the remaining banks.
BTW most of them are foreign, they were supposed to be more trustable than national banks because in the worst of cases their would bring money from their home countries to respond here. That didn't happen of course.
If more than a third part of the employees in the country worked unofficially, it was only because the taxes were extortively high. Those ones where the first ones that couldn't be paid without cash on the street.

At least we learnt our lesson with the military dictatorship government and know that interrupting democracy would only make things worse.
Even if our democracy is only an illusion, all we can do is choose between different factions of that corrupt "political caste". There is not a party that we can consider an option, they are all the same.

With popular pressure we made two presidents renounce (the other ones were supposed to assume only for a couple of days).

Did that make a change?
No.
The new president is still one of them. He made those bank restrictions even harder and deepened the economic recession. Pay chains are broken, it's impossible to pay and to be paid.
The whole country is at a halt, most workers are either doing nothing at work or at forced holidays.
Social unrest is unbearable.

To avoid devaluating even more Argentinean Pesos they’re now paying with some vouchers that not even worth the paper they’re printed on. So we have different qualities of money, many kind of vouchers, pesos, but if you want to be sure you have real money you have to buy expensive dollars.

We’ve been heard outside, international institutions and foreign governments have promised their help. But of course we fear that that help will go to the corrupt government and their accomplices, and will never reach the people.

Every time he made an announcement that only means to steal less and let us have a little portion of our money he was pressured by the powerful ones to take it back.

More and more people are emigrating. I used to think that we had to face the problems here and that running away would only deepen Argentina's crisis. But I found myself considering the possibility every time more seriously lately.

Now the only positive change in that now people is united.
There’s been a change in people’s mood. We went from resignation to demanding a change.
We know what we don't want.
That's the easy part, we don't want all this to continue.
But what we don't know is what we want, we know we want a change, but not what change we want.
Is there a way out? How do you change a corrupt system?
There’s another demonstration tonight. I’m going out with them, although I still don’t know what we want.

[Instar]

Here's what you could do man, if you're upset about something, make yourself heard. In a democracy, the people have the power. Break the political caste and get in office.
Most people think that they could do a better job than those in power. Well, step up to the challenge, hombre.

[Andr�s]

We’re making ourselves heard.
In the Last elections Last year (for senators) the majority of votes were blank or impugned. The message was clear, we want to vote, we want a democracy but we don’t want any of these candidates.
And now ever since December 20 there’re demonstrations almost every day.

I believe that the politic class is broken and falling in pieces (and they’re taking the whole country with them), December 20 was only the beginning.

The word politician as became a synonym of corrupt and thief.
I don’t want to believe in that, I think there are still a lot of honest politicians, but they’re being corrupted by the system or at least they have their hands tied.
But the problem is that people’s hatred is directed against the politicians, and of course no one wants to be one of them.
So, how do you create a new generation of politicians if no one wants to be one of them?

The immediate economic situation is pretty bad. It was the detonating of all what’s going on, but it’s also another reason no one wants the power now, you need a lot more than good intentions to solve it.
I’m not an economist, but the restrictions to bank operations have been described as a time bomb.
Only a very skilled economist would know how to set it off.

I do believe that right now people pressure is strong enough to make those in power work on a solution to this immediate problem.

So right now I can only see two possible futures and none of them is pleasant.
1- The government can’t find a solution soon enough. (the ones we have now or future replacements) The country goes into some kind of anarchy or civil war. And only after that long painful period we can hope to have a different kind of government.
2- They find a “temporal” solution, the economy is reactivated and starts to slowly grow again. The people is appeased and the problem is forgotten, the politicians win and everything is like before. Until the corruptness of the system makes all this start again.

I just hope we can find a solution to the economic problem (that is a consequence of the political problem) before the whole country falls in pieces, and we find a way to clean the system so we can have the country we deserve.
�Viva Argentina!

[dogscoff]

Andres,

Thank you for posting this here. I can see that it's something you wanted to say, and I think it reflects well on this forum that you chose to make yourself heard here, when there are so many other places on the internet you could have gone to.

As for Argentina's situation: I don't know what to say. There must be ordinary people in Argentina now facing choices they never thought they'd have to face. I go through life thinking I'll never have to deal with civil unrest, poverty or the possibility of civil war, but this goes to show taht none of us can afford to b complacent. I guess this is the kind of situation that really tests people - when an entire country faces a crisis like this, and the future is so uncertain is when you really find out who is actually strong enough to do the right thing.

Andres, all I can really offer to you and your compatriots is the following: Whatever happens next in Argentina, I hope you and those around you are able to make the right decisions for yourselves and your country. Good luck, and take care of yourselves.

[ 26 January 2002: Message edited by: dogscoff ]

[Shyrka]

Andr�s, what is supposed to be the goal of Duhalde's "corralito"? He don't let people get their savings, and Spanish newspapers says that soon the government will transform all money in Dollars to Pesos. That will reduce dramatically Argentina's wealth. Or I'm wrong?

The Madrid Airport is flooded with Argentinean immigrants in transit to other Spanish provinces, specially Galicia, and all of them says the same about the political class. They are really disappointed, but all of them love Argentina, and are dreaming with the return. You're right, the people is united.

Spain was under a fascist military dictatorship for fifty years, and in the transition to democracy we were in a very similar situation of riots and civil unrest. Several small revolutions attempted to install new dictators, but we were very lucky: we had a King.

There are terrible times for your country Andr�s, but it will end. Soon, I hope. I wish you luck, Andr�s.

�Viva Argentina!

[Master Belisarius]

Dear Andres: I was working during 4 months in Bs.As. and was in the "Microcentro" when De la R�a was forced to leave the Last 20 of Dec. Really a bad experience, must say. Was like in the movies.
I think that Argentina is paying the price for the times of "Sushi y Pizas", and now, nobody in the world can help Argentina to avoid the current pain.
I believe that doesn't exist a magical solution, then, I can't understand the Last "Mega Cacerolazo" against Duhalde. 5 Presidents in 12 days was not enought?
I have family and friends in your country, and you know, my own country have close relations with Argentina, then, wish that Argentinea can overcome quickly their current problems, but honestly... I can't be optimist.
I'm really sad.