So, here we go again, yet another Argentinian tango led by another corrupt, autocratic 'Gangster-in-Chief-for-Life' although to be honest Madame Dictator President Kirchner is a bit better looking and, hopefully, more sober that Galtieri ever was. According to Jaime Daremblum in today's PJ Media:
Back in September, Argentines held massive nationwide rallies to protest the autocratic abuses, economic failures, and rampant corruption of President Cristina Kirchner. Two months later, they held even bigger demonstrations. And on April 18, they held their largest protests yet, with roughly two million people marching in cities and towns across the country, including more than one million in Buenos Aires alone.
The poverty and the corruption are bad enough but now La Kirchner and her 'thugocracy' are moving in on the hitherto independent judiciary and that has proved the last straw for a considerable number of Argentinian people:
The immediate trigger for the April 18 protests was a Kirchner proposal to abolish judicial independence, but the demonstrators also expressed concerns
about everything from sky-high inflation to violent crime to government
attacks on press freedom. In the weeks following their protests, they
received good news and bad news. The good news was that Argentina’s court system pushed back against Kirchner’s war on free expression. The bad news was that government-allied lawmakers enacted her judicial “reforms,” which means that the ruling party will now have majority control over the legal council that appoints and (if necessary) removes federal judges.
And so once again poor Argentina which could so easily be rich Argentina is swirling down the plughole of stupid corrupt dictatorship. As always, the rich will get richer and the poor will be reduced to scavenging landfill sites - again. If they're lucky - very lucky - Kirchner may just manage to keep the country from declaring war on someone - anyone, really - but probably us Brits and thus the poor hombres will not be rounded up and sent off to take the Falklands for the greater glory of La Kirchner.
Really, what have the Argentinians done to deserve her?
Well, they did vote for her.
Posted by: Decnine | Thursday, 30 May 2013 at 19:09
In the 1946 Argentinians voted to leave the First World by electing Peron whose policies were what in Britain we'd call Old Labour - nationalisation, power to the unions, talking sentimental crap about the workers, and plenty of corruption.
She presumably is in that tradition.
Posted by: dearieme | Thursday, 30 May 2013 at 19:39
Yes (sigh!), I suppose you're right, Decnine - oh, and welcome to D&N, by the way.
A bit, DM, like we did after WWII until 'that woman' came along and gave us some freedom back - as, in a way, she did for Argentina by showing up Galtieri for the drunken oaf he was.
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 30 May 2013 at 19:57
She does talk a good story and people are in general gullible. Let us hope the British Army do not have to trash the lives of any more young Argies for her ego.
Posted by: Jimmy Glesga | Thursday, 30 May 2013 at 21:39
Agreed, Jimmy, but never under-estimate the stupidity of your average dictator.
Posted by: David Duff | Friday, 31 May 2013 at 08:54
The Argentines have a long record of always voting for the worst of the two or three alternatives offered at election time, with one or two possible and short-lived exceptions. So no surprises, really. And the elites have a long (and frankly justified) track record of whisking their money out of the country and stashing it where it's safe from the government, hence chronic under-investment. Hard to see a solution any time soon, I fear.
Posted by: H | Monday, 03 June 2013 at 13:01
Indeed, 'H', what's good for the peasants is not good enough for the rulers.
Posted by: David Duff | Monday, 03 June 2013 at 14:11