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AR15.COM
4/8/2009 12:51:17 PM EDT
Argentina

Jeffrey  Kuhner ,  Washington Times.     2/21/09

The disastrous path on which  America is currently embarked was tried in another country. A fact not well known is that  Argentina , prior to World War II, was an economic powerhouse. Beginning in the 1880s and continuing through the 1920s and 1930s, it was regarded as one of the most prosperous and advanced nations in the world. Then Juan Peron and his wife Eva took control in the 1940s until a coup in 1955 ousted them from power.

Argentina had a strong industrial base, thriving agricultural exports, huge cattle ranches, and a broad and expanding middle class. Like  America , it served as a magnet for immigrants from all over the world, especially Italians. Within 15 years under the Perons,  Argentina , however, went from being one of the richest to one of the poorest countries. To date it has never fully recovered.

Upon coming to office, Peron, along with his popular beautiful wife, Eva, created a state characterized by lavish social spending, elaborate welfare programs, protectionism, confiscatory taxation, and runaway deficits. Juan Peron used class warfare rhetoric. He attacked big business, the banks, the private corporations, and the propertied class. He gave the labor unions power and made them pivotal allies of his regime. Then Peron expanded the bloated government bureaucracy to intervene in every aspect of business and life, which led to internal corruption.

Peron's central socialist economic planning destroyed industrial productivity and growth. The world's investment capital fled. Taxes, inflation, unemployment, and interest rates soared and the middle class was wiped out. Finally, an independent judiciary and media ceased to exist. Eva's cult of supporters fostered a climate of violence and political enemies of the regime were exterminated. Argentina degenerated into the typical debt-ridden Latin American country that it still is today.

The failure of  Argentina under Peron should serve as a warning to us. Socialism and a sky-rocketing debt can permanently impoverish even the wealthiest of nations and  America is not immune from the laws of economics.

Obama is taking the first dangerous steps toward an American version of Peronism. His followers see him as a political messiah and a revolutionary change agent. He and the Democrats are plundering the country, using it as a vehicle to reward supporters and punish foes. They plan to confiscate wealth by taxing the rich and successful business class. Obama's plan to do away with secret ballets will strengthen the labor unions. His wife, Michelle, is the Eva Peron of our time, a glamorous, chic, socialist fashion trend-setter who is beloved by the media.

Just remember, "Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it


4/8/2009 12:54:40 PM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:
Argentina

Jeffrey  Kuhner ,  Washington Times.     2/21/09

The disastrous path on which  America is currently embarked was tried in another country. A fact not well known is that  Argentina , prior to World War II, was an economic powerhouse. Beginning in the 1880s and continuing through the 1920s and 1930s, it was regarded as one of the most prosperous and advanced nations in the world. Then Juan Peron and his wife Eva took control in the 1940s until a coup in 1955 ousted them from power.

Argentina had a strong industrial base, thriving agricultural exports, huge cattle ranches, and a broad and expanding middle class. Like  America , it served as a magnet for immigrants from all over the world, especially Italians. Within 15 years under the Perons,  Argentina , however, went from being one of the richest to one of the poorest countries. To date it has never fully recovered.

Upon coming to office, Peron, along with his popular beautiful wife, Eva, created a state characterized by lavish social spending, elaborate welfare programs, protectionism, confiscatory taxation, and runaway deficits. Juan Peron used class warfare rhetoric. He attacked big business, the banks, the private corporations, and the propertied class. He gave the labor unions power and made them pivotal allies of his regime. Then Peron expanded the bloated government bureaucracy to intervene in every aspect of business and life, which led to internal corruption.

Peron's central socialist economic planning destroyed industrial productivity and growth. The world's investment capital fled. Taxes, inflation, unemployment, and interest rates soared and the middle class was wiped out. Finally, an independent judiciary and media ceased to exist. Eva's cult of supporters fostered a climate of violence and political enemies of the regime were exterminated. Argentina degenerated into the typical debt-ridden Latin American country that it still is today.

The failure of  Argentina under Peron should serve as a warning to us. Socialism and a sky-rocketing debt can permanently impoverish even the wealthiest of nations and  America is not immune from the laws of economics.

Obama is taking the first dangerous steps toward an American version of Peronism. His followers see him as a political messiah and a revolutionary change agent. He and the Democrats are plundering the country, using it as a vehicle to reward supporters and punish foes. They plan to confiscate wealth by taxing the rich and successful business class. Obama's plan to do away with secret ballets will strengthen the labor unions. His wife, Michelle, is the Eva Peron of our time, a glamorous, chic, socialist fashion trend-setter who is beloved by the media.

Just remember, "Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it




And we are headed there on a bullet train.......

4/8/2009 1:12:25 PM EDT
[#2]
We can complain all we want, but what are we going to do to stop it?
4/8/2009 1:20:43 PM EDT
[#3]
We've been on the Argentine path for some time actually, Obama is just speeding up the process.

A thorough study of what happened in Argentina over the past century would do anyone a lot of good though, the parallels really are striking.
4/8/2009 1:28:32 PM EDT
[#4]
Very good article. The author is dead on.

Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile
4/8/2009 1:53:23 PM EDT
[#5]



Quoted:


We can complain all we want, but what are we going to do to stop it?


I suppose you would have to wipe out the lower class as a whole one way or another?
Or simply remove the right to vote from them.



 
4/8/2009 1:59:08 PM EDT
[#6]
Can you post the link to the article?

Thanks
4/8/2009 2:04:08 PM EDT
[#7]
Fail.  Not a good analogy.  Eva Peron was good looking.
4/8/2009 2:22:42 PM EDT
[#8]
Attack big business? He's padding big business' wallets. If anything we're going in the opposite direction of Argentina.
4/8/2009 2:39:29 PM EDT
[#9]




Too true.

4/8/2009 2:42:44 PM EDT
[#10]
In the late 80's they had 1300% inflation.

My Dad helped privatize some of their industries in 1992-3.
4/8/2009 2:57:31 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
Or simply remove the right to vote from them.
 


Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me.
4/8/2009 3:05:30 PM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:

Quoted:
We can complain all we want, but what are we going to do to stop it?

I suppose you would have to wipe out the lower class as a whole one way or another? Or simply remove the right to vote from them.
 


Sounds good to me.

Not a net contributor to the tax base = no right to vote.

4/8/2009 3:21:40 PM EDT
[#13]
That's bull, he is padding the unions within big business
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