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Comment by blackhawkC17 | Hacker News Reader

With rhetoric like this, one wonders why Argentina has a perpetually mediocre economy.

One could argue that any suspicion of the ruling class in South America and US demonisation is entirely justified:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_r...

Past events aren't a definite excuse for today's situations. Yeah, the U.S. interfered in many countries, including some that are super successful today, e.g., Taiwan and South Korea.

But many Latin Americans never stop blaming U.S. interventions for everything. Of course, blame a boogeyman instead of wreckless internal economic policies.

Unfortunately, like in Asia or Europe, the US never stopped interfering in the democratic process of South America. Still today, many of those countries are defacto western colonies and lack any independence. And the few who dare proclaiming themselves as Republics tend to end up on western blacklists.

Still today, many of those countries are defacto western colonies and lack any independence.

Can you name even one?

The only one to which the phrase "lacks any independence" could meaningfully apply is Puerto Rico. But even that's not really true, as it continually holds status referenda in favor of actually joining the US over independence. Most recently by a margin of 50-30 - and just a few weeks ago, in fact.

And that's all whilst ignoring the downfall of the Syrian Arab Republic into the hands of western hegemons

Yes, that's exactly why Russia was meddling and Bashar al-Assad was torturing/raping/murdering: to keep that pesky Western influence away.

The noble citizens of Syria obviously accept these human rights violations as a much better option than... allowing decadent Western concepts like "liberal democracy" or "pluralism" into their country.

That's why they're sitting peacefully and not putting their lives on the line for the prospect of a risky future that only seems better compared to a present full of horror, right?

The US has never stopped intervening.

But it is very significant it hasn't involved itself in any armed conflicts in its own hemisphere for more than 30 years.

Except for Trump's threats to invade Venezuala and Mexico, that is.

Argentina's economic woes are because of the cult of peronism

One might ask one question further, why would peronism, a hugely protectionist and isolationist philosophy gain ground in Argentina.

Are you insinuating it's the West's fault?

Yes, big bad America made the Argentina government ignore every scrap of economics and plunge their nation into poverty.

Ignore the massive natural wealth of Argentina or the history of populist strongmen - it's all the US' fault.

Argentine here — the US helped the military coup that overthrew democracy in Argentina and waged a "Dirty War" that saw people drugged and thrown out of helicopters. People born in the 70s grew up while that was happening. It's still living memory.

The US (and other western countries) dictate the price of raw material exports, and drain countries like Argentina of the best talent. They dictate freight rates. To the extent western capital is willing to invest in the country, it is to build roads/rails that take raw materials from the countryside to the ports in Buenos Aires so that a small class of bourgeois vendidos can sell out the nation's national wealth like a fire sale.

Macri is beloved by western media because he's willing to let the IMF and Federal Reserve dictate social policy in Argentina. Slash pensions, crush labor power, etc. My family voted for him and now my grandma needs us to send more dollars over so she can afford to live. Lot of parallels IMO to people on public assistance voting for Trump in the US. There were other solutions possible besides austerity.

> There were other solutions possible besides austerity.

What solutions? How does one fix a hyperinflated country without painful reforms?

Millei made it clear that pre-election that his tenure was going to bring painful reforms. He was realistic, unlike the incumbent Peronists who had no plan.

Argentina spends too much money; that is the core problem. Their debt/gdp ratio is extremely high. There is literally no other solution than austerity. Austerity is the entire point

> Macri is beloved by western media because he's willing to let the IMF and Federal Reserve dictate social policy in Argentina

If you think western news outlets have any affinity for austerity or the IMF, then you're watching fox news or something because most American news media is inclined to support a left wing strong man

It’s been 50 years almost since the dictatorship, it’s time to get over it, most people alive today didn’t live through it.

The us doesn’t drain Argentina of their best talent, Argentina kicks them out with their shitty economy and policies, I know that’s why I left.

Yes, western capital is super evil for investing in infrastructure to move resources. It’s better for the country resources to be laying within the ground making no one money.

There was no other way out since the K printed all the money to finance their madness.

Keep resisting with aguante though, that will work out.

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