Editorial The Pact of May (or maybe?) 09-03-2024 06:30 This month and the next stand to be the eye of a perfect storm – a rare moment in the always abnormal Argentine economy which is a nightmare for spenders and savers alike.
EDITORIAL Pouring oil on the flames 02-03-2024 05:57 If the spark that lit the fire was the threat of Chubut’s PRO Governor Ignacio Torres to cut off all oil and gas unless the cutbacks were reversed, this might appear a wild outburst – but it was less random and accidental than it might seem.
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
EDITORIAL Poverty also in the debate 24-02-2024 06:08 Discussing figures is one thing and denialism quite another – this applies to the human rights debate and it also applies to poverty.
EDITORIAL The summer of our discontent 17-02-2024 06:14 There is every reason to fear a vicious circle of devaluation and inflation continuing.
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
EDITORIAL Who crashed the omnibus? 10-02-2024 06:47 The government must be considered the chief architect of the self-destruction of its megalomaniac omnibus bill.
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
EDITORIAL An omnibus not for everybody 02-02-2024 14:46 Uncertainty is by no means limited to the final outcome of Javier Milei's bill in Congress.
EDITORIAL The four horsemen 27-01-2024 07:35 The general strike should be deemed not so much a success or a failure as a somewhat irrelevant blip within what gives every indication of being a long hot summer and a traumatic year.
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
EDITORIAL More holes than a Swiss cheese? 20-01-2024 06:57 No matter the distance from home, Argentine leaders always seem to be speaking to domestic galleries when addressing international audiences.
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
EDITORIAL Prices out of the market 12-01-2024 15:24 President Milei wants to avoid the failures of Mauricio Macri’s gradualism but the shock approach might have too short a fuse.
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
Editorial His own worst enemy? 06-01-2024 06:06 By multiplying the contents in its economic deregulation package, the government has only multiplied the already formidable obstacles lying ahead in Congress, adding the physical impossibility of finding the time to the stiff challenges of gaining approval with only tiny caucuses of almost embarrassingly raw legislators.
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
EDITORIAL An electoral 2023 ends... and an electric 2024 begins 31-12-2023 08:14 The standard greeting of “Happy New Year” would represent wishful thinking rather than any real expectations when it comes to 2024, as President Javier Milei would be the first to insist.
EDITORIAL Will crunch come to Grinch? 23-12-2023 06:55 While opinions are divided on whether Milei is finally transforming Argentina into a modern country or going disastrously wrong, there is a third option – that he is going nowhere in particular.
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
EDITORIAL Exit Alberto... and enter Milei 09-12-2023 08:01 Milei has to be seen as a work in progress – even if many would see him as a piece of work. But one thing is certain, he is where the buck stops, as from today.
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
EDITORIAL The beginning of the end? 02-12-2023 10:18 If the popular vote failed to rally to defend acquired rights against Milei’s chainsaw, it is because those rights have been emptied for too many people falling outside the system.
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
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
EDITORIAL Destination unknown 25-11-2023 13:34 Milei is a man of multiple contradictions too numerous for this space but he is about to face the biggest contradiction of them all – the outsider is days away from going inside.
EDITORIAL A long road ends and a journey begins 18-11-2023 06:08 Nothing ends irreversibly tomorrow – rather than any apocalypse now, it needs to be seen within the grander context of these four continuing decades of democracy.
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
EDITORIAL When two’s not company but three’s still a crowd 04-11-2023 05:00 A run-off normally reduces politics to its purest binary logic as a simple either/or proposition but the upcoming showdown between Sergio Massa and Javier Milei is rather more complex.
EDITORIAL Decline and fall 28-10-2023 04:58 An internal crisis was always in the offing for Juntos por el Cambio but nobody was expecting the fragile unity to explode so openly within 48 hours.
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
EDITORIAL Tomorrow never knows 21-10-2023 05:46 Tomorrow is the time to go beyond day-day thinking and ponder the next four years.
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
EDITORIAL We’ve got the blues again 14-10-2023 05:20 Regardless of whether Milei is an economic terrorist or whether the government is the architect of its own destruction, the problems caused by the extreme volatility of this week’s four-digit dollar are all too real with panic price increases across the board.
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
EDITORIAL Of dirty money and ‘dirty wars’ 07-10-2023 06:40 With corruption being rubbed in its face by Insaurralde’s Marbella yacht jaunt and with the ballot-box in only a fortnight’s time as a readymade outlet, how will the citizenry react?
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
EDITORIAL The poverty of politics 30-09-2023 05:00 One can only tremble at what levels poverty might reach for the second half of this year after last month’s double-digit inflation.
EDITORIAL Of electoral and constitutional triangles 23-09-2023 05:05 Winning on October 22 will not be the end of the story.
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
EDITORIAL Cheaper by the dozen? 16-09-2023 05:47 While there is more than one reading of Sergio Massa’s tax cuts, all lead to more inflation. If one side of political polarisation blames the fiscal deficit for rising prices and the other business greed, both are simplistic.
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
EDITORIAL It’s not just the economy, stupid! 09-09-2023 05:25 In the last general elections in 2019 PASO primary winner Alberto Fernández was seconded by a woman whom nobody underestimated and today’s PASO primary winner Milei is seconded by a woman who perhaps should not be underestimated either.