READERS WRITE

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS A few days ago, both of the Fernándezes, Alberto and Cristina, made their appearance at the Estadio Único Stadium, in my city, La Plata. They’ve been doing this quite often lately, playing make believe that there’s some sort of harmony between them, on the eve of the PASO primary elections. Once again, Cristina scolded her appointed president publicly, advised him to stay calm, not to get angry or upset, and even interrupted his speech by grabbing his microphone. Unbelievably rude, I’d say. But, once again, he didn’t seem to care. On the contrary, he smiled and said she was right, as always. I felt embarrassed on behalf of him – it seems he doesn’t mind being told off by her. At one point, he also said he sometimes forgets he’s the president of Argentina, and tries to behave as anybody else, a the man on the street. That’s quite dangerous, because in fact he has lots of responsibilities, duties and obligations that should never be overlooked or skipped. After blaming his wife for the socalled “Olivos-gate” scandal, his image has declined dramatically, and the vice-president’s public attitude towards him only makes matters worse.

Irene Bianchi, Ringuelet, La Plata

FAMILY SCAPEGOATING

The clandestine birthday party held at the Olivos presidential residence on July 14, 2020, helps us complete the personality puzzle of both the president and his partner. She strikes me as a lady who is disconnected from the world around her, as if she were unable to pay conscious attention to nothing other than her birthday party at a time when the president’s decree made it mandatory to respect the Covid-19 lockdown. As for him, the fact that he did not hesitate to lay the blame on his partner reminds me of Family Scapegoating, a book by Family Therapist Rebecca Mandeville, in which she deals with the habit of unfairly shaming and blaming a member of the family, which amounts to real abuse. It is customary for a husband to protect his partner but the president did not seem ready to make himself accountable for breaking the lockdown and instead he resorted to “scapegoating,” an action that does not befit a president. Once again another blunder and what we are able to see is not a flattering picture.

Adrian Insaubralde, Santa Fe

DISRUPTION

Whatever the result of the coming elections, whichever coalition comes out on top, it is my gut feeling that the first half of 2022 will include a political disruption of great importance to the future of Argentina. Not that I foresee a constitutional interruption in any way, but we very probably will once again witness the ‘all should go’ demand on our streets by common citizens, just as in 2001.

But there is a difference, because although this demand will relate politicians of all colours, on this occasion there will be a few exceptions, and these will consist of disruptive characters, persons who are out to push for real changes like, for instance, Patricia Bullrich, Javier Milei, even maybe Ricardo López Murphy, and of course, others who are not yet in the limelight.

The youth factor will have an important influence on coming events. Inasmuch as our youngsters in general became extremely indifferent to politics during the last two decades, since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic a sizeable sector of well-educated middle-class youths, opposed to the idea of migrating abroad, has taken an active interest in civic activities. They are utterly bored, if not quite disgusted, with routine politicians, and are backing those few that are offering disruptive programmes designed to shake up our institutions and create new conditions which can bring about a new take-off, similar to what happened in 1880.

So, if my reckoning is correct and my hopes are confirmed, 2022 will see a dynamic change in our political scene which will have an enormously positive influence on the results of the 2023 general elections. I am crossing my fingers that my bearings are correct, because “It’s the Republic, darn it”!

Harry Ingham, City

BATTLE OF THE BULGE: PART 157

Dear sirs,

How right renowned British Historian Niall Ferguson was last year when he forecast that Argentina could ill afford a strict and overlong lockdown. He implied that we would be ‘going down the tubes.’ As far as we know, no local politician took him up on this. On top of it all, less than a quarter of the local population has received ‘two jabs,’ at the time of going to press. Very sad. Let’s see what the midterm elections reveal, in less than three months time. Hope springs eternal! Bust wishes,

David Parsons, via email