viernes, 28 de octubre de 2011
For those about to Occupy... we salute you!
I'd like to share the latest political news from Argentina
(which you may have heard or read about already), toghether with some
other interesting related data.
There's been a Presidential election last sunday, won by Cristina Kirchner with 54% of the votes (the sum of the candidates in second, third and fourth place -out of 7- was 36%). It came to me as a familiar number, and i recently figured out why.
There's been a Presidential election last sunday, won by Cristina Kirchner with 54% of the votes (the sum of the candidates in second, third and fourth place -out of 7- was 36%). It came to me as a familiar number, and i recently figured out why.
The magic number
Let's see some of the latest presidential election results in Latin America:
Bolivia
Morales: ~54% in 2005 and reelected in 2009 with 63%.
Venezuela
Chavez: 60% in 2001 and reelected in 2007 with 63%.
Ecuador
Correa: 57% in 2005 and reelected in 2009 with ~54%.
The point I really want to address with all this -trying no to go all Paul Krugmanish- is the wide and deep support there has been for movements that gave transparency (Argentina's Law on Audiovisual Media) and citizen participation a mayor impulse (Venezuela's new Constitution thanks to a Constitutional Amendment referendum passed with 71%). It could be argued these are developing countries and their democracy is yet immature. But everything, always, is analysed inside a context, a philosophical and chronological frame, and relative to personal and collective experiences. In that same train of thought, we should question if developed countries defaulting their debt (Greece's "50% debt restructuring" is an excesively mild term) reveals maturity and whether or not deep social and representational crisis in developed countries has something to do with it.
Out of this world
Since I'm writing from Latin America (the 20th century
shock therapy lab), I feel compelled to publicize the turn
of events in these latitudes, and their direct connection with the so
called "Arab Spring" toghether with the "Occupy ..." movements in the Northern Hemisphere.
Let this be a little "heads up" to everyone now that the digital divide, the fiercest modern enemy of equality, is being tackled firmly by distributing netbooks (Uruguay, Argentina) and making and monitoring satellites like SAC-D at home.
Maybe the next one gives free internet to everyone...
