READERS WRITE

A STABLE REAL VERSUS A WEAK PESO

It seems that both the Government and opposition are exploring the possibility of having a common currency with Brazil who is our biggest commercial partner within Mercosur. Maybe we can start by replacing our weak peso with a new national currency that is equal to one brazilian real. This will mean that our government will not be able to spend more than it collects, because Argentina’s Central Bank can’t print reales. Also a monetary reform like in Germany in 1948 may be necessary to eliminate the deficit generated by the LELIQS. If all goes well, in the future we can have a common currency for all Mercosur countries with a common central bank that is independent from its governments (like the euro and the EU).

Luis Spallarossa, via email

BURNS NIGHT

Last week we had the chance to take our mind off this hectic world and for a moment allow Robert Burns’ ‘A Red Red Rose,’ one of the best-known poems of Scottish lyricism, to reverberate in our head . On January 25 the Scots celebrate Burns Night by treating themselves to traditional food and the best bagpipe tunes and songs. We, in Argentina, are too far to be part of the celebration but we can at least recall an easy-to-remember poem by Burns that describes true love with the red colour of roses symbolising passion and as an eternal commitment through the image of a sand glass:

I will love thee still, my dear,

While the sands o´life shall run.

A lot of us have committed this poem to memory because it is uplifting and because it reminds us that distance makes the heart grow fonder.

And fare thee weel , my only luve! And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my luve, Though it were ten thousand mile.

Every year, like in the poem, the Scottish bard comes again to instill pride to his people, a country made up of brave lads and lasses.

Adrian Insaubralde, Santa Fe

COMMUNITY VS RUPTURE

Misquoting Albert Einstein somewhat, the phrase goes “applying the same methods you get the same results.” For more than 70 years our country has been subject, with very brief interruptions, to a continuous repetition of the same corporativist and statist ways of conducting our political, economical and social affairs, this resulting in an unending decadence of the nation. Consequently it is obvious that, if we want to see Argentina come out of this tailspin, a rupture in the proceedings must most definitely take place. But who are the leaders we can trust to take us down the new highway? Obviously the Peronistas and the Kirchneristas, who are deeply stuck in the old methods, have had their day and are washed up. Not to mention flipflop Massa and his very liquid renovadores.

But the trouble is that the opposition is also infested with corporativists. As an example of this take the two Martins. Redrado, Nestor Kirchner’s Central Bank chief, has been swinging from side to side over the years and has very recently been appointed strategic affairs secretary in the City government, which makes one wonder what is going on in the head of prominent dove Horacio Rodriguez Larreta. Or Lousteau, economy minister for Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, another flipflopper who in his time showed a highly negative attitude towards farmers and hopes to be voted in as next city mayor.

If we want rupture to occur, in the next elections we definitely will have to weed out these and many more unconvertible corporativists keeping our eyes and ears wide open. Give me the hawks, because: “It’s the Republic, dammit”!

Harry Ingham, City

ALBERTO’S WISHFUL THINKING

Last Wednesday Alberto Fernández visited Chaco, Jorge ‘Coqui’ Capitanich’s feudal province, and insisted that his administration has handled the pandemic quite successfully. He probably thinks we have already forgotten all about the ‘VIP vaccine scandal’ that led to the resignation of Health Minister Ginés

Gonzalez García.

Believe or not, Fernández thinks he could be re-elected, in spite of all his failures. Therefore, I would advise him not to remind us of this and other scandals (Olivosgate, for example), ’cause that would go against his own interests. Another piece of advice: please, don’t underestimate us citizens. Truth to tell, I envy his self-esteem if he really believes he’ll win the next general election. His nonsensical self-delusion is beyond my comprehension.

Irene Bianchi, Ringuelet, La Plata A STABLE REAL VERSUS A WEAK PESO

In the last two weeks I bought fruit and vegetables in various different shops. It led me to a conclusion Used car dealers, real-estate agents and politicians are not the most dishonest salespeople. Fruit and vegetable salesmen are! They insist on choosing for you and no matter how hard you try, they will manage to stick you with some green, damaged or overripe produce. I also went to the butcher in our small rural town and asked to buy sausage

(salchicha) He said could not make any because he could not get the imported skin that the sausages are made in. He understood that the imports had been stopped by the government. I asked another butcher and got the same answer. Can you imagine if there were no salchicha or chorizo available? Half of Argentina would be up in arms.

Henry Whitney, via email