MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
“Failed” education anticipates “populist” governments in Uruguay
Education in Uruguay has “failed” and the composition of the electorate has “changed dramatically”, an ideal mix for “populist proposals” said economist Ernesto Talvi, head of the social and economics think tank Ceres based in Montevideo. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesI believe that Talvi is correct in his assumptions about the country’s new ethical system. At one time, Uruguay was a safe haven for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Europe who, through education, hard work, and determination, built up their new home to a level above their neighbors countries in South America. At one time, Uruguay was the shining example of democracy thriving on continent that is frequently plagued by civil unrest, poverty, and war. In essence, with its largely European population and work ethic, Uruguay closely resembled the United States and its way of life.
May 28th, 2009 - 11:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Because of the economic downturn, my parents and I immigrated to the United States. Today, I have a graduate degree and earn more than most my native-born American colleagues. I say this only to highlight the point made in the article; that most of Uruguay’s skilled labor force has left and that the opportunities I have enjoyed in the US would not have been afforded to me in Uruguay. The country has failed to give those with talent and ambition the kinds of opportunities that can be found in the US.
When my parents and I lived there, our daily ethics revolved around self-reliance and education. I was raised to rely on my talents and to cultivate new skills in order to become successful. The case today in Uruguay seems to be more about what the government can do for you. This newfound attitude is symptomatic of a left-leaning population.
Uruguay, with its small population (3.5 million), rich natural resources, educated workforce, and traditionally structurally sound democratic system should have no trouble keeping its population prosperous. However, the wave of socialism and populism and South America has tainted this country as well. Electing someone like Mujica, who is obviously less qualified but more receptive to the complaints of those who want the government to pay their way through life, is a mistake that will set the country back.
Remember that socialism and communism only breed mediocrity and complacency.
Charles, well writtten, but you forgot a couple of things.
May 30th, 2009 - 12:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 01. The other attempts at making socialism and or communism work or succeed have been utter failures, unless like Norway you produce more oil than you have population, or China where you have rampant capitialism fueled by slave labor.
2. Finer minds and devoted parties have failed to make it work over the last 100 years. Each and every attempt has ended in failure to raise the standard of living when a socialist economy is planned and executed.
There are of course the countries that tout socialism while using free markets to propagate and fund failed economic policies, like paying people to not work or go to school. Good on you Charles.
CERES is biased by the right wing in Uruguay.
Jun 02nd, 2009 - 06:45 am - Link - Report abuse 0I believe if Ceres want to take a political stand has every right to do it, but to pretend to mask it as a study is a joke.
They represent the bourgeois of Uruguay and they are worried to be taxed and the unions to defend their salary. Even in Uruguay where radical positions have no chance.
The use of the word populist is a way of denigrating when goverments with lower classess support come to power -note lower uneducated people created by free market policies that collapsed our factories 20 years ago-. I also would like to mention that not all educated work force has fleed the country, as the vibrant software industry, the Pasteur institute of Montevideo, Zona America etc. and that is a very nice please to live as well. This is the experience of an emmigrant to the US, so is biased as well. And is very wrong in what he said, there is a lot of hard working people, just like he proclaim himself to be, that works and lives here. Shame on him, to take the narrowminded view of many in his adoptive country.
The usual parrows that repeat that socialism do not work in the social democratic version, respecting freedoms and free enterprises but subject to regulation, evidently does not know how Sweden the country next to norway work-with not oil-. And more or less the core countries of Europe are like this. They forget that by giving salaries to the population you stimulate demand as well.
Why an economist is taking about politics in the first place?? Ceres should just say, we want to do business because we live very well like this, and we are afraid this bunch of ignorant and underpaid people make win the elections, lets call their candidate the Populista to start with. Our candidates are serious people indeed. Note, I am not myself a supporter of Mujica myself, but i am sick of the rethoric mask of the right!!
Martin, please. Talvi is saying that there must be a strong investment in education... is that right wing? And if it were, is that bad at all? It is a fact that education has declined dramatically. It is a fact that uneducated people make uneducated decisions and are more likely targets of manipulation. Is giving education and, thus, more power to the people a right wing policy?
Jun 02nd, 2009 - 09:42 am - Link - Report abuse 0Also, nobody is saying that economy does not need regulation... that is quite clear by watching the recent events around the world. But that doesn't mean progressively limiting free enterprise and increasingly growing an already overblown and inefficient government, which is the path the current government has been taking.
Your assumptions regarding the intentions of the study are making you not analyze things objectively.
Finally, please remember that, by all standards, Uruguay has been a Social Democracy since the early XX century. We have kept the same State-centered model ever since, unchanged. I'm not quite sure it has provided very good results, certainly not in the last 50 years. Let's not lie to ourselves with this “right” myth. We have never had anything close to the right (whatever right and left is, anyway, at this stage).
Oh, and yes, I am afraid that “a bunch of ignorant and underpaid people may win the elections”... shouldn't we all be?
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