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Abstract
Neo-liberalism has claimed another victim: Argentina. Since the 1970s, a brutal transference of resources from the poor to the rich has taken place here. The wealthy have exploited the tools of neo-liberalism to make fast profits for themselves and international interests without a thought for the country's future. On the 19th and 20th December 2001, Argentines took to the streets in their millions and said "Enough!" to the plunder: they called it the "Argentinazo", and their demand was "que se vayan todos" - "out with the lot of them" - the corrupt politicans, the interfering IMF, the rapacious foreign companies and international banks. Two years on, it is clear that the Argentinazo was a turning point in the political life of the country. It was a wake-up call to citizens that they need to be more involved in the running of the country, or soon there will be no country left to run. "We are millions" looks at the politics which led to mass poverty and unemployment and describes the rich and varied social responses to economic meltdown and political crisis.
Table of Contents
Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Title Page | iii | ||
Copyright Page | iv | ||
Table of Contents | v | ||
Acknowledgements | vii | ||
Introduction | 1 | ||
1: The Argentinazo | 7 | ||
The Roar of the People and their Pots and Pans | 7 | ||
From Riches to Rags | 11 | ||
2: Great Expectations | 17 | ||
Get Rich not Very Quick | 17 | ||
Land, Capital and Workers | 19 | ||
Box: The Economic Establishment in Argentina | 20 | ||
Box: The Reduced History of Peronism | 23 | ||
The Darkest Hour: The 1976 Coup | 27 | ||
Disciplining Society: Economics under the Dictatorship | 29 | ||
Debt upon Debt | 34 | ||
Box: Illegal Debt | 37 | ||
Return to Democracy in 1983 | 39 | ||
Box: Fear of Inflation | 43 | ||
3: Risk and Responsibility | 46 | ||
One Peso, One Dollar? | 46 | ||
Box: Domingo Cavallo | 47 | ||
Multiple International Failures: The Role of the IMF | 52 | ||
Box: Greg Palast Interviews Joseph Stiglitz | 54 | ||
It Takes Two to Tango | 60 | ||
The Privatisation Bonanza | 63 | ||
Roots of Discontent | 69 | ||
4: High Hopes | 74 | ||
Self-Appointed Agents of Change | 74 | ||
'Piqueteros' | 80 | ||
Box: Darío Santillán | 87 | ||
Recovered Factories, Workers' Control | 90 | ||
The Middle Class Joins in | 98 | ||
Barter/Trueque | 101 | ||
Neighbourhood Assemblies | 106 | ||
The Legal Route | 110 | ||
Loud and Clear | 113 | ||
Conclusion | 120 | ||
Crisis and Opportunity | 120 | ||
Postscript | 127 | ||
The Kirchner Factor | 127 | ||
Glossary | 136 | ||
Key Dates | 138 | ||
Bibliography | 141 |