OT- Argentina, what a country!

[Master Belisarius]

Dear Andres: I was working during 4 months in Bs.As. and was in the "Microcentro" when De la Rúa 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.

[Andrés]

quote:

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Andrés, 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?

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Saving the banks that don't have the money. And preventing people to take their depoists from the banks (to their houses or off country), leaving even less money in the banks making future retirements even more impossible.

Most dollars have already been converted to pesos. One of the problems is that we earn our money as (devaluated) pesos, but have many debts in dollars. One of the things that were being demanded these Last days, is that many of those debts are converted to pesos.

The "corralito" was started by Cavallo and De la Rúa, and it was that what made the people force them to leave.
Duhalde only made it even stricter. Of course that he said he had no option.
I don't know how to set if off. Emission of money can take us back to the situation on the late 80s and the hyperinflation.

Duhalde isn't better than De la Rúa or Rodriguez Saá.
Having him as president is not what we wanted in December 20.
But we can't keep firing every new president.
The only difference is that he is stronger among the politicians. What doesn't make him better for the people, but it will let him do what needs to be done even if other politicians don't like it.
The only reason we're letting him stay for now is that someone needs to do something quickly.
I believe and hope that he understands the seriousness of the situation and is giving his best.

[eorg]

actually anarchy isn't a bad thing imagine no one messes with other's business and if we have people with different ideas they just sit and talk
other thing: i pay someone to tell me what to do what a stupidity if politician wants to give me orders make him pay for this (almost citation from 'the moon is a harsh mistress' robert heinlein - i like rational anarchist thing )

go go go

[ 26 January 2002: Message edited by: georgig ]

[Loknar]

Anarchy won't work. If there was anarchy, nothing would work, and it would probably end up like Mad Max or Postman (one good movie, one bad).

BTW, Andres, always keep a little optimism tucked away. There might be some kind of breakthrough; who knows.

[dumbluck]

So, what's up with Argentina? I haven't heard much of anything since the attention span of the news networks ran out. After all, nothing catastrophic or scandelous happened within a 24 hour period, so there isn't anything interesting going on, right?

My apoligies fer mi por spelin'.

[Andrés]

I'd like to be able to tell you we're better now, but it looks like things are about to explode again soon.
I think that the main problem is that nothing has happened.
Recession has been only worsening during all this time.
The government keeps announcing new economic plans every week what only increases incertitude.
The only thing that Duhalde did shortly after assuming as president was devaluate.
We now know that one of our problems was that our currency was overvalued, devaluation could have been good, if it was a part of a plan. Instead all it did is trigger our old friend the inflation. The only thing holding off hyperinflation (like we had in the early 90s) is the recession.
The bank "corralito" is still up. Now they came up with a "tapón" law to prevent people from getting their savings with a judicial order.

Last week they wanted to cover bank debts with state emitted "bonex", what means again the state covering debts of power friend's private companies and stealing our savings to pay.
Now it seems that each bank will emit its own "bono", so we'll have hundreds of useless papers going around.
They told us to trust banks and to trust our money like people from most other countries do. Now we're paying the price for believing them. Our experience has tough us once more than the only safe way to keep your savings it to buy dollars and hide them at home.

It seems that the only ideas were to put exigencies from the IMF, and how to increase their fund-raising for the state (mostly by increasing taxes) and not how to reactivate internal economy.

[ 29 April 2002: Message edited by: Andrés Lescano ]

[Karel]

The situation you describe and what I read in the newspapers here in Holland sounds very bad. This is not a temporary crisis, the economic system is bankrupt.

To fix the economic system of Argentina will take a long time and a lot of offers. As a matter of principle the idea of temporary fixing bankaccounts is not bad, it will give time for the banksystem to recover (with help from the international community?). If the banksystem collapses, than Argentina will face an even worser breakdown. BUT foreign banks have foreign reserves for their liabilities.

One big word of optimism: the people of Argentina is united against the problems and does everything in there power to overcome them.

respeto!!!!!

I have seen it different in Africa, where the people take their situation for granted and don't show the stamina of your people.