We Have Peronists in the US too
Written, 8/27/10, still true today.
by Joe B. Hewitt
Argentines are
still sucking on the pacifier Juan Peron gave them in 1946. All they get out of
it is frustration. But they still believe the Peronist promises and remain
suckers, left with debts and piles of printing press money.
The disastrous
snowball Peron started rolling with promises of something for nothing has left
Argentina billions in debt and still sinking. In spite of the Peronist’s track
record, voters continue returning them to office.
Peronist-to-the-bone
President Carlos Menem had brief encounters with reality when he tried to
privatize businesses such as the money-losing national telephone company. His
constituents failed their painful course in cause-and-effect. Feather-bedded
employees, rewarded with jobs from the political pork barrel, with no expertise
and nothing to do, didn’t want to give up their cushy jobs. Like others before
his, the inflation morass swallowed Menem’s administration.
Peronist, Nestor
Kirchner apparently supposed printing press money would work this time when it
never worked before? Then his wife, Cristina Fernandez
de Kirchner succeded him and continued with the printing press money mentality.
The United States
has its share of Peronists. They don’t call themselves Peronists, but their
philosophy is the same. Get the vote by promising the descamisados, shirtless ones, or in North American
parlance, “The little man,” a better cut out of the national pie. “Tax and
spend, penalize the producers. Look not to productivity but to government
handouts for a better life.” And who pays for it? “Why, the government. They
have lots of money, and can print more.”
Fortunately the
North American Peronists are much in the minority. Everyone doesn’t believe
their divide-and-conquer slogans, such as “We’re for the little man. We’re for
the old folks. We’ll keep the opposition from destroying Social Security. We’re
fighting poverty. How can the richest nation in the world still have poor
people?” Like Juan Peron and his ilk, they are either political opportunists
who want power at any price or sincere liberals out of touch with reality.
I suggest a good
lesson in cause-and-effect. Look at Argentina. Argentina has been a great
nation. The country has a climate and natural resources, much like the United
States. The Peronist political philosophy continues to drag it down like a
panicky horse in quicksand.
Look at Great
Britain and its declining pound sterling. I remember when it was worth around
$5.00. Then for a long time it was worth around $3.50. Now it’s more like
$1.50.
Look at Canada and
its declining dollar. I remember when it took $1.10 US to buy one Canadian
dollar. Now it’s more like 90 cents.
The US dollar has continued
to depreciate at the same time, so these currencies
fall is accelerated. Why? What have these great nations done differently? They
have given in to the urge to have the government take care of everyone for
life, provide medical care for all, and
a regular government check for those who don’t work.
I met a
27-year-old man in England who had never held a job. He was big, strong,
healthy, and intelligent. The government had helped him get a job several
times. Each time he got sick at his stomach and couldn’t work. As soon as the
job was terminated, he got well. The government declared him disabled, so he
lives on the dole.
Our “Peronist” politicians encourage that way of life here.
