MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine opposition agree on reform but not on an electoral alliance
Argentine opposition presidential candidates despite the encouraging mathematics which emerged from early August primaries, and despite having sat at the same table to call for electoral reform, insisted that any ongoing cooperation between the two rival candidates on electoral matters should not be confused with an electoral alliance. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesDoes anybody care?
Aug 31st, 2015 - 11:12 am - Link - Report abuse 0No, I thought not.
Pathetic opposition, they can´t agree on some basic points to set a common front against the kirchnerite mafia.
Aug 31st, 2015 - 11:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0This country is so doomed.
So basically it's more of the same.
Aug 31st, 2015 - 12:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Oh well.....Vote Early ....Vote Often.
@1. Really? Wouldn't it be nice to have an argie government that didn't cheat, lie and steal? One that would be considerate of its neighbours? One that had the commonsense to see that it gets nowhere by alienating Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil. Or Britain.
Aug 31st, 2015 - 01:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@2. You may be right. But I have to pose the question “What about the people”? Surely there must be enough evidence too show that peronism does not work? It's all very well if the peronists stuck to the basics of social justice, economic independence, and political sovereignty. But they don't, do they? The peronists have turned it into an authoritarian ideology. Why expect political parties to do everything? YOU might have brilliant ideas on how to make your country work better. Perhaps you could suggest that all the liars in Indec should be sacked. Perhaps you could demand that Kirchner, Timerman and the like should all be prosecuted and imprisoned. Persuade all your colleagues and friends not to vote for peronists. Recommend that peronism be outlawed. See these are things that people can do. They can support the non-peronist opposition and make it clear that peronism has had its day. Peronism is, after all, the ideas of one person. Look around the world. How many successful political movements use the name of the originator. Marxism, Marxist-Leninism, Trotskyism are all dead ducks. How long did they last? How long has the overall “communism” lasted? But capitalism and democracy have lasted. Capitalism for around 500 years, democracy for around 2,500. Incidentally, that's “real” democracy. Not the form where vote-buying, election-rigging are normal and accepted.
The fact that this alliance has CFK worried should be cause for optimism. I would love to see Argentina on the road to recovery. They wouldn't need the distraction of a false territorial claim.
Aug 31st, 2015 - 01:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Conqueror
Aug 31st, 2015 - 03:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0After the first overthrow of Juan Peron, they actually did make Peronism illegal in Argentina. The corrupt evil political party is like an unwanted Herpes virus; once it infects, it just keeps coming back...
Perhaps the best Peronism was conducted by Menem. I actually got to personally meet him twice. (once in San Juan and the second time with his ex-Chilean wife here in Santiago)
Admittedly he was corrupt, guilty of massive theft of state funds, but he was (and remains) incredibly charming. During his administration, he was conciliatory towards building better relations between Argentina and the Falklands. There was no saber rattling like now.
My late dear father once told me on one of my first trips to Argentina, “don't be fooled by the all the glitter on the other side of the Andes and make sure to keep your hands firm in your wallet.” It's been great advice.
@3. Are you from Chicago?
Aug 31st, 2015 - 03:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Viva la perronistas!
#7 chronic
Aug 31st, 2015 - 04:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0¡Viva Cristina! ¡Viva la perra!
The true Justicialist Party bitch.
Chicago is where they nickname election day, the “day of the dead” because all the dead vote... Corruption at it's very best.
#4 Conqueror
Aug 31st, 2015 - 04:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I love Conqueror's posting because it asks the right questions--but then it strays in the answers.
1. “I have to pose the question 'What about the people'? Surely there must be enough evidence too show that peronism does not work?”
Answer: That is exactly the opposition's problem. “The people” has seen what's been done in the last decade. Furthermore, they still remember what was like in the 1990s and know the opposition's platform (even if they do their best to keep it discreet) means a return to the same policies that led to the 2001 debacle.
2. “It's all very well if the peronists stuck to the basics of social justice, economic independence, and political sovereignty. But they don't, do they?”
Answer: Well...fact is, with all their imperfections, the Kirchnerism has pretty much done what it said it would do. It has achieved fairer distribution of the national income trough measures such as the Universal Child Allocation, which keeps more kids in school and vaccinated while preventing the poorest families from falling to the bottom. It has developed the domestic productive sector and retaken the command of vital sectors such as the energy. It has faced point blank the blackmailing of the vultures.
Now, you may disagree with Kirchnerism. If you are a politician with a better idea, you must come out and present it. This is where the opposition has failed, (just look at Macri's recent surprising recognition of many key Kirchnerist policies).
That is why they have resorted to just shout fraud as they are doing about the Tucuman election, which confirmed their impending national election failure.
#9 Enrique Massot
Aug 31st, 2015 - 05:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The brilliant Kirchnerism political strategy was instead of bringing real social progress for the poor and middle class, was to instead to simply lie about reality which was facilitated by them shamelessly converting the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos - INDEC, into a Kirchnerism propaganda organization reporting false inflation, unemployment, poverty, education, health, ect...
Unfortunately, some news organizations like Clarin refused to play along and were severely punished.
The height of hypocrisy was Cristina in Rome before the FAO reporting laughable low Argentine poverty rates.
In November, someone is going to open the Argentine Central Bank's books and throw up. Export volumes have been declining. Commodity prices are low. Vulture funds continue to harass. Loan credits from China will slow down because of their own economic problems. Petroleum prices are low. Shale production costs are not warranted for the market. Their trading partner Brazil is going into a serious resession. I could go on and on, especially the fun when the Aerolinias Argentina collapse happens in 2016.
You really are an idiot to praise Kirchnerism...
@ 8 Chicureo
Aug 31st, 2015 - 06:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I commend your bravery Sir by calling that woman a BITCH!
Be careful or you will be on the blacklist of the female who must be obeyed. :o)
@11 I think it is past your bed time; the grown ups are talking now.
Aug 31st, 2015 - 06:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@12 ElaineB
Aug 31st, 2015 - 06:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Kudos to you!
@13 :) Thanks.
Aug 31st, 2015 - 06:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I've never posted here but I enjoy the different threads and characters. I do have a question though. I live in BA (an expat) and try to pay attention to the news. I rely on this page and Buenos Aires Herald for news in English and then La Nacion for news in Spanish. For years, the BA Herald seemed pretty independent, but has anyone else seen a shift in their headlines/stories over the last few months in support of CFK and her administration? I've pretty much given up even bothering to visit their site anymore and won't buy their print edition.
Aug 31st, 2015 - 07:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@8. This is the rationale: Your estate is subject to taxes until fully probated. It only follows that taxation without representation is grossly unfair. So, the precint captain knows that you are (were) a loyal, straight ticket Demo and in an act towards furthering equity - they exercise your franchise on your behalf until (maybe) yo9ur estate is settled. Justice is maintained/restored.
Aug 31st, 2015 - 07:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Speaking of the day of the dead. I'm pretty sure that the nine (9) county metro area has enough illegals to qualify as one of the top twenty cities in in terms of mexican population.
K-schwein forever!
Gringo
Sep 01st, 2015 - 01:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0The Buenos Aires Herald is the lap dog of CFK. I read Clarin and Bubble.ar for amusement.
Best of luck,
I don't think much of any of the candidates in Argentina, except Carrió. Unfortunately for Argentina she'll never win; her enemies have spread the rumour that she's mental, and the Argentine electorate is politically unsophisticated, to put it nicely.
Sep 01st, 2015 - 01:58 am - Link - Report abuse 0@2 Massa is K, what did you expect?
Sep 01st, 2015 - 03:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0@5 Don't expect us to drop our territorial claims should our we start to recover.
@18 Carrio saying mental things didn't help her either
Magnus @ 19
Sep 01st, 2015 - 06:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0Yes, as I was saying, the Argentine electorate is politically unsophisticated and in your particular case brainwashed ... on at least two counts. There's very little hope at present.
@ 19
Sep 01st, 2015 - 11:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0You are correct, I also agree he sides with the K´s. I do not think he is a valid opposition at all, but a phony option to divide.
@15 The Buenos Aires Herald used to walk a fine line. It was not out and out pro- government media - given the majority of the media is government controlled in Argentina. In fact it often had articles challenging the government it keeping with its tradition which had brought its journalists and their families lives in danger during various eras across the political spectrum. This journalistic approach has definitely changed in recent times and their challenging edge has given way to pressure from the current government.
Sep 01st, 2015 - 11:42 am - Link - Report abuse 0The bubblear.com is worth checking out. They love Argentina and give an amusing angle to events there but they are far from afraid of calling out the government's faults and do tend to mock CFK (who could resist such a wealth of material). It is about as balanced an opinion as you can find if, like me, you like Argentina and the people there but cannot stand the corrupt government.
Clarin used to be K friendly, indeed Nestor had a very cosy relationship with them, but the goodwill never extended to CFK and hence they have become her sworn enemy. It is worth swinging by there to get another view.
This site is a news agency, bringing stories first reported elsewhere.
@15 Thanks!
Sep 01st, 2015 - 01:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#10 Chicureo
Sep 01st, 2015 - 11:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0An interesting collection of arguments against the Kirchner government. I pretty well get you don't like Kirchnerist policies. However, if you just listen to your inner demons, you run the risk of making warped assessments that are just a reflection of your bias.
Let's see:
1. Export volumes have been declining.
2. Commodity prices are low.
3. Vulture funds continue to harass.
4. Loan credits from China will slow down because of their own economic problems.
5. Petroleum prices are low. Their trading partner Brazil is going into a serious recession.
6. Then, you predict Aerolíneas Argentinas collapse, “happens in 2016.”
No. 1, 2, 4, 5: Those all come from the international markets. Indeed those cause difficulties but show Argentina's today resiliency in the midst of adverse world conditions.
No. 3: indeed, vulture funds continue to harass. This is because the government has taken the position that payment conditions need to be negotiated as it was done with creditors representing 92.4 per cent of Argentina's foreign debt. The vultures will keep trying and getting the same response.
No. 6: Wishful thinking.
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