The Crazy Rants of Samantha BurnsLBW
Yet again, I have some stuff for Sat. and Sun., and I'll see you Monday.
Consider this an open thread and open trackbacks.
If you are wanting a conversation starter, how about this one...
Are the Argentininny's wrong or right for protesting the Americas Summit,?
Does trashing and looting help bring awareness to the cause/protest?
Will a free trade agreement be beneficial for Argentina? Who is it benefiting most or is it an equal opportunity, and what will those benefits or hindrances be? Is Chavez and followers wrong or is the FTAA wrong?
Comments
Enjoy your weekend, Samantha!
By the way, the new design for the blog is great - the colors are high-contrast but light and subtle.
Posted by: Dossy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.samanthaburns.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
November 5, 2005 05:51 AM
Right or wrong, the Argies should be allowed to protest.
Posted by: Haddock | November 5, 2005 07:58 AM
These trouble makers in Argentina are part of the same international bunch of agitators that show up at all these events.
Posted by: Howard Larson | November 5, 2005 08:39 AM
They should be allowed to protest, just as we should be allowed to head-slap them, for their stupidity.
Hugo Chavez, and the mindless protesters don't have the first clue what capitalism and free trade are.
Posted by: Wonder Woman | November 5, 2005 11:12 AM
Argentina is ranked 114th (out of 161 countries) on the index of economic freedom, "mostly unfree", with a rating of 3.49 (where 1 is best and 5 is worst), down from a high of 2.23 in 2000.
So I'd say their economy is substantially broken and needs fixing. Free trade is a part of the solution, but only a part; economic reform and a crackdown on official and financial corruption are also vital. If I were an activist, I'd be protesting to tell those responsible to do their frickin' jobs.
From what I saw on the news, though, the protestors seem largely to hate the US and President Bush. I assume that a large proportion of the protesters equate free trade and international financial talks with big companies and governments taking all their money... and respond, in a deliberate manner, by smashing stuff and setting stuff on fire.
My opinion, for what it's worth: if you think it's worth it, protest, by all means. Don't be too surprised, if your protest is violent, when the cops call out the riot squad. Like free trade in an economic solution, protest is only a part of an effective activist solution. To be effective, you have to have an achievable goal, and a means of achieving it. Smashing stuff isn't protesting. It's barbarism, and it detracts from the efforts of thoughtful, peaceful protest.
Posted by: Hiraethin | November 5, 2005 03:33 PM
Somewhere a cartoonist is drawing a political cartoon with a crowd of Argentinian protestors barging into a room full of dusty bones, cell blocks, and party favors with a banner in the background that reads "welcome to communism" hanging in the background. All the while, one of the mustachioed Guevara-wannabes looks on, and says: "it looks like we're late to the party!"
Posted by: Old tin hat | November 8, 2005 07:39 PM