18 Comments

It is actually more sinister. They are "social organizations" that run government welfare plans. They act as intermediaries between the government and the welfare recipiants. The people calling the hotline are welfare recipiants who are being blackmailed by these social organizations. If they don't go to the marches, they threaten to withhold their next month's installment. These organizations take a cut of each wellfare check each month, something like 1%-3%. How they ended up running the welfare plans I am not sure, but they are politically connected with peronists, very corrupt, etc. The fact that these people cause so many problems with cutting traffic is crazy, since they are not "protesting" against anything. Rather, they are trying to maintain and increase the wellfare amounts, so they themselves can get a bigger piece of the pie through the % cut they take on every welfare check. Milei is trying to cut out these middle men and deliver the welfare directly (he considers these people victims of the system, so cutting them off right away would be immoral, especially in the current economic situation.).

Expand full comment
author

Excellent insights... cronies working hand in glove with their political puppet masters.

Expand full comment

Do you remember 'The Sopranos' and how they operated? demanding positions at construction sites just to avoid protests? This unions work the same way! Similarly, I recommend watching the fictional series 'The Offer,' which delves into the challenges faced by the production of 'The Godfather' movie in dealing with the Mafia. It's the same modus operandi.

Expand full comment

Milei is the real deal! Brilliant Voltaire quote. Reminds me of Mark Twain’s “It’s easier to fool someone than convince them they’ve been fooled. Or Yuri Bezmenov: “As I mentioned before, exposure to true information does not matter anymore. A person who is demoralized is unable to assess true information. The facts tell him nothing, even if I shower him with information, with authentic proof, with documents and pictures. He will refuse to believe it. That's the tragedy of the situation of demoralization."

https://yuribezmenov.substack.com/p/how-to-reason-with-a-demoralized-person-yuri-kgb

Expand full comment
author

Excellent insights. Thanks for your support!

Expand full comment
founding
Jan 4Liked by Joel Bowman

How true Senior Bezmenov!

Expand full comment

Such a pity that we haven't been able to rustle up a similar character in Blighty. The Sunak/Starmer combo is dull and depressing. Argentinian life seems to be so much more fun.... all we can appear to hope for is that our decline is at least a dignified one. Yawn.

Expand full comment

Same in Australia, pity...

Expand full comment
Jan 3Liked by Joel Bowman

Intriguing insight, that of 60,000 expected protesters a mere 3,000 appeared. Apparently, those social welfare benefits pay better than the skinflint organizers of the rent-a-crowd mob. Milei has turned the welfare state inward, upon itself.

Expand full comment
author

Yes indeed… and well may it feast, like the oroborous, while the private sector gets on with the momentous job of rebuilding this once-prosperous nation. Thanks for your comment, Mr. King. Always a pleasure hearing from you!

Expand full comment

Thanks for the report, Joel.

Interesting that 50,000 turned into 3000. Maybe the 47,000 are looking for jobs?

Expand full comment

The cartoon is so funny but the reaction by the newspaper is hilarious!

Expand full comment
Jan 4Liked by Joel Bowman

Brilliant as usual. Keep on keeping on!

Taco

Expand full comment
Jan 3Liked by Joel Bowman

Joel, have the riots started yet?

Expand full comment
author

all day, everyday...

Expand full comment
Jan 3Liked by Joel Bowman

😂😂😂

Expand full comment

Well, I am always getting educated, looking up some Classical Wisdom term. Give us a little note on the status of exchanging dollars for pesos.

Expand full comment

Joel: Your occasional play with words delights me no end and, at the same time, is educational and enlightening. I feel the draft of Truth emanating all around me. Thanks!--jl

Expand full comment