News for today's 2018: 09/21/13

Revolving Credit vs. Disposable Personal Income (Musical Tribute)

9:20 PM Tukiyooo 0

The following chart shows the 10-year moving average of the natural logarithm of the ratio of revolving credit to disposable personal income.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hYJLAVqZM16w_pD4jovqVrzrW56Ypky-Zzg8gkMH5HpJDXf9QeGg0grCGrE-VCHd_ohxE5TWGWzFIm3orazncNSJcLqkPdPCrvNd4FOlTkBcHA8w2fqcvQoi0a7FYFE2g_1Y6jvK18U/s1600/Revolving+Credit+vs.+Disposable+Personal+Income.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hYJLAVqZM16w_pD4jovqVrzrW56Ypky-Zzg8gkMH5HpJDXf9QeGg0grCGrE-VCHd_ohxE5TWGWzFIm3orazncNSJcLqkPdPCrvNd4FOlTkBcHA8w2fqcvQoi0a7FYFE2g_1Y6jvK18U/s320/Revolving+Credit+vs.+Disposable+Personal+Income.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />When using natural logarithms, constant growth is seen as a straight line. We aren't seeing a straight line though. Instead, we're seeing a nearly perfect upside down parabola.<br /><br />Over the long-term, this particular growth engine is done. Stick a fork in it.<br /><br />The future's so bright I gotta roll over in symphony. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathy">Pun intended.</a>)<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-cDozNJ2Oyw" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=mDf">St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart</a>

Revolving Credit vs. Disposable Personal Income (Musical Tribute)

The following chart shows the 10-year moving average of the natural logarithm of the ratio of revolving credit to disposable personal income.Click to enlarge.When using natural logarithms, constant growth is seen as a straight line. We aren't seeing …

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Person of the Week!

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">The IWS Person of the Week is actor, singer, songwriter, writer, director, dancer and all-around awesome dude Joseph Gordon Levitt! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaN3WWN_-UiwvnYxJiER_zmjwlGoAFKnrxP3PP6XIGldPbyL-x3j770zFvS7X7i_eQ2oKy-0NdLjLhhycCJ0OGB5HzJba6ECLw4CSvqIl5YiiDyQBD8JEEUwaEe4F1yiBSExnzaWgoiGm/s1600/Joseph+Gordon+Levitt+Hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfaN3WWN_-UiwvnYxJiER_zmjwlGoAFKnrxP3PP6XIGldPbyL-x3j770zFvS7X7i_eQ2oKy-0NdLjLhhycCJ0OGB5HzJba6ECLw4CSvqIl5YiiDyQBD8JEEUwaEe4F1yiBSExnzaWgoiGm/s400/Joseph+Gordon+Levitt+Hot.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s not enough for this dude to be incredibly talented and super damn good looking either! Oh no! He has to be BFF’s with Zooey Deschanel too … <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfJSvtAVgxtVmg2nd_gnm96Ij_yHWhG_yxQbcjPBwZc6UNcF7-AdA3A7LoyN3VWCnj92s-3qjmaLAueRzE1_wd7sjYo37ogy62N_twtxQzoV79BBUOPcV900i2oJ3VQ8nyXQ2NvQi89AK/s1600/Zooey+Deschanel+Joseph+Gordon+Levitt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfJSvtAVgxtVmg2nd_gnm96Ij_yHWhG_yxQbcjPBwZc6UNcF7-AdA3A7LoyN3VWCnj92s-3qjmaLAueRzE1_wd7sjYo37ogy62N_twtxQzoV79BBUOPcV900i2oJ3VQ8nyXQ2NvQi89AK/s400/Zooey+Deschanel+Joseph+Gordon+Levitt.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">But wait that’s not all! He also wrote, directed and is starring in his latest movie “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2229499/" target="_blank">Don Jon</a>.” It’s a movie about a guy, played by JGL, who is a sex addict. And, since he’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt and can do wants he cast Scarlett Johansson as his girlfriend in the movie. OF COURSE HE DID! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvG5Me-VpgBL5U9CArGlAoNb54ftCQ6QNvpwO98f6nmtOfCZjw1WXh_cbfpzV-EWPqZUMPEadAbO9wri8RgQAX-7vbwrTEI3YVummL6oSjtlxHfzVmU7t8Zk6SDJWHcQ3SgQiHC7hSGovf/s1600/Joseph+Gordon+Levitt+Scarlett+Johansson+Lovers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvG5Me-VpgBL5U9CArGlAoNb54ftCQ6QNvpwO98f6nmtOfCZjw1WXh_cbfpzV-EWPqZUMPEadAbO9wri8RgQAX-7vbwrTEI3YVummL6oSjtlxHfzVmU7t8Zk6SDJWHcQ3SgQiHC7hSGovf/s400/Joseph+Gordon+Levitt+Scarlett+Johansson+Lovers.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">I have nothing but admiration and respect for JGL and his amazing talents, but writing this has made me decide to hate him. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3zVuxfqAOkeouNuKXz1NWy8IzleIDV066SBdGi2kvF4izROWyHOzENvtKp3OVEKeeiCEsS4tvimtj-4TwScC_5mR-_-lYwY6Q0U6afzl22ofhYT72BzgErkaKjQzWraTKpqMuqr8SslI/s1600/Joseph+Gordon+Levitt+Nude+Hot+Sexy+Shirtless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3zVuxfqAOkeouNuKXz1NWy8IzleIDV066SBdGi2kvF4izROWyHOzENvtKp3OVEKeeiCEsS4tvimtj-4TwScC_5mR-_-lYwY6Q0U6afzl22ofhYT72BzgErkaKjQzWraTKpqMuqr8SslI/s400/Joseph+Gordon+Levitt+Nude+Hot+Sexy+Shirtless.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Congrats on being named IWS’ Person of the Week though dude! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">Also, don’t forget to listen to the “<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/09/22/overrated-and-underrated-show" target="_blank">Overrated andUnderrated Show</a>” on IWS Radio at 12 Noon on Sunday! <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Person of the Week!

The IWS Person of the Week is actor, singer, songwriter, writer, director, dancer and all-around awesome dude Joseph Gordon Levitt! It’s not enough for this dude to be incredibly talented and super damn good looking either! Oh no! He has to be BFF’s …

Signs of fall in our rainy yard

5:38 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I33FpsYZs3LJCsb9D7mGuaK6MVHZWFmyZmxDpgKM2ugGVEHlNN4PkjRWIMdEvHdac8ZmofkQUN6epXm897MqVmHnlpkP3md-sLLHX3Sxq4STyVnTHT7MKaUofnEbDLhP5mIDFRixdZvP/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I33FpsYZs3LJCsb9D7mGuaK6MVHZWFmyZmxDpgKM2ugGVEHlNN4PkjRWIMdEvHdac8ZmofkQUN6epXm897MqVmHnlpkP3md-sLLHX3Sxq4STyVnTHT7MKaUofnEbDLhP5mIDFRixdZvP/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJc_N5XgOjTWreHANhqg1J0zMqXsZeCihEN4licQX3VVhYGHbfDBbGqyyOaf28ROjWids7ap34fCfxp7v_TVULd0PpD3dkGBQMHCTipQNibOKz7B5Zn4HHWViV1eJEvmBQzaeiK4PwkyPG/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJc_N5XgOjTWreHANhqg1J0zMqXsZeCihEN4licQX3VVhYGHbfDBbGqyyOaf28ROjWids7ap34fCfxp7v_TVULd0PpD3dkGBQMHCTipQNibOKz7B5Zn4HHWViV1eJEvmBQzaeiK4PwkyPG/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nSyHOpPmY9Hk8SOB2FwspA7ETl7_w16F86zNzgM74zzy16vTpMObMP-UqKbDl10zh_Ww7UIDTGNRSJIwN0URrcUQXWMXxLsM0dqAd_h6MqgYamMXRXfjy3b3CqK9VtkAaDyUdCGxPaTi/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nSyHOpPmY9Hk8SOB2FwspA7ETl7_w16F86zNzgM74zzy16vTpMObMP-UqKbDl10zh_Ww7UIDTGNRSJIwN0URrcUQXWMXxLsM0dqAd_h6MqgYamMXRXfjy3b3CqK9VtkAaDyUdCGxPaTi/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Tomorrow is the first day of fall but the signs are already there....</div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />September 21, 2013

fall in Shenandoah Valley photos by Lynn R. Mitchell Signs of fall in our rainy yard

Tomorrow is the first day of fall but the signs are already there....Photos by Lynn R. MitchellSeptember 21, 2013…

Signs of fall at Frontier Culture Museum

5:32 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfXiIH6JRo8gK1-oKctBFMYPR7epuiieaQ4j8j8bCA08TKMTKti-Lccy-Rm9hSRLafO-mtN0Bg7PrTO9bqGN95RsfxgzMnFXgs9OXiQwI0TtBczQlbGw9FDSk1Q9JEMJmdkBNPb8Yyjp0/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfXiIH6JRo8gK1-oKctBFMYPR7epuiieaQ4j8j8bCA08TKMTKti-Lccy-Rm9hSRLafO-mtN0Bg7PrTO9bqGN95RsfxgzMnFXgs9OXiQwI0TtBczQlbGw9FDSk1Q9JEMJmdkBNPb8Yyjp0/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZPICCVlEJk1LDVfGPh0nG4Ff-_BoTG8jehXC98PJbl6SnoYKYm5cvGYrl_rZl4pmV4uXWqBiH4diH_AnXLgb8y_aK0ex-69fngRvepQZXveZKKvU_YmE6Rg_OEtK9PrcHLMkD7ZnWg2R/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZPICCVlEJk1LDVfGPh0nG4Ff-_BoTG8jehXC98PJbl6SnoYKYm5cvGYrl_rZl4pmV4uXWqBiH4diH_AnXLgb8y_aK0ex-69fngRvepQZXveZKKvU_YmE6Rg_OEtK9PrcHLMkD7ZnWg2R/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />September 20, 2013

Signs of fall at Frontier Culture Museum

Photos by Lynn R. MitchellSeptember 20, 2013…

Adorable ... Grandpa W makes granddaughter giggle for first time

5:13 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div style="text-align: center;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0" height="245" id="msnbc45a932" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" /><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=53060657&width=420&height=245" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed name="msnbc45a932" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="420" height="245" FlashVars="launch=53060657&width=420&height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object></div><div style="background: transparent; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center; width: 420px;"><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; color: #5799DB !important; font-weight: normal !important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none !important;"><br /></a></div>Absolutely adorable ... former President George W. Bush makes his five-month-old granddaughter Mila giggle for the first time.

family George W. Bush Jenna Bush Hager Mila Hager NBC Today Adorable ... Grandpa W makes granddaughter giggle for first time

Absolutely adorable ... former President George W. Bush makes his five-month-old granddaughter Mila giggle for the first time.…

LIVE FROM NASHVILLE III

4:15 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt;">Good worship last night with an especially helpful sermon by the Rev. Stefani Spellars. Good worship this morning with especially excellent music led by Dent Davidson. For communion, Dent played a medley of Adoro Devote (Thomas Aquinas’ “Humbly I adore Thee, Verity unseen, whom thy glory hidest ‘neath these shadows mean.”) and Let Us Break Bread Together. It captured the vertical and horizontal themes of our cruciform communion. Just brilliant.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt;">Then Tom Breidenthal, Southern Ohio, presented on formation for mission, starting with forming the right kind of character for reconciliation, specifically <b>the</b>reconciliation of people with Christ – so not the characters to be reconcilers, but rather to point the way toward the reconciliation done by Jesus. Tom sees this mission as something we are caught up in by God. So how can we prepare for it? Tom expressed hope that God will flip the switch for small congregations focused on their own survival so that they might give up survival strategies to become the Church. Until that switch flips every program gets distorted into a survival strategy. I will be saying in my panel presentation “He who seeks to save his life will lose it.” (Jesus). That is especially true for congregations. Survival strategies are inherently counterproductive. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom suggested that we can do “formation in expectation of mission.” It largely has to do with simultaneously embracing community and recognizing that community is the context for all our sin. He noted the perpetual tension between Christianity’s attraction to community and dread of corruption by it. Anglicanism came down strongly on the side of community with the Book of Common Prayer, though community is always at risk of collusion, exclusion, and panoply of faults and failings. So what are the practices that form us for humble, open community? Tom pointed chiefly to the Eucharist. I agree with his points. He speaks from the perspective of an excellent systematic theologian.  But I would add that there are practical skills we can learn through community organizing (IAF), reconciliation practice (Lombard Peace Institute), and behavioral covenants (Gil Rendle, Alban Institute) that will help us to effectively live out the meaning of our rituals. The translation of ritual values into practice requires an intentional formation. It doesn’t happen automatically. Too many folks practice the rituals faithfully, but don’t live their meaning (even in the context of church activities) and don’t appear to be aware of the disconnect. It strikes me that some strands of the anti-institutional movement aspire to create a more authentic community; other strands reflect our desire to flee the community because it is a place of trial; and some are caught between the two.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt;">Stacy Sauls, Chief Operating Officer, reported on the organizing of the 815 office staff to make them more accessible to dioceses for support programs. It all sounds favorable. There is a flap these days over the corporate name of The Episcopal Church and actually people talked more about that than the support structure. The corporate name is now, has always been, but may not ever be: Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society. Of course no one actually uses that name. It’s our corporate name, not our public name. The plan is to drop “Domestic & Foreign.” Some folks object to “Missionary.” Others like it very much. Either way, it’s already there. The change is dropping “Domestic & Foreign” – not adding “Missionary.” Reasonable people of good will are concerned about this issue. I personally am not that exercised about it one way or the other. I am more concerned with the diversion of a large amount of the money that once went into supporting various kinds of ministry – we lost our Latino Ministries grant for example – into the open ended Mission Enterprise Zone grants. That may yet turn out to be a great move. But at this point, it all still seems unclear. I will be relieved to see that grant program actually functioning. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Church Pension Group then reported on their progress in bringing the health insurance premiums for different dioceses toward the same amount and on the complex interaction of the denominational health plan with the Affordable Care Act. The denominational health plan is doing better on cost control than national rates; and they are making some progress on leveling the cost of insurance for some of us high premium dioceses like Nevada with other dioceses. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt;">Two general observations: There is a trend in the personalities of our new bishops – that means newer than me, the folks elected in the past two or three years. They seem to be of a generally moderate disposition. I am not speaking of their theology or their politics. I honestly don’t know much about that. But generally, they seem to be differentiated personalities of even temperament. This is particularly interesting to me because of the level of reactivity and emotionality that I see around the church particularly via social media. I sometimes suspect that we got in the habit of an elevated level of drama during the first decade of this century but the issues we were churning over then are now, though not completely resolved, resolved enough that they no longer drive us out to charge barricades. But we are habitual barricade chargers. So we are rather casting about for things to fight over. But the issues of today are just not up to the task of sustaining our habitual passions. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt;">I don’t know if it will be possible to redirect our energy from fight/flight conflicts into sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through word and deed with a world so broken and so heartrendingly in need of salvation. But if it were possible, I suspect these new folks are the kind of leaders we would need for that sort of Church on that sort of mission. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

LIVE FROM NASHVILLE III

0 0 1 871 4967 Episcopal Diocese of Nevada 41 11 5827 14.0 96 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE …

Rainy afternoon in the Shenandoah Valley

2:30 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5LiRSukKVbk6zrjZCZdgCZYz_y163IQJtGJOE8Dnm4TXBMov4gtGwg2p2TzguLIRBiqRMrunYyixwhQ-6Anb8V1h1Z9lqPcjCZHs2-rWVnGbwxpFGo01riQNPfnrt26WGPWlPWFs3s7-/s1600/Rain+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5LiRSukKVbk6zrjZCZdgCZYz_y163IQJtGJOE8Dnm4TXBMov4gtGwg2p2TzguLIRBiqRMrunYyixwhQ-6Anb8V1h1Z9lqPcjCZHs2-rWVnGbwxpFGo01riQNPfnrt26WGPWlPWFs3s7-/s1600/Rain+1.jpg" /></a></div><br />The rain held off until after lunch today before starting as a light shower and picking up as the day wore on. Now it's a steady downpour with radar showing heavy rain into the night. Temps that never climbed out of the 60s are still there with a cool breeze coming in the open windows, and the rain interfering with the satellite signal.<br /><br />Lots of festivals were on tap today -- the Good Times, Tastes, and Traditions Festival was at the <a href="http://www.frontiermuseum.org/">Frontier Culture Museum</a> in Staunton and will continue tomorrow when the weather is supposed to be sunny and cool.<br /><br />In Waynesboro they were cooking up chili with bluesy entertainment for the Chili, Blues n' Brews Festival throughout the downtown area.<br /><br />Up on Skyline Drive, the Apple Butter Festival was taking place at Skyland in Shenandoah National Park along with lots of activities for families and, of course, the great outdoors with hiking trails, horseback riding, and wildlife gazing.<br /><br />As the rain comes down, I'm going to curl up on the sofa and finish my book, the third in a trilogy I've been reading. I love rainy days.<br /><br />Tomorrow is the first day of fall....

Rainy afternoon in the Shenandoah Valley

The rain held off until after lunch today before starting as a light shower and picking up as the day wore on. Now it's a steady downpour with radar showing heavy rain into the night. Temps that never climbed out of the 60s are still there with a coo…

THE FUTURE OF ARGENTINA

12:31 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwzEuPxbS8jzFdOm31V3ktZ8P-j9CmOADVWSq641-W4p6iDUYiq5rIB6ADtMMmql_2G6usVPGA37aD-v14QLIs23XTyyJLOM2yzJ3BJEnW1PhSaopzB7hmA-WctANtNSrfY8d5keNXhv_/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwzEuPxbS8jzFdOm31V3ktZ8P-j9CmOADVWSq641-W4p6iDUYiq5rIB6ADtMMmql_2G6usVPGA37aD-v14QLIs23XTyyJLOM2yzJ3BJEnW1PhSaopzB7hmA-WctANtNSrfY8d5keNXhv_/s400/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">DEFYING INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS</span></span> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since the US is controlling most of the important International Financial Institutions (IFI) as well as the IMF, it never really forgave ARGENTINA for paying back the IMF the entire dept and thus making ARGENTINA independent of IMF doctrines and recommendation. Not to mention the growing political rift between the two countries.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">  </span></b></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">IMF AND ARGENTINA</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2011/10/corporatocracy.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2011/10/corporatocracy.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2011/08/imf-destroyer-of-nations.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2011/08/imf-destroyer-of-nations.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After ARGENTINA’S default the country managed to boost its economy and showcased strong economic growth, despite the fact of being excluded from obtain loans from IFI. Contrary to economic doctrine, ARGENTINA proved that it could emerge from the crisis without the help of IFI, which was definitely not in the interest of the powerful Anglo Saxon finance establishment, for it lost control over ARGENTINA, something highly unfavorable in the eyes of the IFI, because of loosing on ARGENTINA’S vast amount of agricultural commodities as well as other natural resources. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The most recent example of muscle flexing by US IFI against ARGENTINA is the US court ruling in favor of </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">hedge fund Elliott Management, headed by the billionaire Paul E. Singer versus Argentina </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">HEDGE FUND ELLIOTT MANAGEMENT, HEADED BY THE BILLIONAIRE PAUL E. SINGER VERSUS ARGENTINA</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">:</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/09/argentina-geopolitics-of-international.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/09/argentina-geopolitics-of-international.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span class="hps"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN;">ELLIOT CAPITAL HEDGE FUNDS IS A CLIENT AND SHAREHOLDER OF FITCH RATING AGENCY</span></b></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/02/argentinean-politics-under-claw-of.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/02/argentinean-politics-under-claw-of.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">US COURT RULING ON ARGENTINE BOND DEFAULT- THE PARIS CLUB, USA AGRICULTURE COMPANIES, AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL SPECULATORS “GRAB” FOR ARGENTINA</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/money-makes-world-go-round-and-politics.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/money-makes-world-go-round-and-politics.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since 2002 ARGENTINA was the “economic milking cow” for US enterprise based in ARGENTINA. US corporations such as <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Cargill, Monsanto, Avon Cosmetics, Direct TV,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></i></span></span></b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><span class="st"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Glaxo Smith Kline</span></b></span></i></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to name but a few, managed to boost their profits back home thanks to growing markets in ARGENTINA. With diminishing growth in the USA these enterprises managed to overcome their losses thanks to ARGENTINA’S growth.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Granted the ARGENTINE administration has to take most of the blame for the current economic situation in the country for it is entirely homemade. Being excluded from the IFI, some argue was the best that could have happened to ARGENTINA for it was able to circumvent the IFI restrictive doctrines, which have proven “fatal” in so many other countries, thus giving the country much economic leeway. Unfortunately, as had been the case for most part of ARGENTINA’S short history, corruption has been the hindering stone for the countries advancement, both social and economically. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By curbing in corruption, the country would now have be in the favorable position to bypass the international financial and economic crisis with ease, for as mentioned before, being freed of the restrictive IFI doctrines the country could have prospered. Since Argentina is still “feeding the world” and commodity shares still soaring, there should be no need for the country to be once again at the verge of recession. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SHARE OF THE COMMODITY CAKE</b></span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/share-of-cake.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/share-of-cake.html</a></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nevertheless one should not forget that because of Argentina’s defying stance with the IFI, corporate media under the influence of these entities do tend to portray Argentina in a somewhat bias way. The giant Argentine media group “Clarin” for example is in bitter fight with the current administration over monopoly as well as political issues, because under the current political landscape Carin is de facto the only political opposition. Needless to say the group has vast global connections with fellow media enterprises and thus is able to feed these entities with “facts and figure” which suit their political agenda in Argentina.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONXkFK_HF1mbVP9vo41K9ZCEKmwO9dMj5uDXMEPvb-gLVPXgdN6jOVsN4e8SVWibiRUCNkaP_OlJQ8IF1oaxSt2IjvtefnJhGWmzCOFSVDKh4c0f2VdL1J6bD6K_y1hV-5XG9FeW3INA3/s1600/media-manipulation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONXkFK_HF1mbVP9vo41K9ZCEKmwO9dMj5uDXMEPvb-gLVPXgdN6jOVsN4e8SVWibiRUCNkaP_OlJQ8IF1oaxSt2IjvtefnJhGWmzCOFSVDKh4c0f2VdL1J6bD6K_y1hV-5XG9FeW3INA3/s400/media-manipulation.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARGENTINE</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">’<b>S "INVISIBLE OPPOSITION", CONSISTING OF SELF - SEEKING ONE MAN SHOWS, MANIPULATED BY LOCAL MEDIA GIANT TO OPPOSE THE GOVERNMENT</b></span><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/argentina-country-without-visible.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/argentina-country-without-visible.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">MEDIA BIAS IN ARGENTINA</span></b></span><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/03/food-for-thought.html"><span lang="ES-AR" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-AR;">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/03/food-for-thought.html</span></a></span><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: ES-AR; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">MAIN STREAM MEDIA INFLUENCE IN ARGENTINA</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2011/10/impartiality.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2011/10/impartiality.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Last but not least one should not forget to mention the UK which has its own geopolitical agenda concerning Argentina and its territorial disputes over the Malvinas (Falkland Islands) and the Antarctica. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thus the views and opinions mentioned in the article below by a UK based emerging-markets analyst at Capital Economics in London should be viewed with caution for clearly the Anglo – Saxon axis follows its own eco political agenda in the region.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">BRITISH PRESENCE ON THE MALVINAS – FALKLAND ISLANDS IS PRIMARILY ABOUT FAST ACCESS TO THE ANTARCTICA, OIL EXTRACTION AND FISHERY INDUSTRY INTERESTS</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4c1bQP3-8M3eXWORQMugDKw2IWec8pN2_Qu3IYSOPwjz5w6moh0XH8yjlNxMJhTvny-LPV3Yera78J5GaVcNni2Sqx35xQhVDG35rDhcZxlDhlugZnVCIdxCZWKm0qhINK3oAFcYP8SZs/s1600/NSF.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4c1bQP3-8M3eXWORQMugDKw2IWec8pN2_Qu3IYSOPwjz5w6moh0XH8yjlNxMJhTvny-LPV3Yera78J5GaVcNni2Sqx35xQhVDG35rDhcZxlDhlugZnVCIdxCZWKm0qhINK3oAFcYP8SZs/s400/NSF.png" width="390" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>Territorial claims over Antarctica  </b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ANTARCTICA HOLDS</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">75% OF THE WORLD’S FRESH WATER RESERVES</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(See <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1639185052"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/water-golden-commodity-of-future.html</span></a><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2011/06/water-golden-commodity-of-future.html%29"><span style="color: windowtext;">)</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is free from pollution. It also has enormous amount of natural resources such as fresh water, flora and fauna, minerals, oil, coal etc. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is believed that ANTARCTIC continent have large deposits of <b>minerals, oils (~45,000 million barrels and ~115 trillion cubic feet of gas) and coal (~11% of the world’s total).</b> This can be ascertained by using sophisticated modern technique for resource assessment. As of now, mining is banned in ANTARCTICA. The member nations of ANTARCTIC TREATY (1959) have signed the treaty for non-exploitation of ANTARCTIC resources and helps in keeping the continent <b>free of conflicts</b>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, due to increasing human population and the need for resources in future, it is obvious that by the year 2040, <b>ANTARCTICA will become the final target for various resources exploitations</b>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Read Entire article at:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/02/from-mediterranean-persian-gulf-to.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/02/from-mediterranean-persian-gulf-to.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">ARGENTINA COULD RELAPSE INTO RECESSION BY 2014</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">By Moran Zhang International Business Times (US media entity)</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARGENTINA, known for its spectacular economic booms and busts, has seen its public finances deteriorate under President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. While growth has bounced back somewhat this year, following a flat performance in 2012, Capital Economics expects to see LATIN AMERICA'S third-largest economy “relapse into recession by 2014.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The limits of a growth model based on super-loose policy are becoming apparent,” said Michael Henderson, an emerging-markets analyst at Capital Economics in London. “We remain concerned about the sustainability of the current economic model and are forecasting a fresh slowdown in GDP growth from 2014.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARGENTINA’S economic growth has picked up pace this year. Fernandez de Kirchner said Saturday that economic activity has been up 4.9 percent so far in 2013. That’s higher than the 4.1 percent growth rate she said last month that Argentina had registered from January to May. The economy expanded by a mere 1.9 percent in 2012 after growing 8.9 percent in 2011, according to official data.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Prioritizing economic growth ahead of an October mid-term election that will determine whether she can keep control of Congress, Kirchner promised last week a 3.5 percent economic expansion for 2013 on the back of strong soy and corn harvests. "That will be our floor," Kirchner <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130731-722351.html" target="_blank">told</a>an audience gathered at the Buenos Aires stock exchange.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But economists remain deeply skeptical of ARGENTINA'S recent economic data, saying the government is overestimating economic growth and underestimating inflation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Umr07e3b45k4_4Drj2ktiVcR012_pNV1S9IcLzgW4R1P5E9acOgH0P1vTUYEf8ihp3komT1TC22uOI6ryXq5EfYOVpIDab1LkI6MbaErRei-2P5hTxyQB0VHtevuIdt5noiLvVVZemRa/s1600/A-Huge-Worldwide-Crash-Is-Coming-Europe-Is-On-A-One-Way-Road-To-Hell-Turkey-Brazil-Argentina-Are-Cracking-China-Is-Set-For-A-Total-Financial-Meltdown-And-President-Obama-Just-Give-The.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Umr07e3b45k4_4Drj2ktiVcR012_pNV1S9IcLzgW4R1P5E9acOgH0P1vTUYEf8ihp3komT1TC22uOI6ryXq5EfYOVpIDab1LkI6MbaErRei-2P5hTxyQB0VHtevuIdt5noiLvVVZemRa/s400/A-Huge-Worldwide-Crash-Is-Coming-Europe-Is-On-A-One-Way-Road-To-Hell-Turkey-Brazil-Argentina-Are-Cracking-China-Is-Set-For-A-Total-Financial-Meltdown-And-President-Obama-Just-Give-The.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“ARGENTINA’S official GDP data tend to be very unreliable, but based on our own estimates of GDP we expect the economy to expand by 2.0 percent in 2013,” Capital Economics’ Henderson said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Serious structural problems cloud the outlook for ARGENTINA’S economy. Private estimates put inflation at about 25 percent, one of the highest rates in the world. “This has eaten into real incomes, weighing on household spending, and pushed ARGENTINA’S real exchange rate up to its highest level since 2002, hurting the competitiveness of local manufacturers,” Henderson said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Council on Foreign Relations <a href="http://www.voxxi.com/argentinas-economy-kirchner-populist/" target="_blank">pointed out</a> that the <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/country/argentina" target="_blank">data</a> on ARGENTINA’S economy over the past 50 years show that generally, government spending increased during economic downturns and slowed during spurts of economic growth. But this approach has changed since the Kirchners (first President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A9stor_Kirchner" target="_blank">Nestor Kirchner</a>, now his widow Cristina) took office. Since 2003, and despite mostly good economic times, government spending has kept growing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The pace of increase of spending, which has risen above 30 percent year-on-year under Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, is not fully reflected in the official balance, according to Henderson. The government has relied on the transfer of assets from public institutions including the central bank and pension agency to prevent the deficit from blowing out. This has been accompanied by a growing trend toward deficit monetization.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Last year, non-financial public sector deficit came in at 2.6 percent of GDP – the biggest shortfall since the 2001 economic collapse. And with expenditure likely to be ramped up further ahead of October’s elections, the fiscal deficit could widen once again this year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With amendments to ARGENTINA’S Central Bank Charter in early 2012, the central bank has assumed a central role as a state-financing vehicle. These changes have made the central bank into a vehicle for swapping hard currency reserves for illiquid government obligations that pay little or no interest.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE CENTRAL BANK OF ARGENTINA BREAKS RANKS WITH NEO-LIBERAL BANKING POLICY AND TARGETS JOBS OVER LOWER INFLATION </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/06/argentinean-central-bank-targets-growth.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/06/argentinean-central-bank-targets-growth.html</a></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“As a result, low quality, illiquid government-linked securities now account for a staggering 58 percent of central bank assets,” Henderson said. “At the same time, foreign exchange reserves have fallen back in recent years and now equate to less than six months of import cover.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are likely to be two main consequences of all this. First, unsterilized monetization of the fiscal deficit will keep inflation on an upward path. Henderson thinks headline inflation could hit 30 percent in 2014. Second, the hollowing out of the central bank will further undermine confidence in the peso, raising fears of an official devaluation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“ARGENTINA appears to be sliding towards a balance of payments crisis which is likely to culminate in a devaluation of the official exchange rate,” Henderson said.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fT55E-N1aFINQPKiflP32vGLLfBMz-ZvYLtgWNI2ep_RnSUvG4LXys26FQWf9HiNcd14dWbDJLgLh7n2NhLfLoySVb8yAxtExXXN-r2p2jNjV79j5hPhWPJZx87kLeqaPhClWV357yxT/s1600/Buenos-Aires-Traffic-City-Night-Argentina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fT55E-N1aFINQPKiflP32vGLLfBMz-ZvYLtgWNI2ep_RnSUvG4LXys26FQWf9HiNcd14dWbDJLgLh7n2NhLfLoySVb8yAxtExXXN-r2p2jNjV79j5hPhWPJZx87kLeqaPhClWV357yxT/s400/Buenos-Aires-Traffic-City-Night-Argentina.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buenos Aires, 9 de Julio avenue</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ARGENTINA, BARELY 30 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY, A YOUNG NATION TRYING TO FIND ITS BEARING </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(Article originally published on 13 November 2012 at: <a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/11/argentine-evolution.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/11/argentine-evolution.html</a>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the 1940s ARGENTINA was the 9<sup>th</sup>richest country in world, in 2002 the country defaulted and in 2012 the country is struggling economically as well as politically. Recent protest against the current administration, allegedly were the largest since the beginning of democracy in 1982. One has to be cautious though with these assumptions for there is a more complex cause behind these protests. Primary demands of the protesting middle class were to curb in corruption, opposing constitution change to facilitate 3<sup>rd</sup> term reelection of the president, crime - insecurity, inflation and protection of democracy. </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information: </span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the 1940s, ARGENTINA was the ninth wealthiest country in the world</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2009/aug2009_The-Generic-Drug-Rip-Off_01.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2009/aug2009_The-Generic-Drug-Rip-Off_01.htm</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://simplybuenosaires.com/Blog/argentina-ninth-richest-country/"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://simplybuenosaires.com/Blog/argentina-ninth-richest-country/</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">ORCHESTRATED BY CLARIN OR GENUINE PROTESTS?</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One has to cautiously question however if only “democracy loving” protesters took to the streets during recent protests. In ARGENTINA still exists the monopoly of print media and the discourse the current administration took has frightened the media group Clarin for it could lose its monopoly in ARGENTINA. The new law stipulates democratization of the media landscape in ARGENTINA. Thus the Clarin group fears loss of power and influence in public opinion shaping and therefore mobilizes to some extend against the administrations, but surly not to protect democratic values. Not to mention the Agriculture producers and corporations, who are in disagreement with the current administration over who gets the bigger stake of the “Soya revenue cake”. To some extend this is about economic interests and not democracy. Thus one has to look closer who was demonstrating and for what cause.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARGENTINA COULD HAVE DODGED THE CURRENT WORLDWIDE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRISIS </span></b></span></div><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most of the current difficulties however are homemade, for ARGENTINA is one of the worlds leading agriculture commodity exporter as well as developing the countries mining industry in order to extract its vast amount of natural resource. After defaulting the country paid back its entire dept with the IMF, however because of its pending dept with the “Paris Club” it has been expelled from international financial institutions, a move, which has proven not too much of a burden for the country, because demand for agriculture commodities kept rising and thus the country obtained sufficient revenues, despite being band obtaining international loans, thus permitting the country to conduct trade without needing to adhered to doctrines set by international financial institutions. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_debt_restructuring"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_debt_restructuring</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #444444;">Background Information:</span> </span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARGENTINE AGRICULTURE EXPORT</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/share-of-cake.html"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/07/share-of-cake.html</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND ARGENTINA, TWO COUNTRIES ROUGHLY THE SAME “AGE”!</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Considering all these favorable circumstance (Agriculture commodity export, natural resource etc.), one obviously has to question why ARGENTINA, after 200 years of history has not evolved to first world status? Comparing AUSTRALIA with ARGENTINA, both of whom have 200 years of history, AUSTRALIA advanced to first world status, while ARGENTINA seems to stagnate despite the fact that the latter has better conditions for advancement. AUSTRALIA lacks far behind ARGENTINA in agricultural commodity exports, fertile land as well as natural resources. The majority of the land is desert, nevertheless, AUSTRALIA emerged as a first world country with a functioning social security system, infrastructure development etc. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Eco - political advance AUSTRALIA made during its 200 year history, in comparison to ARGENTINA becomes even more impressive when looking at its immigrant background, for most of AUSTRALIA’S first immigrants were convicts expelled to AUSTRALIA by the colonial power BRITAIN. Hardly a reputable immigrant force to reckon with. Nevertheless AUSTRALIA managed to emerge as a reputable and stable country. AUSTRALIA’S forefathers managed to evolve from outcast of society to reputable citizens. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARGENTINA’S main immigrant background was mostly ITALIAN. It took ITALY two world wars to curb in organize crime syndicates in order to emerge as a trustworthy, almost corruption free nation in Europe.<b><span style="color: blue;"> </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See: Immigrant background: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Argentine"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Argentine</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">CORRUPTION AND ORGANIZED CRIME SYNDICATES</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corruption and organized crime is a worldwide phenomena, however certain countries are more vulnerable than others, especially when a country such as ARGENTINA has experienced little less than 30 years of democracy. Being suppressed for generations reflects on society. A society experiencing sudden freedom and democracy after years of suppression is likely to venture out too its limits in order to see how far it can go, without the fear of repercussions. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information: </span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CRIME AND CORRUPTION ARE TWO OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST MULTINATIONAL INDUSTRIES</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system.html"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system.html</span></a></span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system_7.html"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system_7.html</span></a></span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Looking at the ARGENTINE political landscape, this phenomenon is particularly strong. With the end of the military dictatorship, political entities quickly learned that democracy also offers the opportunity to enrich oneself and thus get a cut from the “tax income cake”, thereby neglecting the need of the common citizens.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In many matured democratic nations, official entities tend also to be corrupted, but they are wise enough to keep maybe 10 percent for themselves where as 90 percent go into infrastructure improvement and social welfare, to keep the public calm, where as in other countries the math’s are reversed, thus citizens experience lack of infrastructure improvement and social welfare as well as life quality, which in the long run backfires.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARGENTINA HAS NO LIABLE POLITICAL OPPOSITION, OTHER THAN SELF SEEKING INDIVIDUALS FROM WITHIN THE PERONIST MOVEMENT</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite being a democracy, ARGENTINA has been ruled, for most part of the last 30 years by one political entity, the Peronist Movement. The Peronist Movement in itself is unique for it hosts political views from far right to far left, all under one roof! Political opposition per say does not exist. Aspiring presidential candidates’ are mostly from within the Peronist Movement, without an independent political party and in most cases turn out to be self-seeking individuals striving for power in order to obtain maximum wealth. Currently ARGENTINA has no viable opposition and the Peronist Movement is hopelessly fractured. Over the last 30 years labor syndicate and other unions have gained extreme power and influence in ARGENTINA, and unlike in other countries, their political views are that of the center right, rather than center left. Needless to say that corruption within these bodies is ever present.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">Background Information: </span></u></b><b><span style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;">RISE OF PERONISM<u> </u></span></b><span style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">BUENOS AIRES DOES NOT REPRESENT THE ENTIRE NATION</span> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By adopting, in theory at least, the EUROPEAN model of Social Democracy, (For definition of Social Democracy see: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy</a>) the current administration managed to obtain the votes of the poor, which represent a large portion of the population. Thus, when the political debate, in the aftermath of the “countrywide” “large scale” anti government protest are in full swing, ARGENTINES, or to be politically correct, citizens of Buenos Aires and to some extend citizens of the province of Buenos Aires believe that these demonstrations represent the opinion of the entire nation. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></u></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">OPPOSITION LACKS UNITY THUS USES CORPORATE MEDIA TO OPPOSE THE GOVERNMENT </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/argentina-country-without-visible.html"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/argentina-country-without-visible.html</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Buenos Aires city and the province do not represent ARGENTINA per say, and although roughly 40% of the ARGENTINES populations lives in Buenos Aires province and the city, the latter is a “world within a world” so to speak and does not reflect opinion and lifestyle of the rest of the country. Even if, as the Clarin group claims, 700 000 protesters took to the streets nationwide, one hardly can assume that this figure concerns the current administration, taking into account that the entire nation has approx 40 million inhabitants and that the majority of the provinces are in favor of the current administration. ARGENTINA is still a deeply centralized country, thus everything revolves around Buenos Aires province and Buenos Aires city, thus neglecting that there is also a rest of ARGENTINA. A “leftover” of ARGENTINES past, when Federales and Unitarios argued over decentralization versus centralizations in ARGENTINA. See:  <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federales_%28Argentina%29"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federales_%28Argentina%29</span></a></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NEGLECTED INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nevertheless ARGENTINA faces severe problems regarding its declining infrastructure, inflation and crime. Since the mid 1980s until 2012, no democratic elected government had invested decisive in the country’s infrastructure, the results of which are now emerging in a devastating way. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/if-country-neglects-to-improve-its.html"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/if-country-neglects-to-improve-its.html</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ORGANIZED CRIME, THE KEY HINDRANCES FOR EXPANSION </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Depending on a countries maturity, corruption and organized crime are either an issues of concern or not. In recent protests, demonstrators claimed lack of security or in other words, rise in street crime in ARGENTINA. As devastating effect as every crime has on individuals who are victims, no one in ARGENTINA names the problem by its name: <b>Organized Crime (OC).</b> If political and economic entities in ARGENTINA could and really wanted to tackle OC syndicates (Mafia), corruption would decline, for OC and corruption coincide. Subsequently street crime would also decline.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(For Definition of OC see: <b><a href="http://www.organized-crime.de/organizedcrimedefinitions.htm"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://www.organized-crime.de/organizedcrimedefinitions.htm</span></a></b>and <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organized_crime"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organized_crime</span></a>)</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DEMOCRACY IN ITS INFANCY</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In many aspects ARGENTINA is still in its infancy, experimenting and evolving with its young democracy, seeing how far it can lean over the edge of the cliff before falling. In view of its short democracy, ARGENTINA should be given some leeway in order to progress. ARGENTINA still needs to mature politically as well as socially. After all it took most of the EUROPEAN countries two world wars to evolve and emerge as stable democracies and ITALY years to curb in the Mafia (OC) in order to become a nation worth reckoning. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Currently and in the near future it is unlikely that a strong political opposition will emerge in order to counterbalance the current political landscape in ARGENTINA. And even if one emerges, the question is if things will change for better or worst. What is worrying though is that during recent protest certain entities claimed that one year of military government would solve public security concerns and decimate the soaring crime rate. Such statements reflect immaturity and ignorance and are prove that democracy is still fragile. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARGENTINA is a young democracy and no matter which part of the Peronist Movement is or is about to govern, good or bad, ARGENTINA will always emerge from its crisis, because of its vast natural resources and worldwide ever increasing demand for agriculture commodities, a favorable fact, which has helped ARGENTINA to rise like a phoenix from the ashes, in the past and in the future.</span></div>

THE FUTURE OF ARGENTINA

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