Cuba and Brazil.

I would not consider Argentinians to be Americanized. Quiet the contrary. I find them smart witty and well educated. Their cinema for example is top notch. Also they do not have many problems Brazilian society has to deal with. I just watched Pixote and Bus 174 and Brazil does have some serious issues to deal with.

 

I've heard this before! Americans don't like to admit their violent tendencies. Take "futbol americano": you've got about a dozen players now that have developed permanent dementia from the repeated brain injuries of the sport. And 90% of the NFL players can barely walk once they reach their forties due to back, knee and hip injuries. Most avid football fans know this but still scream their lungs out every Sunday. Our kids video games are incredibly violent. We admire the Special Forces and literally hundreds of thousands of us will show up for a show of the Thunderbirds. And wasn't it just a few years ago that Gladiator won best picture?

I'm afraid it's "in our blood"...

 

This doesn't make sense to me: you'll have to explain more. Many emerging countries have adopted, at least to significant extent, the "American Model" with important successes. Furthermore, why use Argentina? Why not use Chilie? Chili's adoption of such policies has to led to the following per Wikipedia:

"From the beginning of the reforms of the Chicago Boys in 1975 through 1986, there was almost no growth in per-capita GDP, a decline in per capita consumption (unclear, but around 15%) and an (overall) increase in unemployment from 4.8% to 14%. Chile's annual growth in per capita real income from 1985 to 1996 averaged 7%, far above the rest of Latin America. [1] Since then the economy has averaged 7-percent annual growth[citation needed], raising per capita income for Chile's 16-million citizens to more than $10,000[citation needed] and creating a thriving middle class[citation needed]. This growth stagnated in 1997, with GDP rising by only a small margin between 1997 and 2002.[18]"

And take Korea and Ireland: they have opened up their economies much more in the American sense and have enjoyed tremendous growth. Are you saying that, in general, Brazilians think that Chili, Ireland, Korea and some of the other emerging markets have made a big mistake?

 

You got close.
The only source of income for Cuba is tourism, sexual tourism, that's ir (read prostitution).

By the way who cares about cuba? The caribbean Zimbabwe?

 

SA, econ is good down here because of housing+credit boom+FOREIGN SPECULATION. Down here we watch the news with disgust. Corruption and violence dominate 80% of the news. The same way the USA find ways to capitalize on everything from airport carts to parking fees, thiefs and politicians down here find ways to break every profitable system we invent. I see this stuff going on everyday. Stop by one of these days and see for yourself. Brazil has a long way to go to build an economy that can be long lasting. I can't wait to find some bargain houses here soon.

 

I care about Cuba. I love their culture, music, cigars and dare I say ..... women (platonicly nowadays since I am a happily married man).
As for prostitution, I admit, it exists there but you show me a country where it does not.
If you want to further your knowledge about Cuba watch a movie titled "Bitter Sugar" ( I stopped recommending books long time ago since most people are familiar with only one kind of book these days: .... phone books.

Comparing Cuba to Zimbabwe is harsh and uncalled for.

 

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Saxon22: “I would not consider Argentinians to be Americanized. Quiet the contrary. I find them smart witty and well educated.”


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February 26, 2008

SouthAmerica: In the decade from 1990 to year 2000, influenced by Washington economic policies and American economic gospel - Argentina became the new star and the showcase for free-market economics, economic restructuring, and government privatizations (the Argentinean government privatized everything in sight; including the zoo in Buenos Aires during that decade).

It did not take long for an Argentinean meltdown, which became also a Latin American meltdown in the early 2000’s.

I remember watching on the 6 o'clock news the people banging on bank doors in Argentina and Uruguay, begging the banks to let them withdraw their own money. At that time most people in Argentina saw all their life savings going up in smoke and there was nothing that they can do to recuperate their losses. The money was gone! The country Argentina was bankrupt and broke!

And after hyping Argentina as its poster country regarding a country that had adopted all the economic policies suggested by Washington – there was no American bailout for the Argentinean economy – there was just a complete economic collapse and meltdown.


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I was referring to the following part of your post:

"Since the economic collapse of Argentina, that country became a symbol for people who want to follow the American ideas and intellect."

While I agree with the economic analysis, I do not think Argentinians became more americanized as far as culture and society goes. Peace!

 

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ShoeshineBoy: “This doesn't make sense to me: you'll have to explain more. Many emerging countries have adopted, at least to significant extent, the "American Model" with important successes. Furthermore, why use Argentina? Why not use Chilie? Chili's adoption of such policies… And take Korea and Ireland: they have opened up their economies much more in the American sense and have enjoyed tremendous growth. Are you saying that, in general, Brazilians think that Chili, Ireland, Korea and some of the other emerging markets have made a big mistake?”



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February 26, 2008

SouthAmerica: Here is some basic info about each country and some comments.


Argentina:

Population: 40,301,927 (July 2007 est.)

Area: total: 2,766,890 sq km

GDP (official exchange rate): $245.6 billion (2007 est.)


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Chile:

Population: 16,284,741 (July 2007 est.)

Area: total: 756,950 sq km

GDP (official exchange rate): $107.7 billion (2007 est.)


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Ireland:

Population: 4,109,086 (July 2007 est.)

Area: total: 70,280 sq km

GDP (official exchange rate): $219.7 billion (2007 est.)


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South Korea:

Population: 49,044,790 (July 2007 est.)

Area: total: 98,480 sq km

GDP (official exchange rate): $823.8 billion (2007 est.)



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Ireland it is just a small country with a small population that benefited from a good location and they also benefited from its close business relation with England and the US - And Ireland’s economy has also benefited greatly because they belong to the European Union.

The Chilean economy it was transformed by the rule of a ruthless dictator.

The South Korean economy benefited from 55 years of an American military occupation (keeping 60,000 American soldiers in South Korea during all this time pumped billions, and billions of US dollars into that economy.) And South Korea also benefited from pig backing in the economic success of the Japanese economy.

The occupation explanation also applies to Japan, since the US has maintained over 50,000 soldiers in that country since the end of WW II.

On the other hand, the Argentinean experiment with American economic concepts of free market economy, privatization and so on…it has proved to be a complete disaster for Argentina.


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'As for prostitution, I admit, it exists there but you show me a country where it does not.'

Look pal, prostitution is everywhere but why in the former communist nations, PROSTITUTION AND SEXUAL LOWLINESS has become very ramphant and common way to make livelihood.

The fact that Communism preached GODLESSNESS so all this evilness that we see in former communist nations is a result of the type of thinking that gives no importance to the spiritual aspects.