MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Sergio Massa: “For me Thatcher is an enemy of the Argentine people”
Milei's response during Sunday's debate, acknowledging Thatcher as a “great leader,” only fueled Massa's rebuttal. In a heated debate that unfolded on Sunday, Libertarian Congressman Javier Milei found himself at odds with Economy Minister Sergio Massa. The confrontation reached a boiling point as Milei accused Massa of employing the “falacia ad populum” strategy, dismissing technical discussions as if they were only meant for a select few, rather than the millions of voters they both aimed to represent.
The exchange took a curious turn when Milei dodged a question about the rights of the Falkland Islanders, known as “kelpers,” in Argentina's sovereignty claims. Both candidates agreed that the sovereignty claims should not be abandoned, but Milei shifted the focus to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, hailing her as a world leader. This move further incited the nationalistic sentiments of the audience.
Foreign relations became a focal point as Milei expressed his intention to sever ties with “communist governments,” such as China and Brazil, Argentina's major trading partners. Massa countered, emphasizing that foreign policy should be guided by national interest rather than whims. The clash intensified when Massa challenged Milei, asking outright, “Is Margaret Thatcher your idol?”
Read also: “Scholar” Milei praises Thatcher and loses presidential debate
Massa seized the opportunity to question Milei's consistency, urging voters to compare his statements at the University of Buenos Aires Law School with those made on various TV shows. The current Economy Minister accused Milei of employing the same strategy he criticized – the “falacia ad populum.”
The Falklands/Malvinas issue resurfaced when Milei's potential Chancellor, in an interview with a British newspaper, suggested respecting the will of the island's inhabitants in future negotiations. Massa seized on this, reminding the audience of Milei's past praise for Margaret Thatcher on numerous TV shows. Milei's response, acknowledging Thatcher as a “great leader,” only fueled Massa's rebuttal.
Massa emphatically declared, “Thatcher is an enemy of Argentina, yesterday, today, and always. Our heroes are non-negotiable, no matter how much of a figure Thatcher is for you.” This exchange underscored the deep ideological divide between the two candidates, with Massa defending Argentina's historical stance on the Falklands/Malvinas issue and Milei expressing admiration for a leader considered by many as a historical adversary.
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Read all commentsThe biggest enemy of the Argentine people has been and still is their own government.
Nov 14th, 2023 - 10:57 am +8Roger,
Nov 15th, 2023 - 01:55 am +4I wanted to ask you about a different interesting post from above.
It seems between 1833 and 1982 Britain was always looking for a war in the south Atlantic in order to increase its military presence there.
And because this was a standing sentiment for 149 years, there must be piles and piles of evidence demonstrating Britain's regular desire for a war in the south Atlantic. Is that right?
Personally, I had no idea that for 149 years Britain was always hoping for military action in the south Atlantic.
But it seems, although Argentina attacked the Falklands, that only clearly demonstrates it was Britain that started the war.
Makes a lot of sense, right?
Bush Pilot - if you start paying attention to Pat the Rat Regini, then all is lost.
Nov 15th, 2023 - 04:28 am +4Madder than the average hatter.
Britain has shown no interest in fighting Argentina since before 1833. That is why we gave them two written warnings regarding the Falklands In 1829 and 1832. In 1833, there was merely a small police action to remove the trespassers.
In the early 1840s, Palmerston was asked to approve a British colony on the coast of Patagonia. He declined to give it his support.
The small spat over river access in the mid-1840s was of little importance to the UK. So little that we pretty well gave up the attempt almost immediately. The embargo was maintained because of the alliance with France, although we abandoned them in 1849.
In the early part of the 20th century there was some mild fencing with Argentina and Chile over obscure South Atlantic Islands. The Antarctic Treaty resolved most of those questions - which is why we were so involved in its creation.
https://falklandstimeline.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/1900-to-1959.pdf
Sense? Sense is a commodity mostly missing on these pages. The moreso from Pat the Rat Regini - an Italian/American from Hawaii who thinks he's Argentine.
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