As I see it The worst journalists in the world 20-04-2024 06:07 Milei wants to control the narrative and, by doing so, change the way Argentines think about the world. Does hurling insults at journalists help win him more adherents? by James Neilson
As I see it Looking for unity offshore 06-04-2024 06:54 Despite the diplomatic points that can be scored, the current status quo looks likely to prevail for some time to come. by James Neilson
As I see it The dragon is getting older too fast 23-03-2024 06:32 Not that long ago, many took it for granted that China would soon overtake the United States to become the world's top nation, but there are plenty of good reasons to think they were mistaken. by James Neilson
As I see it Politicians in the dog house 02-03-2024 05:01 Business, especially big business, has long had a bad press in Argentina. This is partly due to the willingness of politicians to blame it for their own failures, as happens whenever inflation gets out of hand. by James Neilson
As I see it Milei runs into a roadblock 10-02-2024 06:51 In most places, the old guard has managed to fend off those besieging it. Even if on occasion the establishment’s forces have had to beat a retreat, they have usually retained enough power to thwart their enemies. by James Neilson
As I see it An outsider at the centre of things 03-02-2024 08:11 Milei’s game plan is straightforward enough. Unfortunately, as governments the world over are well aware, squeezing the money supply is always a painful process. by James Neilson
As I see it The dreaded Orange Man is on the way back 27-01-2024 06:16 Versions of the same drama, in which upstarts successfully take on those who believe themselves entitled to lord it over everybody else, are being staged in many parts of the world where ordinary folk feel they are getting a raw deal. by James Neilson
As I see it Milei goes to the Magic Mountain 20-01-2024 06:53 What goes down splendidly with teenagers in La Matanza does not necessarily appeal to fabulously wealthy individuals who could be persuaded to invest in Milei’s ambitious project. by James Neilson
As I see it The Kirchnerites have Milei in their sights 13-01-2024 06:21 The fate of the new government will depend largely on Milei’s ability to persuade people that the fearful emergency he goes on about is not just a figment of an overheated imagination but something terribly real. by James Neilson
As I see it Doomsday prophecies are back in fashion 06-01-2024 07:28 There are signs that the current vogue for doomsday prophecies is having a more demoralising effect than previous ones. by James Neilson
As I see it For many politicians, payback time has arrived 31-12-2023 08:16 President Javier Milei, who wants to reshape Argentina from the ground up, is already being besieged by furious Kirchnerites, trade union bosses and “social movement” activists. by James Neilson
As I see it People everywhere want change 23-12-2023 06:09 As democracy depends on the majority feeling satisfied with its lot, the sour mood that is affecting large chunks of the population in high-income countries is causing anguish among those who fear that authoritarianism could make a comeback. by James Neilson
As I see it Javier Milei meets Mr Micawber 16-12-2023 06:23 As happened to Mr Micawber on one occasion, Argentina continues to languish in debtors’ prison. People here are well aware of this unfortunate fact, which is why Milei has won popular backing for the ruthless cost-cutting programme that is now underway. by James Neilson
As I see it Milei steps into the breach 09-12-2023 03:53 Javier Milei will soon find that completely reshaping a long-established political and economic order is sure to be a terribly difficult undertaking. by James Neilson
As I see it A president without money to spend 02-12-2023 09:56 For any government, whether populist, neoliberal, Trotskyite or flat-earthist, catering to the pressing needs of the millions of people who are on welfare would remain a huge problem. by James Neilson
OBITUARY A personal tribute: Maud Daverio de Cox, 1931-2023 02-12-2023 08:44 Maud Daverio de Cox's story is quite rightly centred on human rights, but the late 92-year-old was remarkable woman and loyal wife who shone through her writing despite a brutal battle with blindness. by Michael Soltys
OBITUARY Maud Daverio de Cox, author indelibly linked to dictatorship era, dies at 92 01-12-2023 11:38 Author Maud Daverio de Cox, the wife of former 'Buenos Aires Herald' editor Robert Cox who helped expose abuses perpetrated by 1976-1983 military dictatorship, passes away aged 92. by James Grainger
As I see it Javier Milei has a steep mountain to climb 25-11-2023 14:25 Is a “change of mentality” taking place? We should soon know the answer to that particular question – much will depend on how people react to the hard times that are barrelling towards us. by James Neilson
As I see it Who is the scarier? 17-11-2023 00:27 Seeing that from the very beginning whoever wins will be forced to take measures that make life even more difficult for many who voted for him, he could become very unpopular indeed well before he has settled in. by James Neilson
As I see it What Israel is up against 10-11-2023 14:42 While there can be no doubt that on October 7 the Israelis let their guard slip, the complacency many had evidently come to feel now belongs to the past. by James Neilson
As I see it Mauricio Macri’s takeover bid 04-11-2023 05:36 Why did Mauricio Macri decide to throw in his lot with a certifiable nutcase? One reason is his contempt for Massa. Another, presumably the main one, is his belief that he can take advantage of Milei. by James Neilson
As I see it The chameleon versus the dog-man 28-10-2023 04:14 On Sunday, much of the electorate let Bullrich and her backers know that the last thing it wanted was a dose of realism, no matter how small, and sent her packing. by James Neilson
As I see it Judgement Day finally arrives 20-10-2023 05:11 Nobody has much idea as to which of the three main contenders will come first or second, but all conceivable outcomes look likely to make a terrible situation even worse. by James Neilson
As I see it Wars of religion are far from over 14-10-2023 05:24 When faced by an utterly ruthless movement, half-measures that allow a battered enemy to recover from his wounds and strike again can be worse than useless. This is the dilemma facing Israel today. by James Neilson
as i see it Corruption as a way of life 07-10-2023 06:55 In Argentina, there are thousands of men and women who, like Martín Insaurralde, have grown accustomed to milking the country’s political institutions. by James Neilson
As I see it Swamp creatures have Milei surrounded 30-09-2023 05:50 Like Trump, Milei owes his success to his apparent determination to “drain the swamp.” Many of these slimy creatures, aware of the danger he posed, soon began crawling towards him in search of refuge. He is now surrounded by them. by James Neilson
As I see it Who will wield the chainsaw? 23-09-2023 05:00 The marked reluctance of Peronist and Radical politicians to countenance anything that smacks of austerity has not made many Argentines better off. On the contrary, it is the main reason living standards for most have declined. by James Neilson
As I see it An election campaign like no other 16-09-2023 05:42 As far as Sergio Massa is concerned, the short term is all that matters. He takes it for granted that, once in office, he will be able to do whatever it takes to repair the damage. by James Neilson
As I see it The wild ride of Javier Milei 09-09-2023 05:40 After having given the world such “iconic” political novelties as Evita Perón and Che Guevara, Argentina has come up with another: Javier Milei. by James Neilson
As I see it A sense of impending doom 02-09-2023 06:17 There are plenty of reasons to feel gloomy about the prospects facing not just the West but also the available alternatives. by James Neilson
As I see it Things are getting hotter by the moment 26-08-2023 06:37 It is becoming more difficult for the Peronists to deny they have had anything to do with Argentina’s fall from grace.
As I see it The real campaign is about to start 19-08-2023 08:14 Attractive as letting Milei take a wrecking ball to the established order may be, it would probably be better for most if someone a bit less eccentric took charge. by James Neilson
As I see it Electioneering has become a way of life 11-08-2023 07:20 For most of the rest of the year almost all politicians are preoccupied with electioneering than with anything else even though the country is cart-wheeling towards a monumental disaster. by James Neilson
As I see it The great squeeze is already underway 06-08-2023 19:13 When money is in short supply, even the most talented politicians soon find themselves in trouble. by James Neilson
As I see it Zigzagging on the way to the top 15-07-2023 06:58 Were Massa to overcome the odds stacked against him and win the forthcoming election, he would be most unlikely to let himself be bossed around by Cristina or anyone else. by James Neilson
As I see it Getting from here to there 08-07-2023 06:55 All four serious presidential hopefuls strike financiers and businessmen as “right-wingers” who are properly determined to put an end to populist folly. For believers in free enterprise, it is a welcome development. by James Neilson
JOURNALISM & HUMAN RIGHTS Robert Cox awarded honorary doctorate by Rosario University 28-06-2023 22:42 “Journalism can save lives,” declares the former editor of ‘Buenos Aires Herald’ newspaper as he is honoured for his ethics and quest for truth during the military dictatorship’s era of state terrorism.
As I see it Prospects for demagogues look bright 17-06-2023 06:58 When people come to the conclusion that they simply cannot trust run-of-the-mill democratic politicians to do anything that might make their lives easier because they are in cahoots with the rich, they will turn to populists who at least appear to share their way of thinking. by James Neilson
As I see it The fading lure of consensus politics 10-06-2023 06:28 It would be better for everyone, apart from the gung-ho Kirchnerites, if the leaders of Juntos por el Cambio were to make an effort to show that, despite their differences, they still have much in common. by James Neilson
As I see it Let them eat abstractions 03-06-2023 06:03 Alberto’s successor had better come up with some appealing slogans and as exciting a narrative as those deployed by his tyrannical friends. by James Neilson
As I see it Things from cyberspace 27-05-2023 06:47 As well as having nightmares about what would happen to us were a self-programming AI machine to free itself from human control, researchers fear they could be providing evil humans with tools which, like nuclear bombs, would make it easier for them to cause great harm. by James Neilson
As I see it The queen bee is leaving the hive 20-05-2023 07:00 Unfortunately for Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and for the movement that sprung up around her, almost all her acolytes are minor figures, as are most of her allies. by James Neilson
As I see it On planet K, the rule of law is undemocratic 13-05-2023 08:41 The attempt to impeach the four members of the Supreme Court is going nowhere, and the government’s predictably furious reaction is unlikely to enhance its image either here or in the rest of the world. by James Neilson
As I see it Waiting to step into Alberto’s shoes 29-04-2023 05:14 No matter who wins the electoral contest that is getting underway, he or she will face the dilemmas that Alberto refused to confront. by James Neilson
As I see it Cartwheeling towards chaos 22-04-2023 06:45 A programme of government based on nothing more than contempt, whether deserved or not, for almost everything that already exists would be most unlikely to make life better for the country’s inhabitants. by James Neilson
As I see it And we all fall down 15-04-2023 06:28 Unless Argentina gets a genuine government before the year is out, there will be nothing left standing between her and what could be a truly cataclysmic disaster. by James Neilson
As I see it Politicians playing with fire 08-04-2023 06:29 Much of the population is in a very angry mood. Unless the authorities do more to deter criminals, many more politicians could get roughed up whenever they venture into unfriendly territory. by James Neilson
As I see it What now for Mauricio Macri? 31-03-2023 14:08 Now that Macri has made public his decision to sit out the next presidential elections, his friends, enemies and the many whose opinions about him are mixed are asking what he intends to do in the coming months and years. by James Neilson
As I see it Make way for the climate bomb 25-03-2023 05:09 Although most agree that global warming is a genuine problem, they are unwilling to impoverish themselves in an attempt to solve it. by James Neilson
And that reminds me… Marching in March 24-03-2023 12:49 There is every reason to keep Memory Day alive for generations to come. by Michael Soltys