The title is not meant to be facetious, and I must hope that no Argentinian is offended. The world knows the depth and distress that befell the once wealthy nation that is Argentina. The steady stream of its citizens leaving the country in the last three decades or so add to the travails of a country that was once the destination for over six million immigrants in the late 19th century, second only to those who came to the U.S. Today, those who were able to leave know the value of their fortune for just that reason alone.
Must the world at large learn the lesson of Argentina? I wrote in an earlier musing that either history is an incompetent teacher or people are inept students and, arguably but sadly, we can now conclude that human nature and politics are poor substitute teachers. For the first time in human history, the lesson plan is laid bare, live and out in the open for the world to see in Argentina. And Venezuela, or other failed states in that region, for that matter. Will any nation learn from it? Will the big, mighty USA grasp just even a hint?
First, we must search the archives of the past for context, but we will not travel too far back in history to make sense of it today.
Argentina's history almost mirrored that of the U.S. Its story began in 1776 (date sounds familiar?). "The declaration and fight for independence (1810–1818) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861, culminating in the country's reorganization as a federation of provinces with Buenos Aires as its capital city. The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability, with several waves of European immigration, mainly Italians and Spaniards, radically reshaping its cultural and demographic outlook; 62.5% of the population has full or partial Italian ancestry".
"The almost-unparalleled increase in prosperity led to Argentina becoming the seventh wealthiest nation in the world by the early 20th century". The economy relied on exports of beef and agricultural products.
Although the United States is castigated even now for its history of slavery, all the colonized territories from Barbados to Argentina and Brazil had their share of the slave trading era to satisfy the needs of the labor intensive business of agriculture and animal husbandry. Some of the territories - they are independent nations now - have a share of the black population far higher, as a percentage, than it is in the U.S. The Caribbean islands, including Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti and the Dominican republic and Brazil have higher black demographics in their population. Though not so much in Argentina, it is a little known fact that, recently, of all times, it has its own Black Lives Matter movement.
In the long fight for ideological influence between democracy and communism, underscored during the cold war, Cuba became the western hemisphere's showcase for the Soviet style communism when Fidel Castro's movement ousted President Batista. In the guise of socialism, political radicalism first infiltrated Cuba's elective government in the mid 50's. It took a while after the revolution in 1959, before Castro finally acknowledged and declared Cuba a communist nation in 1965. From there he exported the ideology to much of South America. Che Guevara, an Argentine-born physician met the Castro brothers in Mexico City, became a naturalized Cuban a short time later, then he set out to export the ideology to South America, including a foray into Africa's Congo. It was in Bolivia where he was arrested and executed.
During that period of political upheavals 17 of 20 countries in the Latin American region were dictatorships. Mexico had an elective government but it was a one-party system for decades. There is already so much that had been written about Argentina and Venezuela. A video has been going around for some time now. I had gotten it twice already, so far. The reader may want to watch it. The background music was sang by Madonna, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", which is, of course, the theme of the Broadway musical, "Evita". A copy of the link for anyone interested, is at the bottom of this blog.
I will not rehash all that had already been said and written about Argentina's economic, social and political misfortunes, except perhaps to cite one quick commentary from The Economist magazine seven years ago, "The Parable of Argentina":
"There are lessons for many governments from one country’s 100 years of decline."
"A CENTURY ago, when Harrods { Upscale London Dept. Store} decided to set up its first overseas emporium, it chose Buenos Aires. In 1914 Argentina stood out as the country of the future. Its economy had grown faster than America’s over the previous four decades. Its GDP per head was higher than Germany’s, France’s or Italy’s. It boasted wonderfully fertile agricultural land, a sunny climate, a new democracy (universal male suffrage was introduced in 1912), an educated population and the world’s most erotic dance. Immigrants tangoed in from everywhere. For the young and ambitious, the choice between Argentina and California was a hard one".
What went wrong? As mentioned, so much had already been said. However, there is something to be learned, and the U.S. may want to pay attention.
Three years ago I wrote in "Ancestry, Fredericksburg, Texas", the following:
"Mid 19th century Europe was a period of discontent with the political climate and economic conditions that were pretty much held over by monarchy and nobility. Many Europeans, Germans included, heard of a new system that was growing out of a former British colony, where the hopes of ordinary people were lit by a new political experiment - democracy. One German nobleman denounced his nobility to lead a group of German immigrants to resettle their lives at a place called America".
That new political experiment and an economic system based on capitalism that was the United States thrived like no other nation had been before.
Today, there are signs of fraying at the edges of what once was a glistening tapestry of one government system and a burgeoning economy that worked perfectly hand in hand for over two centuries now.
What was once a colony became a nation that had a pivotal, if not decisively crucial, role in ending two world wars in Europe and the Pacific. By the 50's and 60's, the U.S. was a full- fledge superpower.
One generation later, beginning in the 80's, which followed the so-called free-wheeling social revolution, exemplified by Woodstock of the 60's, the movement to transform the government began. Another generation came and in 2008 the pledge to transform the nation along progressive liberal lines was out in the open. Today, the trend is continuing but more so like a coiled spring snapping back into action after a four year compression that repressed the movement of liberalism.
The 2020 election happened. The new administration resumes the transformation so that the era of high taxes, almost unfettered social programs and entitlements, federally focalized control over state rights, fueled by a woke generation and cancel culture, and a compliant media are well on their way to upset the once well balanced two-party democratic system towards a monolithic power structure.
The Huffington Post, not exactly a conservative medium, published in 2011 a list of 53 types of taxes imposed on the American people that did not exist a hundred years ago in the country's history. That list is even longer today. On top of the Federal Income Tax, we have the inheritance tax, school tax, all kinds of sales taxes and today, the gasoline tax is over $.47 per gallon, and there are 48 more on the tax codes that are a heavy yoke for the American public and small businesses to carry on its back. It is true indeed that death is the only way to avoid taxes.
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